According to a poll once conducted by the Wall Street Journal, the greatest fear among American citizens was not being afraid of clowns, being hit by a car, loneliness, or even death, but public speaking. Can you understand how harrowing the experience must be for someone who has a suspicion that they might have to speak in front of an audience that prefers even DEATH rather than that? Stage fright is a reality, whether you have to give a public speech, participate in a group discussion, or give a presentation. There are not many people who have the gift of the word and, in fact, there are visionaries like Elon Musk who still stutter throughout their presentations, so you can imagine how easy it is for the average person to sweat at the moment they have to. speak. in public. Butterflies in the stomach. Near a nervous breakdown. The fear of failure. The fear of being laughed at. All these thoughts and feelings surround us like an impenetrable cocoon, carrying our confidence to the nadir.
However, through constant practice and learning, you can eventually learn to deliver an effective public speech. Whether your speaking skills are average or below average, here are 7 powerful tips that will help you immensely improve your public speaking skills:
1. Know your audience
One of the most important parts of public speaking is knowing your audience. Will you present your speech to a novice audience or a group of highly experienced people? Will you speak to a local group or foreign guests? Prepare your content accordingly so that the audience remains engaged and aware of cultural and geographic biases. For example, do not play typical Rajnikanth jokes in front of an audience of Tamil Nadu people. A stiff reaction will throw you off course and make the situation uncomfortable for both you and the audience you are targeting.
2. Take a deep breath. Boost your self-confidence with a stimulating talk
If you suffer from speech anxiety, you tend to take quick, shallow breaths, which only exacerbates physical and mental stress once you get on stage. Learning proper breathing techniques is essential to improve your public speaking skills, being the diaphragmatic breathing exercise the most recommended by experts. Also, just before your speech, you should take deep breaths because they act as a great stress reliever. Giving yourself a short pep talk is also a wonderful way to calm your nervousness. Say things like this to yourself:
“Be yourself”
“Have fun”
“I can do this. I’ve done it before” (if it’s not your first time on stage)
“It’s about them, not about me”
3. It’s okay to be nervous
It is human nature to be nervous. Even the most experienced speakers have revealed that they feel a bit nervous every time they take the stage. One way to reduce nervousness is to talk to a close family member or friend just before you start living. Another effective solution is to start your speech off the hook and break the ice with a joke. Don’t be intimidated by all the eyes looking at you. Remember, most of them would give your kidney to be up there instead.
4. Give mock speeches and ask for honest reviews
This step should be done at least a couple of weeks before D-Day. Giving mock speeches in front of your family or friends, and if possible, an unknown test audience (if you can handle that) is a very effective way to improve your skills. to speak in public. You will become familiar with the experience and can receive honest criticism about gaps in your speech or body language. This will ensure that the end result is as error free as possible.
5. make your speech sharp and direct
Don’t beat around the bush so that your audience loses interest and even you lose sight of what the speech was about. Make your speech sharp, interesting, and accurate. Don’t use a lot of verbiage. Use audiovisual tools to involve your audience more. Do not forget to answer any questions on the subject, in which you must be well versed! You can also do a question and answer session after the speech is over, because that’s how it usually is, but
6. Use hand gestures effectively, improve your body language
It is an axiomatic truth that body language is an important part of communication skills. Having poor body language, for example, nervously pacing, making too many hand movements or awkward gestures, having a hunched posture, etc., significantly impacts your public speaking experience. To avoid this, you should practice in front of a mirror, ask a friend or family member to record your speech during a mock session, and review all the mistakes you are making. Are you doing too many hand movements? Are you hiding your nervousness by moving around too much? Go through a comprehensive checklist of tips on body language for public speaking so you don’t end up a nervous wreck.
7. Don’t worry about the negative evaluation. Keep practicing.
There is seldom someone who can deliver their first speech on the fly. Not all people have the eloquence of, say, Barack Obama, or the confidence of Nick Vujicic. Most people fear being negatively evaluated by the audience or not speaking the way they intended. This can result in excruciating anxiety and stress, and can even discourage you from speaking in public forever, so you won’t be embarrassed again. But the only way forward is to take it easy and learn from the mistakes you’ve made. Taking the stage repeatedly will build your confidence and eventually you will become an expert speaker over time.