The time and effort behind Being a good speaker

A lot of people believe that being a good speaker requires a lot of talent, time and energy. In instances where professionals want to be a paid speaker or have to do speaking on a full-time basis as required by their job, public speaking does require a great deal of practice and time to be the best at their craft.

BUT...

The idea of being a great speaker in your everyday job or on committees/teams you serve on does not required much time and talent to be great. What is required though is the conscious effort to try and be a good speaker whenever you open your mouth. Perhaps because of our more casual and relaxed society we now live in, we culturally 'speak' and 'talk' in a lot more casual manner than ever before. Online acronyms and sayings (like LOL and YOLO standing for 'Laugh out Loud' and 'You Only Live Once') seem to creep into our vocabulary and emails more than they should. People don't take the same pride in what they sound like when speaking to people in everyday life.

When speaking to anyone in any work-life ventures, keep in mind these 5 simple tips that will help you increase your presence when speaking with people...and with minimal time and effort.

1. Keep eye contact. Don't be shy. Stare into the person's soul and maintain eye contact. It will show confidence in what you are saying.
2. Speak with clarity and conviction. Tone is everything. By simply stating what you are saying with authority and by speaking firmly, it removes doubt from your voice and adds confidence in what you are saying. Never end sentences with questions or trail off with what you are saying.
3. Use language that asserts yourself. Words like "I think", "what if" "maybe" "perhaps" add doubt to what you're saying.
4. Posture can single-handily change the way someone sees you, both favourbly and unfavourably. Shoulders back, back straightly-aligned, chin down, and a relaxed/calming look on your face will take you miles. Body language speaks volumes about you as a person.
5. Don't waiver in what you are saying. Always think before you say something so you don't regret what you said and the way in which you said it. The best speakers are extremely crafted in what they say.. that is half the battle... knowing what is the right thing to say, at the right time, and in the right manner/tone for the intended audience.