As a member of PSAI we all have a dream of making it big as public speakers. However, no dream can be fulfilled, if it is not followed by action.
The most important action in effective speaking is to have the right delivery of the talk/speech. Let us understand what is the meaning of right delivery. It means your delivery should be in congruence with your mind, body and heart at all times.
WHILE SPEAKING KEEP THE FOLLOWING IN MIND :-
Speak from your heart and make sure that your expressions, gestures, postures and overall energy is in sync with what you are speaking. In other words, make sure that your verbal and non-verbal communications are in sync and if you do that you come across as a confident speaker.
Make sure that the pauses are filled with silence and not by uncertainty ie. aaahhhh, hhhmmm etc. because when the pauses are filled with silence, the audience get that extra time to absorb what you are speaking whereas if it is filled with uncertainty, the audience may think you are not sure of what you want to speak and are searching for words. Further, you come across as a speaker who is not confident and that can create a disconnect with the audience.
Have the right tone while speaking ie. it should be in line with what you are speaking because your tone clarifies and conveys the meaning. Your tone not only affects how people perceive you but also their willingness to listen to you. Speakers, who can speak in the right tone can manipulate audience’s feelings and emotions.
Be mindful of the pace at which you speak because your pace of speaking affects the audience’s ability to follow what you are saying. When you speak slowly, it certainly grabs the attention of the audience and helps them process every word, but if you speak too slow it will bore them and they will lose interest by the time you come to the point of conveying the message. When you speak too fast, the audience will not be able to keep up with you and will eventually get disconnected. Hence if the pace of delivery is not appropriate, it will not keep the
audience engaged.
Ensure that you do not speak in one tone and pace while speaking. Keep varying them depending of the script else it will be impossible for the audience to maintain any interest in what you are speaking. They will get disconnected and your message falls by the wayside.
You all must have heard of ‘Duchenne smile’. While smile is the expression of happiness, Duchenne smile is considered to be the most authentic expression of happiness. Similarly, if your verbal and non-verbal ommunications are in sync, if the pauses are filled with silence and not by uncertainty, if you speak in the right tone and at right pace and if the tone and pace are modulated correctly, your speaking will not only be authentic but also effective.
