How to master the art of public speaking?

Public Speaking is a skill and be learned: If you have ever listened to a great public speaker before, then you know that there is something truly inspiring and uplifting about sitting in front of a poised and polished speaker. Public speaking is not just an act — it is an art. It is an art that you too can learn and master if you are willing to take the time to work at it.

We all have the need to speak well in front of an audience at times during our lives. Whether you’re speaking at your sister’s wedding, addressing your team, teaching a course or speaking to a judge, we all want to do well. So why leave things to chance?

Here are some tips that will launch you into the speaking stratosphere.

Being a good presenter

A good leader and a good presenter go hand in hand. It’s the power of influencing others that makes one a good presenter and for that matter, a good leader as well. Therefore, the importance of working on presenting skills is higher now than ever.

Overcoming nervousness

Convert your nervousness into a likeable enthusiasm. Smile and look lively; the same will be reflected in your speech and you’ll hit the nail right at the beginning. This is where you also get an opportunity to grab everyone’s attention.

Grabbing the attention

Draft a captivating pitch that you will use at the beginning. This will help you build a path or a direction to move on to; steering the audience along with you very smoothly.

Communicate with the audience

Network before you present. Take out the time to meet most of your audience and understand their background. There might be specific things that they would be expecting from your presentation. Throw in a bit of customized information while presenting and you’ll have them hooked on to you for longer than you expect.

Take pauses

Take noticeable pauses while speaking. This will give the audience a few seconds to grasp the information and you will have a mini- break to breathe and plan your next sentences.

Involve the audience

Talk to the audience, engage with them. Invite questions your way and let them speak their mind on something that you think may have varying opinions. This will help you mould your speech and bring a stronger impact as a result.

Fun element

Nobody likes to listen to heavy words for long and let’s face it, most business presentations are full of numbers and heavy jargons. Cut the bookish language and sprinkle a few jokes in your speech to bring in the humorous element.

Body language

Body language speaks volumes about you even before you open your mouth. You don’t want your audience to perceive you as a defeated, nervous presenter. So, work on a strong stance that comes across to represent you as a confident person who knows his job well.

Using props

The use of props is a great way to make an impressive presentation. When you add something unique or different to your pitch, you leave an impact on your audience and a great recall value!