Public Speaking Basics

A powerful voice is vital to speaking in public. Your message is literally projected through your voice, whether big or small. You must speak up to be heard and, importantly, to be understood. I must admit that some really good speeches come from people with soft voices. But this can only work if you're in a quieter environment. In most cases a big, booming, and resonant voice is key to getting your audience's attention and keeping it. Various techniques can help to improve your volume which in turn gives you a commanding voice. Be sure to embody strong posture. Your voice will carry farther when your back is straight, shoulders are back, and chest is out. Also, be sure you are using all of your space on the stage. The audience will hear you better when you are closer to them. You can even visualize your voice carrying through the air and reaching all the corners of the room. You must also learn how to breathe from your diaphragm. Try this to see the difference - put ...

A particular concern often comes up when taking pictures, while hanging out at parties and… of course, in speech. “What am I supposed to do with my hands?” You may have wondered about this so I’d like to address the topic of gestures here. You have several options when it comes to what to do with your hands. Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that it’s often perfectly fine to keep your hands by your sides. It can be painful to watch people gesture around nervously, without a rhyme or rhythm. Simply place your hands straight down in a neutral position and focus on your speech. It may feel incredibly uncomfortable at first but it’s far better than moving around uncontrollably. Consider using big movements. Take up plenty of space. Move your hands and arms around forcefully and with power. This can help you to seem more powerful in the eyes of your audience. It will also help you to feel more powerful. Try to do this responsibly and only when appropriate. Otherwise it can...

The act of sharing eye contact can be rather intense and personal. That is exactly why it can be hard to know exactly how to give proper eye contact during your speech. Some people may be pretty comfortable giving eye contact. Others are more sensitive to people looking at them directly in the eye. It can also vary due to a person's culture or background. I think anyone will agree that it's intimidating to have a room full of people staring at you. Nevertheless, public speaking requires you to at least make some eye contact. A speaker's message will be more direct and personal if they give the right amount of eye contact to an audience. Perhaps you've experienced a time when a speaker read completely from their notes or a PowerPoint while giving no direct eye contact. You also may have experienced a speaker too shy to give direct eye contact which takes away power and authority from their delivery. In order to avoid these kind of scenarios, let's look at some ways...

We all want to appear more articulate to our peers. Merriam-Webster defines articulate as, “able to express ideas clearly and effectively in speech or writing” or “clearly expressed and easily understood.” But many of us, myself included, tend to have a hard time organizing and expressing our thoughts fluently. That’s why language, including grammar and vocabulary, must be considered in anyone’s quest to become a stronger speaker. My first clue to the importance of language in speech came from a previous speech teacher. He said that the best way to improve our vocabulary is to become well-read. Right then, it struck me as fundamental and true. It’s been some years since hearing this and after witnessing countless speeches I think it needs to be reemphasized. The media that we surround ourselves with greatly affect our thoughts and speech. Our attention these days tends to be mostly fragmented, jumping around from website to website or TV channel to channel. I can hardly think ...

Mindfulness can be an important 'thing' for anyone seeking to improve their speaking skills. Many physical and emotional benefits can come out this practice. My experience has also been that it can help to gather my thoughts during speech, to reduce vocal fillers and to increase my ability to think on my feet. It is through this refocusing of attention that I believe true 'stage presence' can be learned. Perhaps counter-intuitive as it may be, thinking less can help you to think (and speak) more clearly and with more power. So then, what is mindfulness?  Jon Kabat-Zinn, a prominent author, speaker and researcher on the subject provides a useful definition of mindfulness as, "Awareness, cultivated by paying attention in a sustained and particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally." It's a kind of focused awareness that lies beyond our usual patterns of thought. Taking a few deep breaths to 'clear your head', stopping t...