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Five Steps To Becoming A Better Speaker

By Modupeoluwa Adekanye

15 August 2019   |   6:00 pm

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Many people shy away from speaking publicly because of the fear of failing or making mistakes. However, we might get to some situation where you cannot escape from speaking publicly. Below are some points to help you become a better speaker Prepare Plan ahead. Take the time to figure out the best way to tailor…

Barrack Obama speaking in public photo vox.com

Many people shy away from speaking publicly because of the fear of failing or making mistakes. However, we might get to some situation where you cannot escape from speaking publicly. Below are some points to help you become a better speaker

Prepare

Plan ahead. Take the time to figure out the best way to tailor your message to your audience. Often, it is better to think of a strong introduction that will grab your listeners’ attention, then, craft a thoughtful conclusion so listeners leave remembering what the key points you want them to take away.

Practice

There is nothing like too much practice, keep practicing till you get better at what you plan to speak about. Practice your speech or presentation out loud ahead of time so you feel comfortable with the words you are saying and the way they sound coming out of your mouth. And if you can get feedback from a friend, family member or colleague, an outside perspective can be really helpful to you.

Make eye contact

When giving any speech, ensure you make eye contact with your audience. This is important whether you’re speaking or listening, it communicates to both listener and speaker that you are engaged and you care.  If you want to address a large crowd, remember good eye contact doesn’t mean just finding the one smiling face to stare down for the duration of your talk, look at everyone.

Be you

Do not try to fake anything, be who you are. If you try to add gestures to emphasize a point and they are not natural, your audience will notice and this can distract them through the speech event. Be yourself, let who you are come through and have fun, that is the only way your audience will, too.

Be okay with being nervous

It is important to note that almost all powerful public speakers also get nervous before a speech event, so, it is also okay for you to be nervous. Feeling shy and nervous are feelings, not personality traits. And we all face such feelings when we find ourselves in situations that make us uncomfortable. The important thing is to manage your nervousness well.