Most of us will probably freeze at the mere thought of making a speech. Yet, public speaking is one of the key skills that a successful leader needs to have. Experts will tell you that most people are not born with the gift of the gab; impressive speakers are made with a little bit of guidance, but mainly through perseverance! While there are lots of resources devoted to the art of public speaking, like “Great Speaking Ezine” on public-speaking.org, here are a few quick tips for someone who wants to hit the ground running.

Know your audience: The listeners are the most critical element of any speech. Therefore, make the effort to understand your audience. What could you incorporate into your opening remarks, which can set the stage for a lively interaction? For example, is there an issue of general, topical interest that you could mention? Well begun is half done, and if you can start off on a good note, it will give you much needed confidence to face the crowd.

Put into practice: Face it, there's no easy way out. The best way to speak in public is to rehearse the whole exercise beforehand. While you must not memorize your talk word for word, as that will make it sound stilted and unnatural, you should know the flow of your presentation by heart. That will also help you pick up the threads in case there are any interruptions. Remember, it is you who will be speaking on stage, and it is therefore up to you to control the proceedings.

Choose your words carefully: The importance of doing so cannot be overemphasized. Make sure the words you use are appropriate to the situation and the nature of the audience. Coarse slang and obscenities have no place in a public talk. Again, think twice before making any references to issues that might stir up strong emotions, like religion, cultural practices or politics.

Lighten up: Humor is a very powerful and effective tool of public speaking. Not only does it give the audience some relief in the midst of a heavy speech, it also makes the content memorable. You don't need to try too hard to be funny, or go over the top. Use caricatures, anecdotes or even jokes, but make sure that they are relevant and inoffensive.

Spur action: Be clear about the objectives of your speech. Is it aimed at motivating action, solving problems or sparking a discussion? The real impact of public speaking can be gauged in the response it generates among listeners. A sparkling speech is not worth the paper it is printed on if it's forgotten as soon as the audience leaves the room.

Expect the unexpected: If you suddenly find that the audience is not catching on, be prepared to change your talk mid-way. Stop to clarify, or invite questions in between. Also, if you are running out of time, be ready to leave out the less important parts of your presentation. On the other hand, if you have extra time, make sure to utilize it effectively – a Q&A is usually a great way to interact with the listeners.

These were some useful pointers along the path to effective public speaking. No doubt, you want to know a lot more. “Instant Speaking Success”, an e-book available at greatpublicspeaking.com, “10 Days to More Confident Public Speaking” and “How to Develop Self-Confidence and Influence People by Public Speaking” from amazon.com can help you transform into a powerful public speaker.