I'm always a little wary of self-help topics like this. Particularly if they have titles like "The Power of Yes."
But I want to mention that extemporaneous speaking is, certainly, a remarkable confidence-builder.
There is one greater, however: walking up to a complete stranger and striking up a conversation. Not "so, we're both waiting in this bus terminal, where are you going?", but engage them in a serious subject they have opinions on. Politics or religion, for example. These are very hard subjects to get people to talk about at any length.
Ideally, you will have a goal in mind -- to find out what interests them, to interest them in something, to change their mind about something, even just to find out their name.
Public speaking is theory, but conversation is application. Speaking TO people is secondary, speaking WITH people primary, and changing someone's mind the greatest mark of your ability to communicate.
But I want to mention that extemporaneous speaking is, certainly, a remarkable confidence-builder.
There is one greater, however: walking up to a complete stranger and striking up a conversation. Not "so, we're both waiting in this bus terminal, where are you going?", but engage them in a serious subject they have opinions on. Politics or religion, for example. These are very hard subjects to get people to talk about at any length.
Ideally, you will have a goal in mind -- to find out what interests them, to interest them in something, to change their mind about something, even just to find out their name.
Public speaking is theory, but conversation is application. Speaking TO people is secondary, speaking WITH people primary, and changing someone's mind the greatest mark of your ability to communicate.