3 Simple Tips to Help You Speak Better

There are several write ups on how to communicate more effectively and they are wonderful resource to learn from. But nothing beats these 3 tips to help you speak better. These tips are actually to help you communicate more effectively where ever you find yourself. Should you wish to improve on addressing a few persons or a crowd, these 3 tips can make that positive difference in your performance.

But before we talk about these tips it is important to note a few points. We need to point out why people have difficulty in communicating effectively. From my little research, I learnt that some persons do not communicate well when they find themselves in an unfamiliar environment. Others have issues when they are in the midst of unfamiliar persons. You would be surprised that someone who couldn’t utter a few words a while ago has become a chatter box in another setting.

Another reason is that some persons have difficulty in the choice language and are afraid of making mistakes. In this case they either keep quiet or make a mess of themselves with the few words they know. In any case they find it difficult to speak.

We can also say that speech impediment creates that difficulty for some persons when they are given a chance to address others; But should this really be an issue? I know a number of persons who have speech impediments but have been able to overcome it. They are able to speak in public and express themselves.

To avoid any ambiguity, this article is not about how to proffer medical solutions to help speech impediment or persons who may not be able to speak because of vocal challenges. The article is about being able to communicate better; representing and expressing oneself better at a discussion, presentation, meeting or gathering.

Furthermore, we wish to clear the air by stating that this article does not cater for correction of grammatical errors, lack of adequate knowledge in the target language or expertise in the topic. However, we are interested in what to do when given the opportunity to speak, how do you deliver such speech, with confidence and expertise? Yes, I said it, how do you gain confidence and speak like an orator or expert.

Smile before you speak.

Believe it or not, the first tip is to smile before you speak and while you Speak. Or do I say brighten-up your face. This is a very practical and important tip that comes with a lot of advantages. Smiling evokes confidence. It helps you put your passion into check. Your tension, fear, or anxiety are trapped in your smiles. The fact that you smile doesn’t mean you are not anxious. However, it gives you that boost and makes you appear confidence before those present. You show the aura that – I can get it done. Smiling is a confidence booster.

Smiling helps to make you feel confident, or people see you to appear confident.

Externally, when people see you smiling they see you radiating confidence and believe you are in control of yourself and what you are about to say. So why look anxious, confused and scared, when you can just smile and boost your confidence. If you are being introduced to a gathering for the first time, the little trick is to smile before you speak and you would appear to be pleasant and confident.

Ultimately, your smiles radiates in your voice and it is pleasing to the listener. This was a tip we actually used when I worked at the call centre. Once we pick up a call, we smile and speak through the smile. In a way, you cannot afford not to be pleasant while smiling. Asides the confidence, it attracts pleasantness.

Clear Your Mind

Surprisingly, this is my second important tip. Some would say that clearing one’s mind should be the first, but I believe it comes after smiling. The trick here is pleasantness and confidence begets and attracts pleasant and confident thoughts. So how do we clear our mind?

Whatever you wish to say comes from your head. It is important you clear your head before you can speak from the heart. It is far easier and much better to speak with a clear head and say the things you know. Do not try to look smart by making up information you are not sure of. Our thoughts flow from the brain and need time to process. While you smile, you process what you wish to say. Only professional orators or experts in certain topics that can speak conveniently about specific topics without thinking much about it.

With a clear mind you can make simple sentences about a topic even if you are not a professional in the topic.

The error people make when speaking is that, they think of what to say, how to say, how to impress or sound intelligent and they end up processing too much within a few seconds. Do not try to impress, just try to pass your message. Nobody is expecting you to be an expert in the field, except it is your field of expertise. Don’t try to be funny if you are not a comedian! Trying to do too much or say to much clogs up the head, then you make unnecessary mistakes. Most importantly, communicate in simple terms with a clear head.

One more thing, in clearing your mind: try to remove any iota of useless pride. As the old saying goes; Pride goes before a fall. When giving a talk, try to evade every form of self talk, self aggrandizement or arrogance. Having self esteem to boost one’s confidence is good and important. But clouding one’s head with useless self pride makes it difficult to focus on the simple topic at hand.

When we speak with an air of pride, we often close our minds to other viewpoints and make the communication process difficult riddled with unnecessary arguments.

The discussion from a proud and arrogant mind steams from the angle of: I am so important, let me show my expertise, relevance, importance, dominance, supremacy, my opinion should be the best or the only accepted point of view, my interest supersedes all. Rather than, I am here to share, understand the issue better, express my interest, present my point of view.

When we speak with an air of pride we often close our minds to other viewpoints and make the communication process difficult riddled with unnecessary arguments. Communication is an attempt to meet our audience at a certain point of a discussion and take them through our world view, the best way possible. So focus on the idea or topic at hand.

Controlled and Comfortable Pace

The third tip is to speak with a controlled and comfortable pace. It is said that many persons get frightened if requested to appear (or make a speech) before unfamiliar faces: a person, a group, or a crowd. Permit me to rephrase this statement: Many persons get frightened if requested to appear (or make a speech) before unfamiliar faces of SAME AGE GROUP or ADULTS: a person, a group, or a crowd. You may ask, what is the cause of this fear? Some say they are shy or have stage fright. But how best can we analyze this.

You would notice that we added the phrases SAME AGE GROUP or ADULTS to the rephrased version of the statement above. The reason is not far-fetched.

Persons who are scared of addressing a crowd of adults are not usually afraid to address a crowd of children (of the same number). So one would wonder, what is the cause of such fear; is it the number of persons to be addressed or the physical size of the persons to be addressed?

Some youths (even children) find it difficult to speak in a class or setting where their peers are. Again, is it a question of number or size?

I learnt a trick from a friend some years back. She was trained to be a certified teacher. She explained that most teachers fail their Teaching Practice Assessment not because they are not good teachers but because they panic during assessments. When the external officials or supervisors from the Ministry of Education come around to assess teachers during their classes they panic, lose confidence and perform poorly. Such that, some teachers begin to make silly mistakes and become jittery when teaching a topic they might have thought over and over again; which they are conversant with. Although, the teachers may be teaching children in the class, teachers however gets frightened by the presence of the 2 or 3 officials/supervisors.

What is this fear? It is the fear of being mocked, scrutinized, assessed, criticized, laughed at. Fear of making mistakes, failing…to mention a few. And this is arguably the fear many persons face when they are to express themselves or speak in a gathering or crowd. So how do we overcome this fear? How do we take control of our speech?

Remember that first we need to smile before we speak, then think of what you want to say. Next we need to speak with controlled and comfortable pace. No matter the time limit you have to speak, it is what counts that would be counted. What you say should count. If you rush your words you may make unnecessary mistakes or mumble up your thoughts. Don’t think too much. The goal is to exhume a lot of confidence, so have a clear mind.

Another way to instill confidence, in the words of my teacher friend, is to; “See your audience like babies in their diapers, and the confidence and control would follow.” I am not recommending that you look down on the audience, or give an air of arrogance, “No!” I am advising that you take charge of the audience.

See your audience like babies in their diapers, and the confidence and control would follow.

As at that point you are making a speech, you are taking charge (playing the role of the father or mother). Parents are naturally confident when speaking to their children or wards. Even if a parent is not an expert in the topic s/he wishes to address, parents do not show fear but confidence and control. Taking charge, also means saying what you know the best way possible without fear of making mistakes.

Other concerns that create challenges for some speakers is that they are not comfortable with the choice language. I have a personal advice here: except it is an educational forum where the choice of language is important or yardstick for discuss, learn to speak in the language you are most comfortable with. No language is more important that the other. Another way round it is to code-switch when you come across difficult words or expressions.

I am not in anyway making excuses for bad grammar. If you wish to communicate in a language, it is best to be proficient in that language. If not, speak the language to the best of your knowledge with confidence. The caveat is to let your audience know that it is not your preferred language but you would try your best. With this, whatever mistakes that is uttered is carried. Learn to be confident and speak with controlled pace. There is no competition

Of course, there are several tips that would help ease your communication process and help you communicate effectively. However, the three tips I mentioned above at top on my list. These are tips most orators have used to build their confidence over the years before they became comfortable with extemporaneous speeches.

Interestingly, these tips cuts across any language. Except you are in the military or some special group that requires you to speak in a particular manner, the 3 tips should be practised by all. In as much as you are having difficulty speaking in a gathering or in the midst of people, endeavour to smile first, clear your mind and prepare what to say, and then speak with controlled and comfortable pace.

Which of these tips do you find the most important? Or probably you have a tip you wish to share… kindly comment below.

Speechless was here!