Public Speaking is nothing more than the ability to deliver speeches in front of an audience in a defined and structured way, inform, influence, and attract the listeners’ attention. Many people believe that just to come and say what comes into their head and that some people are born with it or not.

Well, that idea is about to be turned down some paragraphs ahead; in this article, you will know more about how to become an effective public speaker, learn about a few qualities that you have to develop to become one, and see some examples of people that have gone through fear and gave memorable speeches.

5 Top Qualities of Memorable and Effective Public Speakers

1. Empathy

Empathy defines the feeling of putting oneself in the other’s place, seeking to understand their opinions and emotions. It is not feeling the same or always agreeing with other people, but respecting and understanding what they think, feel and speak.

A concept of psychology that represents the harmonic link between people, a synergy that facilitates the interaction and exchange of information. 

Michelle Obama is known for her passionate speeches; she always tells experiences that she lived to show the audience she’s been there, creating empathy.

With an inviting and smiley facial expression, Michelle gives the impression that she is happy to be there and passes the image of safety and credibility to the audience; it turns a speech for hundreds of people into a private conversation with each and everyone of those that are there. 

Even speaking of the country and the presidency, she brings personal elements to the narrative. 

Among its primary defenses are gender equality and access to a study by the female population, especially young women. Michelle took advantage of the spotlight to inspire new generations with her life story and speeches, her book Becoming sold over 10 million copies in less than five months.

• If we think about what the main objectives of public presentations are, we will probably come to the conclusion that the intention IS inspiring people about something.
•  With empathy, we can show that we understand the reality of those who watch us and, thus, we can, in an easier way, win the trust of these people.

2 CRUCIAL TIPS TO SHOW EMPATHY IN A SPEECH

Invest in empathy since the creation of the script

When creating the roadmap, you should think about the content and how your audience wants to receive this information; meeting the audience is the best way to start this bond between presenter and audience.

Obama usually talks about the sensitive and real problem and empowers them, for example, the importance of women occupying the political space and the social meaning that would give them a position of leadership of the state.

Don’t judge the audience’s opinion.  

The communicator cannot judge the audience. On the contrary, he must understand its demands. See the opportunities in any sign of distrust: if a person asks a lot, they are interested; if they stare at you, they certainly try to understand your speech.

2. Leadership

Leadership is a social power built on the relationship between two or more people where a person influences and motivates a change through actions or speeches. To build confidence, it is necessary to master the subject. 

Technical knowledge is paramount at this point. On the other hand, without a good voice imposition, likely, the leader will not pass the necessary trust.

With one of the most viewed Tedx talks reaching 8,707,768 views in her speech, Chimamanda Ngozi delivered a speech about the danger of a single story.

The Nigerian writer tells how she found her authentic cultural voice amid cultures composed of overlapping stories and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we run the risk of generating significant misunderstandings.

Not only does it have the ability to bring exciting discourses through the storytelling of lived experiences, but it is also known to motivate people to change social roles, relating them critically to reality.

3. Passion and Resilience

Many times for fear of what people will think, we end up fearing to speak in public, and because we see people known or not to give great speeches, we believe that position is unreachable because we have not yet arrived there.

Mahatma Gandhi led one of the most significant independence movements in history with great persuasion and an extraordinary oratory power. However, public speaking wasn’t always an easy thing for him.

A law degree, the first time he had to be in court, he panicked and couldn’t pronounce a single word. Later, he reported that at the time, he felt such dread that everything around him seemed to turn.

• Gandhi found the necessary incentive to overcome fear when he decided to dedicate himself to a cause and intensely wished to convey a message that he considered very important.

Like Gandhi, you too can find the necessary courage to keep going, perform memorable speeches and become an effective speaker, don’t forget to practice.

TIPS TO SPEAK IN PUBLIC WITH CONFIDENCE

1. Prepare yourself in advance, and a well-made presentation demands planning, content, and essay;
2. Know your audience, meeting the listener is fundamental so that you can adapt your speech to his language and have good oratory;
3. Make eye contact; in doing so, and you will convey confidence and cause the listener to relate to what is being said;
4. Make use of audiovisual resources; never read your PowerPoint. This will give the impression that you do not know what you are talking about or that you did not prepare appropriately for that occasion.

4. Explore Presentation Features

A written and mainly visual communication has a powerful impact on the fixation of the message you intend to convey. If possible, ask your audience to do exercises and practical activities to extend the success of your speech further.

New York University scholar Jerome Bruner found that students can only remember 10 percent of what they heard, 20 percent of what they read, and 80 percent of what they saw and did.

Most of the presenters show an excess of slides; each slide should bring timely and necessary information; the golden rule is “the less text, the better.” The main actor is you, not the slides (or audiovisual you are using to support your presentation).

V Reasons to use Presentation Features.

1. Make numerical comparisons

In general, the listeners better understand the numerical comparatives when presented by a visual because they have more time to reflect on it in addition to visualizing the information.

2. Submit statistical data

Statistical data almost always require analysis and reflection, so they are recommended to be presented through visuals.

3. Highlight key information

A presentation will likely be held because of certain information that is essential within the message; for this reason, for the listeners to better understand the importance of this data and keep it for a longer time, one can resort to this information the visual.

4. Providing technical or scientific data

The technical or scientific information, in most cases, is more complex and requires a great effort of concentration of the listeners. With the use of appropriate visuals, it becomes easier to explain and clarify this type of message.

5. Extend the retention of listener information during speech

The visuals act as an extraordinary resource when listeners need to remember information transmitted at the beginning of the exhibition to understand messages that will be communicated further toward the end.

5. Persuasion

Persuasion is a communication strategy that uses logical, rational, or symbolic resources to induce someone to accept an idea, an attitude, or an action. 

During a speech delivery, persuasion is a must quality to have a memorable presentation, for that a) identifying the right moment to show the audience our argument and b) knowing how to receive feedback are essential parts to have persuasion as a quality. 

“The quality of the presentation (…) is beyond good posture, harmonious gesticulation, perfect diction, sound voice, fluent vocabulary; these aspects are almost always important for the speaker’s good performance, but they are not in themselves a guarantee of success. The result also depends, and mainly, on the strategy used in the presentation.”

Polito

6 STEPS TO A PERSUASIVE SPEECH STRUCTURE

1. USE THE RIGHT ARGUMENTS

It is vital to choose arguments appropriately and to conduct them logically. Basing your speech on examples, comparisons, statistics, research, and witnesses is a great way to pass credibility on what you’re talking about.

2. STICK TO THE MAIN IDEAS

A reasonably standard error in the process of “convincing” the other is using many arguments simultaneously. This can confuse the person and weaken the power of persuasion. Please choose the most consistent ideas and focus only on them. However, avoid repeating the same speech at all times.

3. DON’T PRESENT YOUR OPINION AT FACE

One technique that usually works well is not to present your opinion at the first moment. Try to listen carefully to each other, so yes, explain your argument. To be effective, first, conduct your reasoning; and then present your thesis.

4. LEND CREDIBILITY

The best argument of all is credibility; thus, the claim will only have the desired effect if there is coherence between the speech and the attitude of the speaker. No matter how good the words, if no behavior corresponds to what is said, you will hardly have credit. 

5. TALK WITH MASTERY AND ENTHUSIASM

If you want to pass credibility, then be natural, spontaneous, and demonstrate knowledge on the exposed subject. Conveying emotion in what you say is essential to bring out the energy in your words.

6. TREAT EACH OTHER WITH EDUCATION AND KINDNESS

Whatever the debate, education, and kindness are also aspects of your behavior that will influence the power of your argument. Without it, nothing works.

4 TIPS for becoming an Effective Public Speaker

Train

Training your speech before any presentation allows you to evaluate your performance, manage your time and help you review your content. Another valuable training tip is to rehearse in front of small groups of friends with whom you feel most comfortable. 

Thus, the feeling of being observed – one of the leading causes of fear of speaking in public – is naturalized.

Have a message

What do you want to speak about in public? What is the subject of what you will talk about? You need to have that well-defined and make it clear what that message is to the public. 

Have posture

You can only pass confidence to the audience and yourself if you maintain a confident posture about body language, owning the message you are going to spread, and not forgetting to breathe naturally, which will make you feel less anxious.

Pay attention to your dress code.

The important thing about a dress code is going for that makes you feel comfortable, which translates your way of being. But, it is also crucial to be discreet and agree with the occasion and the speech.

Be careful with accessories that draw too much attention, such as bracelets that dangle too much on your wrist, shirts with very flashy prints, or too bold hairstyles.

Conclusion

The best public speakers have gone through a time of anxiety and nervousness, but resilience has spoken louder, and this is where the practice has come to perfection. We don’t need to be born knowing only to have willpower.

Reference and Further Reading

AcethePresentation. AmadeBai, Emidio 15 Ideas To Make A Speech Unique, Memorable & Inspiring

AcethePresentation. AmadeBai, Emidio. 14 Types of Speech and Easy Tips to Master Them.

Forbes. 15 Methods of Every Effective Public Speaker

Manner of Speaking. Five Characteristics you need to succeed as a Public Speaker.