Top 5 tips to improve your public speaking skills

Don't let the fear take you over

The first and foremost thing that every next person would tell you about public speaking and you too know about your favorite public speaker is their exceptional confidence. The quality to deliver exactly what you have in your mind with correct words and expressions is what confidence means to so many public speakers, and it starts with getting rid of the fear inside you. So many of us tremble even by the thought of being on a stage, holding a mic, or facing an audience of a dozen, and it's completely normal to feel so. But don't let this anxiety get home in you. The best thing you can do to eradicate it simply starts speaking your heart out to your people, family, and close friends. What I mean is, imagine yourself as the biggest public speaker in the room and deliver fiercely. Ask your friends and family to help you by giving extra attention to your speaking style and critically analyzing what you lack. Trust me; it builds a lot of confidence when you get attentive and supporting people around you.

Write before you speak.

For me, this is the best tip out of all five because writing is the best way to remember. When you put your thoughts on paper, it helps you to remember them and correct any faults. We are often unable to check if the sentence or statement we are making is impressive and effective while speaking, but once we write it down, we can read and reread it to present the meaning more clearly. And you know they say clearer the meaning, the more effective it is to the audience.

Structure well your speech

Have you heard the top debaters of your college or well-read political leaders? There is one thing common between them: they structure their speech so well that it influences the audience exactly the way they want them to. In other words, they divide their speech into parts, what should be said first, what should build the main body, and the conclusion. Being a national-level debater, I can share my go-to structure with you, and yes, it is not always fixed. We change our structure according to the occasion and topic. So, one of the structures that I personally feel is good is parting the speech into three major parts. First, be the introduction in which you introduce the topic and your stand on it; you can be creative with this, especially by using quotes or powerful sayings, etc. Secondly, address the problems with the subject of the topic and their possible solutions. Lastly, conclude it on a positive note by neutralizing the problems with the benefits (if it is not a debate and you are not bound to be either in favor or favor against the notion).

Deliver with your face and hands

When I say public speaking is not just about speaking, it means you need expressions to establish the correct emotions of your statements. Your face, hand gestures, and voice modulation are equally efficient. No matter how amazing your content is and how clear your voice is but if you are monotonous, then it's useless; your hand gestures are not right. It's useless, and if your expressions are not going with the statements, it's completely useless. So, always deliver with feels but not be dramatic, and there's a thin line between these two.

Practice makes everything perfect.

I know we all are tired of hearing 'practice makes men perfect,' but we cannot escape it because it's true. Your favorite speakers, your college debater who always wins, always practice the speeches to get it perfect. For instance, if you've heard Mahua moitra's speeches or Shashi Tharoor's Oxford Union debate, you can actually feel how hard they'd practiced to deliver it so powerfully.

These tips are the best out of all, covering every important aspect from stage fright to correct body language. If one is a beginner and is struggling with communication and speaking skills, this will be the best article to read. If you work with these tips in mind, I can assure you that the hall will not stop clapping throughout.