Want to Master Public Speaking, Check These Tips

Updated: Mar 6, 2021
By Fatima Sheikh
9 Amazing Northern Nigerian Books to Read

9 Amazing Northern Nigerian Books to Read

Literature in northern Nigeria dates back to the 1900s, though, not wildly popular, a number of quite amazing works were published back then. Over the decades, northern Nigerian literature has shown immense improvements in style, genre, and a wide range of topics, but...

Improve Social Skills: 7 Most Important Social Skills

Improve Social Skills: 7 Most Important Social Skills

We use social skills to communicate and interact with others effectively. But most importantly, these skills are essential for our personal and professional development. In business and entrepreneurship, professionals must have a good set of social skills to build and...

The Top 10 Entries from the Mediahooch Creative Writing Challenge

The Top 10 Entries from the Mediahooch Creative Writing Challenge

The winners have finally emerged in a creative writing challenge organized by Mediahooch. The contest, which was planned in partnership with Northpad Nigeria and Poetic Wednesdays Initiative, who served as the judges, received over 50 entries from 31st December to...

5 Amazing Stress Management Techniques You Should Definitely Try Out

5 Amazing Stress Management Techniques You Should Definitely Try Out

Stress management skills are highly needed in our everyday lives because the body isn't robotics in nature that has no feelings. There is a limit to what the body can do without burning out physically, chemically, mentally, or emotionally. The burnout period is termed...

Are we born public speakers or do we have to work on building our public speaking skills? This is the question, many ask. This is also the excuse introverts like me use to hide in their shell. In one of my posts, I wrote briefly about my leadership journey and how leadership roles helped me with my public speaking phobia. Have I become extroverted and less nervous during a public speaking session? The answer is No… But I have learned to build strategies and techniques that help me act more confident and relaxed during public speaking. In this article, I will be sharing with you the best tips for public speaking.

Important Skills that Can Help You Learn How to Become an Effective Speaker

1. Practice More Often

When it comes to public speaking, there are never many times enough for practice. Make it a habit to always practice before any public presentation. Never assume you are good to go. Overconfidence is always the biggest cause of public speaking mishaps.

When practicing my speech, I will stand in front of a mirror and assume I am in front of an audience. Before your next speech, watch pre-recordings of your speeches or practice with a friend or family. Practicing is always the shortcut to a successful public speech.

2. Know Your Audience

One of the biggest blunders speakers always make is to assume different audiences to be the same, thereby using similar speaking strategies for all talk situations. Your speech is about them, not you. Make extensive research on your audience, their age group, ethnics, environment, believes, and laws.

You should not use the same speech technique on elementary school kids with working-class adults who might probably know more than you do. Don’t give a talk on the importance of beef in India. Be lucky if you make it out alive.

3. The Act of Public Speaking Demands You Discover Your Style

In my post on leadership, I emphasized the importance of having a mentor or a guide you aspire to be like. Regardless, ensure you discover your style before emulating a role model. Are you a calm soft-spoken person or an outspoken person with a burst of energy? Make your public speaking style in a manner that goes with that flow. Either way, don’t forget to share some stories and jokes with your audience, this keeps them listening with all attention.

Do what you know will make your speech stand out and feel natural.

4. Be Calm, Don’t Be Afraid to Fail

 The one who falls and gets up is stronger than the one who never tried. Do not fear failure but rather fear not trying.

Roy T. Bennett

As weird as it might sound, I have built the habit of loving failure because failure is the biggest teacher you can ever have. The word Glossophobia was not invented due to your error, and it simply means the fear of public speaking. This condition affects four out of 10 people. Calm down and don’t beat yourself up for making a mistake, you are not alone on this journey.

Learn from your mistakes and do better the next time. Act calm and confident anytime you miss a word or stutter.

5. Listen to Your Body Language  

The stage is all yours and yours alone. Don’t stand still, move around the stage at a calm confident pace. Use your voice and hands naturally. Don’t give out nervous gestures. Don’t stand at the corner of the stage like a wet scared bird, that won’t look good on you. Stand straight, articulate your speech accurately and win over the crowd.

This is one of the tips for public speaking worth noting.

 6. Ask for Feedback

During my public speaking sessions at the toastmaster club, the feedback always helped me in my next presentation. The format was Commend-Recommend-Commend style. Constructive feedback and recommendation by your audience will be a great advantage to you to prepare better for your upcoming public speaking sessions.

The audience always sees and observes things you probably missed during your rehearsal.

Conclusion

Consistency is always the key to perfection. There is no easy way out of public speaking. Discipline yourself and make it a habit to practice, learn from books, videos, and great public speakers. Don’t be afraid to fail, practice with friends and families or join public speaking clubs in your town.

These tips I shared will not only change your personality but help you build the unique public speaking techniques that will make you stand out and act confident during a public speaking session.

Finally, were there times you were afraid of speaking in public? If yes, tell us about it and how you overcome it.

Popular Reads

Everything on JUMIA

0 Comments

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Public Speaking Masterclass - Nov2022 - MediaHooch - […] important no matter the sector they find themselves in. He gave great tips and hacks on how to perfect speaking…

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Whats new?
How to Easily Turn Your Passion Into a Career

How to Easily Turn Your Passion Into a Career

I need you to look within and search for that one thing you could do a thousand times without getting bored or tired. Yes, each time you engage in that one activity, it seems as though a magical force drives you. Surprisingly, that force is called passion! But, have...

5 Things You Should do at The Beginning of Every Month

5 Things You Should do at The Beginning of Every Month

The start of every month can be likened to a fresh start. And as with all fresh opportunities, there are things to do at the start of every month that should help increase your productivity. Keeping an organized monthly schedule is the key to building a productive...

25 Compliments that Have Nothing to do With Appearance

25 Compliments that Have Nothing to do With Appearance

We all love compliments. I, for sure, know I do! But, lately, I have realized that most of the compliments people receive focus on their appearance. What if I told you that there are many compliments that have nothing to do with appearance or physical look? I see I...

How to Become Your Own Boss without Money

How to Become Your Own Boss without Money

Every human being that has ever lived has had or would have had the potential of owning their life, not just because of riches, but because of the inner wealth within. The world we live in today is so focused on making money and more money that we fail to realize that...

10 Ways to Get People to Like You

10 Ways to Get People to Like You

There are various ways how to get people to like you, especially if you are not the outspoken or people-person type. The truth is, that people are naturally drawn to others with likable characters or characters they wish to emulate. Fun game, make a list of your...

What You Should Do If Someone Threatens to Leak Your Nudes

What You Should Do If Someone Threatens to Leak Your Nudes

Photos of someone who is fully or partially naked are known as nudes. Things can go wrong after you've shared photographs with someone you trust. The person to whom you sent them may threaten to post these images of you online out of rage or for another reason, or...

8 Amazing Ways That will Help You Become the Perfect Mentor

8 Amazing Ways That will Help You Become the Perfect Mentor

When the word “mentoring” is mentioned, what usually comes to our mind is the picture of people in suits giving speaking to a gathering of people, and giving advice. What if I told you, that everyone is and can be a mentor to someone? In this article, I’d be showing...

7 Easy Guides to Stop Being Disorganized

7 Easy Guides to Stop Being Disorganized

Everyone wants to achieve their goals, live their dreams, and be perfect in every way, forgetting that you can’t accomplish all these things if you aren’t organized and have a plan. Knowing how to stop being disorganized should be on everybody's bucket list. You...

Successful People Have These 10 Daily Habits. You Should Too.

Successful People Have These 10 Daily Habits. You Should Too.

Habit is a behavioral pattern that is regularly repetitive. A habit might initially be triggered by a goal but, after some time the goal becomes less necessary and the habit becomes automatic. Making a habit of something takes commitment and diligence. Successful...

7 Tested Ways That will Teach How to Handle Criticisms Better

7 Tested Ways That will Teach How to Handle Criticisms Better

Knowing how to handle criticisms better is a valuable skill necessary for thriving in the workplace and society at large. We are humans and imperfections are a part of our DNA. We do not have the chance to always be perfect at what we do, hence, those who can see our...

Explore more

You May Also Like…

How To Control Your Emotions

How To Control Your Emotions

Learning how to control your emotions is an essential skill that can be learned.  Emotions are various forms of feelings, positive or negative, that results in physical or...