Public speaking can be pretty intimidating. For many people, it can feel like a highly challenging task and one that makes them feel pretty anxious, so they tend to avoid it. However, public speaking is an essential skill in many fields and will help you improve your career and move forward.

A common mistake is to avoid looking at or engaging with the audience. Instead, it’s useful to bring people in. Ask them to raise their hands, to answer questions, to do an exercise (even if it is just imagining something). Also, try to speak to everyone and look at the people in the back seats, ...

Giving examples is very important. They help the information stick and also clarify what you are talking about. However, you should try to tailor your examples to the audience in front of you. Make them relatable: talk to teens about teen problems and to sci-fi geeks about sci-fi.

Focus yo...

In the same way that you don’t always want to answer a question right away to build suspense, you don’t always want to give away the end of a story.

We are naturally wired to like stories and when we hear the beginning, we want to stay till the end. By tying in the middle or in the end of ...

If you come onto the podium as a person condemned to death, the audience is likely to feel your discomfort. It’s not a pleasant feeling. While you might be anxious as you take the stage, focus on the elements that you enjoy.

Likely, you will be talking about something you know, so try to c...

The first tip to hook an audience is to ask them questions to ponder. Start your speech by presenting them with an intriguing question. Tie this question to your presentation but don’t give the answer right away. When people expect you to answer a question they want to know more about, they will ...

Even if you are presenting at a very serious conference, there is no need to take yourself too seriously. Add humor if it is appropriate, as that will help everyone, including you relax and enjoy the speech.

Humor is not always appropriate, of course, but in most cases, a small joke or a l...