Some people find it useful to adopt an \u2018on-stage persona\u2019 of someone who is confident and influential, as then they can separate their speech from their natural self. They are then able to view their speech as more of a performance, and therefore act more confident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Expect to be nervous<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Prepare your speech<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Practice in a realistic environment<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Breathe deeply to expand vocal range<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Rehearse out loud<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Focus on your audience<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Visualize success<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Connect with your audience<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Read about these tips in more detail – How to Develop Confidence Speaking<\/a> and how to look confident while speaking<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/vs-static.virtualspeech.com\/img\/blog\/confident_public_speaker.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe most fundamental oratory skill is confidence.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Use suitable content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The content of your speech is also important. When preparing your speech<\/a>, make sure your message is suitable for your audience and stay away from acronyms and jargon words if your audience is not familiar with the topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Using metaphors and quotations can help bring your speech to life and keep the audience engaged. You should make sure that your speech starts and ends on the most powerful statements<\/a> or the points you most want your audience to take away with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Know your audience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
One of the most difficult but essential oratory skills is the ability to connect with your audience. This can be done through what you\u2019re saying and your body language<\/a>. Remember that your audience are just people and people connect over shared experiences or values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You could begin your speech with an anecdote that shows your personality, which will create a positive energy in the audience and will instantly make you feel more relaxed too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eye contact<\/a> is also essential to form a connection with the audience. Try looking at one person for 2 sentences, then another person for 2 sentences, and so on. That way, you\u2019re making a solid connection with many members of the audience, and they\u2019ll perceive you as confident, trustworthy and knowledgeable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Eye](\"https:\/\/vs-static.virtualspeech.com\/img\/blog\/eye_contact_diagram.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nEye contact<\/a> is essential to form a connection with the audience.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Make use of your vocal range<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Your speech will come across as boring if you speak in a monotonous tone and your audience will lose interest very quickly. The human voice is technically capable of 24 notes on a musical scale<\/strong>, yet most people only use 3 in their everyday conversations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Practice your speech while going up in pitch, and then back down again. This will sound strange and, of course, you should not present in such a comical way, but it will give you an idea of how much of your vocal range you could be using.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Exercise – Extend your vocal range<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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- Warm up<\/strong>. Always warm up for a while before starting the actual exercise, you can do this by vocalising in the middle of your vocal range.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Scales, Thirds and Fourths<\/strong>. All types of scales that go through your entire vocal range. Practice them as often as you can. This will gradually strengthen both your current vocal range and its boundaries.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Hum<\/strong>. While practicing the scales mentioned before, try to hum them. This has proven to be the most effective exercise for me, especially for higher pitched notes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Push the boundaries<\/strong> once in a while, but not too much. You don’t want to end up with a raspy voice at the end of your practice.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Try to sing<\/strong>. Breathe with the diaphragm and use your breath to support your singing.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Read more about improving your vocal range – How can I safely extend my vocal range?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Consider length<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Ensure your speech is within a time constraint, if you are given one. If you\u2019re not given a timeframe then it\u2019s always better to be thorough but brief. If your speech is interrupted in some way, shorten or skip one of your messages in the middle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re talking for a long period of time, it\u2019s important to factor in relief breaks – it\u2019s difficult to maintain an audience\u2019s concentration levels<\/a> beyond 15 minutes anyway, let alone if they are hungry or need the bathroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Audience](\"https:\/\/vs-static.virtualspeech.com\/img\/blog\/audience-attention-span2.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nMemorise key points<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Another difficult oratory skill is the ability to remember what you\u2019re saying and still deliver a powerful speech. Great orators do not use scripts, nor do they memorise them word for word and simply recite the speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your speech will be much more effective if you memorise the key message<\/a> points that you want to deliver, and then speak from your heart about them, and not your head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You should be talking about something you are passionate about, so this shouldn\u2019t be as difficult as it sounds. The problem with memorising a script is that if you lose your place, you will stumble and panic – something the best orators don\u2019t do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Practice in realistic environments<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Like any other skill, the best way to improve your oratory skills is to practice<\/a>. You wouldn\u2019t expect to become good at a sport without practicing it, and it\u2019s the same with public speaking. One way of doing this, is to record yourself and listen for how you sound and watch your body language is saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Obama](\"https:\/\/vs-static.virtualspeech.com\/img\/blog\/obama-speech-openings.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n - Scales, Thirds and Fourths<\/strong>. All types of scales that go through your entire vocal range. Practice them as often as you can. This will gradually strengthen both your current vocal range and its boundaries.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Warm up<\/strong>. Always warm up for a while before starting the actual exercise, you can do this by vocalising in the middle of your vocal range.<\/li>\n\n\n\n