Fear of public speaking ranks right up there with fear of heights and fear of death in terms of the things people are terrified of. Whether it be the fear of being watched closely by others, or insecurity and a self-conscious feeling of slipping up during the presentation, the follow tips will help you deliver a polished, professional speech that you as well as your audience can be proud of!

Public Speaking Step 1 - Know your audience
This is the single best piece of advice for delivering a presentation that really hits home. What are there interests? Their backgrounds? Why are they coming to hear you speak or present? What ideas do you have to share with them? Approaching your speech as more of a “me-to-you” discussion rather than a full-blown broadcast will make it more manageable (and less stressful) and easier on you.

Public Speaking Step 2 - Know your objective
What do you want your audience to do as a result of your speech? What’s really at the heart of your presentation? By concentrating on the “end result” rather than slogging through the beginning, you can create a powerful punch that drives home your message instead of rambling on and losing your audience’s interest (or missing the point entirely!)

Public Speaking Step 3 - Share a story
In public speaking circles, this is called a “hook” – something that gets your audience’s attention and makes them sit up and listen. Start off by asking questions or sharing an experience you had. People like to be active, rather than passive listeners. By giving them something that they can identify with, you’ll find that these people are, in essence – just like you! And that makes giving a presentation a whole lot easier. Just be sure your story has a beginning, a point, and an ending. There’s nothing quite as bad as telling a story to an engaged audience and then forgetting why you told it!

Public Speaking Step 4 - Highlights Benefits Over Features
If you’re selling a product, focus on the benefits instead of the features. People would much rather hear WHAT a product can do for them than HOW it does it. Narrow down your product’s features until you get to the core of how it solves a problem. If you need help with figuring out the difference between a feature and a benefit, ask yourself “So What?” For example, if you’re selling a vacuum cleaner that has a hypoallergenic filter, put yourself in the customer’s shoes and ask yourself “so what?” The answer would be something like, “It picks up dust, mold and pet dander”. Again, “so what?” Answer, “You’ll feel relief from runny nose and sneezing plus itchy, water eyes.” Now THAT’s a benefit!

Public Speaking Step 5 - Don’t depend on multimedia and tools
Don’t lean too heavily on media to make your message clear. Power-point presentations are great for making specific points, but they can be overwhelming – or downright boring. Instead, give your audience something to DO by providing them with fill-in-the-blank flip charts or “team activities”. These help reinforce and emphasize your message in ways that a computer presentation simply cannot.

Public Speaking Step 6 - End with a bang, reinforce your message
Above all, make sure your speech ends in a way that reiterates the beginning. Too often, speakers get carried away with the details and leave their audiences asking, “What was the point of all that?” People naturally digest information in “chunks”, so focus on the big picture rather than all the pieces. If the details are just as important, save it for an after-speech handout that the audience can take with them and read over at their leisure.

If you keep these six tips in mind, you’ll not only have an easier time overcoming your fear of public speaking, but you’ll have a very appreciative audience who will in turn be more receptive and eager to try your product or service.

Effective public speaking is easy for some, difficult for most, not a lot of people are effective public speakers. The fact is not many people are blessed with the gift of gab. Some are even horrified at the prospect of having to face an audience to relate anything verbally.

But the good news is, for those who are determined to master their public speaking skills and become an effective public speaker, there are ways to do this.

Allow me to share a personal experience. When I was in high school I was a bit aloof and shy, and though I knew that I could speak well if needed, I simply was not confident enough. I realize later, the more opportunities of speaking in public you have, the easier it gets and the more confident you are. For some reasons one day I simply told myself, I was not going to get anywhere, and not accomplish anything if I did not speak up. Being quiet was not going to get me anywhere.

Yes, public speaking is not an easy task. But it is not impossible to learn… you too can be good at it.

So lets start with learning the qualities of a good public speaker. Here are the traits that a person should learn or adopt if he or she is planning to become an effective public speaker:

An Effective Public Speaker Is Resourceful
To be an effective public speaker, you cannot simply rely on stocked knowledge, or what you already know. Knowing where to get new information and how to get it so that you can relay this to your audience easily is one valuable quality of an excellent public speaker.

Preparation is also a part of resourcefulness. The preparation a good speaker makes does not end in his speech. Knowing an audience’s interests and level of knowledge is also a part of his resourcefulness.

Using props is something common with a speaker who is resourceful enough to know how some simple visual aids or items can evoke more interest from his or her audience.

An Effective Public Speaker Always Updates What He Knows
An effective public speaker is always thirsty for new information. You can polish your wisdom by reading, attending seminars, or doing any other kind of activities that would enrich your knowledge.

An Effective Public Speaker Has A Good Sense Of Humor
Very often, your sense of humor is what will actually make your speech or message easier to comprehend and remember. Incorporating a few jokes that touch on your audience’s interests is helpful. No one loves a boring speaker.

An Effective Public Speaker Is Confident
An audience can easily see if you are uncomfortable, uneasy and most of all… not confident with what you are delivering. Sometimes lack of preparedness or confidence shows in a stutter. When confidence exudes from a public speaker, the more enthusiastic the listeners become to understand what that person can help them learn.

An Effective Public Speaker Has A Way With Words
A public speaker can’t be effective at all if if he or she has a limited vocabulary stock. It’s not however, the variety of high-falluting words that make up a good speech, but its content and how you use these words to move people, words that people relate to or identify with, thus helping you even better deliver your message.

Last but not the least, to become an effective public speaker, it is not enough to know all these traits, but to put them into practice by putting yourself in a situation where you have to speak to people or audiences. Effective public speakers are who they are because they constantly go out on a limb to push their public speaking limits.

To be an effective leader, one must possess a very important skill… effective public speaking.

It is important to develop your communication skills for how else can you communicate, inform and even motivate a group towards a goal or objective.

Speaking in front of an audience can be fun, but only if you are well prepared. Here are some Effective Public Speaking tips, simple reminders you need to be aware of and if mastered, will help you improve your public speaking skills.

• Make eye contact. It signifies your interest and desire to be honest and credible.

• Posture and gesture are effective ways to communicate your message.

• Keep your message understandable and straightforward. Message clarity is important because it affects all areas of your message. Use words that your audience can understand or examples that they can relate to.

• Be prepared. Remember the 6 W’s:

Who? - Know your audience’s age, gender and interests.

What? - What topic would you like to discuss? Typically, when you get an invitation to speak in public, follow their theme and purpose. Ask in advance.

How? - How can you communicate your message? Language and non-verbal cues are important. Proper choice of words helps your audiences understand you better. If you have visual aids, slides or an AVP that needs special equipment to be prepared, inquire with the host if they have it on hand, or if it possible for them to provide. If otherwise, adjust to the situation and to what is available.

When? - Obtain logical timing of your discussion. Learn how to pause when necessary.

Where? - If you have time, visit the area where you will conduct your speech. Determine the best seating arrangement according to the type of your audience. You also need to consider the temperature, space and lighting conditions of the area. Visiting the area also helps you determine where to place your visual aids.

Why? - Convey the advantage and purpose they will gain if they will listen to you. Preparing a list objectives can help you narrow down the key points you need to emphasize.

• Do not overwhelm your audience with numbers and statistics. You can put this information on handouts for their easy reference.

• Use visual aids to support your message.

• Establish dialogue and rapport. Allow your audience to participate in the discussion. You can also create rapport by call your audience by their names.

• Dress Appropriately. How you look is also important. Your appearance should convey a message for dignity and respect.