Master Public Speaking: Step-by-Step Guide to Boost Your Skills

Public speaking isn’t easy for anybody. The big crowds, eyes and ears on you– it’s easy to get in your head about it.

But it doesn’t have to be so difficult. There are so many ways to improve public speaking skills; it’s important to know. Group presentations never end in high school; they can follow you through your university and college years, or even into your career. Giving presentations at work on company analytics or providing a pitch requires you to be in control of your communication to achieve the best results possible.

Here are some tips that can help:

Be confident

This is a no-brainer. Being confident in yourself goes a long way. Your posture, your tone of voice, it all matters when it comes to presenting yourself in front of a crowd– big or small. 

Wearing an outfit that you feel your best in, doing your hair the way that accentuates your features, and keeping your voice at a pitch that will entice your audience will allow you to perform in front of others with ease when you are aware that you both look and feel good. 

Confidence comes from within and is shown through the way you present yourself to. The more confidence you exude, the more the audience feels inclined to trust what you’re saying, which helps build a connection with you and them. 

Don’t get into your head.

The biggest mistake many people make when public speaking is letting their anxiety get the best of them.

The more you focus on the negative and what your anxiety is saying, the more likely you are to make mistakes and stutter over your words. This ties well into keeping your confidence and composure. By maintaining a level head and not letting your mind wander to the worries you have, you will avoid going down a rabbit hole.   Avoid thinking about the crowd of people staring at you, or if your voice doesn’t sound as good in person as it does in your head. Every public speaker deals with these thoughts from time to time, but focusing on the positive will help maintain your confidence.

Usually, the things people get into their heads about tend to be just that, in their heads. People always over-criticize themselves, and then what is truly there. 

Practice

As everyone says, practice, practice, practice!

The more practice and preparation you put into your public speaking skills, the higher the success of your achievement will be! 

Practice comes in many forms. First, rehearse as many times as you can. If you’ve done it five times, do three more. You want to familiarize yourself with what you’re saying and be able to remember the flow of the sentences. Rehearsing in front of a mirror can help a lot. By viewing your reflection, you can see what areas you need to improve on and how the audience will perceive you. From there, you can adjust yourself to fit the tone better.

Know the audience 

The most crucial part of public speaking is knowing and understanding your audience. 

Public speaking is a broad term. It includes class presentations, giving a demonstration, or MCing a wedding. Those are all examples of public speaking. However, each speech has its own curated structure and audience. One format will not work for another. 

By knowing your audience, you can adjust your speech to align with them. An audience of kids won’t appreciate anything too serious or long, as they’re attention spans are delicate. An audience of professors and business owners expects the speaker to maintain professionalism at all times. It all depends on the atmosphere, and it’s up to your better judgment to deduce what will work best for them.

Don’t be rigid

This is important as it can make or break your performance/ speech. 

When publicly speaking, you want to avoid coming off as rigid. Being monotone, maintaining little to no eye contact, using no hand gestures, and having stiff body language will make you seem uninteresting. This, in turn, will result in your audience losing interest and even finding you unqualified.

This also plays hand-in-hand with being confident. The more shelled off you are, the more likely you are to reflect that to your audience. When you are presenting, it is all about the performance you put on. You want to be engaging and interactive. Use your hands when you speak, look around the room, analyze the scene in front of you, and don’t be afraid to let your emotions flow through your words and sentences. Enunciate important points and keep your posture upright. All of these things will ensure that your presentation will be unforgettable and the talk of the audience once it’s over. 

Lastly…

It is important to remember, though, that public speaking takes time to perfect and won’t happen overnight. By staying consistent with practice, maintaining a positive attitude, and incorporating the right techniques, over time, you will develop the most efficient and effective ways to publicly speak!