Public speaking is a fear for most people. It is a terrifying act for many. Before I became a speaker for various financial literacy seminars, I had this fear of facing the public to speak as I have an introvert personality.

How did I overcome my fear of public speaking then? Below are some of the characteristics that I eventually developed to become an effective public speaker.

Confident

Confidence comes from the fact that you know the ins and outs of the topic you are discussing. When you are confident, it is evident on your voice. The way how you deliver your talk.

Dress properly too to exude confidence. You want to look dapper that commands respect from your audience.

A highly confident speaker is viewed as being more accurate, competent, credible, intelligent, knowledgeable, likable, and believable.

Authentic

Be yourself. You don’t have to be someone else on stage. Most of the time, no matter how much you believe in your message, if you don’t act like yourself, your audience may view your speech as insincere or calculated.

It is always better to tell a story about the topic you’re talking rather than discussing it like a teacher with your audience as your students. What’s best is to tell your own story, your own experience.

Passionate

In order to really communicate to people through speech, you need to have passion about your subject. Without passion, your speech is meaningless. You need to exude a level of sincerity in your emotion when communicating to your audience if you want them to be moved by your presentation.

Voice Modulation

Be more engaging as a speaker. Implement voice modulations. Speak louder and slower when you want to specify important notes in your topic. Repeat it at least twice to specify its importance. You can still use effective voice modulations while employing your natural voice.

Speak with excitement and with happy voice if you are telling an interesting story. Avoid talking in a mono tone voice that seems too well rehearsed and scripted.

Keep it Concise

Keep it concise. Cut to the chase. Abide on the time allotted for you to speak. Attention span of most people is short as most can only sustain attention for around 20 minutes. If you need to speak more than 20 minutes, it is advisable to break it up into smaller chunks.

You want to make sure that your presentation is easily digestible for those listening to you. Say what you need to say and use any remaining time for questions and answers.

Connect to the Audience

Since the attention span of most people is short, they easily get bored especially if they can’t relate with the topic you’re discussing. What’s worst is that some of them might be sleeping because of boredom and you don’t want that to happen.

Some of the things that you can do to connect with your audience are: to tell stories; be aware of your target audience by knowing their background; be willing to poke fun at yourself just to elevate the energy in the room; and work on your non-verbal body language.

It takes a lot of practice and experience to become an effective public speaker. The last thing to consider is the venue of the seminar where you will speak. Some event organizers rent expensive halls in St. Peter Beach Hotels.