Public Speaking Tips

Seven tips to master the art of public speaking from a friend. Adopt what you can.

1. Do your homework: Conduct proper research about the subject or topic before you actually speak about it. Be prepared to answers queries based upon your topic with the help of examples. Remember, the more you know about the subject, the more you feel comfortable speaking about it.

2. Arrive early: Don't be late as it leaves a poor impression on the audience and on the organizers. Arriving late will also make you tense and leave you blank on the stage.

3. Take a deep breath: It is very important to take deep breath between your lines as it will make you calmer and composed in front of the audience. Never try to finish your lines quickly in order to get off the stage as soon as possible. Enjoy the brief stay on the stage.

4. Make eye contact with the audience: Maintaining eye contact is one of the golden rules to boost confidence when speaking in public. It signifies that you are talking to the audience. When the audience is small, ensure you make eye contact with everyone, while in front of a larger audience, look from one side to another to give the audience a sense that you are looking at them.

5. Maintain the right tone of voice: What we communicate with others happens via the tone of our voice as emotions and feelings are associated with it. Do not speak in monotonous tone as the audience does not know whether the news being delivered is good or bad.

6. Put stress on important words: While speaking in public, put stress on important words in the sentence as the audience generally picks up words that you emphasize on and often ignore the rest. Moreover, stressing on the right kind of words can make even average content look interesting.

7. Use the right body language: Prefer to stand straight and do not slouch over the podium or table in front of you. Remember, your audience wants to see you confident and bold, who knows what he is talking about. more