How to Improve Your Public Speaking

One of the best ways to improve public speaking skills is to take lessons or to join a group or organization that practices these skills on a regular basis.

Public speaking schools and groups like Toastmasters are geared to help you not only speak better, but also improve your self confidence, general communication and networking skills, as well as overcome shyness and basic speaking inexperience.

By practicing regularly, students and members of groups get to the point where talking to groups of people, big and small, becomes second nature. They may feel some nervousness, but they learn to overcome that horrible stage fright that so many suffer from.

It is generally accepted that most people are terrified by the thought of getting up in front of an audience and speaking to them. It is believed that most people fear public speaking even more than death! For this reason you may be wondering why you should even bother to improve your own public speaking skills. After all, there might seem to be no way that you would ever accept a request to speak in public. The very idea of stage fright would be enough to put you off. But if you think about it, you will realize that public speaking is about much more than addressing large audiences.

If you have a job that involves working with other people, it's likely you'll have to give presentations, deliver reports, and possibly make proposals. Being able to speak effectively in public gives most people the ability to communicate effectively one-to-one or with groups of people. It doesn't matter about the size of the group, or whether they even know people in the group; good public speakers often develop powers of persuasion that enable them to succeed on all levels, both in business and in their private and social lives.

So what can you expect to learn if you go to a public speaking school or join a group?

First of all, you will discover that public speaking is a multi-faceted skill that you can learn to excel at. You will learn how to choose good topics and how to prepare effective speeches. By talking about things you know about and are passionate about, you will find that you can become more involved in your speech and will be able to make it more interesting for your audience. By structuring your speech properly and logically, you will find that you are able to maintain the interest of your audience more easily.

You will also learn tricks that you can use once you are standing before a mass of people who you expect to terrify you. For example, if you chat to some members of your audience before you start your speech, you will find it easier to make eye contact, because you will already have begun some sort of relationship -- however distant. By breathing deeply before you start to talk, you will begin to relax. By being relaxed you will be able to think more clearly and project your voice more effectively.

So why not give improving your public speaking a try?

Tim Ackerman is a public speaking enthusiast, author, and owner of PublicSpeakingInsider.com, an invaluable resource for anyone who wants to improve public speaking. Be sure to visit his site for many more great tips to help you become a more confident, powerful and influential communicator.