Among a number of fears possessed by the people today, public speaking tops the list. Having to talk about something in front of a huge number of people where everyone has their focus on you can make you a bit shaky and nervous. This is a general problem with a majority of the people. But, in today’s world if you want the people to know what you are up to, you have to practice speaking in front of the public. Look around and see you can recall the name of the people who made it big in their own field by recalling what they spoke. Therefore, you can see that how much speaking in front of the public is important.
In order to improve your communication skill when you are standing in the middle of a huge crowd of people and giving out lectures, you need to follow 5 basic tips for improving your oratory skills:
5 tips:
1) Do a lot of Homework
This essentially means practicing in private so that you can perform better in front of the people. Practice in front of the mirror as if you are talking to someone, practice in front of your closest friend who will rectify you without being too critical. Practice well so that you can get the entire subject matter by heart. In that case you won’t have to make up a story when you are up on the dais. “Practice makes a man perfect” as the popular proverb goes, repeatedly rehearsing will make you a perfectionist in the speech you will be delivering and if you prepare well, then you are bound to enthral the audience with your speech.
2) Be a good listener
One of the astounding element that can make you am exceptional speaker is listening. Listen to how other people say, how they communicate their message. Listen to what your audience say or want you to answer. The more actively you listen to what other say, the more you will be able to be a good speaker. It is true, that not everyone holds a rich opinion, but somehow you will be getting a clue out of them which can make you prepare well for your forthcoming speech.
3) Record and Watch
Do a video recording of your speech instead of taking a selfie. Then play the video a number of times to pinpoint what are the basic flaws you are having while you are talking. This is a bit painful, but nonetheless important, as this will help you in self-evaluation. You will be able to rectify your speech. You will see using a lot of extra and unnecessary vocabularies like, “ok, just, umm, like” and many more. These words hinder you from delivering the exact message in a clear way. Repeated recording and watching your own videos will help a lot in improving your diction and speech.
4) Honesty
Be honest when it comes to improving yourself. There is no better way than to being honest to yourself and think of putting your best efforts to reach the zenith. Nobody is telling you to be the unbeaten champion in public speaking, but you should be able to convey your message clearly without a fail. And while doing this, honesty is something you need to possess.
5) Get a hold of your subject and audience
When you are making a speech on something, you should do a good homework to know the topic you are dealing with. For example, if you are delivering a speech on the retail or food industry, you must know every detail of the industry. Another thing you must consider is knowing your audience. You must know whom you will be talking to. Make presentations by keeping that in mind. Keep such substances in your subject which will evoke responses from your audiences.
In addition to the above points, another point can be added to this. There is no harm in carrying the notes you prepared for your speech. In case you lose out some points or can’t remember what you were to tell, you can keep the notes handy and have a look at them. Don’t worry, your audience won’t react to that.
By following the above points, you can surely aim to become a professional speaker.
Tim has background as is business psychologist and work sociologist with expertise in building organisations and teams to solve problems for the future. Tim has expertise in technology and the symbiosis between human interaction and technology in operational processes.