The way how you speak is one of the very first qualities judged when you meet new people. It’s important to have strong speaking skills and at the same time feel comfortable about how you speak.

This becomes especially important in interview situations. Your words will decide how employers perceive you, it’s important to be able to get your thoughts and points across clearly.

Here are some tips to help improve your speaking skills. These techniques will help you improve you how talk if you apply them for as little as 1 hour a day.

Some exercises to work on:

Reading is a great way to improve you speaking skills. Commit yourself to reading at least 20 minutes a day. Get used to reading in a clear, flowing manner. To enhance the effectiveness of this, try reading out loud.

When you read out loud you can hear yourself and identify your mistakes. Take a closer look at the areas you need to improve on by recording yourself.

Another way to improve your verbal skills is by reading tongue twisters. These help you work on your enunciation which is extremely important in being a clear speaker.

Any time you have an interview you should take the time to prepare. Write down certain key things you know you are going to say and practice them.

The more comfortable you are with what you are going to say in the interview the more relaxed you can be.

Believe it or not writing is also important to improving your speaking skills. Reading and writing help your brain get used to how words flow together, subconsciously making you a better speaker.

If you find yourself preparing for an interview, use a pen and paper and write down what you are going to say. This helps it stay in your mind for long periods of time. Don’t be afraid to keep rewriting and editing what you are saying – this will help you figure out the perfect combination of words.

Body language plays a role too:

Part of becoming a better speaker also includes not ignoring body language. Body language can be extremely subtle but it runs our society. Sometimes we are saying the right things but we are saying them the wrong way.

Be sure that your body language is easy to read. If you are enthusiastic about what you are saying then talk with your hands and express your emotions in your face.

If you are genuinely interested in what the employer is saying then lean in a little closer or start taking notes.

Stay on top of body language by doing a little research before any interview. Look for signs of how the employer might be feeling, based on that you can decide what to say next.

Anything you want to become better at you just have to practice. Take these tips and use them to your advantage as you work towards becoming a better speaker.