How to improve your public speaking skills? Check out 9 simple and effective tips!

Do you suffer from glossophobia? Such a strange name, isn't it? Glossophobia is the medical term given for the excessive fear of public speaking and, in these cases, it is indicated to seek the assistance of professionals trained to develop a targeted treatment plan, such as psychologists.

These 9 tips for public speaking are aimed at the general picture of people, as most of us don’t feel comfortable in front of an audience. Looking at the current market, we see that being a good speaker is no longer a differential, but a necessary ability.

Thus, knowing how to present an idea, how to defend a thesis, how to expose data from a report in a meeting with the company's directors is essential to achieve professional success.

So, grab a pen and paper, or even your smartphone, and write down these tips, because I'm sure they will help you.

1. Practice and Prepare

This first tip to improve your ability to speak is pretty simple, isn’t it? Simple but fundamental. Speakers practice a lot, because if we are speaking on a subject we have mastered, we immediately feel confident, which is a key factor for a good presentation.

It is necessary that you really study, learning more than just enough to fill your presentation time. The more knowledge you have, the more authority you will have on the subject, giving more credibility to the audience.

The opposite is also true, because if you don't master the subject, you end up showing it to the audience and, consequently, your presentation will be affected. In addition, talking about subjects that you have little knowledge of will make you more insecure, which will negatively influence your speech.

Be sure to pay due attention to the preparation for the lecture, as this is one of the main points of any presentation. If you find it useful, you can take a paper with the main topics, information and data annotated, which will help you not lose focus.

But remember not to get stuck on the sheet, as just reading in front of the audience has a very bad effect on your presentation. The notes are just there to guide you, what the audience wants is to hear what you have to say.

2. Watch your body language

On this blog, we know how important body language is, having even talked about how it affects your image in a job interview. What your body transmits while you speak is fundamental for a correct interpretation of the message.

Our subconscious sends an automatic message that demonstrates how we are feeling. So you could very well be saying something, but your body could be sending the opposite message by your facial expressions, for example. How to avoid this?

Training your body language. Yes, it is possible to shape it in your favor. Make eye contact, change the voice tone, use a higher tone to demonstrate excitement, or lower the tone to attract the listener's attention and emphasize the message.

Another question that remains is: what to do with your hands? Social anxiety can make your palms sweat or even shake, but you need to remember that your hands are an essential part of body language.

It can be difficult not to cross your arms or not put your hands in your pocket due to insecurity or shyness, although it is necessary to avoid these gestures. They send a negative message to the audience as if you are closing the connection with the listeners.

Use your hands as explanation tools, punctuating what you have to say, engaging the audience with gestures that create a connection between the speaker and the audience.

A simple example is gesturing with the palm facing up, which demonstrates a feeling of connection with the audience. You are suggesting, informing, not ordering.

3. Be spontaneous

In the previous tip for public speaking, we saw that the posture we assume is part of the whole presentation and that this directly influences the trust you want to transmit to your audience.

So, be spontaneous and captivating, the greater the connection with the audience, the greater the chances that they will identify with you, and consequently, the greater the connection and understanding with the message you are passing.

When you act naturally, you are more likely to build a bond of empathy with your audience and that makes the difference when it comes to delivering a memorable speech.

4. Know yourself

Self-knowledge is very important for a good presentation in public, after all, you will be the person in evidence throughout the speech and it is necessary that you feel comfortable in front of your audience.

To do this, find out how your main characteristics can stand out in your presentation and let your personality come through. You can use humor and tell stories to captivate your audience even more when speaking in public.

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5. Tell a good story

Have you ever noticed how we remember stories better than data and facts? Why does this happen? Because that's how our brain works. We feel safer driving a car than flying, even if statistics show otherwise, because of the remarkable stories about plane crashes.

This is exactly why the ability to tell a good story (storytelling) is so valued when giving a presentation. Therefore, it is necessary to develop this skill, because through it you can create an emotional connection with the audience members.

Once that emotional connection is created, your speech will become more effective and memorable. In this way, you will build confidence and you will feel more and more comfortable in front of people.

6. Know your audience

This one is a tip that cannot be ignored in any way. Why? Well, because your speech is about them, not you.

Imagine that you are going to speak on legal matters to people who have no knowledge of the field. If you use technical terms and jargon, listeners will understand very little of what is being said. So, what will be the benefit to be gained from your presentation? None.

There is a phrase that is attributed to Albert Einstein that says: "If you can't explain something simply, it's because you didn't understand it well". You need to keep in mind that your message must be understood, as this is the mark of a good speech.

7. Use visual aids wisely

If possible, make use of visual aids in your presentation, as people remember much better what they see than what they just hear. By exposing your content visually, with the help of software such as PowerPoint, you will enhance your content, maintain your audience’s attention.

Be aware when creating your slides, as they are only there to assist you in the presentation, so avoid long texts or animations. Don't forget that the focus of the speech is still what you say.

8. Learn from every experience

There's no reason for you to read these tips to improve your speaking performance if you're not willing to keep a constant evolution. For you not to be stagnant at the same level, you need to learn from your mistakes and successes.

The path for becoming a great speaker is not a quick one, it takes time and dedication. So watch for feedback and even if you notice some mistakes made after a presentation, calm your nerves and know these are opportunities to improve.

So, by maintaining this constant learning mindset, you will naturally become a better speaker, and the fear of public speaking will have been overcome, becoming just butterflies in the stomach.

9. Prepare for possible doubts

When you know the subject and have the authority to talk about it, it becomes easier to answer questions from people who are having the first contact. But you don't have to have the answer to every single question!

A good tip for answering questions in public is to be confident about your knowledge. In case you don't know how to answer some questions that come up, you can use filler words, say that you are not 100% sure, then answer as you believe.

So, are you feeling confident?

After these 9 tips for improving your public speaking skills, you must be excited to put them into practice, right? Well, maybe not that much yet, but you sure feel more confident now.

How about becoming the master of the stage, and even having a good time during your presentations? Not sure how? Don't worry, we know.

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