The Effective Public Speaker

For some people, ‘public speaking’ brings tremors and shivering within their body. Many have stage fright so much so that they faint on stage. The fear or rejection and the embarrassment of forgetting are all reasons for this. Public speaking is difficult for those who rarely mingle with people. They hate to be in public and loose their concentration when they see large gatherings. In today’s world where opinions matter a lot, it is important for one to voice is out. But fear of public speaking keeps a lot of people indoors.

Let’s look at the benefit of public speaking:

A good public speaker can give amazing presentations in business meetings. It could decide whether the person gets the contract or not.
At college or school, good presentation and speeches mean better grades.
A good speaker is almost always recognized and this can work for you when you want public support (be it college, school or office)
A good speaker is almost always confident about himself/herself ad thus can push you to succeed in any field.

A good speaker is able to give his/her opinions freely and thus be part of a community and be accepted.

Keeping this in mind, you really should be looking at improving your public speaking skills. It’s not tough and you can use following ways to improve this. (It applies to any public speaking or group discussion)

Get your topic right and always research well. It is important to understand your topic well so that you don’t end up saying wrong things on stage. Also while researching and collecting ideas and materials, go into as much depth as possible. You never know where you will discover information good enough to win over a debate or discussion.

Once you finish collecting material, sift through them and only use those that address to you audience. For example: If you find the audience is mostly of a young age group, stick to content that they can relate to. Don’t use complex language or jargons. Include funny anecdotes and simple language so that it becomes easier for you too.

Think of what you will wear for the occasion. This is equally important and actually gives you the much needed confidence. Don’t wear anything too casual and stick to the basics. Dress according to the occasion.

Use speaking aids such as a multimedia presentation, a laser light to point on screen and (if necessary) copies of points discussed in the presentation for the audience. This will add to your presentation.

Keep your mind clear and don’t talk before you give your speech. This allows your mind to clear up and during the speech your thoughts flow really well. Practice your speech in front of the mirror and improve your body language. Keep modulating your voice and stress on important points with conviction.

This way you would be able to deliver a killer presentation/speech or discussion.