100 Public Speaking Tips – Part I (I – IV)

1. Build your confidence.
One of the keys to effective public speaking is to become more confident. You have to believe that you are good in what you do; and, in order to achieve that, you need to be prepared by properly researching about the topic you are going to talk about. Aside from that, better confidence can also come from more practice.
2. Look at yourself on the mirror.
If you want to improve your public speaking skills, then you should practice in front of the mirror. By doing this, you would be able to see how you look like while doing your stuff. With that, you can see whether you need to improve your stance, the way you open your mouth, the expression of your eyes, and such.
3. Listen to yourself.
Practicing public speaking can go a long way, as far as giving your audience a pleasant experience in listening and watching you in front. However, you should also listen to your voice. Practicing your speech countless times can help. But, it would be better if you can record your voice, and listen to it, so that you can really hear how your voice sounds to your audience.
4. Practice your memorization skills.
Sharpening your mind can help you with public speaking. This is because, in most cases, when you have to present something in front of an audience, you have prepared a script for it. Improving your memorization skills can be done by playing more mind games, or by simply reading books and trying to memorize a few paragraphs in it.
5. Improve your looks.
Always keep in mind that when you speak in public, people would be looking at you. Although most people would not care much about what you wear, or how you are wearing your hair while speaking in front, it is still best to make it a point to look at your best. By wearing something that you know you would look good in, you would become more confident, which can give you a good start in speaking.
6. Learn more about public speaking.
Researching about different techniques or tricks about public speaking can help you improve your skills on it. Doing your research can be done by reading more books and magazines about it. Aside from visiting bookstores for them, you can also check out websites, which may offer eBooks about public speaking or are offering valuable information for free.
7. Seeking more help in public speaking.
Hiring someone to help you with public speaking can also be a good step to take, towards gaining success in it. However, you need to make sure that the person you are hiring really has good experience when it comes to it. Aside from that, it is best that he is someone who has been recommended to you by your friends or relatives.
8. Start with a smaller audience.
If you think that facing a pretty large crowd can be quite overwhelming, then you should speak in front of a fewer number of people first. Get your family involved with it by asking them to be your first audience. You can also ask your friends to listen to you if you want to. When you practice, pretend that you don’t know them, so that it would become more realistic.
9. Take care of your voice, especially days before speaking in public.
One of the keys to being effective in public speaking is to have a nice and clear voice. Thus, you should take care of it, especially just days before your presentation. That means, you should not have cold drinks, and you should also avoid staying out late at nights. Additionally, you should also refrain from shouting.

10. Modulate your voice.
Voice modulation simply means changing the pitches of your voice. Modulating your voice would prevent your audience to get bored or confused. Aside from that, with effective modulation, it can help you give more emphasis on certain words. Learn more about how moving your pitches up and down can affect your speech, so that you can put it to good use.
11. Give it time.
You should keep in mind that it can take some time to become a skilled presenter. Thus, you should practice more, and don’t get easily discouraged if you are not as effective as you have expected yourself to be. Practice more, and aim higher, so that you can attain your goals soon.
12. Determination.
Being determined in whatever you do, can take you to places with it. Thus, you should be determined in providing your audience a presentation that they would truly remember. Your determination can help you in preparing for it. Aside from that, you should study well, and tailor the content of your speech to properly match with your audience.
13. Be persistent.
You cannot expect an overnight success in public speaking. If you want to become really good in it, you need to work hard for it, as well as spend time. Aside from that, you
should also hone your skills by attending more trainings in public speaking. Moreover, you can also get it contact with an expert in the field, so that he can train you.
14. Become more passionate in your topic.
If you want the people in front of you to listen to what you have to say, then you should show them that you are very interested in it. Thus, you should take note of the sub-topics that you really love, of the subject you would talk about, so that you can give more emphasis to them, while speaking. By doing that, you can show your audience that you are one of the persons to refer to when it comes to the topics you are talking about.
15. Let your audience know that you are a real person.
Whenever you want to tell your audience examples or situations to illustrate what you are trying to explain better, don’t forget that your unfavorable experiences can also help. In doing this, you would let your audience see that you are indeed a real person. Aside from that, it can also help in making them see that you are sincere.
16. Grab your audience’s attention.
One of the best ways to grab the attention of your audience is to tell a funny story. Aside from that, you can also cite an anecdote or a quotation for it. You want to do this at the first part of your presentation, so that people would listen to you. Once you have their attention, you can expect them to listen to all the important things you have to say.
17. The right way to prepare.
One of the keys to proper preparation for a presentation is to gather important information about your topic. Researching can now be done through the internet, which is more convenient. If you are able to uncover important materials for your topic though, once you are done with your speech, don’t throw it away, since you may have good use for it in the future.
18. Tell stories.
While you are giving your piece, you want to tell stories related to it, so that people would continue listening to you. When you tell stories about other people though, make sure that you also get to know them well. This way, you can tell your audience about certain facts about such persons, which can make them realize that the stories are indeed true.
19. Don’t just rely on your voice.
Keep in mind that people learn not just through listening in the lecture, but also through visual stimulation. Thus, aside from developing a good voice for it, you should also check your facial expressions. More importantly, don’t forget that you can also make use of props, visual aids, and other tools that can help you captivate your audience.

20. Don’t forget about time.
When you are going to give a presentation, don’t forget about its allotted time. You don’t want to have someone waving at you, and giving you signals that you are out of time, when you are still halfway through your speech. Thus, take note of the allotted time, and make your speech fit it appropriately.
21. Watch masters in public speaking more often.
Whether it would be through seminars or television, you should watch masters in public speaking more often. This way, you get to take note of their techniques, their habits, and other good practices. Watch them, so that you can also get a better idea on what makes them successful public speakers.
22. Check the room or the venue.
As much as possible, you want to visit the room or the venue that you are going to do your presentation on. This way, you would become more familiar with the environment where you are going to present in front of a group of people. If it is possible though, spend some time in the spot where you are going to speak, so that you can have an idea on what it would be like.
23. Know your audience.
Learning more about your audience can help you a lot when it comes to the kind of speech or presentation you want to have. For example, if you are going to present in front of professionals, then you should keep it formal, but don’t forget to throw out some jokes. This can keep them from becoming bored.
24. Be sober.
It is never a good idea to drink some alcoholic beverages prior to giving out a speech. There are actually some people who believe that drinking a bottle of beer can help them gain more courage in facing a crowd. However, it is much better to listen to someone who is sober, even if he shows some signs of nervousness, than listening to someone who is drunk.
25. Learn as much as you can about the topic you are going to talk about.
Spend as much time as you can in researching about the topic you are going to talk about. This is to make sure that you are as prepared as you can, in giving your presentation. Keep in mind that the more prepared you are, that more effective you can be in delivering your speech. Thus, it can also boost your self-confidence, which is very important in public speaking.