Leave alone public speaking, some people are not even fond of speaking. Being an extrovert or an introvert is a personal choice, but there are many occasions in life where you are required to showcase your public speaking skills. Ideally, it may be easier for an extrovert to speak publically in a confident manner, but that is not always the case.

Talking with people you know is very different from giving a lecture at a public place. It is often said that a person’s popularity depends on how it speaks, rather how his speaks in front of an audience.

Does public speaking come with age? Yes and no. Age does make you more confident, but it also reassures your fears. When it comes to public speaking, there is a 50-50 percent chance that a person may get better at it, or with time he may reassure himself that he was right about not being good at something. He may even come up with reasons to justify his thoughts. What we deliver depends mostly on how we think.

Some tips to overcome fear of public speaking are discussed below:

Practice

Practice is the key to overcome fear of public speaking. This is the first step towards speaking with confidence. Start with reading passages in front of a friend and ask him to give an honest feedback. Start with reading a line, memorize it and speak while looking straight into the eyes of your friend. Later move on to talk about different subjects (don’t read and speak, just speak about the topic). If you are someone whose first language is not English, then you can start with your local language and then move on to master English.

Combination of Memorizing and Spur of the Moment Speech

Many public speakers read what they have written while some go with the flow. The best ones use a combination of the both – they take a paper with the important points and go with the flow as well. Always remember that public speaking is different than giving a presentation, so more you speak with the flow, better you would sound.

First Time Woes

Many great orators (people who are good at speaking) had disastrous starts, but how did they manage to start revolutions with their words? The best thing about life is that many things which a majority of us think impossible are actually possible if we dedicate ourselves towards it. Public speaking is an art and its fear is a cumulative lack of confidence coupled with the feeling of how people would react over a person’s speech.

Actually expectations from first time speakers aren’t high, so there is nothing to be ashamed about, even if you manage not to speak properly.

Look for Every Opportunity

More you speak, more is the confidence. Take every opportunity which comes to you. Making excuses of a sore throat has never helped anyone.

Make Use of Good Quotes, Jokes, Examples and Instances

The trick is to engage your audience. Usage of quotes engages the audience which in turn helps a person to overcome fear of public speaking. Add good quotes or incidences about the topic which are going to speak about. Quotes connect with an audience in the best way.

All in all, public speaking defines how a person carries himself, so be calm and go with the flow.