The Skill of Public Speaking for Study and Life
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If you ask most people, they will probably say they don't like public speaking. They may even admit to being afraid of them, as the fear of public speaking is very common. Or they may just be shy or withdrawn. For these reasons, many people avoid public speaking if they can. If you are one of those people who avoids public speaking, you have a lot to lose.
Over the years, public speaking has played an important role in the field of education, management, and business. Words have the power to inform, convince, enlighten, and even entertain. And a word spoken by the right speaker can be even more powerful than a written word.
Regardless of whether you are a small business owner, a student, or just passionate about something - you will benefit from improving your public speaking skills, both personally and professionally. Some of the benefits of public speaking include:
- Increases confidence
- Improves research skills
- Enhances deductive skills
- Ability to advocate for important values
- And much more
How to get better at public speaking
Okay, now you understand the benefits of public speaking, and maybe you're more interested. However, you may still think that this is not for you. Maybe you performed once, and you didn't do it the way you wanted. Maybe you are afraid of public speaking. Or maybe you think you don't have the natural ability to perform.
The truth is that speaking is a skill. It can be learned. Although some people may have more natural language abilities than others - a nicer voice, or a higher level of charisma - anyone who can speak can learn to be a better speaker than he is now. To do this, you just need to know some secrets and make an effort.
To help you get better at public speaking, let's look at the following four aspects:
- Preparation of the text of the speech
- Overcoming the fear of performance
- Rehearsing a performance
- Performance
Writing an impressive speech
Firstly, you need to do is work on writing a well-organized, engaging speech. Because even if you have a good voice or great charm, your performance will not be successful if your material is of poor quality.
Overcoming the fear of speaking
Fear of performing in public is expressed in the following symptoms:
- Increased blood pressure and increased heart rate;
- Excessive sweating;
- Feeling of heat or chills;
- Trembling in the limbs;
- Legs become "wadded";
- Feeling of lack of air;
- Feeling of tension in the body;
- Dry mouth.
The fear of public speaking is very real and can hold you back if you let it. If you are unsure when you are speaking, your listeners may feel it, making your presentation less effective. Fortunately, some methods will help most people cope with the fear of public speaking and become more confident.
There are two categories of public speaking fears:
- Far-fetched, to this category we refer: "evaluating me, not information", rumors, childhood injuries, negative experience, and exaggeration of significance.
- Objective, to this category we refer: poorly prepared, physical problems, a priori uninteresting.
If you do not have objective fears, then here are some tips on how to cope with far-fetched fears.
- Be prepared for the fact that the audience may perceive your speech ambiguously. This does not mean that the audience criticizes you as a person: they only express their opinion about the information you utter. A negative opinion also has a right to exist. Even if the audience does not agree with you, do not get upset.
- Build your speech in such a way that it is convenient for you to pronounce it. Speak in short and succinct theses, with a pause of a few seconds between them. If you suddenly feel agitated, these pauses will allow you to breathe and collect your thoughts. It will seem to the audience in the hall that you are specifically speaking in such a way as to convey to them as much useful information as possible.
- Follow the previous advice even if you are used to talking fast in everyday life. The higher the speed of your speech, the more often you will breathe. Over time, you may feel a lack of air, which can lead to fear and self-doubt. During a speech, it is better to say fewer words, but put more meaning into them. If you give a lot of information in a hurry, listeners may eventually lose interest in your speech.
- Our breathing has a huge impact on the quality of speech and the state of the body. Calm and deep breathing will allow you to relax and make your voice more confident. That is why you should not underestimate this method.
- If you are very worried about the reaction of others, try not to look them in the eye. Your gaze should be directed "above the audience", for example, at the level of the hair of the people gathered. Turn your head from time to time, as if you are looking at people in different parts of the hall. Surprisingly, the listeners will not notice your cunning. It will seem to them that you are addressing each of them personally.
- A few minutes before the performance, do some physical exercises, then stretch as if you just woke up. These exercises will help you raise your blood pressure slightly and relax.
Rehearsing performances
Even if you are not afraid of public speaking, rehearsing your speech is still an important step towards effective speaking. If you're in a hurry, you may be tempted not to rehearse your speech to save time. While this may seem like a good idea, it's not.
By rehearsing your speech, you not only improve your public speaking skills but also increase your familiarity with the presentation, which adds to your chances that your speech will go smoothly.
Performance
Now that you have written a good speech, feel more confident about public speaking, and have rehearsed — you are ready to speak. And there are also some tips and tricks that you can use on the day of your performance to make it more successful. Remember that you are making a presentation in front of a live audience at a certain place and at a certain time. This means that you need to take into account some features of the circumstances of your speech, which online speakers do not worry about. Some common problems for public speakers include:
- Will the audience be able to hear me?
- Is there the equipment I need there?
- Do I look good?
- Examples of public speaking
Examples of public speaking are great for teaching new skills or improving existing skills. This also applies to public speaking skills. If you get a chance to listen to the best public speakers, you should take it. You can watch other speakers perform and thereby improve your public speaking skills.
One of the best sources of recorded public speeches is Ted Talks, which is a series of short presentations on a wide variety of topics. Ted Talks is known for attracting world-class celebrity speakers.
In my view, there are some of the most impressive videos of Ted Talks:
Conclusion
Public communication has actively entered the daily life of modern people. We speak at conferences, participate in meetings, communicate via voice messengers and read congratulatory speeches. This process has become very active, and a successful person needs to work on the presentation of his speech.
You've just learned some tips about public speaking. And you also learned what public speaking is. I also shared with you some tools to help you learn how to speak publicly and even provided you with links to examples of good public speaking that you can also learn from.
Now you should be ready for your public appearances. Come on! Write your speech and deliver it. You'll be glad you did it!
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