In any kind of work environment, it is likely that everyone is required to speak to a small or large audience at some point of time. From hosting big events to making weekly or monthly presentations, public speaking forms an essential part in an individual’s work life. Apart from this, the need for public speaking can arise in our day today lives, be it speaking at a family event or maybe speaking at a friend’s wedding.

IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

Public speaking is one of those things which if you can master, it will make your life much easier and will make you a confident professional in any field. It will help you gain preference over others in a competitive environment. Public speaking also involves good communication and persuasion skills which are highly valued in any business.

Public speaking skills will make you an asset for your organization and boost self confidence. Through it, you can put your points forward clearly and quickly. It is also a strong form to inform, motivate and win over an audience. Leadership skills are also greatly reflected in a good public speaker.

STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE PUBLIC SPEAKING SKILLS

1.      Prepare thoroughly-

The first step is to be clear about what you want to speak about and what points you want to focus on. It is important to prepare the speech with clarity of thoughts because unless you don’t understand it, your audience won’t either. Preparation includes structuring the speech and identifying points of interest of the target audience.

2.      Watch videos of good speakers-

If you look, you’ll find plenty of videos by great speakers online. By watching them you can notice their strategies, ways of speaking and what makes them good speakers. It will help you to know where to pause and how to gather attention of the audience.

3.      Practice is the key-

Any task is incomplete without practice including public speaking. Make sure to practice in front of the mirror. It will help you to focus on your hand movements and you can introspect yourself. Also practice in front of your family and friends to get rid of the nervousness and they can honestly give their opinions.

4.      Start strong-

The beginning of your speech should be the most powerful because it forms the basis of what you will talk about further. It informs the audience about what they are likely to hear ahead. It should be creative and strong to keep them interested throughout.

5.      Focus on your audience-

It is very important to know your audience, their preferences, age group and their reason to be present there. Once you understand this, you can structure your speech based on what will interest your audience.

6.      Engage your audience-

Nothing captures the attention of people more than an engaging conversation. Keep them involved by asking questions and giving them a chance to speak and put forth their views. This will keep them alert and interested throughout your talk.

7.      Body language-

While speaking it is important to maintain a positive body language with a straight back and upright shoulders, which shows that you are confident. Maintaining eye contact is also a crucial way to communicate with the audience and to show that you know your subject well.

8.      Proper pauses-

Speaking with proper pauses can have a great impact on the audience. It is a great way to make the content strong and motivational. Take it slow and pause often. Talking fast would make you look nervous and cause fumbles.

9.      Articulate clearly-

While speaking in front of an audience you need to ensure that your words are loud and clear for people to understand. This also requires a lot of practice because often there are people who have poor pronunciation and can’t articulate clearly. For this they look up for facial exercises which help in clear pronunciation of words.

10.  Relax and breathe-

Before starting, it is important to relax your muscles and take deep breaths to avoid anxiety. If possible try to meditate for at least 5 minutes before starting. It will help you calm your nervousness and help you focus on the audience rather than the stress.

Often people are afraid of speaking in public and it is said that the fear of public speaking in some people out-stands the fear of death. We think that the audience often judges us from the way we speak which is why public speaking leaves a person anxious and nervous. However, this fear can be overcome with various above mentioned techniques and regular practice.