You want to speak in public with confidence. What are the best ways to improve your skills?

The best way to connect with your audience is to be yourself and speak honestly. It's normal to feel nervous when speaking in public, but the key is to be confident and trust what you know. Before speaking, do a little homework on your audience. Even if you know a lot, your audience might only need a small part of that knowledge. Figure out the most important 1% of what you know that you want to share. By doing this, you can really stand out.

I believe these can be some effective steps to improve your skills and confidence: 1. Research thoroughly for topic knowledge, boosting confidence even if have prior experience. 2. Positive self-talk, avoiding overconfidence, reinforces belief. 3. Seek and implement feedback gradually for continuous improvement. 4. Join Toastmasters for self-paced peer learning and public speaking development. 5. Practice in front of various audiences, gather feedback and record for self-analysis. 6. Share personal experiences and share from the heart to connect with the audience, boosting confidence. 7. Pause before starting, visualize composure, and collect thoughts. 8. Use cue cards with key points for on-track delivery, aiding confidence.

1. record yourself. Ideally, you want to record audio and video. Then watch it back to critique. You can do this on your phone’s camera. You’ll be able to identity mannerisms that are distracting and parts of your speech that can be improved upon. It’s a brutal process for most, but this will offer a really honest perspective of how you come across. 2. Be more efficient with your words. Cut the fat. If you can say the same thing with fewer words, try that approach. 3. Don’t be afraid of pauses either. It’s not good to overuse moments of silence, but strategic pauses can really help to up your public speaking game. 4. Stories go over better than bullet points. Data is interesting, but doesn’t connect on a personal level. Use both.

Know your audience: - Understanding your audience's interests, expectations, and knowledge level helps tailor your message. Consider demographics, interests, and cultural factors for effective communication.

Absolutely know your audience. If speaking before same audience month after month, begin with a statement outlining or defining your mandate or your agenda. What helps is also defining your boundaries as a group

Confidence comes with consistency of work you are putting in to improve your skill. Enhance your delivery of the speech and clarity of the words by practicing your speech for it again and again or let say you don't have a speech prepared, you could always go ahead with this framework (WWSR) - 1. What is the problem? 2. Why is that problem happening? 3. Solutions for that problem! 4. Results you got or can be attained! and be yourself, enjoy yourself and remember this thing - "PEOPLE APPRECIATE THE ONES WHO TAKE ACTIONS EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE NOT PERFECT". So, don't get bother by the things that are making you nervous, take deep breath and be yourself!!!

The reason why people feel nervous when speaking in public is because they want to impress the audience. And the stress and pressure of being an eloquent speaker is the cause of the nervousness. To overcome that, just be yourself, no need to pretend to be someone else. Speak from the heart, speak slowly, and maintain a friendly and approachable disposition. Don't need to rush through the whole session to finish it as quickly as possible.

It’s very crucial to know your audience before deciding the content for your speech. The audience needs to be engaged with you during the speech. Most important factor for a successful speech is the confidence that you show while delivering the content across the audience.

To show confidence during a public speaking event, take the time to understand your audience to aim for a genuine connection. Be relatable, authenticate and human. Maintain honesty, and ensure you are well versed with your content rehearsing your speech before stepping onto the stage.

I have never been one to prepare a speech" per say. I've always prepared by: 1) Having a deep *understanding* of what I am speaking on or about. It's this understanding that lends to brilliant analysis and analogies, that lends to poetic prose. This understanding of the topic allows me to know that I can speak confidently and my audience will feel that confidence as well; 2) Now I construct a blue print of the message I wish to convey. What is the storyline? How do I convey this message? This blueprint is the framework of my message; 3)Finally I practice the delivery of this message using the blueprint. There has never been a time when the first iteration of the speech has matched the second. I am practicing pace & flow.

To become a great public speaker, follow these steps: 1. Film yourself during presentations. 2. Review the recording and assess: - Posture: Was it upright and confident? - Audience engagement: Did you avoid turning your back? - Room navigation: Did you move around comfortably? - Speed and tone of voice: Were they appropriate and engaging? - Clarity of speech: Did you articulate your words well? - Message delivery: Was it clear and impactful? - TED talk potential: Would you want to listen? Did it have a strong framework? Use these evaluations to improve your skills and become an exceptional public speaker. Best of luck!

To enhance public speaking skills, practice regularly in front of a mirror or record yourself, focus on breathing techniques to manage anxiety, and study successful speakers to adopt effective techniques. One thing that helped me effectively is to record your video and then check for the areas which can be improved. Moreover, you can share these videos to your mentor or family for a second opinion.

Practice makes you confident Do your homework, and you will easily be confident that you are indeed prepared for the task I find memorizing the speech word by word to hold people back 1. You express far less 2. If you miss a word, panic 3. You focus too much on the words and too little on communicating Have an idea of what you're going to say, but let your barin come up with the sentences as you go It'll be much more naural and engaging

In my opinion, you don't need to prepare the whole speech word by word but it helps to have a structure. I always try to have a list of bullet points of the key things I want to talk about in my speech. Writing it down on flashcards and having them with you is also a good idea. If you are new to public speaking or don't prefer impromptu speeches, the good old trick of speaking in front of a mirror helps. I would also practice with a friend and ask them for feedback.

💡 You can learn the most by analysing yourself. Therefore, focus on recording and learning from your practice sessions. Your smartphone is all you need. Most practise their presentation by rehearsing the text in their heads. Some do it out loud, but don't record it. Heartbreaking waste. Watching yourself is the best and most critical feedback loop. By watching your practice sessions, you can see what would really make your presentation better. You can use those lessons directly in your next presentation. 💡 Nobody likes endless practice and adjustments. So don't waste time. Practice and improve in a way that works best.

Practicing speaking out loud improves your public speaking skills. Simply speaking your thoughts out loud in the car or alone can help you fine-tune your skills and improve your confidence.

There is a lot of truth and wisdom in the saying "practice makes perfect." There is no end to the number of practices because the more we practise our speech, the more comfortable and familiar we become with the words and how we deliver them. Practising in front of the mirror works best, over and over again, at every opportunity (even when we comb our hair as we dress for work, for example). Also, video taping it is very helpful. That way, we can replay the recording to review the areas to be improved. Or practise in front of our friends or family members. Let them share their honest comments. We take them all in so that we can work on the improvements for D-day.

Improving in public speaking in my opinion is done by constantly working that public speaking muscle. The more you do it, the easier it becomes and the better it becomes. Also, speaking on the same topic multiple times is a very good way to improve. Some people rehearse and some do not, the important thing is to try different practices to see what works for you. Also, ultimately it helps performance to acknowledge that you have valuable information to share.

In my experience, practice definitely helps build confidence and structure in your speech. The more you practice and asks for feedback, the better and comfortable you get. Practice all important things like: pause, tone, speed, timing, stories, repetition and gestures. Depending on session if virtual or in-person, you may want to prepare differently.

Stepping into the spotlight? Managing pre-speech jitters is an art. Take a deep breath, visualize success, and remember, the audience is rooting for you. Positive Visualization: Picture a successful presentation in your mind. Focus on the positive outcome. Power Poses: Strike confident postures before speaking. It can influence your mindset and reduce anxiety.

I have had terrible stage fright. Today I look like confidence incarnate. My secret? I started thinking: it is not me up there. It is a stage play. I just go there to play my part. I don't really know why but to me this made all the difference. Instead of worrying about what they may think about me, I can focus totally on delivering something. Another trick. ever thought about how you after the speech think about what you forgot, what you could have done differently? Move that to *before* the speech. Think about, in detail, what you may miss. How you could crack a joke about something at an appropriate time. How you could pace yourself to be dynamic and entertaining. Then you can focus on doing well, instead of your nerves.

In addition to the preparation and practice, focus on how your unique experiences and talents can support others. Shifting the mindset from what we “get” to what we can “give” during a presentation can help with calming nerves.

I find that some people get nervous and some people get excited. I often tell team members that it’s likely the same emotion/feeling, but a person’s prior experiences color that same feeling to be perceived differently. So, in addition to the other tips (such as preparation, practice, etc), I coach people who get nervous speaking to groups to call that nervousness “excitement”. Retrain your brain and feelings to feel that same thing and see it as a positive. This enables you to channel the energy differently.

To stay cool when speaking in public, take deep breaths and picture success in your mind. Concentrate on your message, not yourself. Get used to speaking in front of others bit by bit to boost your confidence. Practice speaking regularly and get feedback, don't stress about making mistakes. Just correct them and keep going.

Four tips to help you feel more confident speaking: 💡 Prior to the event, talk with several people who will be in the audience. You’ll feel more comfortable going into the talk. During your talk you can even say, “when I was speaking with John Smith about this, he noted…” and it will make people more engaged. 💡Go to the dinner or cocktail hour the night before your talk, and chat with attendees. You’ll feel more relaxed when you know some people in the audience. 💡Go up to people as they enter the room and welcome them. This will warm them up to you. 💡Box Breathing. It works for Marines, it will work for you. 5 second inhale. Hold 5 seconds. 5 second exhale. Hold 5 seconds. Repeat as often as you need. You’ve got this!

To speak in public with confidence, practice regularly in front of the camera and/or with supportive friends. Focus on refining your message and delivery, paying attention to body language and vocal tone. Prepare thoroughly by researching your topic and anticipating potential questions. Visualize success and cultivate a positive mindset to manage nerves. Record and review your speeches to identify areas for improvement. Lastly, embrace opportunities to speak in various settings to build confidence and refine your skills over time. For example, consider joining a local amateur dramatics group to build comfort speaking in front of audiences, and to learn proven techniques for quashing nerves through diaphragmatic breathing.

Manage your nerves: - Embrace nervous energy as normal. Practice relaxation techniques, control your breathing, and focus on the message rather than the fear. Visualize success and remind yourself of your expertise.

This step is very crucial because if poorly managed, it will just ruin the whole speech delivery. Accept the fact that if anything can go wrong, it will! (Murphy's Law). So be realistic and be prepared for the worst but expect the best. Very useful to play devil's advocate with friends and colleagues to think about all the scenarios on what could go wrong on that day. Think through the workaround solution to overcome them. Write them down and be mentally prepared . We don't need to panic because we have listed down all possible scenarios with corresponding solutions. Of course, it's not fool proof, but at least our minds will be fully prepared! No more nerve-wrecking feelings.

Practice, practice, practice is always the key to your success in public speaking. In addition, knowing your audience, in advance helps. One tactic that I personally like, whether I am the presenter or in the audience, is when the presenter engages the audience by asking what they are expecting to learn today. Have a way to capture the responses will help you to then make sure you highlight those items while you are speaking. For virtual events, you can use a poll at the beginning of the presentation to capture responses. You can then engage the participants using eye contact or directing questions back to the individuals that shared their original learning objectives.

Engage your audience: Use storytelling, humor, questions, or interactive elements to involve your audience. Eye contact, varied vocal tones, and body language enhance engagement. Create a connection by acknowledging your audience's perspective.

Above all be clear about why you are talking to them. If you know your message you will speak your message. If you just read your 'speech' or worse, read the slides you show, you won't connect. Tell folk why you're here at the start. Tell them what you hope they will take away from your words. Make your pitch first then give the detail. That way they will know what you're talking about and you will be able to relax, knowing there is clarity. Then, even if you forget some learned parts, you'll still be able to add lib on the subject. That connects so much more with audiences.

Be true to yourself; it will be more engaging. Don't try to sound entirely formal and stodgy if that isn't your style because it is going to come off as forced and inauthentic. If you are the type to make a joke where possible, do it. It's going to come across much more natural and it will be physically obvious that you are more comfortable. Obviously, there are limits here and you need to use professional judgement regarding what crosses the line for a particular audience, but if you're speaking to a large group especially you will connect with them much better.

Public speaking is a powerful skill, and engaging your audience is key. Here are some strategies I've found effective: asking questions to involve them, sharing personal stories for relatability, sprinkling in humor for connection, and using visuals to enhance understanding. Don't forget the power of gestures, well-timed pauses, and vocal variety—they add depth to your message. Keep practicing, and you'll master the art of captivating your audience, making your speeches truly memorable and persuasive. 🎤💪 #PublicSpeaking #EngageAudience #CommunicationSkills

First and foremost, we have to internalize the idea that public speaking is a skill. Public speaking is often perceived as a performance or better yet, an accomplishment which makes it difficult for one to seek feedback. Thus, internalizing the idea that public speaking is a skill that can be enhanced through feedback is crucial to improving as a speaker. Start with assessing your recording. Then, ask a trusted companion or mentor to give you constructive feedback. There's a catch to what kind of feedback you should and should not entertain. If someone's just criticizing you without giving any constructive feedback, it's better to not pay attention to that. Value feedback that helps you improve.

I love recording myself and giving myself feedback. I’m my worst critic and it really helps to watch myself in action and identify areas of improvement. This was a practice I did as a teacher and carry on until this day.

Seek feedback and improvement: - Welcome constructive criticism to identify areas for growth. Evaluate recordings of your presentations, seek opinions from trusted peers or mentors, and use feedback to refine your delivery and content.

Work on voice modulation. A vocal coach can help you with that. The moment you feel more confident in your voice, you will automatically be better in public speaking. Most people are good at material and memorization but not delivery since they didn't have voice modulation, they remain monotonous and hard to hear. Be loud, be clear, if you speak wrong, the audience don't know you were wrong, just go on with it, so much so that the audience get convinced that you were right. That's confidence.

Hire a coach: - Consider working with a public speaking coach for personalized guidance. Coaches provide valuable insights, pinpoint areas for improvement, and offer techniques tailored to your unique strengths and challenges.

As a business professional, and especially as an entrepreneur, time is money. A coach can help you craft an unforgettable, high-value speech faster. But more importantly, they can help you win the long-game and position you as a sought-after expert and speaker. Ask them how they will help you get booked and who they have in their personal network.

Hiring a coach is imperative to ensure you are on message, impactful and your delivery is spot on. There is a reason the TED program offers coaching to its speakers - it works and is so important!

In my 10+ years of speaking on the biggest conference stages in the world, the important thing to remember is to operate from the mindset of a teacher. Approach it as an educational opportunity so you detach from self-consciousness and adopt a mindset of *giving.* This shift allows for a more actionable delivery style that addresses specific needs and fosters engagement. When you focus on educating, you'll deliver dynamic, relatable sessions that leave a lasting impact. Operating from a mindset of a teacher not only benefits the audience but also enhances your confidence as speaker, your effectiveness in delivering a valuable message, and establishes your expertise. Remember: To become a great speaker, become a teacher.

My most valuable skills came from amazing speakers from other industries. In entertainment, you can find amazing styles of presenting. Stand up comedians, tv presenters, podcast hosts whatever or whoever it is you like has a reason. I studied styles of comedy to understand how to engage crowds, deliver punchlines, use imagination and words with zero slides, do crowd interaction etc. Checking out Ted Talks taught me how to make complex topics clear in little time and no slides either. Just great storytelling arcs and how to build the story and information. After that it’s knowing your message and story by heart so you can do it in 10 different ways and THEN adding the right amount of visuals and statements to help me tell it memorably.

One of the things I find helpful in building confidence with regards to public speaking is to join a public speaking club for example Toastmasters international. The club gives the opportunity to practice public speaking infront of an audience and get valuable feedback. The more often you speak......the faster you will learn and build your confidence as a speaker. Each time you stand up to speak somewhere , you will get the opportunity to sharpen your speaking craft and push your confidence to a whole new level. In fact the more stage time you get to practice your speaking craft the greater your confidence will become.

Practice, practice, practice. Talk to strangers, put yourself in uncomfortable situations, hear contradictory opinions and learn that no matter what fundamental fear holds you back from speaking freely, it's not going to be as bad as it seems.

My experience has taught me to enjoy myself when speaking in public. This means we live that moment, that opportunity for us to share our views, ideas, thoughts, etc with the audience. When we enjoy doing something, the "nice feeling" comes to occupy our mindset with lovely thoughts and actions. We will be able to give our all and to deliver our best!

For heaven's sake, the best way to prepare for your presentation is to walk the room, be early, and test your technology. The worst presentations I ever did failed because I showed up at the last minute with a jump drive in hand. Sometimes, a conference planner fails to give you time to test...observe...and bond with the environment. To me, this is a must. Let's not forget to bring a flip chart just in case technology decides to have a tantrum. Lastly... one day I was presenting at a Rotary International meeting. I didn't eat so I fainted. The members rushed to my rescue and one tried to give me heart medicine. I got up - ran out the door and never went back. Morale of the story...eat!

Practice, practice, practice. Read books, passages, quotes and poetry aloud to yourself or a small group to practice. Get used to hearing yourself speak and your natural tone and intonation. There will be added pressure to speak and deliver your content, but if you decouple both, you can practice speaking with someone else's content, master that part, and eventually stand up and confidently share your content in your voice.

Together with public speaking coach Devin van den Berg we've been working over a year on a free-to-use tool to give the power of persuasive public speaking to the masses. I would be honored if you would take a look at verble.app and let us know what you think of it!

Connect with the audience . Must have knowledge of content/topic .Communication skills with command of language go a long way to build the confidence while speaking in public!

🌻Keep doing it over and over again. 🌻Welsome feedback. 🌻Listen to and view your presentations and talks. 🌻Do not get complacent. 🌻Seek to grow, supplement your knowledge and develop constantly. 🌻Criticism and feedback are not the same: feedback seeks to improve you; criticism seeks to prevent you from improving. Do not let in the former. 🌻Speaking is a skill, skills are acquirable! 🌻Do not let you stop you. 🌻Remember you are doing it to serve your audience.