Since technology has taken over our business and personal lives, effective public speaking and communication skills have been on the decline.  Sadly, growing up in this digital age has made younger workers poor public speakers and communicators.  We are even seeing veterans of the workforce letting their public speaking skills get rusty.  What many forget, or never learned, is that there is more to public speaking than simply getting up in front of a crowd and talking.  It is both a science and an art.  And like any learned skill, there are some basics to be aware of.

The Four Basic Components To Public Speaking:

1. The Preparation
2. The Purpose or Objective
3. The Message Used
4. The Delivery

The Five "W's" And The One "H" To Public Speaking.

When preparing to speak publicly, address each of the four basic components of public speaking by asking the five W's and the one H: Who, what, where, when, why and how.  Exploring these six questions will help you sculpt your speech or presentation into cohesion and guarantee that your audience follows every word and does not miss a beat.

• Who?  Who are you speaking or presenting to?

• What?  What do you wish to communicate?

• Where?  Where will you be speaking?

• When?  As far as timing and delivery goes, how should you frame your speech or presentation?

• Why?  Why should the audience be listening to you?

• How?  How can you best convey your message?

5 Tips For Better Public Speaking And Presentation Skills.

1. Never Forget What Your Body Language is Saying - Your goal is to capture your audience's attention, so standing motionless in one place is not a good idea.  Be natural, move around, use hand gestures and be expressive, even if you are behind a podium.

2. Speak With Conviction - If you want your audience to believe what you are saying, then you had better believe it yourself.  Do not approach and deliver a presentation as if it is a high school project.  Put some "oomph" into your delivery.  Be articulate, and never apologize if you stumble over any words.

3. Incorporate Stories From The Audience - The best way to keep an audience's attention is to engage them, and the best way to engage them is to include them.  The most successful speakers are the ones who seamlessly integrate a story from an audience member into their presentation.  To do this, get to know your audience ahead of time.  Talk with them about the subject you are speaking about.

4. NEVER Read Your Notes Or Slides Verbatim - Unless you are a famous essayist performing a public reading, you should never read from your notes verbatim.  Keep your notes concise - bulleted reminders about what you wish to touch upon. 

5. Make Eye Contact With The People In The Room - There are no tricks to avoid making eye contact.  If you want your speech to land like a boxer's blow, you need to look your audience in the eye and hold that eye contact for at least 2-4 seconds.  Make sweeping glances across the audience, but always lock eyes with individual audience members.

Summary: As with most things in life, effective public speaking hinges on the amount of preparation you put in prior to delivering your speech or presentation.  Rehearsing might feel strange, but it is invaluable.  When the time for you to speak publicly does come, remember to use body language, talk slowly and articulately (including pauses) and use a variety of tones.  Do not hesitate to study your favorite public speaker and observe the range of tactics they employ to make their delivery stand out.