There are a number of important tips for effective public speaking; so let’s take a look at them one by one.

You!

First, there’s you – your appearance, hand gestures, facial expressions, and clothing. Body language is critical. You need to look neat, clean, stand straight, and speak clearly. Next, speak with authority. If you expect your audience to believe what you’re saying, you have to sound convincing, and organized. Have your material set up in a clear and concise manner: an opening, the main section, and a conclusion.

Take note

You should make use of your notes, not be dependent upon them. Nothing bores people more than someone just reading to them. So, don’t use long detailed notes. Instead, write a series of brief reminders – keywords, and commit as much of the speech to memory as possible. Speaking clearly and with confidence are two good tips for effective public speaking. Along with this is the idea of not staring down at your notes all the time; you want to maintain eye contact with various audience members. Don’t stare, but look at one person for a few seconds, and then shift to another. Once in a while you can relax your gaze and just look out over the audience.

Questions and Answers

With most speeches, there will be a question and answer period. Listen carefully to their questions and give brief and clear answers. If you’ve ever been frustrated by a politician giving an evasive answer to a reporter’s question, you will know you don’t want your audience feeling that way toward you. Also, watch you audience; see how they react to your speech and answers. One of the most important tips for effective public speaking is the ability to modify and change your speech to fit your audience. If lots of details are boring them, drop some. If your little anecdotes are winning them over, throw in a few more.

The Power of the “Pause

Among the more obvious tips for effective speaking, but one many people don’t do, is to harness the power of the pause. Remember, your audience needs time to process the information you’re giving them. So, don’t rush. If you get short on time, cut some things. Also, the power of a simple joke can be useful to help pass the time, and ease the tedium of a highly technical lecture. You need to learn about the power of not talking. Don’t talk just to fill up time and repeat things you’ve said before; that’ll only bore your audience. Use a timer to learn how long you should talk to leave adequate time for the question and answer period.

Audio-Visual Aids

Finally, there are the items you use for your speech. If you have some audio-visual aids, a PowerPoint presentation, slides etc. be sure you have the equipment set up ahead of time, and check that everything is working okay. If you have some handouts to give out, make sure you have enough.

Following these tips for effective public speaking will ensure your success; no matter what you’re talking about.