Someone once asked Tony Robbins how he was so good at public speaking. He said that when he was starting out in his journey to becoming one of the world’s most impactful speakers, he would, quite simply, practice public speaking – every day!

Now, it’s hard to find a crowd all the time to practice public speaking. Tony probably had the same problem. So he decided, to make EVERYONE his audience. In one interview he stated that he just began practicing his speeches to anyone who would listen to him, all the time!

This might be a little outlandish for us to apply, but the theory of using your everyday life to practice public speaking is not just a great way to become a better speaker but also to have a much stronger personality and vibe.

Importance of Public Speaking in Your Daily Life

My journey in public speaking started 3 years ago and it’s a no brainer that I would have completely regretted if i had not started out on this path.

It’s not only benefitted me in a way that I can speak in front of crowds without feeling nauseous, but it has also made a difference in my everyday living. In small, subtle ways, it’s helped develop my personality.

Now, compared to 3 years back, I walk with a little more assurance, I speak with a little more effectiveness and I feel a little more…confident.

Here are some ways you can practice becoming a better speaker in those little ways which can help you in the same way it has helped me – feeling more confident every single day.

These are not tips to practice a particular speech. They are just small shifts you can make in your daily routines to keep your body loose and confident so you can speak more effectively in general.

At Home

Most of the time, people practice their speeches at home in front of a mirror or a wall. But what about the times when you don’t have to deliver a speech? Is there something you can do every day at home that will help you become a better speaker?

It turns, out you can! Now, this may seem a little ridiculous, but if you do it, it’ll surely help you get results.

You know those emojis you have on your phone? When you wake up to brush or before going to bed, just make 5-10 of those facial expressions yourself.

I know…it sounds absurd. But let me tell you why this may help. One of the biggest hurdles with people who are afraid of speaking in front of crowds is that their bodies are extremely tight.

Our faces are a huge part of our delivery. If our facial muscles are tight, we lose out on communicating our message with that much more effectiveness.

Making those emoji faces yourself will help stretch your muscles in unfamiliar ways. If this is done consistently over a period of time, you will start using your expressions a lot more freely and effectively.

And yes, it does feel stupid and uncomfortable at first. But the thing is public speaking is uncomfortable, especially to those of us to whom it does not come naturally. Try this for a few days at least. It only takes a minute per day.

When Talking to People

This exercise goes back to what Tony Robbins did – speak to anyone who would listen. But a less extreme version of this would be to make all your conversations into mini or even micro speeches.

This is easier than it sounds. When you do have a conversation with someone, just be a little more conscious when you speak. Emphasize on words when you want to make a point, go soft when you want the other person to really listen, use hand gestures if it’ll help communicate your point better.

These are public speaking basics which are MUCH easier to apply when you’re speaking to one or two people as opposed to an entire crowd. When I started doing this, I realized I was communicating my point more effectively. It helped increase my persuasion skills as well!

When I eventually did speak in front of an audience, I was a lot more comfortable speaking in the same way as I did with all those other people. It just became so much more natural. You don’t have to be all flamboyant when you speak to your friends or colleagues. Just a few changes in tonality and a little more use of your body when you speak can make a HUGE difference.

While Walking

Back when I was in college, I had participated in a few fashion shows where I was required to ramp walk. I didn’t realize how difficult this was until I tried it! Walking with confidence especially when people are staring at you was freaking scary!

At first, I just couldn’t do it right. You could easily see the consciousness in my face and my walk was just…awkward. But after I practiced a little (I even did that emoji exercise!) I found it becoming a little easier.

We would practice in our colleges compound, where everyone could see us. As I continued to walk, very conscious of the fact that people were looking at me, I became more and more oblivious to their stares and more confident in my walking.

I don’t think I ever really got too good at it, but nevertheless, it made me realize how my body language was by default – not very good.

I began walking like how would I walk on a ramp all the time – shoulders back, chest out with a subtle smirk. It’s become a lot more natural to me now and has helped me improve my body language in general and has helped in ways that go beyond public speaking.

What Can You Gain from Public Speaking in Your Everyday Life?

If you cannot communicate and talk to other people and get across your ideas, you’re giving up your potential.

Warren Buffet

Becoming a better speaker is not just about practicing when you have a speech, it’s about developing a certain but subtle kind of attitude and personality. Practicing the above 3 things in your everyday lives can hopefully help you do just that!

I’ve been practicing public speaking or years and have been lucky enough to meet a lot of great speakers. Do you know what they all have in common (besides killing it on stage!)?

They have this kind of aura around them which just blushes with confidence. After years of practice, they have become so used to the stage, so used to the fact that people will judge them that they have just accepted it and gone after whatever it is they wanted – without fear.

Sure, it does make you a better communicator, improves your social skills, helps boost your career, adds an invaluable skill set to your portfolio…But I believe that a magnetic personality is what it creates for you.

That’s what public speaking does, that’s what you have to gain from it and that’s why you should practice it everyday!

Public Speaking Situations You May Come Across in Your Daily Life

While we all know that public speaking skills may come in handy when we are asked to give a presentation, a wedding toast, or a Toastmaster’s speech, there might be instances in our everyday where skills of that stage can be of handy to us:

Introduce: You might be pulled in to your bosses office and asked to introduce yourself to a bunch of people at the same time. It’s handy to be used to being in spots where you can speak to more than 5 people at once with ease and confidence.

Share an idea: You might be wanting to share an idea but are feeling a bit to shy to do in front of other people. But the key to sharing an idea is knowing how to sell it. Practicing public speaking teaches you to persuade people using your body language and tone of voice effectively.

Parties: Parties are all fun and games, but not for some people (like me!). We are the introverts, right? But even for us, wouldn’t it be so much easier if we could comfortably walk into a room full of people and talk to a circle of acquaintances without being anxious?

In front of a camera: Sometimes, we might be faced to come face-to-face with a camera. It might be for a testimonial or some business video or just some friends wanting to mess around with a camera.

Practicing public speaking in your everyday life by doing these little things may not make you a social star, a great idea presenter or a killer in front of the camera. But trust me, it will make all these situations a lot easier to deal with and handle with a little more confidence.