Public Speaking Books to Grow Your Confidence

If you have been following this blog for some time, you probably know that developing techniques in public speaking can benefit everyone, everywhere.

Public speaking has been integral to communication for centuries and at some point in everyone’s life it is necessary to find activities to improve public speaking skills. Remember that it is never too late to gain a new skill, even when this is through public speaking practice exercises.

Some people are just destined to be on a stage and in front of a crowd. They will deliver speech after speech without stage fright. For most people though, there is a significant amount of anxiety associated with speaking in front of others. To make it easier, there are many books on public speaking out there that can help.

It goes without saying that the more speeches you deliver, the easier it will become, however, to truly banish the nerves you will need public speaking training.

Perhaps it is not the idea of a large crowd that scares you. If you feel awkward and nervous in social situations you can also benefit from techniques in public speaking. One way to go about this is to find a personal development coach to help with public speaking, alternatively, if you just need a few tips you could check out public speaking books that suggest activities to improve public speaking skills. These could include writing, memorising and delivery of a speech.

You can also find other personal development courses here.

The Advantage of the Internet for Learning

Living in a digital age means that we can easily and quickly turn to the internet for education and information on our learning journeys. The web is an endless source of information and therefore offers many resources to help you improve your public speaking abilities.

Besides the internet which is convenient, easy and most often, free, what other resources are available to suggest activities to improve public speaking skills?

You could choose books on public speaking. Often, these may seem like a more credible resource and for some people, it is helpful to have a tangible resource that can be picked up and revised throughout one’s life.

So while the internet offers a very rich learning environment with diverse opinions and knowledge shared by people from all over the world, it is still worth checking out the public speaking books out there.

Regardless of whether you choose YouTube videos on the internet or books on public speaking to provide you with cool techniques in public speaking, there’s a good chance that you could find tips from celebrities and other experts.

So with so many resources at your disposal, whether those are vlogs, blogs, digital books, podcasts or audio books there are many ways to find public speaking practice exercises to suit you.

Online Resources for Nervous Public Speakers

To follow are a few websites that offer excellent activities to improve public speaking skills. Whether you are a budding keynote speaker or simply need help with a once-off presentation, these sites offer techniques in public speaking to benefit everyone.

Toastmasters International

Toastmasters International is a well-known not-for-profit educational organisation that teaches public speaking through a vast network of clubs.

With over more than 358 000 members in 16 800 clubs across 143 countries, Toastmasters is an impressive organisation and go-to for developing confidence and skill in public speaking.

How Does Toastmasters Work?

The Toastmasters model is all about people and connecting. To do this, club members meet once a week for an hour. With thousands of clubs in hundreds of countries, you will probably find that there is a Toastmasters near to you.

Toastmasters will help you to break through your personal barriers to help you improve your speaking skills, hone your leadership ability and generally maximise your potential in business and in life.

Kevin Kelly

Kevin Kelly is a website that is definitely worth checking out – it is as powerful and impressive as its owner. So who is Kevin Kelly?

"Born into a business family, Kevin began his sales apprenticeship in the family shop in the West of Ireland at the tender age of six. Very soon he became aware of the power of attention – different types of attention! [His] upbringing and associated learnings were the catalyst for his subsequent career in sales and marketing. On graduating with a Marketing degree, Kevin consistently broke sales records in each of companies he worked for, culminating in him being continuously head hunted."

"Finally in 1990, Kevin honoured his entrepreneurial DNA and set up his own company, Advanced Marketing. The company dedicated itself initially to increasing the sales of small and medium businesses, in addition to exhaustively researching the area of personal and business potential. In 1996, Kevin committed to writing a Best Selling book on motivation, the first of its kind on the Irish market. “How? When You Don’t Know How” became a mega best seller. [...] Staying true to his Irish roots, Kevin is a master storyteller who has worked around the world with Fortune 500 companies and prestigious associations like the Million Dollar Round Table. Kevin’s keynotes consistently deliver an interactive conversation that engages, informs, inspires and empowers attendees with a toolbox of invaluable takeaways."

Inspiring Blogs to Hone Public Speaking

Do you want to be a charismatic storyteller?

Public Words

Public Words is a highly recommended blog and is part of the Public Words website owned by Dr Nick Morgan.

"Public Words will help you get there. We’re a boutique family-owned consulting firm. We were started in 1997 by Dr Nick Morgan to help people tell their stories in more powerful ways. We work with individuals and organization one by one, on highly customized, unique projects that are tailored to your specific needs. At Public Words, we work with people who come from all over the world and all kinds of organizations. Some are high-level executives who need help communicating with employees or other stakeholders. Some are professional speakers, or aspiring ones. Some are entrepreneurs, politicians, celebrities, academics. Some represent organizations that want to expand into new markets or deliver a new brand message."

The professionals behind this brilliant concept work with authors, celebrities, speakers and business people to help bring ideas to life. This could be you too. As a professional organisation, it has the tools to help you to get the words down that will tell your story and eventually become published. Whether you want to write a book, create a brand, or start a community of followers, this website, which offers on average four new posts every month, has everything to help you do it.

Apps for Organising Presentation Skills

Ummo

iPhone users should check out Ummo which is an app that tracks speech to pick up the Umms and Ahhs. It also keeps track of your pace, clarity and word choice. Another feature of this app is the ability to tell which phrases and keywords have been repeated too many times.

SpeakApp

SpeakApp is for Android users and provides an excellent toolkit for anyone who wants to improve on their public speaking ability. Amongst its many powerful features, you can time yourself, count your hesitations and structure your speech. It also offers a profile page, nifty topics, a daily word, club finder and tips to keep you motivated.

Samsung BeFearless – Public Speaking

Designed for Samsung smartphone users, this is a self-training app for public speakers. It is one of the most adaptable apps on offer with three settings (school, business or daily life) to make it relevant to just about everyone.

Each setting offers levels with various topics aimed at advancing you to the next level once you have passed every lesson. In addition, the criteria for passing or failing is based on scientific research and medically-proven facts.

So, if you know that developing your public speaking skills is important then supplementary resources, whether those are public speaking books, or tips and techniques on the internet, there is plenty that is available.

Keep practising and honing your craft because there is no doubt, like with anything in life, your efforts will most certainly pay off.