Some people find it so easy to hold a microphone and address an audience, yet for others, just a mere thought of standing up in public even before saying a word terrifies them. Public speaking, though an essential skill, doesn’t come easy for everyone. It is however necessary to build this skill because it has the potential to advance your career, create opportunities, enhance your reputation and boost your self-confidence. Joshua Tahinduka, a public speaking coach based in Kigali notes that public speaking is a skill that can be acquired through practice. The more you practice, the more you become better. It’s the little steps that add up, for instance, speaking in board meetings, or pushing yourself to say something in a meeting especially when you know you are poor at public speaking, he says. Seek for opportunities to speak in your environment. You can never become a public speaker if you don’t start speaking, he stresses. The public speaking coach urges speaking to people that you think are better than you in the area of public speaking and asking them to give you feedback. He says that you should plan out what you want to say in advance and read it aloud over and over. “Start by practicing on your own, then ask a friend or co-worker to provide feedback. In cases of presentations, you can also record yourself rehearsing the presentation to help identify and improve any potential problems with your body language or delivery.” Tahinduka also adds that it’s important to seek for areas where you can improve your speaking skills from. Sometimes there is a culture that doesn’t foster growth in this area. For example, being in a toxic environment where someone makes a mistake and everyone laughs instead of correcting him or her. Watch people speak efficiently, this can even be via YouTube. We learn by watching people we admire to become better. He also carries on that it’s up to leaders and employers to create a culture of growth where people can develop communication skills and an environment where people fail and are appreciated and encouraged to do better. Good public speakers are in tune with their audience. Public speaking is more than standing in front of a group and talking; you also need to engage your audience. For example, acknowledge your audience as soon as you take the stage. This helps to make you seem more real. Tahinduka also adds that when speaking in public, body language can help support your speech as nonverbal communication. Keep your shoulders back and spine straight with a gentle smile. Alternatively, you can move around the stage calmly, moving with the flow of your presentation. Avoid standing behind items like desks or tables, but do not be distracting to the audience by moving too much. Listening is also a great tool. Whether you are talking one-on-one or to an audience of a thousand people, communicating is a two-way activity — both parties need to be engaged. When you are trying to engage listeners in less formal conversations, a good communicator listens to what others are saying before speaking up. Keep eye contact. Keeping eye contact with the person you are talking to shows that you are actively listening and paying attention. Eye contact actually evokes presence and projects confidence, self-esteem, and assertiveness while speaking. The more you look at the audience or whoever you are speaking to, the more power and authority you will give off. Talk slowly. It is also paramount to make a conscious point of speaking slowly. If your speech is happening at a more manageable rate, it will be easier for you to feel like you are in control. Taking your time doesn’t have to be boring. Pause where necessary. Pauses are a good thing to place after a particularly heavy or important idea has been stated, or in between relatively unrelated points to serve as a sort of paragraph break. A pause also gives the audience a chance to show their appreciation.
