Improving Speaking Skills

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes while speaking - that is how you Learn!

1. Speak Clearly

• Speak loudly and calling attention to yourself

• Clear speech is direct while taking responsibility of your words

• Avoid slang

Exercise• Choose any topic and

speak for about 20 seconds.

• After finishing, repeat the content more clearly.

• Again third time, speak on the same subject.

Remember: You goal is to go from being incoherent to having a focused path.

2. Develop Flow

With flow we’re aiming at a level of comfort with speaking that lets you approach all topics with equal grace.

Focus on improving “Pace” and “Pausing”

Remember: Replace your filler words (“uh” or “um”) with a pause.

Exercise

• Look at a word and speak for about 60 seconds

Tip: Focus on pace and pause

Note: If 60 seconds is too easy, try two minutes or more. If you can’t stop using filler words, restart every time you use one.

3. Choose your mastery topics

• Mastery Topics are subjects that you’re interested in and passionate about.

• This will help you build more confidence and excitement.

Exercise

Practice speaking on

your most favorite topic.

4. Become a topic master

• Generally you fall into a topic that you’re comfortable with and your conversations follow similar paths. (there’s nothing wrong with this)

• To add some flair to our speaking skills we’ll need to add some sub-topics to our Mastery Topic.

Exercise

• You’ve selected a Mastery Topic and now you’re going to flesh it out. Ask yourself, “What’s interesting about THIS,” where THIS is your Mastery Topic. Keep going until you can’t think of any more, and then add one or two anyway.

5. Develop style

Ability to use the following skillscreate interest in conversation:1. Volume2. Pace3. Gestures4. Humor5. Story-telling

Exercise• Choose a professional speaker, someone you’d

like to emulate and watch a video of them speaking.

• Ask yourself, how do they use their skill? What one aspect of the skill could I steal for myself?

6. Practice Daily• Reading won’t improve your speaking skills,

behavior will.

Practice DailyPractice at Events

Even the well known speakers make mistakes. Just because you cannot perfect it, doesn’t

mean that you are not going to try.

Practice, Practice, Practice