10 Do’s and Don’ts to be a Good Public Speaker

1) Speak about what you are passionate about

Speak about the things that create emotion within you or the things that you like and genuinely believe in. There is no point speaking about something you can’t relate to or something that you don’t really care about because that will just make you seem mechanical and emotionless. If you find the topic boring, the audience will mirror that emotion too. Also, if you speak about something you are passionate about, even if you slip up, you can redeem yourself by saying something about that topic based on what you truly think of it. Plan your speech very carefully by writing it down and make sure you are saying what is important and what should be covered in your speech.

2) Short is sweet

No one likes waffle. Keep your speech sweet and short and never start by saying “I’ll keep this short…” If you keep your speech short, you are conveying all of the points you initially had in mind without deviating. The more you deviate from the topic, the more boring the audience will find you. To stay on topic, the best way to go about it is a short speech. Also, a short talk means that the audience’s attention stays fixed on you. A really long one will result in the audience’s attention span wearing off.

3) Tone and language is crucial

Any one can talk, but what sets you right at the top, is the ability to speak with eloquence and use different but beautiful language. The skill of learning to vary the tone of your voice from situation to situation will keep your audience engaged throughout. Use good vocabulary and suit your tone to the topic you are talking about. If you are talking about something serious, use a tone that is formal and use vocabulary that is exceptionally good. If you are talking to an audience of teenagers or young adults, keep the tone casual and the vocabulary decent because that way, the audience can understand you better. Use different accents, if your angry, make your voice sound like its angry, if you are happy, make yourself sound it.

4) Body language is your judge

When you speak, the audience scrutinises your every move. Feel free on the stage. Move about a bit and keep yourself composed and relaxed. The audience watches your eye movement and hand movements. Keep them going. Actions like stroking your hair or playing with jewellery or watches while you speak means that you are distracted and the audience will pick up on it. Also, the chances of losing track of what you are saying are higher if you distract yourself with those actions. Keep your hands free and leave them by your side or move them about to illustrate with your speech. Never clasp your hands because that looks like an action caused by desperation because it looks like a plea to the audience. Keep your head free and look at the audience in a ‘Z’ shape. Start from the top left, moving to the top right, down to the bottom left and then the bottom right. This way you cover most of the audience and they feel involved. Transfixing your gaze on one person will only scare them away.