8 Tips to Become a Successful Public Speaker

Glossophobia.

Sounds quite a mouthful, doesn’t it? Ironically, someone with glossophobia might find their mouths strangely empty.

Defined as the fear of public speaking, glossophobia is incredibly common, as far as phobias go. In fact, it ranks quite ahead of necrophobia- the fear of death. Nearly 3 out of 4 people admit to feeling afraid of speaking in public. And it’s not just us mere mortals; the great and the glorious have also admitted to nerves on a public platform, including Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy, and Barbra Streisand. The good news, however, is that professional help is available in the form of a public speaking course. These courses help you not only get over your fear of the pulpit, but also arm you with invaluable tricks of the trade. And not just public speaking, vocational courses have granted new life to professionals everywhere. Are you looking for PMP courses in Dubai to further your career? A quick Google search will open up a world of options.

How to be a Successful Public Speaker?

For now, let’s take a look at some of the cornerstones of successful public speaking.

• Practise, practise, practise: There are no two ways about this. Practice your speech until you never have to refer to your notes again. But as any good public speaking course will tell you, practicing a speech is not just memorizing it. It includes having a real audience to practise on, and taking real feedback from them. Practise in front of a mirror to assess your body language and facial expressions. You need to be authoritative yet relatable, deliver a message and keep the audience’s attention for a considerably long time.
• Stay confident: Nervousness shows, no matter how much you try to hide it, especially under the spotlight. A fumbling speaker will lose their audience’s attention from the get-go. Practise enough to know the speech by heart, but make sure you leave some room for improvisation. Remember that public speaking is a live, interactive event, and that comes with a certain degree of uncertainty.
• Nerves are good: The good news is, not all nerves are bad. It’s normal to feel nervous before a public speaking stint. The rush of adrenaline that makes your heart pump faster will also make you more alert and responsive to the audience’s reaction to your message. Harness that energy and channel it into delivering a killer speech.
• Take mistakes in your stride: Accept from the very start that there will be a few fumbles along the way. Learn to incorporate them into your speech. Thinking on your feet is paramount in the public platform, and you must be able to steer yourself back on track. Learn to laugh at your errors; an authority figure who doesn’t take themselves too seriously is always relatable.
• Address the audience: Effective communication comes from the ability to really understand the audience. Assess the target market of your message, and speak in their language. What do they need to hear? Why do they need to hear your story or your opinion? Tailor your language so that the audience will be able to relate to it. Keep in mind: it’s not a monologue, it’s a conversation.
• Prepare a structured speech: Prepare a comprehensive outline of your speech. Make sure the audience knows the topic, and has a general idea of the ensuing speech, within the first 30 seconds. Be clear about the purpose of the topic, and follow it up with the main points and an effective conclusion. Treat your speech like a story with a definite beginning, middle, and end.
• Tell a story: Tell your audience a story. You’re not just there to deliver a message or a set of instructions. You’re there to showcase something new, something inspiring that will stay with the listener long after they’ve left the auditorium. Throw in some personal anecdotes. Don’t be afraid to share your own share of mistakes, and be humble in your triumphs. Use clean humour. Engage with the audience by including them in the conversation.
• Adapt to feedback: Be open to constructive criticism. When you practise with your friends and family, ask them for their honest opinions. It might not be easy to hear, but use their feedback to work out the kinks in your delivery. And on D-Day, watch the audience; they will provide you with clues to how well- or not- they’re receiving your message. Are they silent, in rapt attention? Or are they fidgety? These will tell you whether you need to make some changes on the spot.

Vocational courses are continuing to take the forefront post-completion of traditional education. As the job market becomes even more competitive and candidates more qualified, the rush to do better and be better is ever-present. Professional courses and certifications are being offered by prestigious institutes all over the globe. Whether you are looking for PMP courses in Dubai or Office Management courses somewhere else, there is a professional course tailored exactly to your requirements.

Photo by Henri Mathieu-Saint-Laurent