What is public speaking, and how can coaching benefit you?

Public speaking (noun): the art or skill of addressing an audience effectively¹

The phrase “public speaking” gets banded about a lot in day to day conversations. “Ugh, I hate public speaking”, “They’re just a natural at public speaking”, “I can have a conversation with a couple of people, but I definitely can’t do public speaking” and the list goes on. It’s one of the most common speech fears that exist, and simply put, that’s because we speak publicly almost every day of our lives.

One of the biggest misconceptions around public speaking is that it means speaking to large audiences. We have asked many of our clients when they first joined our programmes to define it in their words, and many of them perceive it to be just this; however, as specified in the dictionary definition above, all it involves is speaking, an audience and effectiveness. In short, an audience can be any number of people – it could be one or hundreds (or thousands and beyond). So, now that we’ve cleared that one up, let’s discuss how you can become a better public speaking.

Take your time

One of the common issues that we encounter with clients is their speed of speech. We live in a society where time equals money and money equals time. Therefore, it’s completely human to want to be as efficient as possible; however, we tend to use speed as a solution. Always consider whether you can make your points more concise – stop using waffle words and start using impactful words. Then, you should practice the art of accepting the space between your thoughts and points. Don’t rush it – embrace it.

Breathe

Second to the above is breathing. Remember, we all know how to breathe to live; however, the majority of us don’t know how to breathe to speak. Breathing to speak requires deep, full breaths that allow you to express your thought or feeling without gasping for breath. It allows you to utilise your voice more and therefore engage your audience more. Practice running through a speech or presentation, and at the end of every thought or sentence, take a breath and take a pause. How does it feel to know that you are in control?

Stay present

We regularly forget that humans exist in the present. It doesn’t matter what is going to happen in the future, and it doesn’t matter what’s happened in the past, all that matters is what is happening now. Take a moment to observe the person or people you are speaking to you – what do they really look like, what do they really sound like, and what are they really saying? The moment you become present in the moment, even just for a second, is the moment you’ll realise how engaged or connected you are to that person.

The world isn’t going to end

And finally – remember, the world is not going to end! Whatever happens, it could be worse. Fluffed your words? It could be worse. Missed a chunk out? It could be worse. Always remember that. If you find yourself, regularly hitting a block, why not check out our article on relieving blocks here.

The above is just the start of your road to becoming a better speaker. It takes time, and it will always be an ongoing process.

If you’re contemplating strengthening your public speaking skills, you can apply for a FREE Discovery Call by using the button at the top of this page. As one of the UK’s leading elocution companies, we work with clients across the world to become better speakers through several programmes to suit everybody’s needs.

1. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/public-speaking ↩