1.

Stage Presence
Good public speakers appear

Confident
Friendly
Enthusiastic
Energetic

Confidence​ comes from choosing a topic you like and researching it well.

Friendliness​ can be conveyed simply by smiling at your audience.

Enthusiasm​ and ​energy​ will naturally follow when you enjoy your topic and are well
prepared.

If you feel that your stage presence is lacking, view clips of speakers whom you admire. Aim
to imitate their style. Then, "fake it until you make it." In other words, ​act​ confident until you
feel​ confident.

2. Voice Control
Your voice is the most important tool you will use as a public speaker. ​Improve the quality of
your voice​ through ​diaphragmatic breathing​; breathing from your diaphragm instead of your
chest. This is how professional singers breathe. It is what helps to make their voices sound
fabulous and enables them to hold notes long after most people would be out of breath.

Doing so also reduces feelings of breathlessness caused by speech anxiety. This type of
breathing will allow you to better control the following aspects of your voice:

Tone (quality)
Pitch (high or low)
Volume of your voice

A quick tip to implement diaphragmatic breathing is to lie down on the floor and place one
hand on your abdomen. As you breathe, try to make your stomach rise. Count to 10 as you
inhale and fill your stomach, then count to 10 again as you exhale. Try to remember to
breathe from your diaphragm as you speak in public.

3. Body Language
Consider your ​body language​ and the message it conveys.

Practice standing with a relaxed upright posture.

Place your hands at your sides or clasped in front of you, unless you are making a
gesture to emphasize a point.
Become aware of your ​facial expressions​ as well; they should match the message you
are delivering. If you're giving an upbeat speech, try to have a relaxed and joyful look
on your face.

4. Delivery
When it comes to public speaking, delivery is everything. Even if you have a great voice and
good ​body language​, your message will get lost if the audience can't easily follow what you
say. Below are some tips for developing good delivery skills.

Speak slowly and deliberately.​Here's a tip: it will probably seem too slow for you.
Pause between ideas​to give the audience time to digest what you are saying.
Carefully articulate and pronounce your words​. A mumbling public speaker is
hard to understand.
Avoid filler sounds like "Um" and "ah."​It detracts from what you are saying and is
distracting to the audience.
Vary the pitch and volume of your voice to add interest.​Speaking in a monotone
is a surefire way to lose the interest of your listeners. Listen to podcasts of upbeat
public speakers and try to imitate how they talk. One good example is Paula Pant of
the ​Afford Anything​ podcast.

5. Audience Relations
Good public speakers​ are in tune with their audience. ​Public speaking​ is more than standing
in front of a group and talking.

Acknowledge your audience right away​and begin talking as soon as all eyes are on
you. This helps to make you seem more like a "real" person and keeps a
conversational tone.
If you need to set up equipment, ​converse with your audience​at the same time to
keep their attention.
Make eye contact and watch for communication from the audience​. Smiles and
nodding are good; fidgeting or confused looks may mean that you need to adjust what
you are doing. However, if you live with social anxiety, be careful not to focus too
much on negative faces. It could be that they are just having a bad day and their facial
expressions have nothing to do with what you are saying. A good rule of thumb is to
find a friendly face at the start of your talk. If that person seems to be confused or
bored, that is when you know it is time to address issues with your public speaking.