Certain speakers are charming, enticing our thoughts and emotions with their smooth and brilliant storytelling, tone mixed with genuine emotions, body language mirroring their words, passion resonating throughout the stage, vibrant and lively smiles, and their delightfully unique sense of humour.
Conversely, other speakers drew us out in the first five minutes of their speech, leaving us worn out and uninterested. They lack diversity in tones, enthusiasm to interact with the audience and open up doors for communication, and originality in how they present their views. They reflect a strong desire to wrap up their speech as though it were a burden; they ignore nonverbal cues, stay still and rigid while they speak, and focus solely on the information on the metal board, disengaging from eye contact with the audience.
A great speaker always holds a powerful, influencing presence on the audience and masters the skill of expressing themselves and their thoughts in the most original yet simple ways. Nothing is more powerful than a speaker who uses the stage to connect with, influence, and transform the lives of their audience; it's their genuine passion and mission in life. It's the epitome of an undeniable soft power.
What are the key skills that a successful speaker has to have? That's what we'll explore in this article.
Is Public Speaking "Acquired"?
Many believe that public speaking is an innate skill some people naturally have while others lack. However, this is wrong. Anyone can acquire the skill of public speaking with practice and ongoing attempts to maximise their potential. You can become an exceptional speaker if you train diligently, passionately, and resolutely on the required techniques to capture and engage the audience.
Why Do Most Humans Fear Public Speaking?
- Fear of heights, insects, loud noises, and death are among the numerous concerns that most people have in common. The greatest dread on their list is the "fear of facing the audience." Most people fear rejection during a lecture or presentation.
- Speaking in front of an audience naturally causes the body to release a lot of adrenaline, which makes the speaker stiff and nervous. However, they should interpret their elevated adrenaline levels as an incentive for excitement and pleasure rather than letting anxiety overpower them for longer than a few minutes. The issue arises when someone lets anxiety and tension take over and hamper their performance. They might start thinking things like, "I won't be able to engage this crowd for sure", or "I won't succeed in presenting the lecture in front of them," among many similar negative thoughts. This causes them to sweat and stammer, lose control over the lecture's content, and publicly admit their failure as public speakers.
- Most people react naively to the bad experiences they've had throughout their lives, believing that "they're not fit for public speaking," particularly if they've failed in this regard in the past. In contrast, a successful person learns from their mistakes and embraces their setbacks as legitimate chances for growth and progress.
- Most people inflate their "ego" and cherish their "social image," which makes them rigid and reluctant to try new things to keep their "social image" intact. They're not at peace with themselves and dare not test negative feedback that may come from the audience during their presentation.
What Are the Skills of Public Speaking?
1. Passion
A deep passion for the topic you offer is a must for being an outstanding speaker. If you don't fully believe in what you present, you won't be able to persuade others of what you have to say.
2. Tone
One of the key elements in drawing the audience in is the speaker's tone. Certain speakers stick to the same pitch all the way through, leaving the audience weary and disengaged. However, some effective speakers use a range of tones throughout their speech, from high to low, to keep everyone engaged and excited to hear what they say. Moreover, they infuse their emotions into their voices, embodying feelings of joy, sadness, excitement, or surprise in their tone, which lends them more credibility and appeal.
3. Storytelling
A successful speaker steers clear of the academic tone during their presentation since they know that the audience prefers storytelling over figures and statistics. They successfully ingrain their message into the minds of their audience through an emotionally charged narrative. Emotionally charged knowledge is very hard to forget. Saying something like, "Did you know that your past source of pain can turn into your message and passion?" might help the speaker illustrate how they overcame acute social shyness and discuss the genuine inner power within everyone. They can go on to say, "I remember my extreme social anxiety, my severe fear of expressing my thoughts and opinions, and my inability to come up with ideas when I was around people. People's nasty stares and remarks have always clawed at me. I could only confess my aching, screaming soul to a loyal peace of paper; no one ever knew. I remained like this until I broke the barrier, challenged myself, and learned to use my imagination as an asset. I built an image of myself that was powerful and able to handle everyone, and I lived up to it. Now, I stand before you with the gold medal in interpersonal communication and public speaking." Successful speakers captivate their audience with a blend of authentic and nuanced emotions and storytelling.
4. Confidence in Content
To be an excellent speaker, you must prepare your presentation content professionally, which boosts your confidence and builds your persuasive ability.
5. Simplification
A proficient speaker employs a straightforward approach to communicating with the audience, steering clear of technical jargon and instead using friendly language. For instance, it is unnecessary to list the number of fatalities from crash scenes in a lengthy and boring way to illustrate that "health is the most valuable thing on earth." Alternatively, you could narrate the story of a person who lost the ability to walk due to driving too fast and disregarding their well-being. You could show how it affected his personality and relationship with his kids and how a single oversight could have cost them a lot of blessings that he had not previously valued. He can no longer be the perfect husband or father. He has been severely distressed, mentally vulnerable, and gloomy over his life attitude.
6. Brevity
Successful speakers don't delve deeply into their ideas; instead, they focus, condense, and then present their ideas concisely and memorably, building a clear framework for their presentation.
7. Body Language
A proficient speaker expresses themselves through gestures, facial expressions, and body language that harmonises with the words they employ to create a cohesive message. They know that their tone accounts for 38% of what draws people to them, body language accounts for 55%, and words have the least influence—only 7%. That being said, "what you say" is just as important as "how you say it."
8. Humour
Proficient speakers use lighthearted humour to engage their audience and break the ice without undermining their authority.
9. Shock Value
A proficient speaker uses shock value to capture the audience's interest early in their speech, using tools that support their speech or terms the audience hears for the first time.
10. Clarity
Clarity of speech is essential for a successful presentation. The speaker should articulate words correctly and at a moderate pace, pronouncing each word's first and last letter. Additionally, they should pause briefly between phrases to compel their audience to muse over the topic further.
11. Training
A proficient speaker puts in much practice and prepares for the most challenging scenarios. For instance, they imagine how they would answer an unexpected question from the audience or deal with a scathing remark from someone in the crowd. Furthermore, they exhibit high honesty and don't hesitate to admit when they don't know something. This calls for quite a bit of bravery and confidence.
In Essence
To become an outstanding speaker, you must be patient, passionate, and real about what you say. You should back up every word of your speech with expression and sincerity, tell a touching story, and look for creative ways to present your concepts. Finally, you should be full of life, energy, and freedom.
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