Most people believe that public speaking is some sort of weird gymnastics of the mind, and I’m sure this is true. However, with proper preparation and proper training, it can become a very enjoyable and fulfilling skill. It really doesn’t matter how experienced or qualified you are in public speaking if you don’t train and practice for it – it’s important to understand that if you want to be a good speaker.
Now that we have established that we need to prepare, what are the things we need to practice? To begin with, there is some element of surprise in public speaking, and this element should be your focus. You’re likely going to be nervous or on edge from your lack of preparedness, so as you feel your breath come in you’ll want to naturally breathe out and soften the noise. You need to do this because you want to gain control over your voice, which is the essence of your ability to speak to an audience.
While we can certainly benefit from our familiarity with public speaking, it’s crucial that we also understand the techniques of a great speaker. What’s critical in this regard is to realize that we should practice them in our minds, but in reality, we have to practice them in front of us in order to get them ingrained in our muscle memory.
The thing about public speaking is that while it has its challenge we also need to realize that it is not always challenging. What makes you think you’re in the real world? Even if you’re not comfortable in front of a group, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t comfortable with you.
It is also important to realize that it is not necessary for you to put all your focus on yourself in order to succeed, and this is certainly the case with public speaking. What it means is that it is more about the people who are watching and listening rather than you and that they will be able to notice the energy, interest, excitement, and calmness that you are bringing to the table, as well as the confidence that you are showing.
This brings us to another point: you need to practice some more. It may take a little time, but you will ultimately find that this is worth it, and by being patient and committed you will be rewarded with your greatest achievements.
For some people, it may not be easy to practice some more, especially if they do not feel comfortable in front of others. The key here is to make sure that you have some friends that you know will listen and follow you, and this can be done simply by networking.
In the real world, nothing comes easy, and it’s up to you to work for it. Whether you need to network with other public speakers or learn how to find them, there is no substitute for practice and diligent effort.
Now that we’ve established that we’re going to need to practice and that we need to practice some more, we need to understand what makes a good public speaker. There are a few things to remember here.
First of all, it’s not necessarily the size of the audience that matters, but it’s the connection that you make with them. You need to know how to engage them, and how to make them feel the way you want them to feel. This can be done with things like laughter, laughter that feels natural and sincere, and of course, mimicking the audience’s voices as best you can.
Next, public speaking is not about grabbing everyone’s attention. It’s about getting them to pause, take a minute, and pay attention to you. This is where practice and confidence come into play, and these are going to allow you to get the audience you want.
