Great speakers aren’t just born that way — they actively work at getting better. Here are the eight must-have traits for a public speaker.
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If you’re trying to improve your public speaking skills, you should study the behaviors of other great speakers. Here are the eight traits of a great public speaker — developing these skills will help you begin to hone your craft.
Confidence is one of the most important characteristics of a public speaker. It will be hard to connect with your audience if you come across as timid or overly nervous during your presentation.
A certain amount of nervousness may be inevitable, so you need to develop strategies to deal with these feelings. The best way to do that is with practice — if you know the material and spend time working on your speech, it will be easier to show up confidently.
You can also show confidence through your body language. Maintain eye contact with your audience, move around the stage, and use hand gestures to demonstrate your points.
Effective communicators know how to get their points across in a succinct way. They know how to speak clearly and avoid confusing their audience. This makes it easier for the audience to absorb and take action on the information you’re sharing.
One way to be more concise is to break your presentation into smaller chunks of information. And avoid the urge to over-explain yourself and restate your points using different words.
Public speaking is one of the most valuable yet underrated skills someone can develop in their personal and professional life
Mastering public speaking offers benefits like improved confidence, better communication abilities, expanded connections, and accelerated career growth.
Despite the advantages, many avoid public speaking due to fear or lack of practice. But with preparation and persistence, anyone can evolve into a competent, confident speaker.
Let’s explore the top 8 reasons you should dedicate time to honing your public speaking competency
1. Career Advancement
Sharpening your public speaking skills is a direct pathway to career advancement.
Leadership roles require presenting ideas persuasively, facilitating meaningful discussions, and speaking effectively in group settings. Executives routinely cite communication as one of the most critical capabilities for managers and aspiring leaders.
Beyond promotions, public speaking expertise can generate new career opportunities as a trainer, teacher, coach, or paid speaker.
Takeaway: Polished public speaking abilities unlock professional growth.
2. Increased Confidence
For many, the idea of speaking in front of others invokes fear or anxiety. With practice and experience, these fears begin to fade.
As you become more comfortable presenting, you build self-confidence in your abilities. This self-assurance transfers to other areas of life, both personal and professional.
Knowing how to engage an audience and deliver valuable ideas boosts confidence. You can rely on those capabilities time and again.
Takeaway: Developing public speaking skills bolsters self-confidence.
3. Critical Thinking
Preparing an effective presentation requires critical thinking and problem solving skills.
To determine the most important points and compelling narrative, you must critically analyze information and message impact. This strengthens your ability to process complex ideas.
Speaking also sharpens your listening and observation skills. As you present, you learn to read verbal and nonverbal cues to adjust your approach.
Takeaway: Public speaking fosters important critical thinking abilities.
4. Personal Development
At its core, public speaking facilitates sharing your knowledge and experiences with others.
The preparation and presentation process promotes introspection as you determine how to convey your unique ideas and perspectives. It allows you to amplify your voice while developing a thoughtful point of view.
Practicing public speaking also builds self awareness. You learn how you respond in high-pressure situations and overcome personal barriers.
Takeaway: Public speaking enables personal growth and development.
5. Improved Communication Skills
Not surprisingly, regularly delivering presentations enhances communication abilities.
To capture interest and connect with audiences, you must concisely explain concepts, map logical flow, and choose words carefully. These skills translate to everyday communication.
Public speaking also keeps you attuned to nonverbal communication, like eye contact, gestures, and tone. This allows you to become an attentive, expressive communicator.
Takeaway: Public speaking sharpens overall communication abilities.
6. New Social Connections
Speaking to groups allows you to meet new people and forge connections. In professional settings, presentations put you in front of leaders and influencers. Personally, toastmasters groups and meetups offer networking.
Beyond networking, the interactions before and after presentations build rapport. Audience members often engage with speakers they learned something from or enjoyed.
Takeaway: Public speaking facilitates networking and relationships.
7. Expanded Professional Network
Every talk provides an opportunity to organically expand your professional network. At conferences or company gatherings, you can present yourself as an expert. This exposure leads to connections that further career goals.
Speaking also deepens relationships with existing colleagues. Offering to deliver trainings or lead meetings makes you a team player.
Takeaway: Speaking expands professional contacts and visibility.
8. Persuasion Skills
A core component of public speaking is persuading your audience through well-crafted arguments and appeal.
To change hearts and minds, you need to express ideas clearly, appeal logically to reason, and connect emotionally. Mastering persuasion takes your leadership influence to the next level.
Takeaway: Public speaking builds persuasion abilities.
Begin Building Public Speaking Competency
With the reasons above, the advantages of becoming a competent public speaker are clear.
Fortunately, you can make steady progress with intention and practice. Consider joining a toastmasters group or taking a communications course. Look for opportunities to present at work or volunteer to give lectures about personal passions. Recording rehearsals also helps identify areas to refine.
The path to public speaking confidence requires patience and dedication. Yet it unlocks immense value in reaching your full potential at work, home, and beyond.
The speaking journey starts with a single step. Now is the time to embark upon it.
Ability to read the room
People who are excellent public speakers are good at reading the room and picking up on the audiences nonverbal cues. For instance, you notice if they seem bored or disengaged during your speech and can adjust your presentation accordingly.
Learning how to read the room takes time because you have to get out of your head first. Stay focused on the audience and the goal of your presentation. Over time, you’ll learn how to read your audience’s micro-expressions and understand how they’re receiving the information.
Authenticity is what allows your audience to connect with you during your speech. If your speech comes across as inauthentic, it will be harder for the audience to trust you and take your message seriously.
People can tell when you’re excited about the topic you’re speaking on, and they can also tell when you’re just going through the motions. And enthusiasm is contagious, so if you’re excited about the information, it’s more likely to rub off onto your audience.
If speaking with enthusiasm doesn’t come naturally to you, this is a skill you can develop. Work on showing enthusiasm in your voice, body movements, and the pace with which you deliver the speech.
You need to understand your strengths and weaknesses to be an effective speaker. Know what your best qualities are and how you can use these to enhance your presentation skills.
You should also know your weak points and look for ways to minimize them. Great speakers are always looking for ways to improve and make their presentations more engaging.
Authenticity is what allows your audience to connect with you during your speech. If your speech comes across as inauthentic, it will be harder for the audience to trust you and take your message seriously. Focus on being yourself and telling stories that are honest and vulnerable.
Knowing how to dress
As a public speaker, your attire matters much more than you might think. You want to dress in a way that’s comfortable and fits your sense of style but also resonates with the audience. For instance, the demographic you’re speaking to will inform your clothing choice.
No matter how well you prepare for a speech, there’s always the potential that something could go wrong. Maybe your slide deck stops working halfway through your presentation, or you forget what you planned to say.
As a speaker, it’s essential to be adaptable and expect the unexpected. This attitude will allow you to stay calm, focus on the audience, and decide what you’re going to do next.
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The public speaking lesson you never had | DK . | TEDxNelson
How to become an effective public speaker?
It is not an easy task to become an effective public speaker. A competent speaker must be able to convey information while also entertaining and engaging the audience. If you lack the qualities or eloquence to inspire, public speaking can be terrifying.
What makes a good public speaker?
A competent speaker must be able to convey information while also entertaining and engaging the audience. If you lack the qualities or eloquence to inspire, public speaking can be terrifying. If your public speaking skills are lacking, your presentation will most likely fail to effectively convey your message.
Why should you be a public speaker?
Speaking at events is an opportunity to help build business relationships and generate business leads. Being a public speaker can create valuable opportunities within different networks and can help your social skills. Related:Professional Networking 8. Learn how to persuade
How can public speaking improve your communication skills?
Public speaking is a great way to improve your communication skills. Speaking in public requires speakers to step back and consider effective ways of communicating. By applying your public speaking skills to your everyday life, you can gain personal development. 5. Improve communication skills
