Speaking Spotlight

Tips for becoming a public speaker | By Hayden Rountree | December 31, 2019

Reading to an audience is the last thing that a speaker wants to do. It will completely disengage them and cause it to seem more like a lecture. Eye contact is one of the most valuable resources to a speaker and it is not possible when reciting a speech from a paper. It is best to use an outline to help guide the conversation because it makes it more relaxed and casual which is usually in the best interests for who-ever is speaking.

The speech is about the audience and not the person giving the speech. I often thought that the audience wanted to hear about me, me, and me since it was my time to speak. I learned quickly that isn’t the way to the audience's ears. It is important to understand who the audience is and what they will listen to. So this is giving the audience what they want while also saying what we need to say.

Grab the audience’s attention in the first thirty seconds of the presentation to ensure that every ear in the room is focused on the speaker. This is the best way to create a sense of excitement for the rest of the speech. Then follow through with the outline and finish with a strong punch to ensure that the purpose is not forgotten.

These are five tips to help create a strong public speaker. These skills do not come in the first speech back after reading it. It takes practice and patience to ensure these skills are used properly. It isn’t as simple as picturing the audience naked after all.

The fear of public speaking is professionally known as, “glossophobia,” which is a very common characteristic in our culture. Many have this fear simply because they have never truly attempted to be themselves in front of an audience of people.  

Roughly 75% of the United States population has a fear of public speaking at some level. Some consider public speaking to be their greatest fear. Even 24% of college graduates have a fear of public speaking after they are done with their years of schooling. What can help with this fear of talking to a larger group of people?

Here are five tips to help enhance public speaking skills.

Nerves are going to come about whether we like it or not. Dealing with nervousness is commonly the issue with many speakers. The nerves often come from being underprepared and under practiced. To work through these nerves, it is important to give the public speaking opportunity enough practice and time to relieve the anxiety. Practice may not make perfect, but has the ability to relieve unnecessary stress and anxiety         

Often times speakers think that it is necessary to take on a faulty persona to engage the audience thoroughly. This is a bad idea because many audiences want to be able to relate with their speaker. It is often the best to let personality break through to the audience. Letting the audience understand that the speaker is a normal person creates trust and that will make the audience more engaged.