Public speaking is about the number one skill most people will avoid given the chance.It’s pretty clear that most of us don’t get up in front of a crowd of people and give a speech without at least some practice in public speaking. Unfortunately, when we have to be speaking in front of a group of people for an audience, public speaking can quickly turn into something we dread and consider a huge challenge.

Techniques of Public Speaking

As you get better at public speaking, you will find that it becomes easier, you can do it right the first time, and you learn how to get the right people excited about your presentation. The good news is that there are many techniques that you can use to help yourself in this arena. Here are four common methods to help you become more confident and master public speaking for any event.

Public Speaking

Learn from a Mentor – One of the quickest ways to become more confident and enjoy talking in public is to find a mentor. You don’t have to be a public speaker in order to benefit from a mentor, it can be just about anyone you want. They will have a wealth of knowledge that can help you build confidence. To find one, try asking other leaders or experienced speakers if they would be willing to mentor you.

Join a Support Group – Find a support group for public speakers and do what you can to join. Many people who suffer from public speaking anxiety find that the best way to combat it is to connect with other people who also have this same condition. If you have a support group, you’ll feel much more comfortable and able to handle situations that might happen in front of a group of people.

Practice every single day – Many experts agree that the best way to become more confident and master public speaking is to practice in front of others. Not only does it help you improve your speaking skills, but it builds up your confidence as well. Try to practice in front of a mirror every single day for a week and see how you do.

Make a schedule for time – If you make time for yourself, you will begin to understand where your time goes and exactly how you can spend that time. We’re all busy and we sometimes don’t have time to dedicate ourselves to something that we really love doing. The best thing about scheduling time for yourself is that you know exactly what you need to do on a given day and you can make sure that you spend those hours well.

Is public speaking a mental game?

Get additional training – Many people who work with corporate America make their living by practicing in front of a group of people in order to be hired. When you’re looking for a job, you need to put yourself out there by getting several different interviews. Public speaking will not hurt your chances of getting hired, but you have to put yourself out there in order to stand out among the competition.

Practice saying what you want to say in front of others – No matter what you do, you’re going to meet resistance. Even with practice, you’re going to have some problems. The best thing you can do to overcome these problems is to get comfortable talking about something that you really want to say.

Be sure to practice the “I” before everything else – Do you often get frustrated because you think that other people are taking advantage of you? You need to become the owner of your own words. With practice, you will realize that every time you speak in front of someone, you own the phrase, “I”, before you speak it.

Constant practice is the watch word

Practice being in control of the situation – One of the most common problems that speakers have is feeling out of control. Part of this is because they get too comfortable in front of the crowd and are unprepared for what could happen when they leave the stage. When you become comfortable, you’ll find that you’ll be able to create a better situation to speak in front of an audience, even if you’re nervous or not fully prepared.

When it comes to public speaking, it’s pretty clear that there are plenty of methods that you can use to become more confident and master it. And by taking advantage of the methods that are out there, you’ll find that public speaking becomes less of a challenge and more of a fun and enjoyable experience.