The Art of Public Speaking

The very words “public speaking” strike fear in the hearts of many people. It’s a fact that the vast majority of people are afraid of speaking in front of a group. Often this so called fear begins at an early age, perhaps at school where we are often forced to stand in front of a class and give a speech.

For others it is something that simply creeps up on you in adult life where you are suddenly expected to speak to a group but have no idea how to do it.

Public speaking is a wonderful thing to master. Once you can speak confidently in front of people, your whole life changes. Gaining this confidence however can be a long process, but one that is not impossible.

Public speaking fears can manifest themselves in various situations such as job interviews, employee meetings, wedding speeches and anywhere that requires you to speak in front of more than one or two other people. Often it is the negative thoughts in your head that bring about public speaking woes rather than the act itself.

Some of the most important aspects of public speaking are:

- Body language: Everything counts here from your hands, body, posture, stance, eyes and facial expressions.
- Notes: don’t over use them. Your audience does not want to see you reading a script; rather they want to know what is on your mind. Cue cards are fine, but ensure that you don’t keep your head down for too long.
- Eye contact: aim to look towards the back of the room and even at individual people as much as you can.
- Tone: if your subject can be humorous then use humour. Always know your audience well and speak to them in a way that you know connects with them. Don’t use a monotonous tone; instead inject enthusiasm and passion into your speaking.

The best way to master public speaking is prepare! True, one can not prepare for an on the spot speaking engagement however if you have taken measures of preparing for your speeches in the past then you will not have negative doubtful thoughts in your mind when it comes time to deliver that impromptu talk. Instead, you will recall the last successful speeches you gave and these positive thoughts will flow through to your current speech. This positive flow on effect is how you gain confidence in public speaking.