How to Improve Public Speaking

If you think that public speaking is simply standing up and delivering a speech to an audience, you might be right. However, to be effective, you’ll need public speaking skills training.

So what will you gain through training for public speaking skills?

Put simply, the definition of public speaking is addressing a crowd through verbal communication.

This could entail anything from reciting an oral in front of a class, taking part in a Toastmasters club or delivering a speech at a wedding or 21^st.  Many people in business also seek to improve their public speaking skills so that they can deliver better presentations or sales pitches.

There is no getting around it, regardless of how much talent you have, if you want to be taken seriously when addressing a crowd, you will need a few good public speaking tips.

Speaking in front of an audience requires a lot of preparation, so for those who suffer with anxiety, finding the right training for public speaking skills is essential.

Of course, different audiences and environments also play a big part in how you react under pressure. Even the most confident people can crumble under pressure and experience stage fright. Besides requiring public speaking tips for general confidence, there are a few other elements of public speaking to wrap one’s head around:

• At whom is the message aimed?  
• What is the essence of the message?
• What are the interests of the audience?
• How do you plan to deliver the message?
• How will the talk be closed?

Reasons to Improve Public Speaking Skills

Many people want to know how to improve public speaking, not only those who have high-flying jobs. At some point in life, just about everyone is required to deliver an impromptu or rehearsed speech. Having the training for public speaking skills behind you is something that you will be able to fall back on for the rest of your life.

Delivering an argument with persuasion is important, but there are other reasons why it is important to develop good communication skills. Some of these include:

• For growth: We have all been there —  you're at a party and you happen to not know anyone. Your conversation skills are lacking and you end up feeling embarrassed and planning an escape that no one will notice. If this is a scenario that you can relate to, then perhaps you could increase your self-confidence by becoming a better conversationalist.  Through training for public speaking, skills for ordinary conversation will emerge too. Don’t be surprised if the public speaking tips that you gain also help to generally improve your personal relationships and family life too.
• To demonstrate knowledge: If you are a subject matter expert, it is likely that you will be called upon to share your knowledge from time to time. If this is the case, you should seriously consider public skills training. Most people prefer not to stand up and deliver a speech, however, those who do, seem to automatically position themselves as experts in their field. If you are ambitious, you should take every opportunity to showcase your knowledge and experience.
• To learn: Preparing to deliver a speech usually requires that an amount of research is undertaken. In so doing you will further expand your knowledge while you improve your public speaking skills at the same time.

And there are numerous more reasons, of course. You just can't avoid it — public speaking is necessary to move forward in many situations, both at work and socially.

Furthermore, when it comes to climbing the corporate ladder, you’ll find that you may need to fight to be heard. Being a confident speaker in your day-to-day dealings, or when needing to deliver a presentation, could be a powerful way to advance your career. In short, it will help you to:

1. Make an impression and stand out.
2. Make people take you seriously.
3. Help people to remember you.
4. Make you more accessible to colleagues, staff and managers.

Seal the deal thanks to getting your voice heard. Photo on Visualhunt.com

Ways to Improve Public Speaking Skills

If you want to improve your public speaking skills, then investing in the right training can certainly have a few important benefits.

• Preparing well will lessen nerves: Feeling nervous is normal, but the best way to overcome this feeling is to be as prepared as you possibly can. If you have rehearsed enough, you will find that it will greatly diminish your nerves.
• Knowing your audience: Make sure that you know who you are addressing because people generally want to hear things that have relevance to their lives. Find out about the crowd and choose vocabulary that they will be able to relate to. Work out the content and organisation of your speech to try and keep them hooked from beginning to end.
• Go with the flow: Even though you may know who you are talking to, you will not know how they are going to respond. Try to measure their vibe and respond or adapt accordingly. If they seem like a dry and serious audience, consider taking out any humorous elements and stick to the facts.
• Allow your personality to shine through: Being yourself is key. An audience can quickly pick up on inauthenticity and it will be the quickest way for them to mentally shut down and not hear your message. Instead, allow your true personality to shine through and you’ll notice that this will gain their trust.
• Using humour as an ice breaker: Using humour, particularly at the beginning of a speech can be a great way to break the ice and captivate the audience. It will also give you an idea of the collective mood and energy in the room so that you can adapt your tone from there.
• Never read your speech: While notes are important, do your best not to read them word for word. If memorising a script is a struggle, make sure that you make as much intermittent eye contact as possible.
• Using body language effectively: Bear in mind that your posture and general body language are as important as the speech you deliver. Make sure that you are aware of your hand gestures and expressions to get your message across powerfully. To influence your audience, it will be your whole presence that counts.
• Start well to end well: The conclusion of your speech should be as impactful as your captivating beginning. Audience members might drift off during the middle of a speech, but never at the beginning or the ending. Remember to conclude with a strong summary that leaves them with food for thought.

Online Resources for Public Speaking Skills Training  

In this digital age, most people consult the internet to help educate themselves or supplement their learning journeys. The internet offers an endless supply of resources. We are able to learn from people from all over the world who share their knowledge and success stories. In fact, the internet provides such a rich learning environment that it is not easy to replicate.

Are you looking for presentation templates and resources?

The internet has them.

Are you looking for online training for public speaking skills?

There are blogs, vlogs, websites and audiobooks by the dozen. There is a plethora of online help for public speaking.

When it comes to websites that specifically offer public speaking tips, below are some worth noting.

Toastmasters International

Toastmasters International is a not for profit educational organisation that helps people with how to improve public speaking. To date, the organisation’s membership exceeds 358 000 in 143 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has provided public speaking tips for people from many diverse backgrounds to become more confident communicators, speakers and leaders.

Public Words

If you want to know how to tell your story in a powerful way, check out Public Words which is a family-owned consulting firm founded by Dr Nick Morgan in 1997. It works with both individuals and organisations to help with customised and unique projects.

Ummo

Ummo provides convenient training public speaking skills. Available as an app for iPhone users, it tracks speech and picks up on all the proverbial umms and ahhs. It will also help you to keep on top of your choice of words as well as their clarity and pace. An excellent feature of this app is the ability to tell it which phrases or keywords should be tracked so that you don’t repeat them.

With the right support, you'll be much more confident the next time you have to address an audience.