Improve Public Speaking Skills Online

As a business owner, you’re forced into things that you don’t enjoy. Those with a shy disposition, for example, probably dread public speaking. This means feelings of dread and panic when you’re asked to speak at product launches, staff parties, and conferences. However, it can also cause issues with simple things like staff meetings. If you struggle with public speaking, it’s time to remove this crippling fear.

Today, we’re going to talk about a few online courses that will help in this very area. You don’t need to fear big company events or even Zoom meetings because of a small speech. You don’t need to stay awake all night worrying about stumbling over your words or somehow all your clothes dropping off while you’re standing on stage.

Public speaking is an essential life skill, and it can also make people more confident in social situations. Thankfully, you don’t even need to identify yourself to improve your public speaking skills these days. You can complete one of these courses anonymously and then surprise everybody as you arrive at the next speaking event full of confidence.

Benefits of a Public Speaking Online Course

Why should you consider a public speaking online course? Firstly, it will help anybody that wants to climb the ladder. Although we focused on business leaders in the introduction, anybody can benefit from public speaking skills. You might want to boost your confidence, perform well in job interviews, or even enter a new career path.

What’s more, some public speaking courses require very little investment. With some free courses, all you spend is some time mastering the art of public speaking. Even if you choose a paid course, most people enjoy a return on their investment because of the added confidence and job opportunities it brings.

Best Online Public Speaking Courses

With this in mind, it’s time to dig into some of the best online public speaking courses. What sort of thing is available? What is going to transform your personal and professional career this year?

1. Communication Strategies for a Virtual Age

Firstly, we come across this free course that runs for eight hours and is provided by the University of Toronto. Be aware that those who want a certificate from the course will need to pay a $49 fee. However, one of the obvious benefits of this course is that it has been updated for the post-pandemic world.

As the world continues to work from home, people assume that they don’t need public speaking skills. Of course, this just isn’t true. You still need to partake in Zoom meetings and other communications. With this remote public speaking course, you learn how to engage an audience even over video.

Do you currently feel as though your video meetings are boring? Do the participants look as though they would rather be anywhere else in the world? This course will help to bring your virtual meetings to life with engaging presentations and strong use of voice.

2. Introduction to Public Speaking

This time, we’re heading to the University of Washington and an introductory course available on Coursera. Running for a total of 12 hours over four weeks, the platform is free for the first seven days but then has a cost of $49 per month afterward. Coursera is one of the leading resources for public speaking as a specialization, and this course is complemented by three others (but we’re getting ahead of ourselves!).

If you want to go right back to basics and try an introductory course, this is one of your best options. You’ll learn about speechwriting, rehearsal techniques, and how to remove the nerves that typically come with public speaking. Over the course, you’ll record yourself before then receiving feedback to improve.

After this introductory course, you’re welcome to proceed with the more advanced courses. This includes motivational speeches, informative presentations, and other areas.

3. Communicating with Confidence

Next, we’re talking about confidence, a skill that underpins many areas of business. Often, confidence is seen as something that you either have or don’t, but this simply isn’t true. Confidence is a skill and one that grows with this Communicating with Confidence course. If you’re pushed for time, this is a great place to start since it runs for just over 75 minutes.

Located on LinkedIn Learning, Communicating with Confidence has quickly become one of the most popular courses on the platform. You’ll learn about physical presence, slowing down speech, using strong body language, and facial expressions. As you master these key areas, you’ll take to the stage (or laptop) with confidence. One of the benefits of this course is that you can add a certificate to your LinkedIn profile for all to see.

4. Orai Journey — Sound More Confident In Just 4-Weeks!

Even the team behind the successful Orai app has created an online course. Their’s is a new way of offering presentation skills training with AI-driven feedback. At the end of the 4-weeks of interactive training (three hours total), individuals sound more ​confident​, ​compelling​ and ​concise​. Business outcomes include saving valuable time in meetings and leaving a better impression with your customers.

The course is on the pricy side at $200, and is designed for ambitious professionals who want to sound more confident and become powerful public speakers. Lessons include storytelling, conveying warmth, introducing yourself, being concise and much, much more!

5. The Complete Public Speaking Course

This time, we’re heading over to Udemy for a course available in both English and Chinese. For $90, you’ll receive four and a half hours of video as you embark on The Complete Public Speaking Course. Complete by name, complete by nature — you’ll learn about data dumping, what makes a strong speech, and how to implement these tips into your public speaking adventures.

As well as lots of knowledge, you’ll also receive a certificate to add to your resume (whether digital or otherwise).

6. Dale Carnegie’s Public Speaking for Success

So far, we’ve focused solely on online courses, but there are other ways to boost your public speaking skills online. With this in mind, we bring you one of the best books ever written on the topic. Dale Carnegie was a hugely successful public speaker and authored ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’.

You’ll find the book available on Kindle (to stick with the digital theme), but more traditional readers will also find paperback versions available. Although written in 1926, the principles of public speaking remain true even today. You’ll learn about diction exercises, addressing an audience, building self-esteem, and vocal techniques. If it’s good enough for the generations before you, it’s good enough for you too.

7. Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking

Sometimes, you want to sink your teeth into a course, and this is why we’ve included this particular course on the list. Available from Harvard, it takes place over eight weeks, and you’ll work a couple of hours per week. With more time, the course digs deeper than most learning about the features that make a compelling argument.

You’ll review leading political speeches to highlight the core components that engage an audience. As you learn what makes a strong speech, you’ll improve your speechwriting skills. While the course is free of charge, you’ll need to pay $169 if you want a certificate.

8. Storytelling for Social Change

There are two reasons why we like this course:

• Storytelling is a key aspect of public speaking
• It helps participants to speak passionately and encourage change in others

Created by the University of Michigan, it teaches you to tell stories with passion, power, and impact. This is useful if you want to encourage social change in your audience, persuade shareholders of a change in direction, or lead a team. You’ll learn about connecting with an audience, using protagonists with which the audience can relate, and more. According to the course itself, it helps people in all fields from non-profit management to customer service and beyond.

9. How to Break the Habit of Self-Doubt and Build Real Confidence

For everything you receive in this course, we’re surprised that it costs just $29. Over four hours of advanced content, a CNN host in Mel Robbins, and tips to overcome imposter syndrome (extreme self-doubt).

If anxiety is a big problem for you, know that others have removed theirs for just $29. You’ll learn how to overcome mental blocks and build confidence not just when speaking publicly but in all areas of life.

10. TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking (Chris Anderson)

To finish, we return to the world of books, and what better way to learn about public speaking than through TED Talks? These have long been the standard for public speaking, and this 288-page book was written by the head of TED, Chris Anderson. Whether you choose the Kindle version, the paperback, or even the audiobook, you’ll glean insights from Monica Lewinsky, Sir Ken Robinson, and many other TED legends.

Rather than following strict rules, this content is all about finding what works for you and learning to play to your strengths. If you already follow TEDx, you’ll also love the bonus tips and facts about TED events.

Get Started Today

Just because you struggle with public speaking now, don’t assume that nothing will ever change. Sign yourself up for a course today and take advantage of great tools like Orai. As a public speaking app, you’ll get instant feedback and advice from the AI guiding the platform. Over 300,000 people have gained confidence thanks to Orai so far, and it’s a great way to track your progress and hone your craft!