How to Improve your Public Speaking Skills

Everyone knows how important it is to perfectly present yourself in front of a large gathering or a large audience. With public speaking skills being considered a valuable asset to our profile, it is important that we excel in this skill.

Many people out there have a common problem known as stage fright or getting very nervous on stage. This is sometimes due to the large size of the audience or it might occur due to lack of preparedness. Such a person would more or less end up messing his speech.

But sometimes, a confident person too may not deliver a good speech. This is because public speaking is not just about confidence. It is a mixture of many skills which we will look at in this article.

• Preparation: Thinking that you can just get onto the stage and just deliver a good speech isn’t really sensible. The best orators in the world need to prepare their speeches beforehand. The speech should be such that it should keep the audience engaged. You can do this by including some funny segments or some interesting stories depending on your topic. A beautifully structured speech with a good flow would certainly entertain the audience.
•  Look Great: The appearance of the speaker will give an idea or perception about you to the audience. Dress up decently and do not put on something very gaudy which is stressful to the eyes. Being well dressed develops confidence in you which is beneficial on stage.
• Adjust to the Stage Environment: Usually, when speakers deliver speeches in big auditoriums or stadiums, they generally visit the venue to get accustomed to it. This is important as you might tend to underestimate the size of the audience and then have a stage fright situation when you get onto the stage and witness the size of the crowd.
• Display your strengths: Every public speaker has some positives and weaknesses. While speaking it is important for you to focus on your strengths and tend to camouflage your weaknesses. In the long run, you should also try to erase these weaknesses by assessing your speeches.
• Consider the type of Audience: When you write a speech, take into consideration the type of audience you are going to speak to. Do not include something in your speech that might hurt the sentiments of your audience or might generate anger among them. Try to keep your speech non-controversial and acceptable to all.