Leaders are always in the limelight and expected to excel even in the most stressful situations. Their evaluation is based on how well they perform in the presence of a crowd. Very often it happens that in spite of being a good leader, the individual may shy away from speaking publicly. It is therefore important to hone public speaking skills to become a leader in every sense of the term. Here are a few pointers that would help you to speak effectively in front of a crowd:

Learn from the expert public speakers

Public speaking is an art. Find out how masters in this field speak and conduct themselves. Emulate their style for a better understanding of the art. Note their habits, their way of speaking and body language, and practice them carefully at home. If you have a presentation coming up, plan your speech by following in on the footsteps of the legends. Now go rock the stage!

Groom yourself impeccably and instantly draw attention

If you are heading for a public speech, first make sure you are impeccably groomed from head to toe. Physical presence is extremely important as it makes the first impression. And as we all know, first impression is always the impression that lasts forever. Give due attention to personal grooming, get a smart haircut, wear professional outfit that is neat and ironed, wear matching shoes and belt and keep your nails clipped. Another significant area you simply cannot neglect is smelling good. You will automatically gain a lot of confidence as you look and smell peasant.

Get a grip of the environment

It is always advisable to understand the environment you would be speaking in, so that you are accustomed to the space and feel comfortable. Find out what sort of a place it would be. If it is a big room, you might need a microphone. Go test the sound system first to feel at ease at the dais.

Get your material right

It does not make sense to speak whatever comes to your mind while you are at the podium. You can definitely go with the flow and improvise while speaking, but make sure you have researched your topic exhaustively. Do your homework. Know what you are going to speak about and in what manner you would do it. This would give you more confidence to share your ideas with the crowd. Do not go there unprepared, thinking that you would somehow manage your speech. This is the wrong approach of effective public speaking.

Practise at home, on the street, anytime, anywhere

After you have chalked out your speech, just go practise. Do it over and over again. Read and re-read your write-up. And it is recommended that you practise in front of a mirror or a friend. This is yet another way of adding confidence so that your speech at the podium is a smooth one.

These pointers are a guideline on the features of good public speaking skills. To know more in details, refer to books such as “How to be a Public Speaking Superstar “ and “Effective Leadership” by Ravinder Tulsiani.

Author Bio:

John Abelard is a renowned author. He has written many articles on different types of self improvement skills. In this article he points out public speaking skills.