Do you ever feel anxious about public speaking? Do you wish you could communicate with confidence in any situation?
Do you feel a knot in your stomach at the thought of speaking in front of a crowd? Whether it’s a large conference or a small room of colleagues, public speaking can be daunting. Fortunately, becoming a compelling speaker is a skill that can be learned with the right guidance. If you’re new to public speaking or looking to refine your skills, you’re in the right place.
Effective public speaking doesn’t always come naturally. Many people struggle with speaking in front of a crowd or even a small room of their peers. If you’re just beginning or you want some help to become a more effective public speaker, you have come to the right place. My 10 public speaking basics will help you to focus on your audience, engage with them, and keep them interested in what you are saying. With these guidelines, you will understand how to speak with more confidence and impact while also reducing anxiety. Being well prepared can help to reduce any fear of public speaking you may have. Furthermore, understanding how to engage with your audience will lead to successfully communicating your message.
Effective Public Speaking Basics
Public speaking is more than just standing up and delivering a speech. It’s about engaging with your audience, conveying your message with clarity, and impacting your listeners positively. Here are my top 10 tips to help you speak with confidence and make your message heard.
Read my public speaking basics below or watch the video where you will find important dos and don’ts to keep you on track and your audience engaged.
1. Keep Notes to a Minimum
Relying too heavily on detailed notes can disconnect you from your audience. Instead, use bullet points to keep your speech on track without losing that vital eye contact.
2. Have bullet points or talking points
A concise list of talking points that you use to trigger and remind you what you are going to say is ideal. This approach allows you to naturally interact with your audience, enhancing engagement and connection.
3. Don’t fidget
Fidgeting with your hands and feet or pacing up and down constantly may distract your audience. Using your hands to gesture and explain is helpful and will engage your audience, but fidgeting can be very annoying. If you are guilty of fidgeting with a pen or your hair, make sure they are out of the way until you feel more comfortable with your public speaking skills.
Avoid unnecessary movements such as pacing or fidgeting with objects, which can distract your listeners. Instead, use purposeful gestures to emphasise your points and enhance your words.
4. Find a comfortable, confident position to stand
Find a comfortable stance and only move when it adds to your message, such as walking towards the audience to create closeness or emphasise a point.
Make sure you are feeling relaxed, and then if you need to move, it should be for a specific purpose, for example, to engage with another audience member.
5. Don’t ramble
Try not to ramble as this can make you look disorganised, and it is hard for the audience to focus and understand your message. Rambling when public speaking in public may cause your audience to lose interest quickly. Refer to your talking points to make sure you stay on track.
Stay focused and concise. Rambling can make your speech feel unstructured and tedious. Stick to your main points and keep your audience engaged.
6. Prepare
Be organised and concise by taking the time to plan, prepare, and practice for any public speaking engagement.
Invest time in planning and practicing your speech. A well-structured presentation with a clear introduction, informative content, and a succinct conclusion will hold your audience’s attention.
7. Don’t look down
Don’t look at the floor, to the side, or to your stand as this will not engage your audience; having talking points rather than detailed notes will help you with this. Don’t just read from your notes. Look up and connect with your audience. This makes your listeners feel involved and valued in the conversation.
8. Pick someone to talk to
Pick people in the audience and speak to them, make them feel like you are talking directly to them. During your talk, select several people to speak to directly, then generally to everyone. This strategy, while engaging your audience, can also help to keep you focused and calm any nerves you may have.
During your speech, occasionally direct your words to different individuals around the room. This personal touch can help to keep your audience engaged and make your message more impactful.
9. Don’t mumble, speak clearly
Talking too softly, mumbling or using too many fillers like um or ah can make you look unprepared. The occasional um won’t have a big impact on your presentation, so don’t panic if one or two slip out. If your audience cannot hear or understand you they will lose interest quickly.
Avoid mumbling and use a clear, strong voice. Articulate your words, and don’t shy away from using pauses—they can be a powerful tool to highlight key points.
Speaking clearly, loudly and with confidence will help your audience stay interested in your message. Emphasise key words and pause after a critical idea or thought. The pause ………………….can have a significant effect.
10 Practice Vocal Variety
Change your pitch and tone to keep your speech dynamic and interesting. Monotone voices can make the content seem dull, no matter how exciting it is.
Become a Skilled Public Speaker
I’m Sonal Dave, a professional public speaking coach dedicated to helping you excel in your communication skills. My workshops and online courses are designed to teach you how to engage effectively with your audience, manage your nerves, and use your voice and body language to influence and captivate your listeners.
Effective communication is important for everyone, from students to professionals. Which of these tips did you find most helpful?
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Ready to take your public speaking skills to the next level? Check out my comprehensive speaking courses today, and start communicating with confidence and authority.
