10 Public Speaking Tips



We've all had our encounters with public speaking, whether it was to entertain, inform, or persuade. Although we're taught about it in school, we still feel uncomfortable when the time comes to stand in front of a large audience. There are several factors that contribute to our fear of public speaking, or glossophobia, as it's called. Feeling the size of the audience magnifies our mistakes, which amplifies our fear. In a crowd of a hundred people, a single misstep might as well have been a hundred missteps. And it makes sense. We fear the risk of criticism, especially among strangers. We feel they are prone to be more honest in their reactions, thus making us value their opinion on our performance above our own opinion. Not to mention how engaging in a one-way verbal communication can be pretty awkward. Although it's expected for the crowd to keep quiet until the person speaking has finished, not getting immediate feedback can be a scary thing if you're the one in front of that crowd.

To become a master of public speaking, you need to break it down into three sections. We've comprised a list divided into before, during, and after.

Preparing for Your Delivery

  1. Revise your draft. Review your presentation and check for grammar, coherence, and train of thought.
  2. Memorize your lines. Read it out loud and practice the appropriate gestures. Nonverbal language is just as important as the spoken stuff.
  3. Simulate your delivery to a familiar audience. Narrow your audience down to one or two people you know. Maybe a friend or a family member. This is a good opportunity to get feedback from them as well.

During Delivery

  1. Show up on time and neatly groomed. You're going to be the center of attention here. Outward appearances leave a great first impression. So make sure you look presentable.
  2. Simulate temporary narcissism. When you feel conceited, you don't care what others think of you. Being confident in what you're going to say and do will suppress the nervousness.
  3. Make eye contact. Choosing a random member of the audience and holding eye contact with them for a few seconds psychologically helps narrow down the audience into a single person. Repeat this by choosing a new person a few times throughout your presentation.
  4. Be passionate with your speech. Body language is very important when it comes to oral presentations. Feeling the emotions in your every word will make your body move on its own.

After the Show

  1. Take some time to wind down. After delivering a presentation, your body and mind are bound to be tired. Your heart might still be pounding and your ears ringing. Make sure to relax. Breathe deeply. It's done.
  2. Focus on what you've accomplished. You've just delivered a message. Don't waste time thinking about that word you might have missed. What's important is you've just completed a presentation. Congratulations!
  3. Ask an audience member how you did. Receiving feedback is what drives us to improve, fix our mistakes, or strive for bigger goals. Public speaking, like all other abilities, requires practice. Positive or negative, we should take it as an opportunity to do better.

Public speaking plays a large role in the professional world, so it's a skill worth mastering. We hope to have helped you with these few tips!

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