Qualities of a good speaker

The great essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson has said, “Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.” Being an influential speaker is one of the best strengths anyone can have in this competitive world. Words have the power to change any situation and sway anyone. Someone who knows how to use them in an impactful manner can turn most situations to their advantage.

• Majority of people today have stage fright i.e. fear of speaking on a stage or addressing a huge crowd. One must get rid of the same in order to develop as a good speaker. Several mental hacks like training your mind into thinking that you’re the only person who knows about the topic you’re going to talk about, maintaining a particular body language, etc. can help one lose stage fear. The best way to do it is to  willingly put in a conscious effort to improve and practice.
• One shouldn’t pass even a single opportunity to get on stage and talk. One might not do well the first few times and end up making a fool of themselves, but stopping would lead to low self-esteem and hence, one will never be able to improve. One has to take 2 steps back to move 4 steps forward.
• Some are born smooth talkers and some aren’t. That doesn’t mean one cannot be a good speaker; one can be trained into a good speaker. Having a loud voice and clarity in speech are very essential to speak influentially. People with a low pitched voice must train themselves to project their voice for it to reach the audience.
• Being comfortable in the language you’re speaking is another quality of a good speaker. In today’s corporate world, where English dominates all the professional aspects, it’s easy to be intimidated by fluent English speakers. But it is important to remember, a good speaker is someone who gets their point through the audience regardless of the language they’re speaking in. That being addressed, it is beneficial to work on one’s English speaking skills, at least on a basic level if one wishes to scale higher in their career.
• Being thorough with the content one is speaking is extremely important as at the end of the day, it is the reason one is on stage. Some speakers find it easier to write their content themselves in order to remember the chain of thoughts while speaking; while some are fine with delivering a speech written by someone else. One must figure out what works best for them and practise the same.
• Having a strong body language is another aspect of being a good speaker. Using one’s hands while talking to a certain extent, slowly pacing on the stage if possible, having an erect body posture are some signs of having good body language.
• Ultimately, there is only one way of being a good speaker and that is practicing consistently. One can gain the confidence required only through rigorous practice and working on one skill at a time.

Speaking skills are essential if one wishes to survive in the corporate world today. Embracing the qualities of a good speaker can take one’s personality and career to a whole another level. Persistence and consistency are the two most important factors in one’s journey of improving their speaking skills; combined with practice one can definitely have everyone all ears and engage them with a good speech.

There you have it, the qualities of a good speaker all in one article. Stay tuned for more blogs like these. My name is Riti Kapoor Chopra, and I’m a Mumbai-based corporate trainer, speaker, and educator. For enquiries, contact me on 9819648070 or write to me at riti@ritikapoorchopra.com