Do you wish to become a formidable public speaker but are held back by your fears? You are not alone in this desire and fear. In this article, you will find tips to help you improve your speaking skills and realize your potential.

You can’t just expect to have the audience’s attention. Getting the attention of an audience isn’t always easy and keeping it can be even harder. You need to perform well to get what you want from the speech.

Utilize a timer to determine the length of your speech. This allows you to edit the speech if necessary to keep it at the right length. If your speech needs to be longer, research the subject for more information to add. Never rush when delivering a speech.

Know your speech through and through. After you’re able to recite completely from memory, then it’s time to polish up on your delivery. With your speech firmly implanted in your mind, it will be much easier to naturally ad lib when you finally give it.

Know your material as best you can. You should even know facts and jokes about the topic of your speech. Insert them and gauge how your audience reacts to them. This can also reinforce your speech when answering questions or providing follow up conversations.

Always face the audience consistently when speaking in public. Don’t get distracted by whatever else is happening. You are attempting to convince the audience of something, so they need your full attention.

Practice your speech more than once after you memorize it. This will allow you time to tweak the speech if needed. Also, practice your breathing and pace. Remember to incorporate time into your speech for possible interruptions. Hopefully, some of these interruptions will be for applause. Use the equipment you are going to use for the speech to practice if you can.

Understand the topic of your speech completely. Do careful research that enables you to view the topic from various angles. Develop your points carefully and prepare yourself with notes you can follow. Thoroughly preparing yourself will be a big pay off if your audience decides to ask you questions.

If you talk about something that really happened in your speech, it will make it more meaningful. Make an outline of the story before the date of the speech. Make sure that your story has a specific beginning, middle and ending so that your ideas are related better. Be sure the story is true so your words appear natural and authentic.

Deep Breathing

Practice deep breathing exercises if you are the type who is anxious when you speak in public. Prior to getting up on stage, engage in some deep breathing. Try inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth while counting to five. You’ll feel yourself relaxing after you do this five or six times.

Never take a drink of alcohol prior to making a public speech. While it may appear to be a solution for low self-confidence, it will most likely backfire on you. You don’t want to stand behind the podium feeling tipsy because you may forget what you want to say or your speech may be slurred.

Stay as confident as possible when in front of a crowd. Your topic should be something that you are genuinely interested in and have experience with. Keep a conversational tone to keep the attention of your audience.

Once you have prepared your speech, practice it as often as necessary until you have it memorized. Try practicing in the mirror and use different facial expressions and hand motions. Also consider asking a close friend or family member for a little feedback. They may have valuable advice for you.

A great way to close your speech and have people remember it, is to have a good ending. Your conclusion should not fall short of keeping their attention. If you end in a boring manner, people will not remember your speech for very long.

If you are nervous and think that you’re messing up, do not apologize. Even if you are nervous, display confidence and your audience will feel confident in you. When mistakes arise, simply correct them and continue moving on.

Public speakers are very engaging and dynamic. If you want to be among them, start using the tips in this piece. Use the information that you read here in order to be a great public speaker.