4 Abilities Can Make You An Outstanding Public Speaker
Since my childhood, I heard people saying, ‘Oratory is an art.’ I have ever been fond of impressive speeches. I used to imagine myself delivering speeches among the tremendous applause of the audience. But whenever I got an opportunity to speak before a group of people. My heart began to beat desperately. At such a time, my nervousness left me with no option except to invent an excuse for not speaking. After seeing my name deleted from the list of speakers, I could make peace with myself. This kind of fear of public speaking is known as glossophobia in psychology. Merriam Webster dictionary defines, “In anticipation of speaking in public, a person with glossophobia can experience a dry mouth, weak voice and uncontrollable body shaking.”
Furthermore, my situations in life led me to the teaching profession, where speaking skill is an integral component. Due to fear of being considered a stupid teacher, I began to prepare the lessons to be taught thoroughly with additional relevant references, even thinking about the students’ curious questions connected with the topic that the students might ask. I used to cover all these in my explanation. By doing so as a routine within a year, I launched my career as an excellent teacher commanding utmost respect and appreciation.
But still, I could not overcome stage-fear and mike-fear in school functions and always feared losing my image thinking if I could not speak as a scholar even though I used to prepare students for the speeches and debates. And some of my students became national level debaters. I continued escaping from public lectures. I went through some public speaking experts’ books and practically applied some of their techniques, but none helped me. Sometimes, I learnt my speech word by word and delivered it in a non-stop reading tone, further embarrassing.
Once I narrated a short story in the morning assembly, I was amazed to notice no sign of nervousness. My morale was further boosted, finding many students being able to recall the story. Afterwards, I always begin my speech by quoting some relevant story to suit the audience and occasion. Almost every day, I delivered speeches as the Principal and conducted scores of Teachers’ and Parents’ Workshops.
I, as a result of this, suggest four personally tested abilities that can undoubtedly help you to become a confident public speaker:
1 — Ability to narrate a contextual short story
Stories create a set of things for you as a speaker, and they support you to attract attention and get closeness with your audience. In addition, stories ease you overcome nervousness rapidly.
Confirmation from psychology and literary theory implies that audiences better experience and retain fictional writing than explanatory writing. New evidence from neuroscience has unveiled a specific area in the brain aroused by stories.
Fictional writing conveys a story through associated situations, whereas explanatory writing describes facts without much social connection. Offering the same information in more narrative style has the potential to expand its association. Usually, fictional writing is accepted as a powerful medium of communication.
I spend a lot of time preparing to get really good at using stories in presentations. I have noticed when I get into a story. Dramatically I reduce my nervousness. As a result, I appear more positive and more convinced. In addition, it is easier to seem interested when you are narrating a good story. So, this skill never fails to help you become an excellent public speaker!
Audiences come for knowledge, but they wait for the stories. Described clearly, stories can be the opener to a compelling performance that inspires, invigorates, and absolutely involves the people sitting in front of you. Others may not imagine what we hold, but they can feel what we feel through a given story.
So, consider giving a story of conflict or success or your own track — preferably at the beginning of your address. You need not hesitate to share information about yourself and express your threats. You can tell any meaningful story with a strong message suitable to the occasion.
One of the best ways to genuinely captivate your audience is by becoming a good storyteller.
By using a connection in your address for your audience to relate, you build an easy listen to the mood in which you are not only pushing information at them. But expecting that listeners will remember that information.
The best speech doesn’t appear like speech; they are simply stories people tell with appealing experiences.
A story is what actually holds in a listener’s memory.
2 — Ability to converse in the speeches
A speech is like a conversation, which means you require to convey your message to someone else. Due to this reason, there is no differentiation in addressing one person or a five hundred.
Your success as a speaker lies in your ability to have the utmost attention of your listeners. During your speech, people are likely on their cell phones, tablets, or seeing emails, browsing the web, finding out who you are, or perhaps taking notes on your speech. It’s your responsibility to make them put their gadgets down and notice what you have to say.
You can’t direct them to switch off their phones, but you can make them put their phones down by generating an ambience that inspires and interests the listeners.
You have to be yourself on stage. Sometimes, no matter how much you trust in your message or how well you’ve practiced, your audience may observe your speech as hypocritical or anticipated if you don’t behave like yourself in front of the gathering.
If a political aspirant doesn’t look genuine, they’ll possibly have the slightest chance to win an election. If a company’s social marketing tactics seem unreal, it will not progress. Speaking is the same way. You have to look trustworthy. Any link you’ve made with your audience and your false expression may damage your impression. Usually, you should present in a conversational tone.
3 — Ability to rehearse and repeat and repeat
The more you practice a speech, the more natural it will really appear!
Of course, you have to prepare it the best way. Whenever you practice, assume that you are addressing a gathering of people. Never repeat quietly to cram. Repetition will make you feel more confident and resemble more genuine, forming a better chance to relate with your audience. And it is the final purpose of public speaking.
Practice can further ensure your audience catches the main points away from your speech. It increases accuracy and serves to support the recognition of an opinion.
To apply repetition in your speech, decide what you require your audience to take away from your address. Speak it. Say again. And then tell it a third time just in case anyone missed it the first two times.
To ‘be yourself in a speech, you shouldn’t learn your presentation word by word. Practice your address as frequently as desirable, but be ready to change up the wording. This makes it more comfortable to turn it up during the performance if matters aren’t going as framed.
4 — Ability to feel the audience and the occasion
Public speaking is as much about knowing your audience as it is about your communication skills. Excellent public speaker analyses the people they address and changes the content, and plan as needed. Whether talking to a small gathering or centered on selective heads within your business, recognize the people and how they treat and respond to the message. If it’s a larger group, give attention to the general mindset, and change your form accordingly. After all, an interested audience is a happy audience.
Most speakers start their speech, first of all highlighting what they understand about the topic. They speak about themselves versus thinking about what the audience truly desires from the lecture. Some speakers can commit this mistake.
“Exceptional public speaking is never about the speaker. Yet, it’s easy to see yourself as the star of the presentation… When you make the audience the star of your presentation, your range rises, your impact increases, and your bottom-line blossoms.”
It is correct if I am sitting in the audience; I never like the speaker to consume much time speaking about things that are only pleasing to them. I have my own difficulties, and I will accept if you help solve one of those difficulties. I assume that you hold the same approach, and your audiences also hold the same.
Get some information about the audience that you’re going to speak to. Find out the profile of your audience. The details will help you better connect to them and explain how you feel they would react to and acquire from the best.
The Takeaway
With these abilities as a public speaker, you can plan a speech, think about what you would counter to. To prove yourself a compelling speaker, you have to move out of the box to connect, link, and be involved with your audience. Check your story your audience will desire to listen and retain long after the speech is over.
Here a bamboo story goes:
A bamboo tree is watered and fertilized in the ground every day for five years where it is planted, but there is no sign of growth. After five years, anytime, it breaks through the soil and grows ninety feet tall in five weeks! How much time a bamboo tree takes to grow up? Five years or five weeks!
Decide yourself what portion of this article you easily remember.
“A good speech should be like a woman’s skirt; long enough to cover the subject and short enough to create interest.” ― Winston S. Churchill.