Navigating Public Speaking with Zoya Mabuto

By Zuko Komisa

Zoya Mabuto an award-winning Public Speaker and two-time Southern African Public Speaking and Evaluation Champion. Zoya recently joined Kaya Breakfast to offer pointers on how to be a flawless public speaker on any stage.

Overcoming nerves and fear

Zoya addressed areas to focus on in order to acquire this essential skill of speaking in front of a crowd and how you can use it to your advantage as you grow in any field.

“When we think about speaking and standing up in front of people, there is always a fear that everybody is looking at me… the nerves can be coming from a lack of confidence… for me nerves are important, it’s all about how we convert that nervous energy into an energy that can propel us when we speak,” says Zoya,

Her passion for the emancipation of women in the world lead her to founding ZoyaSpeaks; a platform used to address social issues and empower women and young girls of the African continent through Public Speaking.

Also Read: Love, Marriage & Children in the midst of Xenophobia

Other important pointers to consider when speaking include:

Adding Value

Jason Goliath, Kaya Breakfast co-host, added that it’s important to know as much as you possibly can about the topic you are going to speak about. This gives you confidence when you have to share your insights on any topic.

“My favorite tip is that knowledge breeds confidence, the more you know about what you are going to speak about in public, the better equipped you are to speak in public.”

Tell a story

Remember how you grew up listening to tales of bravery and conquest when growing up? Those are the stories that move people, always share your experiences related to a topic you can share. Always use stories to drive a point home.

Listen to the full conversation here:
<a href="https://iono.fm/e/616946">Content hosted by iono.fm</a>

Practice, practice, practice

In many cases, world-class speakers will tell you how, through continuous practice, they made the big leap to being formidable orators. Use people close to you to prepare your speech, and use every moment you get to practice expressing yourself. The moment you become intentional about being a speaker consistently the better you will become.

Also Read: How to deal with setbacks and disappointment in your career

Know your audience

Understand that your tone, your message tends to be different when you are speaking to your friends and family versus when you are speaking in a meeting or a corporate event.

Lastly remember that brilliant public speaker are not born that way. Becoming a world-class orator is a learned skill, and anyone can make that giant leap through practice and consistent learning.

Written by: Zuko

Kaya Breakfast Public Speaking Zoya Mabuto