10 Tips and Techniques to Improve Your Public Speaking Skills
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Mahatma Gandhi, Adolf Hitler, Martin Luther King Junior, and Nelson Mandela. What do all these great men have in common? They were successful in driving the masses toward a certain cause that they felt strongly about. But how did they do it?
Also called oration, public speaking is a skill where an individual speaks to an audience. Public speaking skills might seem simple but public speaking as a skill is extremely nuanced and an effective way of getting a message across to a wide audience.
Traditionally, public speaking was done live, on a stage with a mic in front of a large audience. But now, times have changed, technology is a big part of our lives and hence, public speaking can also be done via pre-recorded or live videos. Public speaking skills should be used in a structured manner to persuade the masses, inform, entertain or influence them.
Public speaking is one of the most dreaded yet sought-after skills and this is extremely empowering if done effectively. It builds confidence, helps to make powerful connections and enhances one’s leadership skills among many other benefits. This article will help you achieve just that!
Expert’s Advice: 10 Tips for Public Speaking Skills
Public speaking skills are an art and as with any other skill, it can be honed and perfected. All that is required is focused effort and willingness to improve.
Here are a few expert-suggested tips and tricks that will help you improve your public speaking skills and get you started on this trajectory toward great public speaking without getting your palms all sweaty just at the thought of it. You can apply these tips anytime and every time you’re in front of an audience and you’ll be sure to leave a lasting impression. How great is that!
Prepare a Script
Trembling hands, pounding hearts and feeling a knot in your gut are quite normal before your performance. But this nervousness doesn’t mean that you are about to perform poorly or that you haven’t prepared well.
The best way to prepare well is to write something that you’re confident about, that you know in your heart is right. Then you can practise speaking in front of a mirror and then record yourself speaking so that you can watch how well you’re doing. Make pointers as to what can be improved, either your speed or intonation. You can also get a trusted friend to see your practice. He/she can then give you some valuable feedback upon which you can build.
Start With a Strong Opening That Captures the Audience’s Attention
To capture an audience, you must know their likes and dislikes. Before you craft your speech, make a point to consider the people for whom the message is intended. Learn about your listeners, only then will your choice of words, the difficulty level of information, etc., can be built.
Once you know what interests your listeners, it will become easier to make strong points that will make an impact on them.
Once you grab their attention with a strong opening, you will have them by the ear for the rest of the speech too. Thus, a higher chance of meeting your goal. A strong opening could include a startling statistic, a moving quote or an engaging anecdote.
Your Body Language Should Convey Your Message
Your word isn’t the only medium to exude confidence and showcase your public speaking skills, non-verbal cues play a very crucial role too. From the moment you walk onto the stage, take the mic and begin speaking till the time you exit the scene, everything is taken into account. This shouldn’t put extra pressure on you, instead should be seen as an opportunity to make an impression on the audience.
That being said, here are a few tips to keep your body language on point:
- There’s something called a ‘power pose’. As the name suggests, this pose can help you increase your eminence and reduce your stress. All you have to do is stand straight with shoulders and back feet width apart with your hand on either side of the body so that it’s easier for you to make hand gestures.
- Make sure you use hand gestures because they embroider your message. Hand gestures make you come across as genuine and trustworthy.
Speak Clearly and Audibly
You must always remember that a good speech can be made great if you are clear and audible enough with intonations and appropriate speed of speech. Don’t be in a hurry to finish your act, instead slow down and enunciate. A clear voice and correct pronunciation of words and sentences will help you capture the audience’s attention. If you’re clear and deliberate with your speech, you’ll come off as credible and confident
Use Visual Aids, Such as Slides or Props
Visual aids should be seen as a complementary element to your speech. You can use slides or props to bring a visual facet to your presentation, to make your point come across more vividly.
While you’re at it, don’t forget to lose the connection you’ve maintained with the audience so far. Keep adding points in between and thus use these aids sparingly.
Use Anecdotes and Humor
Remember, you’re a real person talking to real people in real time. Make your audience empathize with you, laugh with you and move with you in multiple ways. All this can be done through narrations, anecdotes, jokes, statistics and whatnot. Every human likes a personal touch, so give your audience that. Give them something they can relate to with your great public speaking skills.
Be Authentic and Speak from the Heart
Try your best to let your personality shine through. Let the audience see the real you, and let them know you feel strongly about the topic. Captivate your audience by speaking from the heart right from the start. Build a special connection with your audience that conveys your sincerity.
It’s okay to be vulnerable, it helps draw your audience in. It helps them understand that the person standing in front of them is only human, fallible and authentic.
Ask Questions to Engage Your Audience
Communication is at its best when done two ways. It’s very important to maintain your audience’s attentiveness. You can do this by asking your audience some questions. This could be a generic question or something related to a fact or maybe even their personal experience with something.
This can help achieve two things. One, you’ll know for a fact that your audience was listening to you attentively because if they weren’t they would have lost the track of the speech and wouldn’t have been able to answer. Secondly, you’ll be able to connect with your audience genuinely.
Anticipate and Address Potential Objections or Questions
There could be some things that aren’t as clear to the audience as they must be to you. So, build your speech through the eyes of your audience. You can always anticipate the questions or queries your audience might have and address them in your speech.
You can always reduce your on-stage anxiety by predicting the objections that your audience might raise and be prepared in advance to assuage them.
End with a Clear and Memorable Conclusion
Remember how you began your speech with a bang? It’s only natural that you end it with a dynamic thud too!
Conclude your speech and leave the audience with a message or a thought that stays with them for a very long time.
Plan your closing remarks, that hint at the overall purpose of your talk. Make sure to give your audience a call to action, something that makes your audience want to do something as a result of your speech. As a pro tip, it’s always a good idea to slow down and add a little drama to your final words.
10 Techniques for Public Speaking Skills
Here are some techniques that can teach you how to improve your public speaking skills.
Visualise Success
One way to conquer your fear of public speaking is to visualise yourself speaking in front of an audience. Do the visualisation as vividly as possible. This means, making the entire experience come alive, with all your senses. Look at yourself from a first-person perspective, hear the murmurs of the crowd, feel the microphone in your hand, observe the colours of the room, the sitting arrangement and everything in between.
Once all is said and done, imagine yourself sweeping the entire crowd off of their feet and feeling the immense joy of delivering a successful speech. All this will motivate you to do better and better.
Warm Up Your Body and Voice
When you are a part of public speaking training, multiple exercises will help you warm up your body and voice right before your important speech.
- You can warm up your vocal cords just like any other muscle. Place your hand on either side of your face and move your cheeks in regular circular motions while closing and opening your mouth, hence moving your jaw
- Improve the quality of your voice by practising certain syllables in high-higher and low-lower pitch
- Breathe in and breathe out slowly and intentionally to calm your nervous system down
Record Yourself
One of the best ways to improve your public speaking skills is to record yourself practising. The recording can be either audio or video, although the video is recommended.
It is always a good idea to analyse your rhythm, pace and volume while speaking and thus fill the gaps. Speaking some difficult words aloud can help you feel comfortable with the pronunciation. Once you see the recording you can also judge parts that can be edited or cut out altogether.
Use Pauses Effectively
Mention of this as one of the most important public speaking skills techniques can never be overstated. You must pause between your speech for your audience to take in the information, understand it and digest it before you move on to your next idea.
Pauses give breathing space both to you and your audience. There’s also something called an ‘effective pause’ that is to be given before your punch line. It’s strategic and needs to be done correctly. The pause shouldn’t be too long or short otherwise it will lose its value.
Emphasise Key Points
It’s important to emphasise the key points of your speech to increase their recall value. A few ways in which you can do that are:
- Repeat the point, maybe once more
- Reduce your pace while delivering it so that it’s clear
- Make eye contact
Use Eye Contact
Making eye contact with your audience is another great way to exude confidence as well as get immediate feedback from them.
If you’re among a very large audience, don’t just sweep your eyes over them. Make eye contact with one person at a time for at least 4-6 seconds and then move on to another. If the size of the audience is small, then fix the gaze on one person for about 9 seconds and move on.
Practice Active Listening
One of the most important features of public speaking skills is active listening. When you are in front of your audience physically, be sure to be there mentally too. Don’t let any other thoughts distract you from maintaining contact with the audience.
Seek Feedback
If you choose to perform before a trusted friend before your actual act, take their feedback seriously and incorporate them within your speech.
Once you’re performing in front of an audience, remember that public speaking is a two-way communication. meaning, when you’re delivering your speech look out for audiences’ expressions and reactions because they can be your most helpful ongoing feedback. This can help you improvise and fill the gaps.
If you go out there with a sealed speech, i.e. something that can’t be improvised, you’ll likely lose your audience. Make sure not to let that happen.
Public Speaking Skills- Key Takeaways
Mastering public speaking skills is of utmost importance, as they are applicable in various situations and settings. By incorporating the tips and techniques shared in this blog, you can enhance your abilities and become an exemplary public speaker, regardless of your audience.
Whether you find yourself addressing familiar faces or strangers, these strategies will guide you towards success. Embrace the journey towards becoming a public speaking master with confidence and determination. All the best for your journey towards becoming a public speaking master!
And for more career tips and useful information view our more blogs on Life Skills.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Effective public speaking requires a combination of skills,
1. Impactful communication skills,
2. Clarity of speech,
3. Confident body language,
4. Ability to engage your audience.
By honing these abilities, you can become a skilled public speaker who commands attention, engages listeners, and leaves a lasting impression.
Public speaking refers to the act of delivering a speech or presentation to a live or recorded audience. It is a form of communication that aims to inform, entertain, persuade, or inspire listeners.
The role of a public speaker is to captivate the audience, convey a clear message, and engage them in a meaningful way. Effective public speaking can influence, inspire, and motivate people to take action or change their perspectives on a particular topic. It can also build credibility and establish the speaker as an authority in their field.
A good speaker is someone who can connect with the audience, establish rapport, and deliver a message that resonates with them. They are clear and concise in their delivery, using effective body language, vocal variety, and storytelling techniques to engage the audience. A good speaker is also knowledgeable, credible, and passionate about their subject matter.
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