15 Ways to Improve Public Speaking Skills

Photo Courtesy: Sebastiaan ter Burg

There are a lot of us who shudder just at the thought of speaking in public. Even if we gather all our courage to go up on stage, we falter and the words we practised just don’t come out. If you don’t want to be one of those people, all you have to do is go through the below mentioned ways to improve public speaking skills and become the Cicero of every occasion.

1. Know the topic

Don’t go on stage without any preparation. Know the topic you are speaking on inside and out. This will give you a great deal of confidence.

2. Rehearse well

Stand in front of a mirror and speak to yourself. Check your mannerisms and make appropriate changes. Make a draft of your speech and go through it very well. Improve it further if possible.

3. Drink adequate water

You should always stay hydrated. Don’t let your throat go dry. If you have watched nicely, even the greatest of public speakers keep a bottle of water handy near them. Do the same.

4. Stay calm

Don’t panic just because you have to speak in front of others. They too are humans after all. Don’t just blurt out the words or stand there shivering and make a fool of yourself. Just relax.

5. Connect

Build a rapport with the audience. Start with a joke or a short anecdote. Connect with the audience and you will get an excellent feedback and also get over your nervousness in the process.

6. Prepare according to the time provided

Check how much time you have to speak and prepare accordingly. Don’t just blabber on and put the listeners to sleep.

7. Listen

Speaking and listening go hand in hand. Listen to others feedback as well. Make the session interactive.

8. Rest well

Don’t stay awake the night before when you are to deliver an important address. It can be lethal to your speech. Have a good night’s sleep.

9. Dress for the occasion

Wear decent clothes. If it is an official speech, wear formal attire and look tidy. No one likes to listen to a shabby person unless you are a genius of some sort.

10. Maintain a good body language

It is extremely important to maintain a good body language. Every gesture and posture of yours has a meaning and so you should try to be as smart as possible.

11. Modulate your voice

It is a very important component of a good speech. Modify your tone according to the thought you are trying to put across or a point you are trying to make. Don’t just keep on speaking in the same robotic tone all throughout.

12. Avoid using verbal fillers

A lot of people have the habit of using filling the void with fillers like ‘umm’, ‘ aaa’ and so on. Avoid them like cancer.

13. Be ready for the unexpected

Don’t expect everything to go your way. If you get some unexpected questions from the audience which you are not sure how to answer, don’t just fake. Tell him you will get back to him. Honesty is always more welcome than lying or pretending.

14. Know your audience

It is important to be aware of whom you will be speaking to. Obviously, the speech for an audience of 10 year olds will be different from that for a crowd of 60 year olds. Even a hilarious joke for a particular audience might fall completely flat in front of another.

15. Don’t be depressed

Everyone makes mistakes. So don’t get disheartened for any errors you that you may have made during the speech. Rather learn from your mistakes and don’t repeat them in the future.