The Book of Lists, which is a volume that lists each year all sorts of information about human behaviour, shows public speaking as our number one fear, with fear of death ranking, on average, at number 7. So what does this tell you about speaking to an audience?

Public speaking is at the top of our fears so it's no wonder you find lots of people searching for public speaking practise, free public speaking courses and speaking to an audience help. This article will help you out in this area but letting you on some inside information on speaking to an audience, so let's begin!

In a hurry to read this article? Jump straight to 'On The Run' Summary now.

If you are asked to address an audience at any time, it's important to understand how an audience handles the information given.

First, never tell the audience you feel nervous because then they'll start looking for nervous body language and they will find it. They'll never suspect you're nervous unless you tell them. So don’t tell them.

Second, use confidence gestures as you speak, even if you're feeling terrified. Use Steeple gestures, open and closed palm positions, occasional Protruding Thumbs and keep your arms unfolded. Looking at these articles may be useful to you use you don’t understand these gesture, Hidden Meaning of Gestures, The First Impression and Getting Ahead Tips.

Avoid pointing at the audience, arm crossing and face touching. Studies show that people who sit in the front row learn and retain more than others in the audience, partially because those in the front row are keener than others to learn and they show more attention to the speaker in order to avoid being picked on. Useful to remember if you're looking to do some public speaking practise soon.

People who sit in the front rows learn more, participate more and are more enthusiastic

Those in the middle sections are the next most attentive and ask the most questions, as the middle section is considered a safe area, surrounded by others. The side areas and back are the least responsive and attentive.

Does where you Stand Make a Difference?

When you stand to the audience's left, the right side of the stage, your information will have a stronger effect on the right brain hemisphere of your audience's brains, which is the emotional side in most people. Standing to the audience's right, the left side of stage, impacts the audience's left brain hemisphere. This is why an audience will laugh more and laugh longer when you use humour and stand to the left side of the stage, and they respond better to emotional pleas and stories when you deliver them from the right side of the stage.

Comedians have known this for decades, make them laugh from the left and cry from the right.

Speaking to an audience will be easier now that you know this information.  So to make it even easier make sure you search for and check out public speaking practise and free public speaking courses and you will soon be a great public speaker!

But before you go searching see what’s available here first, these articles I think will be perfect for you to read next -  Hidden Meaning of Gestures, The First Impression and Getting Ahead Tips.

'On The Run' Summary

This is a broken down version of the above article. The 'On The Run' Summary is here to provide you with basic headers and points about the article so you can get the 'idea'.

• First, never tell the audience you feel nervous because then they'll start looking for nervous body language and they will find it. They'll never suspect you're nervous unless you tell them. So don’t tell them
• Second, use confidence gestures as you speak, even if you're feeling terrified
• Avoid pointing at the audience, arm crossing and face touching

Does where you Stand Make a Difference?

• When you stand to the audience's left, the right side of the stage, your information will have a stronger effect on the right brain hemisphere of your audience's brains, which is the emotional side in most people
• Standing to the audience's right, the left side of stage, impacts the audience's left brain hemisphere.

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