3 tips to reach super levels in public speaking, by TEDx organizer and American journalist Luis Jorge Rios

Speaking in front of crowds, or a client, or your managers, can be daunting, and one may feel like there’s no possible way out. Everyone probably has some awful memory of standing on stage as a child, dodging the lines to some school production, and sneaking off completely embarrassed. While such recollections do bring back some old jitters, but there’s no getting scarred for life because of it. Whether you have an important conference, a big presentation, or an interview to conduct or pass – American journalist cum TEDx organizer, Luis Jorge Rios, shares the ultimate tips and tricks to ace at public speaking.

1. Tip 01: Slow down

As someone who’s a journalist himself, Rios, from his personal experience, shares having noticed most inexperienced speakers talk quickly on stage than they realize. He says, when giving a talk, the speaker tends to be anxious, nervous, and tries to hold all the information needed to present in front of the audience. The end goal, according to him, remains to get through the speech in order to be able to get off the stage at the earliest. The rule of thumb, he recommends, to keep in mind is, speaking slowly enough to an extent that it starts to feel a little discomforting. “Taking the time to make pauses for effect can help eliminate unintentional verbal pauses in the speech – which may not necessarily sound pleasant,” he adds.

2. Tip 02: Build your image

One of the most important magic formula on the road to becoming the greatest public speaker is – public – without a doubt, says Rios. He further adds, “In order to grow as a speaker, it’s critical that you create a source for your public image – whether it be a blog, website, newsletter, YouTube, or Twitter account. Lend reliability to your image by listing your accomplishments & expertise and promote your previous engagements for future speaking opportunities.”

3. Tip 03: Practice, practice, practice!

Having spent years in the industry interviewing celebrities, entrepreneurs, and billionaire tycoons alike, Rios shares, there’s no special ingredient to acing the art of public speaking other than practicing the skill. He suggests, “Take every single opportunity to speak, since only continual and deliberate practice will make you seem more human. When practicing, let not your goal be to do it to get the speech right; rather, the aim should be to practice till you can’t it wrong. At the end of it all, remember; you can’t be perfect. You should be good, you should be useful, and you should sound like yourself!”

If there’s something Rios recommends to keep in mind, it is to take a deep breath, calm the mind, and forget about perfectionism. “Step out there, be yourself, and take charge of the room,” says the American journalist on a concluding note.