Abhishek Bhagat
By: Abhishek Bhagat
We’ve all been there. Standing in front of a large crowd on a stage. Hands shaking. Sweat dripping. Nervously thinking of hypotheticals where you forget what to say. Public speaking is in so many facets of our lives. Whether it be an in-class presentation, a work presentation, or even an IPO meeting, you’ll likely find yourself having to publicly speak quite often. However, many people get extremely nervous when speaking in public. Trust me, when I first began Speech & Debate, I’d stumble out of nervousness far too often. The best part is that public speaking is a pretty easy skill to grasp – you’ll just need a little practice.
Here are a couple of tips for public speaking:
- Have structure to your speech. Try and memorize this mental outline so you can utilize it when you find yourself in front of a crowd.
- Think of it like a conversation. When you are talking to a friend or family member, you probably don’t stumble too often and know exactly what you’re going to say. The same thing applies when public speaking. You know what you need to say, it is just that the nervousness might get you sometimes. So, take a deep breath, think of it like a conversation, and you’ll be good to go.
- Lastly, practice. Record yourself and listen back or even practice in front of a mirror. The more you practice, the more confident you’ll feel.
So, why is public speaking such an important skill to have? People will perceive you as more smart, prepared, and confident. When you’re in a job interview, by simply beating the nerves of public speaking, your interviewer will likely see you as confident and skillful in your field. You’ll also be able to approach the interview much more conversationally. If you’re in a meeting, people are much more likely to think highly of your idea when you present it in a confident tone.
And, for the youth. Having exceptional public speaking skills is so important. Your confidence may just be the difference between a 95 and a 100 in an in-class presentation. You’ll also be far more approachable to adults. So, when you are trying to get your summer internship, your adult interviewer will not see you as a teenager, but rather as a well-rehearsed, confident, and smart teen.
In fact, to instill confidence among our youth, I’ve created Debate Made Accessible, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that provides completely FREE public speaking classes to students in grades 4-8. To enroll, visit our website below.