Even if the thought of speaking public causes your palms to become sweaty and your mind to go blank, you can still learn how to become an effective public speaker. Like with any other skill, you can improve in the area of public speaking through practice and persistence. All effective public speakers invest time in learning how to craft a message, how to manage their anxiety and how to communicate compellingly with an audience.
Step 1
Join a class or a group that will allow you to gain practical experience with giving speeches and presentations. For example, you might enroll in a speech class at your local community college or participate in a local Toastmasters group. One of the most essential elements of becoming an effective public speaker is that of gaining experience through frequent practice.
Step 2
Discover how to alleviate the stress and anxiety that you feel about public speaking in healthy ways. For example, to help minimize stress, you might rehearse your speech ahead of time with a trusted audience of close friends or you might practice in the actual location ahead of time. Joseph Berg Esenwein, in "The Art of Public Speaking," explains that you can learn strategies that will help to minimize your anxiety and stage-fright.
Step 3
Learn methods for dealing with and reducing the barriers that hinder effective communication with an audience. For example, sometimes external noises or your own fatigue can interfere with your focus on your message. When this happens, you might redirect your audience to your primary point, make a joke or breathe deeply. Deanna D. Sellnow, in "Confident Public Speaking, explains that part of becoming a good public speaker is learning how to navigate inevitable disruptions.
Step 4
Enlist friends to provide feedback on areas in which you can improve as a speaker. You may, for example, invite them to observe presentations that you give and to offer feedback on specific elements, such as your vocal quality or the clarity of your ideas. An effective critique, Sellnow notes, should focus on both the strengths and weaknesses of your speech.
Step 5
Offer to speak for free to small groups and gatherings in your local community, such as at an event for a local church or charity. Begin with organizations where you already belong, and speak on topics of interest to you. Gaining additional experience outside of a classroom or learning environment will help to sharpen your skills as a public speaker.
Tips and Warnings
- Do approach public speaking as you would any other skill, such as cooking or golfing, and remember that your time and patience will yield results over time.
- Do not allow one or even many less-than-stellar performances to deter you from your goal, but instead embrace them as learning opportunities and move onto your next speech.
References
- "The Art of Public Speaking"; Joseph Berg Esenwein; 2009
- "Confident Public Speaking"; Deanna D. Sellnow; 2004
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