5 Tips to Be a Great Public Speaker

A skill difficult to master, public speaking is the ability to converse and convince others through verbal discourse. To persuade through speech alone is a skill appreciated by those in the work force, the political field, and the classroom. However, while many attempt public speaking, all too often they fail due to common mistakes.

Without a doubt, a public speaker should be able to retain his audience's attention. Without the full-fixed interest of his listeners, a speaker's rhetoric is useless. One common mistake is failing to speak in attune with one's crowd. For example, if one is speaking to a body of learned individuals, it is not wise to explain what they already know. On the other hand, if one is addressing a group with no knowledge of the subject at hand, one should be careful not to confuse the audience.

Furthermore, confusion is achieved not only by failing to elaborate, but it is also produced when a speaker fails to follow the subject of his lecture. While uncommon in speeches, this fault is more often found in lectures and active classroom debates due to nervousness or the infamous "butterflies".

"Confusion is dangerous for a public speaker, but causing one's audience to become bored is far more deadly" says Alicia Smith, a writer for the website MotivationalSpeakerz.com. Many public speakers negate their speeches by failing to capture attention; one fault common is the failure to utilize proper speaking skills. For instance, one should avoid fragmented sentences, and one should allow one's words to flow in a constant pace. This alone boosts the potential of any public speaking due to its effectiveness.

In short, the charisma of a good public speaker requires constant effort. The most basic means to practice the art of public speaking is by merely striking up a conversation. By steadily implementing the proper skills necessary for charismatic conversation, and by removing the faults aforementioned, a naïve speaker may improve his abilities considerably.

Being a great speaker isn't just about eliminating the "uhms" and "ahs" from your delivery. That's important, but really, you can give a great speech even if you do do those things. Being a great speaker is about making a real connection to the audience, establishing a relationship with them.

Here are five ways that will help you rise above the mediocre to become a great speaker.

1.Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. You just can't get to great unless you are really comfortable with your material. You have to know it forwards and backwards, nail the transitions, and be able to do tip #5 below. It begins with rehearsing: in the mirror, on the stage, in front of a video camera, with friends -- anywhere you can get some feedback.

2. Go local. Always bring your material with a local slant, either local history, local current events, or something that is geographically linked to whom you're speaking. This is about making that connection to the audience. You care enough to know something about where they come from and what is near and dear to their hearts.

3. Finish early. 5 minutes is great. 10 minutes is questionable. 15 minutes is a recipe for the audience to feel shortchanged. Everyone likes "found" time, but give them too much and they question the value you're delivering. A little bit early and you've exceeded their expectations in a pleasant way.

4. Don't take yourself too seriously. A little bit of humor goes a long way. Don't try to be a comedian (even if you are), but sprinkle a little funny throughout, even for a serious topic. This is especially important when something goes wrong. Don't get annoyed-note it, maybe laugh, and then drive on. You'll get big cool points for handling it.

5. Do Q & A. Questions will take you to what the audience is interested in as opposed to what you think they are. If you're not comfortable taking questions about your material, then you shouldn't be talking about it. This is also the opportunity to drive home your main points by hitting them again.

Public speaking can be a great boost to your career and reputation. These five tips will enable you to be great. But if you need more, check these out.