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How to speak well and confidently

Are you very shy when it comes to new surroundings, such as starting a new class or moving to a new area? Sometimes, it is necessary to overcome your shyness and speak confidently. By doing this, it can help you not only to share your ideas properly to others, but also to learn communicating with others. Here are a few steps to consider when speaking with confidence.

Steps
  1. Learn how to have conversations with people. Your ideas or opinions may not always be accepted by others, but this is nothing unusual. Open your mouth, express your beliefs! This will improve your courage.
  2. Don't be afraid and speak loudly. If you speak in a low voice, not only will others not be able to hear what you say, but you will also portray a submissive demeanor, which suggests the opposite of a confident one.
  3. Make eye contact when you speak. For one thing, it is polite for others. Also, eye contact will help others to listen to your thinking carefully.
  4. Praise yourself everyday! This will promote your own confidence, which is important when you speak. With more confidence, people will take your thinking more seriously.

Tips

  1. Don't be nervous when you make mistakes. Human error is far from being a new concept - nobody is perfect! It is normal for everyone to make mistakes. Just calm down and keep speaking bravely.
  2. Try and try again! This may be difficult for a shy person at first, but you need to force yourself to speak, and not seclude your thoughts. If you have some ideas, then try to speak out! Don't just keep them in your head.
  3. If you have self confidence issues, try to think that you are the only one who has sound knowledge about the topic. Then go ahead and impart your knowledge to the audience in an effective way.
  4. Remember that there is a fine line between confidence and arrogance. Don't portray an exaggerated amount of confidence, or you will come off as arrogant, believing that your ideas are better than the ideas of everyone else.

One of the most important components of public speaking is the sound of your voice. It influences the impact of your message, and might even make or break the success of your speech. Fortunately, for many people, good voice quality can be learned.


10 Tips to improve your speaking voice

Instructions

  1. Breathe from your diaphragm - Practice long and controlled exhales. When you speak, use breath to punctuate your point. For example, take a breath at the end of each phrase whether you need to or not. Use that opportunity to pause and let the listeners absorb what you say.
  2. Use pitch - Lower pitches generally are more soothing to hear. However, modulating your pitch for emphasis will keep your listeners engaged. Develop your pitch by practicing humming.
  3. Moderate your volume - Find out if you speak too loudly or too softly. When you begin speaking, ask your audience how your volume is (each situation is different). Try to stay at the appropriate volume throughout your speech.
  4. Moderate your pace - This one is also closely related to breath. If you speak too quickly, people can't keep up. If you speak too slowly, people will lose interest. Record your speech to determine if you need to change your pace. Get feedback from others.
  5. Articulate - Try exaggerating your lip movement to reduce mumbling. Practice articulating tongue twisters and extending and exaggerating vowel sounds. Become an expert at articulating tongue twisters as quickly and crisply as possible. Focus on the ones you find difficult.
  6. Practice your speech in advance and determine where you want to pause for a breath. For more emphasis, pause for more than one breath. Mark your breathing points in your notes.
  7. Loosen up before you begin. Look side to side. Roll your head in half-circles and roll your shoulders back. Shift your rib cage from side to side. Yawn. Stretch. Touch your toes while completely relaxing your upper body, then slowly stand up, one vertebra at a time, raising your head last. Repeat as needed.
  8. Posture - Stand up straight and tall to allow full lung capacity and airflow.
  9. Record your voice repeatedly using different ways of speaking. Determine which one is most pleasing.
  10. Practice breath control - Take a deep breath, and while you exhale, count to 10 (or recite the months or days of the week). Try gradually increasing your volume as you count, using your abdominal muscles-not your throat-for volume. Don't let your larynx tense up.

  1. akshaytiwari saidSun, 31 Aug 2008 11:06:11 -0000 ( Link )

    is there any tip how to build intrest, of a person who is not showing intrest in you

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  2. rkmittal saidSun, 31 Aug 2008 17:20:46 -0000 ( Link )

    The tips given here are expected to be useful in enhancing one’s speaking skills. Once you acquire adequate confidence and speaking skills, it is more likely that you will attract the audience better who will be keener than before to listen to you.

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  3. lucyinthesky saidThu, 04 Sep 2008 20:45:07 -0000 ( Link )

    To maintain interest, I would suggest maybe to try and maintain a light sense of humour. Don’t apologize or take yourself too seriously for stumbling on one or two words. And use your body and the space around you to move around. If you use your hands, facial expressions and movement to communicate as well, you will attract their attention because their eyes will always be moving and focused on you. Be confident and have enthuasiasm in your voice!

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  4. rkmittal saidFri, 05 Sep 2008 05:55:25 -0000 ( Link )

    Thanks Lucy for this nice addition to the tips.

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  5. kravi saidThu, 11 Sep 2008 11:09:42 -0000 ( Link )

    excellent lesson.

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  6. NormGreen saidTue, 16 Sep 2008 17:06:01 -0000 ( Link )

    As a trainer who trains German teacher/trainers in the effective use of cooperative learning, I can say that this was a very interesting article one that I will have our participants access on LearnHub. Thank you very much

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  7. sachina saidThu, 18 Sep 2008 17:31:45 -0000 ( Link )

    this lessons are meant to just improve your speaking skill and attract lots of listeners but it does not emphasises on wht a person should do tio overcome his fear of facing audience and build self confidence

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  8. Supriya Malla saidFri, 17 Oct 2008 14:31:07 -0000 ( Link )

    Well i was on the stage and i was to recite a long poem. But then I forgot my lines and I felt very disheartened.What should I have done to recover my self confidence? any tips?

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  9. Ishita-16 saidSun, 02 Nov 2008 09:52:31 -0000 ( Link )

    Thanks for reminding me of my debate competiton where I couldnt face the audience though I have faced the camera but I got scared and my legs were shivering . can you advise me for the next time?

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  10. kapilpatil89 saidSun, 23 Nov 2008 19:14:32 -0000 ( Link )

    god tips for us

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  11. pawanbhasin saidSat, 17 Jan 2009 05:44:57 -0000 ( Link )

    Do dry runs in front of mock audience say friends/colleagues as many times as possible before the actual especially for first timers. keep bullet points handy. Be thorough with your subject that will add to your confidence. Always volunteer for such oppurtunity to get over the fear

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  12. nick_ug2 saidThu, 05 Feb 2009 11:26:09 -0000 ( Link )

    I personally feel this session would be more helpful. Thank you very much for the essential guidance and will definitely boost my spirits up.

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  13. abhiruchi saidSat, 21 Feb 2009 12:57:14 -0000 ( Link )

    it was good one!!

    but can u suggest tips to overcome stage fear…

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  14. poojajosy saidTue, 03 Mar 2009 05:24:58 -0000 ( Link )

    thankyou for such nice lesson .It will really help one to build confidence in oneself

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  15. rajucreative2007 saidThu, 02 Apr 2009 07:53:45 -0000 ( Link )

    yes nice tips are given

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  16. gargi_l saidWed, 15 Apr 2009 14:50:50 -0000 ( Link )

    i was once very low on confidence..i cudnt even speak in front of 10 people…use to stammer.. then i started taking up opportunities to speak in front of people…some used to mock and i always felt bad after every speech.. i started practicing in front of the mirror(helped a lot) and friends..slowly i have overpowered my fear now!!

    take the first step…rest will fall into place…

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  17. kartheekgoli saidThu, 16 Apr 2009 13:07:57 -0000 ( Link )

    Thanx alot….!

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  18. jazz_alive saidMon, 01 Jun 2009 10:36:00 -0000 ( Link )

    awwwww… it helped my

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  19. atha ali saidTue, 02 Jun 2009 10:08:39 -0000 ( Link )

    AWESOME TIPS

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  20. sailawaymaj saidMon, 15 Jun 2009 16:22:15 -0000 ( Link )

    speak as loudly as possible so there’s no chance of them ignoring you. unless you’re in a library, and then you’ll have to be prepared to get officially shushed

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  21. sailawaymaj saidMon, 15 Jun 2009 16:23:10 -0000 ( Link )

    btw u should look people in the eye – it makes them nervous – then you can be the dominant one. they’ll definitely listen to you then. on the plus side, you get to boss people around.

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  22. cat_4_all saidFri, 24 Jul 2009 10:06:34 -0000 ( Link )

    Nice article. One suggestion be cool and calm and don’t care about what other’s think. Put your points as if you have the only cynosure.

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  23. linkvarun saidThu, 06 Aug 2009 12:27:38 -0000 ( Link )

    Nice lesson but we, actually, need to implement it. Trust me, it’s easier said than done. One got to enter a pool to learn swimming.

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