What Are the Signs of a Confident Speaker?

Confident public speaking is an asset for everyone even if you're not a professional speaker. According to The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus, in spoken communication, 36% of the message is relayed through tone, 7% is conveyed by your voice itself, and a whopping 57% of your communication is received via nonverbal communication. In order to be a successful professional speaker, or to just communicate well, it's important to develop these traits. Let's take a look at what you'll see in a confident speaker.

They Actively Engage the Audience

If you're training to be a more confident speaker, you'll want to feel comfortable engaging the audience. This can be achieved in a variety of different ways. As you're speaking, think about an anecdote or other quip that has you speaking directly to your audience. When you're successful at engagement, the people you're addressing will feel like you're talking with them, rather than at them.

The Speech Flows Naturally Without Verbal Fillers

A confident speaker is able to speak at length without falling back on verbal fillers and ticks. Their speech also flows naturally and doesn't sound like they're just repeating something that they've memorized. There's a fine line between being prepared and sounding overly rehearsed. When you're prepared and comfortable with the subject matter you're sharing, you'll speak clearly and concisely without using "um," "like," and other verbal fillers. Verbal fillers are very distracting and they can convey a sense that the speaker isn't well-versed in what they're discussing.

Eye Contact Is Used Throughout the Talk

Another effective way to improve your speaking manner is to maintain eye contact. As you're addressing a room, you'll want to make eye contact with the people you're talking to. It's difficult to remain engaged and listen to a speaker who's constantly looking down at their notes or avoiding eye contact with the people they're speaking to. Minimal hand gestures and head nods can also help to keep your audience interested but you don't want to overdo them.

Strong speaking skills are important for any professional speaker who wishes to effectively impact the audience they're in front of. When you want to connect with a speaker with experience and confidence, give us a call today! We look forward to working with you.