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Have you experienced a time when you had to stand in front of a group of people and present something? Surely you did. Maybe for a class presentation in school or a proposal at work. Well, that right there, communicating information before a group of people, is called public speaking. But the question here is, does the idea of being in the spotlight as a public speaker fill you with dread? If your answer is yes, you are most definitely not alone.
Did you know that 75% of adults are estimated to be affected by a fear of public speaking! That is huge, right? But not anymore! With the right skills, expertise, and tips, you can easily master the art of public speaking. Let’s understand what exactly public speaking is and why it is important.
What is Public Speaking?
Public speaking is a live presentation of ideas before an audience. When we use the term ‘audience,’ it can range from a very few people to a large gathering of people. While some people may fear presenting in front of a large audience, others may feel just as frightened before a small group of people.
Generally, when we hear the term “public speaker”, our mind automatically goes to a person who gives motivational or educational speeches. However, the truth be told, public speeches cover several topics. The goal of these speeches may be to entertain, educate, or influence the audience. Eventually, we all have to speak in front of a group of people at some point in our lives. Giving a presentation in school or college, delivering a speech as an honorary club president, or addressing employees as the owner of an organization - are some common scenarios that immediately come to mind. Therefore, it is critical to overcome your anxiety and acquire the art of public speaking. But first, let’s delve a little deeper into the history of public speaking.
History of Public Speaking
You may or may not have known this, but public speaking did not originate in this modern era. It began in ancient Greece and Rome, where rhetoric was the main component of public speeches. These speeches were primarily used to persuade people. The need for public speakers resulted from the right to suggest or oppose laws by the Greek citizens. Later, the Romans adopted the rhetoric of the Greeks to persuade people in the political spheres.
The Latin public speaking style remained popular in Europe and the U.S. until the mid-20th century. However, after World War II, a more conversational public speaking style became popular. The art of public speaking kept on evolving, and today, public speaking is not just about persuading but is also used to educate, inspire, motivate, entertain, and express feelings. Furthermore, several electronic and computer software tools have also become available to help prepare and deliver public speeches.
Why is Public Speaking Important?
The art of public speaking comes in handy at every important event in a person’s life. Whether you want to motivate a team, conduct a meeting, or deliver an important message, public speaking helps you express your ideas to an audience. So if you’re wondering why is public speaking important, here’s why:-
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Helps You Win Over Your Crowd: Public speaking is an important asset, whether at a business meeting or social gathering. With the right skills and expertise, public speakers can easily capture their listeners’ interest and keep them engrossed in delivering the message.
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Helps You Motivate Others: With public speaking, you can inspire your audience to make a change. It can help speakers motivate their listeners to go in the direction they wish, whether to stop, start or try something new.
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Helps you Inform People: Nobody prefers to attain information that is shared in a dull and boring manner. So if you want people to actually listen to you, you need to have great public speaking skills. Inform your audience with the right public speaking skills, and they’ll grasp all of the information you intend to convey.
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What is the importance of public speaking for kids?
Public speaking is both - the most important and the most dreaded form of communication. The fear of speaking on stage in front of a group of people is one of the most common fears among kids. As the art of public speaking is a crucial quality to imbibe for an adult, developing the ability as a kid is the best way to master it. Learning the skills of public speaking can help the child in the following areas:-
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Better communication skills
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Enhanced self-esteem
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The power of persuasion
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Planning experience
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Expression of spontaneity
What are the Key Elements of Public Speaking?
There are seven elements that a public speaker must understand to be prepared and deliver an effective speech before the audience. These key elements of public speaking include:-
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The speaker
The speaker is one of the essential elements of public speaking. The delivery of speech begins with the speaker. Several public speakers put in a lot of effort in preparing the visual aids but ignore their vital role in the presentation. There are three factors of a speaker that can have an impact on the presentation:-
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Speaker’s credibility
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How motivated the speaker is to make the presentation
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The delivery style to effectively communicate information
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The message
The message is the information that you want to deliver to your audience. There are three basic elements of a message:-
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Content: This is the information that you provide in your speech.
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Style: It is how the content is presented. The style of the speech can vary from formal to informal.
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Structure: This is how you organize your messages. For instance, a structure may include an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
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The audience
The audience is the group of people listening to your information. Their needs change according to age, sex, race, marital status, geographic locations, level of experience, and more. While preparing your speech, you should analyze your audience to decide how to present your ideas.
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The channel
It is the means through which a public speaker delivers their messages, such as a video call or a microphone. You should decide the most appropriate channel according to the size and location of your audience. A misshaped or faulty channel can deliver inadequate messages and ruin your opportunity to effectively deliver your point.
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Feedback
Feedback is the response that you receive from your audience during public speaking. The feedback process is not completed until you respond to the audience’s concerns. Feedback can be both verbal and non-verbal. While speaking in public, you need to be attentive to pinpoint the non-verbal reactions of the audience and respond to their reactions during the presentation.
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Interference
Interference, either external or internal, is a situation that affects the communication process during public speaking. External interference can include sounds of laughter, extremely hot or cold temperatures, poor ventilation, poor acoustics, or low light. On the other hand, internal interference occurs when the public speaker is confused and conveys an unclear message.
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The place or situation
The place or situation during public speaking refers to the time and location of the speech. This may include the condition of the place or auditorium, lighting, air conditioning, seats, tables, arrangement, platform, etc. You must review the place in advance to coordinate all details and take necessary precautions.
Now that you know what public speaking is and why it is important, let’s look at the key public speaking skills you must acquire.
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What are the Key Public Speaking Skills?
Public speaking skills are the soft skills that are less technical and more about how you engage your audience. Influential and skilled public speakers can persuade, educate, and inform their listeners. You can conquer the art of public speaking with the right skill set. Some of the most vital skills for successful public speaking include:-
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Storytelling Skills
Storytelling is a critical skill to have across every career path. For public speaking, the skill couldn’t be more important. But what is storytelling? It is the process through which a storyteller uses words and actions to reveal the images and elements of a story. It can help you engage your audience and make your message clear. Storytelling engages your audience in your speech by emotionally connecting them to your shared experiences. Not only does it draw your audience into the speech, but it is also way easier than memorizing a script. So if you want to bring your information to life, storytelling is a must-have skill for public speaking.
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Presentation Skills
Even the most boring information can become interesting with the right presentation. You require effective presentation skills to make every boring talk engaging and exciting. What are presentation skills, you ask? Presentation skills can help you deliver engaging and effective presentations to a group of people. These skills include your presentation’s structure, vocal tone, facial expression, body language, etc. If you are wondering how to improve your presentation skills, you can follow these simple steps:-
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Focus on your audience’s needs
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Concentrate on your core message
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Make eye contact with your audience
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Use more visuals in your presentation
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Tell stories
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Use your voice effectively
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Practice in front of others
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Relax before the presentation
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Influence and Persuasion Skills
As a public speaker, persuading or influencing your audience can help them relate to you and understand your viewpoint. Learning how to persuade or influence your audience while delivering a speech is an invaluable skill that helps you excel in the art of public speaking.
Persuasion skills can help you use words to change the thoughts and actions of your listeners. If you are able to influence your audience, it means that your message was effective and well received by the people. This is why influencing skills are critical for public speaking.
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Social and Emotional Skills
Being sensitive to others’ feelings and emotions is crucial in every aspect of life. That being said, it is a crucial part of public speaking too. Sharpening social skills can help you handle challenges in formal and informal situations, socialize with people, and show respect and empathy towards your listeners.
Emotional development includes managing one’s own emotions during the speech, recognizing the emotions of others, and delivering messages with your specific audience in mind. Social and emotional development for public speaking can amplify your message and work with the audience’s emotions.
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Language and Expression Skills
The effective use of language gives meaning to events. It has the power to inform and influence your audience. Using vivid and clear language can affect your credibility. Thus, you should have clarity of thought, an excellent command of the language, and a rich vocabulary.
Furthermore, facial expressions in communication are also critical. The face not only communicates your thoughts and ideas but also your personal emotions and intentions within a social situation. This is why mastering the skills of expressive language, and facial expressions are important aspects of the art of public speaking.
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Self-Confidence to Eliminate Stage Fright
Another essential skill for a public speaker is building self-confidence. Even good communicators can have a fear of public speaking when addressing a large audience. Stage fright or nervousness can disappear when you become confident about your skills and ability. But how do you build self-confidence? Here are some effective ways of building confidence for public speaking:-
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Draw on positive past public speaking experiences
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Practice in front of a mirror and write down the things you like
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Don’t compare yourself to others
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Practice speaking in front of friends and family
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Attend public speaking events and ask questions
Your confidence level affects how you portray yourself while talking to an audience, so it is essential to know how to build confidence.
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Body Language
Creating an excellent presentation includes more than just coming up with a topic and designing the perfect visual aids. While those things are undoubtedly important, there is this one skill that you need to pay close attention to - your body language. But what is body language? To answer this question, let’s look at an example: While giving a speech during a business proposal, the person starts fidgeting with their hands or accessories such as rings, bracelets, or watches. This is a sign of nervousness or insecurity.
Body language in communication is how your body communicates without using words. It involves hand gestures, facial expressions, postures, and movements that change consciously or unconsciously to tell the audience what you think. You can’t stress enough the importance of body language for successful public speaking. Maintaining a confident posture and eye contact can help you engage your audience. On the other hand, bad body language, such as no eye contact or slouching, can make your presentation dull and your audience bored.
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Voice and Fluency Skills
Your voice plays an important role in getting your points across and communicating your messages effectively. Thus, you must speak loudly and clearly so that the person in the farthest corner of the room can also hear and understand what you’re saying without straining. Public speakers practice vocal variety to change their pitch and volume when required, resulting in better engagement with the audience.
Fluency is the flow of your speaking. Mastering the art of public speaking requires a speech that flows well without any interruptions. You must pronounce words clearly and use proper grammar without using verbal crutches such as “um” or “uh.” Overuse of these words can make you sound less confident.
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Creativity Skills
The key to giving successful presentations is not just conveying the core message but also connecting with the audience. The audience has probably read the information on the internet or a written report. Then why are they attending your presentation? To seek creativity in the delivery of information that makes them feel more confident in you and the message conveyed.
Are you tired of giving speeches in the same old manner? Do you feel like you are not as good as other public speakers? This might be a result of a lack of creativity. Creativity in public speaking involves thinking of a problem differently and uniquely and finding interesting ways to solve the problem and convey the message to the audience.
Tips to Improve Public Speaking
You have a presentation in some time. Your heart starts racing, and your palms are damped - you are panicking. It is completely normal to feel panicked before a big presentation. In fact, most public speakers experience nervousness before stepping on the stage for their presentation. Read on to find some tips that can help you improve public speaking.
Before the speech
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Understand the expectations of the presentation
Gather all the information regarding the location, time, outfit, topics to be included, the type of the presentation, etc. Having all this information beforehand can help you prepare a relevant presentation that suits the occasion and grabs your audience’s attention. It can also help avoid any technical glitches resulting in unnecessary stress during the speech.
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Know your audience
How to explain a topic to the listeners is more important than the topic itself. Effectively conveying a message requires a thorough understanding of the audience and their expectations. Once you determine your audience, you can develop your terminology and speaking habits to have a greater impact during public speaking. Address how your solution can solve the common problem faced by the audience members.
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Develop a strong beginning and ending
While your complete speech should be engaging, it is especially important to grab your listeners’ attention at the presentation’s beginning and end. Instead of simply telling what your speech is about in the introduction, you can add a quote or statistic to have a greater impact on the audience. You can end the speech with a strong conclusion that leaves your audience scrutinizing your message.
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Don’t stuff your slides with too much text
If you are taking the aid of slides for your presentation, make sure not to overload them with way too much text. The text in the slides can distract your audience with its small size. Furthermore, you will become motivated to read it from the slide, making your speech dull and monotonous.
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Practice before speaking
The key to conquering the art of public speaking is practice and more practice. Even the most experienced public speakers can feel nervous before their presentations. Practicing your speech can help you figure out the rhythm and feel more confident without reading off your slides.
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During the speech
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Don’t read off your notes
Simply reading your speech from the notes can make your presentation monotonous. You cannot have an effective interaction with the audience without making eye contact. So instead of writing your complete speech in the notes, make bullet points and memorize your opening and closing lines.
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Make eye contact
Eye contact is the key to effective public speaking. This helps your audience stay engaged in the presentation. It also communicates a certain level of your confidence and improves the credibility of your message.
Once you are in front of the audience, achieve a confident posture - stand up straight, hold your head high, and deliver your speech. Make sure to have a thorough understanding of your content to deliver your ideas effectively. Speaking with confidence helps the audience trust you in your expertise.
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Use pauses
One of the biggest tips for public speaking is the use of pauses. You can insert pauses after important points to let those ideas sink in and help your audience focus on every essential detail.
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Repeat yourself
Remember that people do not have the option to rewind the important information in a live presentation. So help your audience by repeating the main points of your speech. The repetition allows everyone to hear what you said, realize its importance and let that sink in.
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Engage your audience with yes or no questions
One of the most critical things in public speaking is engaging your audience. Asking questions that require a shake or nod of the head can help them stay attentive and engaged. It also makes them feel involved, and they perceive that you are speaking to them directly.
After the speech
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Make your call to action clear
It is not enough to assume that your message will motivate people to take action. You need to tell them to take the relevant action. Make sure to have a clear and specific call to action because your audience should not be confused about what you are asking them to do.
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Get feedback and see what worked in your favor
It is important to get feedback at the end of the speech and understand what you can work on to improve your public speaking abilities.
Bottom Line
The fear of public speaking is common among most people. However, almost every person faces a situation where they have to deliver a speech in front of a group of people. If you experience anxiety while speaking in public, you can watch the videos of successful public speakers or enroll in a public speaking course. To that end, everything boils down to practice, practice, and practice! By developing effective public speaking skills and practicing often, you can master the art of public speaking. So what are you waiting for? Get started!
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