Generally public speaking skills are thought to be meant for politicians and CEOs, or merely reserved for those special occasions when we have to address a large audience. The idea of public speaking makes most of us quiver with anxiety.
What if you knew that you are utilizing your natural public speaking skills every time you are engaging in a conversation?
Public speaking is essentially about effective communication.
Whether you are pitching your business, chatting with an acquaintance, or speaking in front of a large group of people – the goal is to engage and to connect.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO DEVELOP PUBLIC SPEAKING SKILLS?
Public speaking might be one of the most important “soft skills” to develop not just for professional purposes. The ability to get people to say “yes” to you in both your business and personal life influences the quality of your life.
The most important skill for being able to influence people is the ability to communicate in the most effective way to encourage, inspire and excite people to say yes to you. For the most part in most conversations you’re trying to get them to think, feel and act differently.
A few points to remember
1) Don’t look down. Do not look down when thinking of what to say next instead of engaging with the audience. You would create a separation from the audience. Small bits of disconnect often produce a distance between you and the people you’re trying to affect.
2) Don’t pace. It gives an air of being unprepared if you pace while you speak. Be confident in your stance and convey what you say directly to the audience.
3) Tell them your story. Do not ask for opinions or interact with the audience before you have established trust. Tell stories to build up credibility and trust.
4) Audience interaction should be proportionate to the amount of trust you earn. Often times speakers take for granted that audiences are willing to participate in any way that the speaker wants them to. Your audience most likely doesn’t know you till you establish a rapport with them. Public speakers have to be able to break down barriers, so that they can make deeper and stronger connections with their audiences.
5) Be Authentic. Just be yourself. Don’t behave in a way that you think others expect if that is not an authentic way of being. Amplify the best and most compelling parts of our personality and try to overcome some of the less productive aspects of our personality. Learn how to find contrast in your voice, your speech patterns, rhythm, pace, tonality and physicality, in order to be more engaging.