What are some tips for developing your public speaking skills?

In my experience,its putting yourself out there. study your talking points and know the material. I remember taking a speech class in school, I was so nervous, but I found after studying the source material and standing up there in front of everyone the words just started flowing out. now I speak at functions all the time, in fact most times you can't get me to shut up. practice, practice, practice, use a mirror.

People connect through stories. You not only need to know your purpose, but also your audience so you can tailor it to their specific needs and interests. Speaking to educate your peers about a topic is wildly different than speaking to educate, say, the US Congress (unless, of course, Congress is your set of peers). What level does your audience operate at? What will engage them? What voice will you use in your storytelling?

A major tip to develop your public speaking skills starts with knowing your purpose. When you know your purpose and reason for speaking it becomes easier to actually speak. When you don’t know your purpose it can ultimately have a impact on your confidence.

I always suggest progressive rehearsals for novice speakers. First speak in front of a mirror. Then speak in front of a friend. Then speak at a small venue. Then deliver the real deal. Each time you can try different things to see what works best and hone the things that are working well so you have them down pat by the time you're ready for the main event. For more experienced speakers, they often have a better idea of what will play well with their audiences, their goal may be to do far fewer rehearsals because they want to sound fresh and spontaneous. But even experienced speakers often practice and improve their craft by listening to and watching their delivery and the audience's reactions.

Another tip to develop your public speaking skills is to practice and rehearse. By practicing and rehearsing you get the chance to properly prepare exactly what you’re going to say. But not getting the proper practice you don’t truly get the chance to prepare.

People either generally read what you wrote or listen to the story you're telling. Sometimes a picture or an uncomplicated chart can be useful in illustrating a point in your narrative, but don't make it so dense that the audience is focusing on the slide vs your story.

Using visual aids is another tip for you to use to develop your public speaking skills. Visual aids can assist in telling the story and giving another viewpoint of your presentation.

You must know your audience in order to connect with them. What do they expect from you? Why are they there? Are they in the same profession as you? Put yourself in their position.

Interacting with the audiences is one of the best ways to keep them engaged. Raise your hand if you've ever paid more attention when the speaker is soliciting your opinion in some way vs just sharing theirs.

The most important tip to develop your public speaking skills is to connect with your audience. Connecting to your audience is a way to gain confidence as well as gain the attention of your audience. When you have your audience’s attention your message will connect stronger.

Toastmasters is a great venue to practice so that you improve your skills and learn to manage your anxiety over time. Everyone there is in the same boat, so they're both friendly and also helpfully critical about what's going well and where you can improve. That kind of safe space is great for learning.

Managing your anxiety is a great major tip to develop your public speaking skills. This can be a difficult thing but beneficial.