Tips For Effective Public Speaking To Develop Your Skills Right Away

While a picture may be worth a thousand words, those words will no doubt come in handy if the picture is distorted or poorly understood. After all, the best way to communicate is through speech.

The four language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing are all interconnected. Proficiency in each skill is necessary to become a well-rounded communicator, but the ability to speak skillfully provides the speaker with several distinct advantages. The capacity to put words together in a meaningful way to reflect thoughts, opinions, and feelings provides the speaker with these important advantages.

Nothing is worse than standing on stage, your palms sweating, your throat tightening, tension gripping every fiber of your being while the eyes of every person in the room are locked on you. Though some people say that, with practice, public speaking gets easier, that really isn't the case. For most people, the fear and anxiety get worse every time they do it. So simple "practice" isn't enough, if you aren't correcting the other things in your preparation and execution to combat your anxieties. Here are 10 tips for effective public speaking to develop your skills right away.

#1 - KNOW THE MATERIAL: Preparation is the key to mastering public speaking. Don't settle for a few 3x5 note cards, and think that you'll do the actual phrasing on the fly. You will get flustered, your brain will lock up, and you will crash and burn. Try writing out your entire speech or presentation completely and tinker with it to get down the precise phrasing you want, and use this speech to cull a set of useful notes. Bring along a copy of the entire speech if you feel you need it, but remember to know your material thoroughly.

#2 - REHEARSE: Practice your entire speech from beginning to end several times, and include all visual aides or technical supplements you will be using (PowerPoint, slide show, video projector, etc.). By doing this, you will eliminate glitches and find places that need revision. Preparation is an essential public speaking skill to develop.

#3 - MINGLE FIRST: Try to get to know the audience before the speech, if there is any kind of mixer or reception beforehand. It's much easier to speak once you've generated some good will.

#4 - WALK-THROUGH: Get a feel for the auditorium or room where you will be speaking, examine the equipment, stand at the dais and get a feel for all of it.

#5 - RELAX: This tip may seem impossible, but it is absolutely vital to effective public speaking. Through concerted effort, try to channel your nervous energy into the speech.

#6 - IMAGINE SUCCESS: Visualize in your head beforehand what a successful speech will look like, and imagine yourself giving it.

#7 - THE AUDIENCE IS YOUR ALLY: Remember that the audience wants you to succeed. Nothing hits the gut more than watching a public speaker crash and burn, so know that the audience is rooting for you.

#8 - NO APOLOGIES: Begging forgiveness from the audience only draws attention to your failure, and chances are they didn't notice a wrong word choice or quick verbal stumble, so don't feel the need to say sorry.

#9 - FOCUS: A great public speaker is one who delivers the message with little attention drawn to himself. Focus on what you wish to present.

#10 - WATCH THE MASTERS: Try to find great speeches and addresses by great speakers and watch how they do it. Take notes. This is such a great public speaking tip.