Master the art of public speaking with these tips.

There always comes a time in our life when we think we’re “good enough” or “competent enough,” but we find ourselves mistaken because, in reality, we do have something to develop… just like public speaking!

Well, I’m just glad I enrolled in Toastmasters International’s Pathways program because I learned a lot (I still am) from such amazing and eloquent speakers! This program is key to becoming a confident public speaker and a strong leader (thanks to the learn-by-doing environment). It has changed the lives of so many Toastmasters, and mine as well. I won’t dwell on the program, but I do want to share a few of my learnings with other people.

Here are 3 Basic Public Speaking Skills We Should Work On:

The excessive use of “uhs,” “ums,” and other filler words is a bad, unconscious habit most people are guilty of. Filler words are apparently meaningless words, phrases, or sounds that marks a certain hesitation in one’s speech.

We unintentionally use these words when our brain is still figuring out what to say. Unfortunately, this reveals to the audience that our thoughts are unstructured and unrehearsed, and might even result in them getting annoyed by our speech. In far worse cases, this might even kill our credibility. Aside from the uhs and ums, think of crutch words such as: “so,” “like,” “you know,” “okay,” “actually,” “basically,” right,” etc. Repeated words are also considered verbal clutter. Listeners WILL hear it even if it is invisible to you.

The remedy is to learn how to briefly organize your thoughts when speaking (especially if you are delivering an impromptu speech) or to pause. You can also eliminate crutch words by simply being prepared with your speech. Be thorough with your topic and rehearse your speech until it is second nature. That way, you will be more confident to deliver it in front of an audience.

Don’t feel hopeless if you are guilty of these filler words! I am, too! Even Hillary Clinton, Glenn Beck, Barrack Obama and a lot of other trained speakers have gone through a period of using (and sometimes, overusing) filler words.

Just practice and practice until you become better.

Creating impact as a speaker is possible if you use purposeful eye contact. Look the audience in the eye, one at a time, to connect, engage, and persuade them to buy you and your message.

Oftentimes, we become too scared to look at people because they may signal to us what they’re feeling and thinking about our speech. They may respond with nods and smiles, but they may also give us a look of disgust, frowns, or even raise a skeptical eyebrow. If you let that fear take over you, then 1) you will look disinterested; 2) they will feel distant from you and; 3) you will end up delivering a speech no one cares about. Creating eye contact is scary and hard. Do it anyway.

You don’t have to meet people’s gazes the entire presentation. Looking up, down, or to the side is absolutely normal. It’s just that you can have a more authentic delivery if you look at the audience’s eyes for the most part.

Remember to look at “faces, not spaces.” 

ALSO READ: I’m Delaying My Travels…

The voice of a speaker is a critical factor of success. It is said that the sound of your voice matters “twice as much” as the content of your message. If you are new to public speaking, you may not be aware of your voice – if it can properly convey strong emotions, if it is soothing, if it can put someone to sleep, etc.

Each one of us has our own speaking voice, but we should also learn how to be pleasant, natural, forceful, expressive, or scary when necessary. How do we go about that? Just follow the 4P’s of Vocal Variety! These are power (voice volume), pitch, pace, and pause. When used effectively, it will definitely enhance your speech.

1. Power. Use your voice volume and align with the speech’s emotional content to keep the audience’s attention. Bring out a loud voice if you’re conveying anger. Use a soft voice if you are talking about fear, sadness, or something secretive. Don’t let your nervousness and physical tension of being up on stage restrict your vocal range.

2. Pitch. The pitch of a sound refers to how high or low it is on the musical scale. Just like the power or voice volume, you must vary your pitch as you speak. For example, use a high pitch to convey indescribable excitement. Use a low pitch if you want to highlight sadness or vulnerability.

3. Pace. It will be extremely hard for the audience to follow a speaker if he or she speaks too fast or too slow. You want to speak fast enough so they will give you their full attention, but also slow enough so they can understand each and every word you are uttering. Meaning? Speak at an understandable rate. They say the most effective speaking rate is approximately 125-160 words a minute. And no, you don’t have to count the number of words in your head because that will push you out of your “in the zone in my speech” moment. Move quickly (or normally) through some of the tales in your material, but remember to slow down and emphasize the key points or important information.

4. Pause. There’s nothing like a good “pause” for dramatic effect. Make sure you have short pauses following every sentence and much longer pauses at “the ends or paragraphs, or transitions within your speech.” You should understand that silence can be golden if used correctly. These will add impact to your words and also put the audience’s attention back to you.

These are just some of the lessons I got from my fellow Toastmasters and Distinguished Toastmasters. I hope this will help you in your next meeting, company presentation or speech! If you want to learn more about my club (where I joined, who do I spend the club meetings with, what benefits do you get from joining, how to enroll, how much is the program, etc.), leave me a message! 😉