What are some simple tips that can make people more effective public speakers? originally appeared on Quora, the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus.

Public speaking is a critical aspect of leadership. You need to know how to tell a story, convince others of your position, or make your thoughts known confidently.

Here are my tips:

* Join Toastmasters. For ~$60 a year, you’ll get the opportunity to speak to groups of people (by choice), form speeches, and work with a mentor who will help you develop your public speaking skills. As a Toastmaster myself, I’ve reduced my verbal punctuation and speak slower when I’m in front of people.

* Work on elucidating your speech. Speak slower. People care less about what you say than how you say it. Communication is 90% verbal.

* Make use of opportunities to speak in public. It’s a matter of challenging yourself. You don’t need to make a speech, but if you speak to family or friends, try to use that as an opportunity to better yourself. Self-improvement is a journey that never ends.

* Finally, break things down and make mental bullet points about the topic you’re speaking about. For performance, the human mind works well when it’s compartmentalized.

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