Tips for becoming a better public speaker

As a public speaker, I am always asked what makes it so easy for me to be up there on a stage talking to hundreds if not thousands of people at a time with such ease. Truth is, it is not easy at all.

I admit, some small doses of anxiety still kick in from time to time, but this is natural, and one learns to channel this eustress and use it to drive excellent performance. Eventually, you start to feel the audience, the room you are in, one starts to like his/her tone, of course after practicing hard.

I believe the human body intuitively notices subtleties in the environment and adapts to it, i.e. amid the deafening calm upon starting a speech, the audiences' murmurs, breathing, a small laugh from a person sitting across; all these things are caught by the intuitive mind, and with experience, you learn to either shun or capitalize on them. Of course, and I cannot emphasize enough: Practice makes perfect.

Based on my experience, and regardless of your level in this field, my six tips to you are:

1- Learn belly breathing: Consider public speaking a sport, like so many other disciplines such as freediving or marathon running, they require deep breaths, from the belly. Now, most people when asked to breathe, fill their lungs right away and you can see how their chests and shoulders rise. This is not the way. You should practice inflating your belly. This may sound funny or counterintuitive, but it is crucial to master this breathing technic. Relax, and as you breathe, put a hand on your belly and notice how your lower abdomen pumps like a ball. The more you can keep your shoulders and chest flat and leveled, and direct breath, first to the belly then to the lungs, the more you can hold your breath. This provides you with a bountiful amount of oxygen which in terms saturates your blood oxygen levels, lowers your stress, and gives you a sense of control over your public speaking anxiety.

2- Don't stop breathing: As you familiarize your body with the above technic, do not take long breaths from the belly and hold them while you speak. Instead, train to breathe deep but continue breathing. This wave-like motion, from the belly to the lungs helps you keep calm, confident, and your blood rich with oxygen. Breath from your mouth to increase the amount of air taken.

3- Pause: Take mini-breaks. As you write and practice your speech, be mindful of when to end sentences and ideas. Punctuation is key here. Use commas and full stops to your advantage. They help to shorten and simplify your ideas and give you time to take a breath. If you fail at this, you will be soon out of breath, your voice will change and will start to shake as you struggle to take air in from your nostrils, which is not always enough as your mouth and mind are busy.

4- Be very clear with your ideas: Simplicity trumps complexity. Form simple ideas in your mind when writing a speech. The simpler the idea is, the higher your chances to recall it and relay it to your audience. You can always impress the audience with the depth of your mind and thoughts, without the need for complex syntaxes and formats. Instead, know your message and build it simply. People will relate to it and not get lost or lose focus when you speak to them, as they are engaged with short ideas that make sense.

5- It is all about how you make the audience feel: As a speaker, you are not the only one in the room catching subtleties. Your audience is there for a reason. Depending on the context, they want to feel maybe happier, less worried, hopeful, appreciated, etc. Be very mindful of that and craft your words and time your breath accordingly. They are observing you. As stressful as this may sound, this is where you reap the rewards of preparation. When you know your audiences' expectations, when you live up to that, all your preparation will culminate in great harmony with them. If underprepared, you will immediately feel like you have no hold over listeners.

6- Stand up straight, your shoulders back and feet apart: Not necessarily an exaggerated power pose but your demeanor should reflect who you are. Even if you are not there yet in terms of self-confidence, act it out and you will become what you trick your body into believing. Of course, this is coupled with practice, practice and practice.

Through my talks, I always draw on my journey turning points, my life struggles, and the stories that have not been told. I made a point to tailor my talks to fulfill every group and organization I am fortunate to meet. I am glad to have remained independent in my choices, sharing the wisdom I have developed and conveying genuine inspirational messages to listening audiences all over the world. I am grateful to live for all the potentials that exist for me in the future… 

https://ricardokaram.com/speaking