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It is commonly observed that most people get nervous when it comes to public speaking. Developing good public speaking skills is not just important at a professional level but it is an important aspect that can improve your communication in general. One of the main objectives of public speaking is addressing the crowd with effective message. Public speaking is a very generic term, while some use this skill to motivate audience, others use it to convey their opinions and some others use it to simply disseminate information. Whatever may be the case, public speaking often gets people butterflies in their stomach! However, the good news is that this is a skill that can be easily developed and with effective practice one can overcome the overcome the fear of public speaking and deliver a great speech!
One should remember that content is king! Hence to develop good content, one must read well. This helps us to not only know the subject well but also develop confidence to speak on the same. Be it newspapers, magazines, books, or articles on the internet, reading and being aware of the subject in and out is half battle won. But here is what most people complain: ‘I am well aware of the subject and I also know what to speak but as soon as I face the crowd, I forget what I want to say!’
This is a very common problem and to solve this, one must effectively practice in front of small groups that consists of family members and friends or people who would motivate you and support you to achieve your goal of public speaking. Call friends home for a casual dinner and deliver a speech in front of them. Note down the points or comments that you receive. If you feel you are still forgetting out of nervousness, rehearse the content alone standing in front of the mirror.
Along with the content, the way you deliver the speech is also important. Presentation skills, body language, expressions, voice modulation etc are important elements of public speaking that one must concentrate on. Clarity of your speech is another aspect one must pay attention to. Avoid using ‘filler words’ like ‘you know’, ‘basically’ etc. Unclear words will only show that you have not prepared well.
One should also pay attention to the kind of vocabulary that one uses. Keep the content simple but not too simple. Adding a bit of humour to your speech is one of the ways to keep the audience’s attention intact.
There are many occasions where you may be expected to give speeches such as public speaking competitions, graduations speeches, wedding ceremony speeches, and speeches at meetings etc. Hence, one should develop the art of public speaking at an early age to be adept at the same.
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