Public speaking is one of the skills or you can say it’s an art. It plays an important role in various areas. From education to business, public speaking is crucial in different fields.
Definition of Public Speaking
What is public speaking? As the name says, it is a presentation that you give live before the audience. The reason or goal of public speaking could be anything. For example, educating others, entertaining people or influence the listeners.
Public Speaking: Talent or Skill
Many people doubt whether public speaking is a talent or skill. Here is the answer; it is certainly a skill and not talent. Anybody can acquire the skill of public speaking. Any skill can be acquired from reading, observation, training, practice, and experience. Observing other speakers, reading books, and practice can make you a public speaker. Hence you can say that public speaking is a skill.
When it comes to public speaking, many of us want to finish it as soon as possible. We may recognize the importance of public speaking to raise our profile, share our message, or help us acquire new business, but we may not enjoy the act itself.
Secret of Success in Public Speaking
Here are the secrets that you must know if you want to be a good public speaker:
#1 Keep Preparing:
You may come across naturally gifted folks who can perform admirably in public without any preparation. They are, indeed, a special breed, and you should not attempt to imitate them. Instead, you should get ready for the occasion. Most successful speakers prepare for days or weeks. Keep preparing is one of the secrets that help you become a successful public speaker.
#2 Keep it short and relevant:
The human attention span has reached an all-time low. You can’t expect people to listen to you if you talk for hours on end. Set a time limit for yourself and try to express your message within the time frame, depending on your message. Keep your speech brief and to the point, and avoid deviating from the main issue, as this will lengthen your speech and detract from your message.
You don’t want to give a speech to an audience that has lost interest in what you’re saying. Worse, you don’t want to be conversing with folks who are sleeping. You want your audience to pay attention to what you’re saying when you’re presenting your message. This is only possible if you can keep them interested. You can accomplish this by first giving an incredible statistic or telling an entertaining tale to which they can relate before delivering your message.
#3 Make sure you convey your message clearly:
You could have the best topic ideas (or whatever!) but if you don’t communicate them to your target audience, you’ll end up with a faulty final result. That is why it is critical to communicate your message clearly. When communicating your message, use simple terms so that everyone can grasp it.
Avoid using jargon and wordy language since it can backfire. Don’t beat around the bush; instead, get right to the point.
#4 Try to build an emotional connection:
Have you ever heard a famous orator deliver a speech? If you have, you are aware that these orators have an emotional connection with their audience. Their emotions are communicated through their eyes, hands, face, and entire body. That is when the audience truly felt like they were a part of the story being told by the speaker. This is the power of eliciting an emotional response from your audience.
#5 Inspire Curiosity:
Your audience has come to hear what you have to say, and they want to take something from your speech with them. What was the point of your speech if it didn’t give them something to think about or pique their interest? You can leave your audience with an open-ended subject or a topic that piques their interest enough for them to look into more. Instead of sharing everything with your audience, leave a few questions unresolved to encourage them to conduct the additional study and find answers to those issues.
#6 Use humor wisely:
If you give a boring speech on a dry subject, your audience will quickly lose interest. You can use humor smartly to avoid this from happening. When using humor, strike the proper balance. You don’t want to overdo the jokes because it will make your speech appear amateurish or too monotonous with little or no humor.
