Everyone is a good communicator in most situations. When the stakes are low and you feel comfortable, you don’t even think about how you’re speaking. The words flow, and you connect.
The trick to “public speaking” is to remember how you communicate naturally even when you’re in circumstances that don’t feel natural. For most people, it doesn’t feel natural to stand up in front of lots of other people, talking all by yourself.
Start by noticing how you speak when you’re in your element. You feel confident, happy, knowledgable, whatever. Notice what happens when you really get going: maybe you’re telling the story of something that happened when you went to pick up dinner at your favorite restaurant, or you’re excited to share what’s happening with a new project at work.
What does your voice do? How about your hands? How does your energy feel? Are you sitting or standing?
Not everything in your casual/conversational style will translate to a more formal speech or presentation, but most of it will. Your inflection, gestures, pace, energy, and cadence are all elements of your personal communication style, and they need to show up when you’re in “public speaking” mode.
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