The ability to communicate is the most crucial skill we have.
In Ancient Greece, where educators and philosophers invented language theory, public speaking was a teachable and learnable skill. They didn’t diagnose a shy person suffering from ‘speech anxiety’ to be a bad fit for learning public speaking, but simply a student who needs to learn the larger discipline of rhetoric and speech training. The Greeks had a comprehensive, practical and critical approach towards knowledge, psychology and social interaction, which is sadly missing in this modern age.

The Art Of Public Speaking

We need to find our purpose before we start to write our speech, deciding if we want to entertain, inform, inspire or persuade the audience. 
Our talk has to be relevant, engaging and purposeful, and we may find that some of the interesting, funny or even meaningful stuff can be discarded without losing out on the main message.

Why Are You Speaking

Before speaking, take into account the following:
<ol>
<li>Age, gender and race of the audience.</li>
<li>The number of people listening to you.</li>
<li>Their reason for coming and their expectations.</li>
<li>The kind of occasion for which the speech is happening.</li>
</ol>
Shifting your focus towards the needs, expectations and issues of the audience, rather than your own, is key to a speech that connects with the listeners.

The Audience Is Everything

<ul>
<li>We normally do not practise before leading a Zoom Meeting or a presentation.</li>
<li>We need to practise in front of the mirror even though it feels awkward, as it will help us sound authentic on the stage.</li>
<li>Memorizing every word is not a great idea as it sounds robotic, but do ensure that we have memorized the introduction and the conclusion.</li>
<li>Time Your speech and tweak it as it is rehearsed, improvising on gestures and intonations.</li>
</ul>

Public Speaking Needs A Lot Of Practice

Most of us feel anxious while speaking publicly due to the fear of seeming like an idiot to so many people. In this case, our focus is on ourselves, not on the audience.
As Aristotle’s masterpiece Art Of Rhetoric proves, the Greeks had their entire focus on the audience, which according to them is the beginning and end of public speaking.

Public Speaking: Think About The Audience

People listen for their own wellbeing, not for others. They are focussed on their own happiness, most of the time. In his celebrated book Art Of Rhetoric, Aristotle lists out a few things that the audience cares about, regardless of what your topic is: their own health, family, happiness, status or wealth.
We need to speak for the audience’s benefit, even if our topic is global warming, tax policies, or rocket science.

Make Your Audience Happy: Focus On Their Interests

For most of us, education has been a 15 to a 20-year experience reading, writing and solving problems on paper, due to our society increasingly becoming information and knowledge oriented. 
We are unprepared to speak publicly, something which is a central activity in our lives. We need to re-educate ourselves about how vital speaking clearly and effectively is.

Effective Speech Is Vital

Public speaking can feel like an ordeal, but take a lesson from the ancients: it’s a skill you can develop like any other

Why Are You Speaking

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