Mastering Public Speaking

If there’s one thing that strikes fear into the hearts of the masses, it’s public speaking. Most of us seem to be predisposed to nervousness when it comes to standing up in front of a group of our peers and sharing information or opinions. If even just THINKING about speaking in front of a crowd gives you butterflies, you’re not alone! How do you get over it and leverage the power of public speaking to advance your career, build confidence, and find success in both your professional and personal affairs?

A Professional Skill

For professionals, learning is a lifelong activity. By keeping skills up to date and adding new ones to your professional toolkit, you’ll be better equipped to compete in the job market or grow within your current role.

Regardless of your career path, you’ll find that presentations are part of many job requirements. Whether you’re standing in front of a classroom, giving an on-line presentation to colleagues, or interviewing with a potential employer, you need to be able to speak clearly and confidently enough to be heard and understood. Honing your public speaking skills now will help you accomplish your goals whether you’re addressing a packed auditorium or an audience of one.

Some of the biggest perks associated with mastering public speaking include:

• Increased confidence
• Strong interviewing skills
• Make a positive impression on superiors, colleagues, and clients
• Appear capable, competent, and professional
• Be more visible and recognizable within your organization
• Career advancement

Tips for Public Speaking Success

There are ways to manage your nerves and give a fantastic speech or presentation. Here are a few practical tips that will take your public speaking abilities to the next level.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Knowing that public speaking skills are important is one thing, but putting forth the effort to practice them is another. Persistent practice truly is the best way to minimize fears and hone speech-making abilities.

While standing in front of a mirror and rehearsing your lines is definitely helpful, you’ll never get better practice than by making a presentation to friends and family members. Standing in front of another person and giving your speech will help you feel prepared for the real thing. You might consider joining an organization like Toastmasters to polish your professional speaking skills. A visit to the Toastmasters website provides a wealth of tips for speakers.

Take Interest in Your Topic

Sometimes you’ll have the luxury of picking your presentation topic. More often than not, you’ll be required to present on topics that may not fall within your area of expertise. When this happens, find a way to connect with the subject matter and make it your own. The more you identify with the topic, the more your research will stick with you, and the smoother your speech will go.

Simon Sinek is the third most-watched TED Talk presenter, and describes himself as incredibly shy, saying he avoids parties. But his talks have logged over 22 million views. He said, “People are more likely to trust a speaker that gives them value, teaches them something new, and inspires them.” Consider the value you’re offering your listeners. Confidence comes when we know we’re imparting meaningful information.

S-L-O-W D-O-W-N

When speaking in public, one of the most common mistakes people make is to rush through their presentation. You may be eager to get the whole thing over with, but talking too quickly is bad for two reasons. First, your audience will have a harder time making sense of your speech and will be less impressed with your efforts. Secondly, the more you rush, the more likely you are to get flustered, become tongue-tied, miss points, or make mistakes. Sinek suggests speaking far more slowly than usual, and to wait a few seconds before speaking.

When practicing your speech, be sure to time yourself. Enunciating clearly and talk at a controlled speed. If you feel yourself rushing, or lose your train of thought, pause, take a breath, regroup, and proceed.

Dress for Success

The more confident you feel about your appearance, the more self-assured you’ll feel when you speak. Take the time to put yourself together, and wear an outfit that makes you feel comfortable yet empowered. It will make a world of difference.

Students who practice their public speaking skills both in and out of the classroom are the most likely to succeed and build strong relationships with their peers. There are valuable, free online resources for mastering your speaking skills.  Learn Out Loud offers “The Art of Public Speaking” by the master of communication, Dale Carnegie.

The Public Speaking Project offers tools and texts, either free or at low charge, for help with honing presentation skills.  Futurelearn is a resource that offers a free, six-week course on public speaking and presentations using TEDtalk examples.

Being nervous is ordinary. Overcoming your fears and growing is extraordinary. Which would you like to be?