People always like to hear the truth because that is what is always the hardest to hear. We all look out for people who would not try to make us feel good with a lie but tell the truth and encourage us to face it boldly. For anyone who has watched F.R.I.E.N.D.S, we know Phoebe, who always sang songs that were nothing but the truth, and it is to listen to ‘the woman who sings the truth’ that the kids went in search of. 

Speaking your mind is always the best way to become a good orator. Preparing long speeches would just not do the trick. When you speak on a particular topic, try to be as authentic as possible. When you are asked to give a speech about friendship, do not just fill your speech with quotes on friendship and random ideas about friendship. Instead, try to speak about your own friendships in addition to these quotes and ideas so that your audience understands that every one of them needs a friend. This can be achieved only with anecdotes from your personal life.  

It is possible to relate almost every topic with some event that has happened in your life. Life’s experiences can always be accounted for. When you are able to show your audience that you are a person who is true to your words and a person who only preaches about what you practise rather than speaking about a life like the old adage, ‘Practise what you preach’. 

There are umpteen opportunities you get from the time you are in school to go on public platforms to give a talk. You would have definitely spoken and listened to talks about various English speech topics that would have made you perceive a particular subject a little differently from the time you heard about it. Words have the power to change people’s minds. Words can alter an individual’s perception of life, the entire world and the people in it. One example of an authentic public speaker who speaks her mind is Muniba Mazari. She turned out to become an inspiration to men, women and children all around the world. She encouraged everyone to embrace their scars and fears of judgement, rise above the unfortunate occurrences and live a life of hope and cheer. 

To become a credible and reliable speaker who the audience will look up to, here are a few guidelines. 

• Always know what you are going to speak about.
• Do not speak about something you do not know. 
• You need not always stick to your notes; improvise according to the need of the hour but do it wisely.
• Do not disclose anything other than the truth.
• Be empathetic and emotionally conscious.
• Speak what you genuinely feel about the subject matter.
• Maintain eye contact and good body language.
• Never ramble on about something that you really have no idea about.
• The first step to improving your Italian idiom is learning the basics.

In addition to all this, just remember one thing – instead of running around looking for Phoebes, be a Phoebe. Speak the truth, preach what you practise and become a good, endearing and authentic public speaker.