The Importance Of Public Speaking

Speaking is the vocal medium of information transmission between a source (speaker) and destination (audience/listener). Homosapiens convey their feelings, thoughts, ideas and messages through speaking using language and vocabulary as channels. Public speaking (PS) as the name indicates, is the skill of addressing an audience for informing, persuading or entertaining purposes. Ideally, one speaker delivers the speech to a group of people.

The major mistakes by public speakers and possible solutions to fix them are listed below.

1. Not being fully prepared

Public speakers sometimes address unprepared. New speakers who aren’t prepared enough cause lack of clarity, cohesiveness and may not be able to put forth their views correctly using proper

“Talk a man about himself and he will listen for hours” says Benjamin Disraeli stressing the importance of assessing the audience and speaking relevant & their interested information in the talk. The takeaways of the talk must be clear and the entire session must be centered on this motto.

3. Limited practice

Speakers must practice several times for seamless flow. A major portion of how well the talk goes is based on how well the speaker practices his presentation before coming on the stage. The speaker must practice tone modulation, pauses and body gestures for a talk beforehand.

4. Understanding ones fears

By knowing our fears we can reduce the anxiety and the mental stress that is caused. We can know our limitations and plan the talk accordingly. Being relaxed and energetic are essential characteristics for a good orator.

5. Keeping the talk brief and to the point

The talk must be focused, must have clarity and single direction of presentation. The content of the talk must not be too lengthy to lose the attention of audience. Winston S. Churchill says- “A good speech must be like a women’s skirt; long enough to cover the subject and short enough to create interest”. Striking a balance between the quality and quantity of talk separates an expert from the mediocre ones.

6. Beginning and ending

Hence, using simple words helps the listener to deduce the message in the intended manner.

8. Bombarding with facts and figures

The talk must be based on facts but, should not be filled with it. A heavy data centered talk loses the audience interest easily. Also, heavy dependence on the on-screen material (if using projector) makes the talk as reading and would be ineffective irrespective of the content.

9. Pausing adequately

Understanding the audience reception and giving sufficient pauses in between the talk is essential for digesting the content delivered. Knowing when and when not to pause during the talk is the trademark of a good speaker. Timing is everything.

10. Having a backup plan

If the path of talk is digressing and is not effectively responded by the audience, a backup plan is a must for regaining the hold on audience. Planning beforehand for worst case scenarios, an alternate plan must be in the reserve.

11. Non-Verbal Communication

We convey our thoughts more through our expressions than our words. Using correct posture, being presentable for the event, the tone of voice, using hand gestures, having good eye contact and a smile are some of the chief nonverbal