Public speaking can be nerve-racking for anyone, even if they do it often.

Whether you have lead a meeting, offer a presentation at work, or take the stage at a big event, these public speaking habits will help you sound smart and well-prepared.

By Geoffrey James for Inc. magazine

Photo caption: Public speaking doesn’t have to be scary. Nick David/Getty Images

There are four kinds of speakers in the business world:

  1. The incoherent, who meander, use tons of jargon, and talk of things interesting mostly to themselves.
  2. The coherent, who can verbally communicate facts and opinions but seldom say anything memorable.
  3. The articulate, who speak succinctly and clearly but whose words are seldom persuasive.
  4. The eloquent, who use language and body language to win the hearts and minds of listeners.

Eloquent people sound smart, regardless of how intelligent they are. The opposite is true as well.

Fortunately, eloquence is a skill that can be taught, practiced, and mastered. Here are nine easily mastered techniques to quickly make yourself more eloquent and smarter-sounding.

1. Stand or sit with spine straight but relaxed

Eloquence is more than just how you use language. It’s also how you use your body language. The position of your back is the foundation of your body language and therefore the root of your eloquence.

Slumping communicates a lack of confidence in yourself and your words. The other extreme, a ramrod straight back, says “fight or flight.” A straight but relaxed spine puts you in a mental and physical state from which words flow smoothly and easily.

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