Library ambassadors: written by Azharuddin Mohammed

Hey everyone! It's Oz. Public speaking is a skill I have vastly improved since my younger days. From understanding Pitch and VOLUME, to understanding subtilties… in tone, and how people will understand what I am trying to communicate. The truth is public speaking is a skill that takes a lot of effort to improve and its not easy to see improvement. It took me the skill of listening and reading the room to grasp this sought-after skill. Ultimately this means you must interact with people. People are the best teachers of public speaking, in that its essential to understand what people want to listen to when it comes to speaking in any variety.

What you notice is hopefully the multifaceted nature of communication, not only do people respond to your voice, people respond to your body language, they respond to your interests and even your own anxiety. Being empathetic allows you great depth, which is required to try understanding what someone’s thoughts on your speech may be and how you should react and accommodate for them.

For example, you can change the wording of your content to lessen its importance or add in small anecdotes such that you feel closer with the audience. In my opinion a good speech is sincere, energetic and gets the point across. Almost as if you’re having a good conversation with a friend. I think in regard to public speaking it can be very easy to get swept up into the details of small mistakes in which an audience would pardon or not notice. It can feel astronomically difficult when in front of an audience but if you feel worried, just know that you can use your words.

If you want to work on public speaking, find occasions to practice but also recognize ways that public speaking isn’t different from normal conversations and focus on utilizing those skills.  

-Oz