mdolla: 7 basic tips for public speaking

Communication is the key to any successful business that involves interacting in public. Public speaking is a difficult activity for many, but it is of great importance in every event. However, as a businessperson, you will have to constantly present your business to your customers, your partners, or your prospective investors. And, you must do it the right way.

Public speaking is really not a difficult task. It’s nothing more than talking, and you do this practically all the time. You only need to learn how to do it in front of a group and perfect some skills. That way, the mystery surrounding public speaking will eventually disappear.

Here, we will give you some keys to becoming a good speaker that will help you learn how to express your ideas before an audience, whether it’s of ten, a hundred or a thousand people.

1. Define your goal clearly

Before you engage in any public speech, first ask yourself: what do I want to accomplish with my speech? This will simplify your writing or planning process and help you clearly define the main objective of your speech.

2. Always express yourself with simplicity

When you speak in public, your audience will understand one or two ideas from what you are trying to get across. If you fail to express yourself and the point you wish to communicate in just a few sentences, then your speech is not well defined. If you lack the foresight to know what you want to say, this will affect how you deliver your speech in public.

2. Get organized

Always make your assertions short when delivering a public speech. It is important to order the elements in your speech. It is necessary to divide a speech into an introduction, the main points that are going to be expressed, and the conclusion.

Sometimes, you may decide to start with the final phrase. But, this depends on you. Once you know where you are going, you can decide on the path through the speech that suits you best and will send the message you want to convey. It is important to have a powerful conclusion, because in most cases, that is what people remember in your speech.

3. Be brief

Another important tip for developing a perfect speech is to limit the duration. You must be cautious about the amount of time you spend delivering your speech. Usually, the duration of a good speech is, at most, 10 to 15 minutes. Your audience will be happier if you go straight to the point to prevent the speech from becoming boring. Avoid speaking for too long.

4. Be yourself

Never try to be different from who you are. Be yourself. If the information you want to convey does not interest your audience, try to make it lively. Share experiences that the listeners do not know about. Convey to the audience how you feel about the topic, whether it is fear, sadness, deep emotion, indifference, or annoyance. However, this is not applicable in all cases. Consider the space, time, and audience for your speech to ensure you deliver an appropriate speech. This is an effective weapon in public speaking.

5. Engage with the audience

Before you begin any public speech, you must establish a bond between the public and yourself. Put on a smile, remember to thank the person who introduced you, then wait a moment until you have caught the attention of everyone before you start your speech or PowerPoint presentation. The audience will then realize that you are speaking and will be more willing to pay attention to you. The moment the public becomes attentive, make sure to establish eye contact. Select a few friendly faces in the audience, and as you speak, look at one, then another, until you’ve made eye contact with people throughout the whole audience.

6. Avoid reading your speech

Reading a speech before an audience won’t make your speech effective. It is advisable and important to keep notes that will help you remember what you want to say and where you are going. It’s a good idea to make bullet points in your notes with the main points of the speech.

7. Relax

It is natural to experience some nervous tension when you are about to speak in public. This could even make you forget your lines. The first thing you should do is to take a long, deep breath, moving your diaphragm smoothly and rhythmically, to help relax your nerves. This will give you a better footing and confidence as you deliver the speech.

If you apply these few tips mentioned above and put them into practice, I bet you will become a pro at public speaking.

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