presentation on speaking in public

10 Tips for Improving Your Public Speaking Skills

Few are immune to the fear of public speaking. Marjorie North offers 10 tips for speakers to calm the nerves and deliverable memorable orations.

Marjorie North

Snakes? Fine. Flying? No problem. Public speaking? Yikes! Just thinking about public speaking — routinely described as one of the greatest (and most common) fears — can make your palms sweat. But there are many ways to tackle this anxiety and learn to deliver a memorable speech.

In part one of this series,  Mastering the Basics of Communication , I shared strategies to improve how you communicate. In part two, How to Communicate More Effectively in the Workplace , I examined how to apply these techniques as you interact with colleagues and supervisors in the workplace. For the third and final part of this series, I’m providing you with public speaking tips that will help reduce your anxiety, dispel myths, and improve your performance.

Here Are My 10 Tips for Public Speaking:

1. nervousness is normal. practice and prepare.

All people feel some physiological reactions like pounding hearts and trembling hands. Do not associate these feelings with the sense that you will perform poorly or make a fool of yourself. Some nerves are good. The adrenaline rush that makes you sweat also makes you more alert and ready to give your best performance.

The best way to overcome anxiety is to prepare, prepare, and prepare some more. Take the time to go over your notes several times. Once you have become comfortable with the material, practice — a lot. Videotape yourself, or get a friend to critique your performance.

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2. Know Your Audience. Your Speech Is About Them, Not You.

Before you begin to craft your message, consider who the message is intended for. Learn as much about your listeners as you can. This will help you determine your choice of words, level of information, organization pattern, and motivational statement.

3. Organize Your Material in the Most Effective Manner to Attain Your Purpose.

Create the framework for your speech. Write down the topic, general purpose, specific purpose, central idea, and main points. Make sure to grab the audience’s attention in the first 30 seconds.

4. Watch for Feedback and Adapt to It.

Keep the focus on the audience. Gauge their reactions, adjust your message, and stay flexible. Delivering a canned speech will guarantee that you lose the attention of or confuse even the most devoted listeners.

5. Let Your Personality Come Through.

Be yourself, don’t become a talking head — in any type of communication. You will establish better credibility if your personality shines through, and your audience will trust what you have to say if they can see you as a real person.

6. Use Humor, Tell Stories, and Use Effective Language.

Inject a funny anecdote in your presentation, and you will certainly grab your audience’s attention. Audiences generally like a personal touch in a speech. A story can provide that.

7. Don’t Read Unless You Have to. Work from an Outline.

Reading from a script or slide fractures the interpersonal connection. By maintaining eye contact with the audience, you keep the focus on yourself and your message. A brief outline can serve to jog your memory and keep you on task.

8. Use Your Voice and Hands Effectively. Omit Nervous Gestures.

Nonverbal communication carries most of the message. Good delivery does not call attention to itself, but instead conveys the speaker’s ideas clearly and without distraction.

9. Grab Attention at the Beginning, and Close with a Dynamic End.

Do you enjoy hearing a speech start with “Today I’m going to talk to you about X”? Most people don’t. Instead, use a startling statistic, an interesting anecdote, or concise quotation. Conclude your speech with a summary and a strong statement that your audience is sure to remember.

10. Use Audiovisual Aids Wisely.

Too many can break the direct connection to the audience, so use them sparingly. They should enhance or clarify your content, or capture and maintain your audience’s attention.

Practice Does Not Make Perfect

Good communication is never perfect, and nobody expects you to be perfect. However, putting in the requisite time to prepare will help you deliver a better speech. You may not be able to shake your nerves entirely, but you can learn to minimize them.

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About the Author

North is a consultant for political candidates, physicians, and lawyers, and runs a private practice specializing in public speaking, and executive communication skills. Previously, she was the clinical director in the department of speech and language pathology and audiology at Northeastern University.

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14 Practical Tips to Improve Your Presentation Skills

• The Speaker Lab
• May 11, 2024

Table of Contents

Ever felt complete dread and fear at the thought of stepping up to deliver a presentation? If so, you’re not alone. The fear of public speaking is more common than you might think, but with the right presentation skills , it’s a hurdle that can be overcome.

In this article, we’ll help you master basic confidence-building techniques and conquer advanced communication strategies for engaging presentations. We’ll explore how body language and eye contact can make or break your connection with your audience; delve into preparation techniques like dealing with filler words and nervous habits; discuss tailoring content for different audiences; and much more.

Whether you’re prepping for job interviews or gearing up for big presentations, being prepared is key. With adequate practice and the proper attitude, you can crush your speech or presentation!

Mastering the Basics of Presentation Skills

Presentation skills are not just about speaking in front of a crowd. It’s also about effective communication, audience engagement, and clarity. Mastering these skills can be transformative for everyone, from students to corporate trainers.

Building Confidence in Presentations

Becoming confident when presenting is no small feat. But fear not. Even those who feel jittery at the mere thought of public speaking can become masters with practice and patience. Just remember: stage fright is common and overcoming it is part of the process towards becoming an effective presenter.

Taking deep breaths before you start helps calm nerves while visualizing success aids in building confidence. Also, know that nobody minds if you take a moment to gather your thoughts during your presentation—everybody minds more if they cannot understand what you’re saying because you’re rushing.

The Role of Practice in Enhancing Presentation Skills

In line with old wisdom, practice indeed makes perfect, especially when improving presentation skills. Consistent rehearsals allow us to fine-tune our delivery methods like maintaining eye contact or controlling body language effectively.

You’ll learn better control over filler words through repeated drills. Plus, the extra practice can help you troubleshoot any technical glitches beforehand, saving you the sudden panic during your actual presentations.

Remember that great presenters were once beginners too. Continuous effort will get you there sooner rather than later.

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Body Language and Eye Contact in Presentations

The effectiveness of your presentation can hinge on more than just the words you say. Just as important is your body language .

Impact of Posture on Presentations

Your posture speaks volumes before you utter a word. Standing tall exudes confidence while slouching could signal nervousness or lack of preparation.

If there’s one lesson to take away from our YouTube channel , it’s this: good presenters know their message but great ones feel it through every fiber (or muscle) of their being. The audience can sense that energy when they see open body language rather than crossed arms.

Maintaining Eye Contact During Your Presentation

Eyes are often called windows to the soul for a reason. They’re communication powerhouses. Making eye contact helps build trust with your audience members and keeps them engaged throughout your speech.

Avoid staring at note cards or visual aids too much as this might give an impression that you’re unprepared or uncertain about your chosen topic. Instead, aim to maintain eye contact between 50% of the time during presentations. This commonly accepted “50/70 rule” will help you exhibit adequate confidence to your audience.

If stage fright has gotten a hold on you, take deep breaths before you start speaking in order to stay calm. Make sure that fear doesn’t disrupt your ability to maintain eye-contact during presentations.

If body language and eye contact still feel like a lot to manage during your big presentation, remember our golden rule: nobody minds small mistakes. It’s how you handle questions or mishaps that truly makes a difference—so stay positive and enthusiastic.

Preparation Techniques for Successful Presentations

Presentation skills are like a craft that requires meticulous preparation and practice. Aspects like visual aids and time management contribute to the overall effectiveness of your delivery.

The first step towards delivering an impactful presentation is research and organization. The content should be well-researched, structured logically, and presented in simple language. This will make sure you deliver clear messages without any room for misinterpretation.

Dealing with Filler Words and Nervous Habits

Nervous habits such as excessive use of filler words can distract from your message. Luckily, there are plenty of strategies that can address these issues. For instance, try taking deep breaths before speaking or using note cards until fluency is achieved. In addition, practice regularly to work on eliminating these verbal stumbling blocks.

Avoiding Distractions During Presentations

In a digital age where distractions abound, maintaining focus during presentations has become an even more crucial part of the preparation process. This video by motivational speaker Brain Tracy provides insights on how one could achieve this level of focus required for effective presentations.

Maintaining Confidence Throughout Your Presentation

Confidence comes from thorough understanding of the chosen topic combined with regular practice sessions before the big day arrives. Make use of note cards or cue cards as needed but avoid reading from them verbatim.

Taking control over stage fright starts by arriving early at the venue so that you familiarize yourself with the surroundings, which generally calms nerves down considerably. So next time you feel nervous before a big presentation, remember—thorough preparation can make all the difference.

Engaging Your Audience During Presentations

Connecting with your audience during presentations is an art, and mastering it can take your presentation skills to the next level. Making the message conveyed reach an emotional level is essential, not just conveying facts.

Understanding Your Target Audience

The first step towards engaging your audience is understanding them. Tailor the content of your presentation to their needs and interests. Speak in their language—whether that be professional jargon or everyday slang—to establish rapport and ensure comprehension.

An effective presenter understands who they’re speaking to, what those individuals care about, and how best to communicate complex ideas understandably.

Making Complex Information Understandable

Dense data or complicated concepts can lose even the most interested listener if presented ineffectively. Breaking your key points down into manageable chunks helps maintain attention while promoting retention. Analogies are especially useful for this purpose as they make unfamiliar topics more relatable.

Audience Participation & Questions: A Two-Way Street

Incorporating opportunities for audience participation encourages engagement at another level. It allows listeners to become active participants rather than passive receivers of knowledge.

Consider techniques like live polls or interactive Q&A sessions where you invite questions from attendees mid-presentation instead of saving all queries until the end.

This gives you a chance not only engage but also address any misunderstandings right on spot.

• Treat each question asked as an opportunity—it’s evidence someone has been paying attention. Even challenging questions should be welcomed as they demonstrate an engaged, thoughtful audience.
• Encourage participation. It can be as simple as a show of hands or the use of interactive technologies for live polling during your presentation. This keeps your audience active and invested in the content.

Remember, your presentation isn’t just about putting on a show—it’s about meaningful interaction.

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Presentation Skills in Specific Contexts

Whether you’re nailing your next job interview, presenting an exciting marketing campaign, or delivering insightful educational content, the context matters. Let’s take a look.

The Art of Job Interviews

A successful job interview often hinges on effective communication and confidence. Here, the target audience is usually small but holds significant influence over your future prospects. Body language plays a crucial role; maintain eye contact to show sincerity and interest while open body language communicates approachability.

Bullet points summarizing key experiences are also helpful for quick recall under pressure. This allows you to present your chosen topic with clarity and positive enthusiasm without relying heavily on note or cue cards.

Pitching in Public Relations & Marketing

In public relations (PR) and marketing contexts, presentations need to capture attention quickly yet hold it long enough to deliver key messages effectively. Visual aids are valuable tools here—they help emphasize points while keeping the audience engaged.

Your aim should be highlighting presentation benefits that resonate with potential clients or partners, making them feel as though ignoring such opportunities would mean missing out big time.

Educational Presentations

An educational setting demands its own unique set of presentation skills where deep understanding trumps flashy visuals. You must make complex information understandable without oversimplifying essential details—the use of analogies can be beneficial here.

Keeping the audience’s attention is critical. Encourage questions and participation to foster a more interactive environment, enhancing learning outcomes for all audience members.

Tips for Becoming a Great Presenter

No single method is suitable for everyone when it comes to speaking in public. However, incorporating continuous improvement and practice into your routine can make you an exceptional presenter.

Tailor Your Presentation to Your Audience

Becoming an excellent speaker isn’t just about delivering information; it’s also about making a connection with the audience. So make sure that you’re taking setting, audience, and topic into consideration when crafting your presentation. What works for one audience may not work for another, so be sure to adapt your presentation styles according to the occasion in order to be truly effective.

The Power of Practice

The art of mastering public speaking skills requires practice —and lots of it . To become a great presenter, focus on improving communication skills through practice and feedback from peers or mentors. Try to seek feedback on every speech delivered and incorporate those pointers in your future presentations. Over time, this cycle of delivery-feedback-improvement significantly enhances your ability to connect with audiences and convey ideas effectively.

If you’re looking for examples of good speakers, our speech breakdowns on YouTube provide excellent examples of experienced presenters who masterfully utilize speaking techniques. Analyzing their strategies could give you great ideas for enhancing your own style.

Finding Your Style

A crucial part of captivating any audience lies in how you deliver the message rather than the message itself. Developing a unique presentation style lets you stand out as an engaging speaker who commands attention throughout their talk. Through — you guessed it — practice, you can develop a personal presentation style that resonates with listeners while showcasing your expertise on the chosen topic.

Your body language plays a pivotal role here: open gestures communicate confidence and enthusiasm towards your subject matter, two qualities essential for keeping audiences hooked. Similarly, using vocal variety adds dynamism to speeches by emphasizing points when needed or creating suspense during storytelling parts of your talk.

Cultivating Passion & Enthusiasm

Showcasing genuine passion for the subject helps keep listeners engaged throughout even lengthy presentations. Sharing stories related to the topic or expressing excitement about sharing knowledge tends to draw people in more than mere data recitation ever could.

Recognize that everybody is distinctive; don’t expect identical results from every speaker. The path to becoming a great presenter involves recognizing your strengths and working tirelessly on areas that need improvement.

FAQs on Presentation Skills

What are good presentation skills.

Good presentation skills include a clear message, confident delivery, engaging body language, audience understanding, and interaction. They also involve effective preparation and practice.

What are the 5 steps of presentation skills?

The five steps of presenting include: planning your content, preparing visual aids if needed, practicing the delivery aloud, performing it with confidence, and finally post-presentation reflection for improvements.

What are the 5 P’s of presentation skills?

The five P’s stand for Preparation (researching your topic), Practice (rehearsing your talk), Performance (delivering with confidence), Posture (standing tall), and Projection (using a strong voice).

What are your presentation skills?

Your personal set of abilities to deliver information effectively is what we call your presentation skill. It can encompass public speaking ability, clarity in speech or writing as well as visual communication talent.

Mastering presentation skills isn’t an overnight process, but practice and perseverance will put you well on your way to becoming an effective speaker.

You’ve learned that confidence plays a crucial role in effective presentations, so take deep breaths, make eye contact, and keep your body language open. As always, preparation is key. Tackle filler words head-on and get comfortable with visual aids for impactful storytelling.

Remember the importance of audience engagement — it’s all about understanding their needs and tailoring your content accordingly. This way, complex information turns into digestible insights.

Above all else: practice! After all, nothing beats experience when it comes to improving public speaking abilities.

• Last Updated: May 9, 2024

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Better Public Speaking

Becoming a confident, compelling speaker.

By the Mind Tools Content Team

Whether we're talking in a team meeting or presenting in front of an audience, we all have to speak in public from time to time.

We can do this well or we can do this badly, and the outcome strongly affects the way that people think about us. This is why public speaking causes so much anxiety and concern.

The good news is that, with thorough preparation and practice, you can overcome your nervousness and perform exceptionally well. This article and video explain how.

Click here to view a transcript of this video.

The Importance of Public Speaking

Even if you don't need to make regular presentations in front of a group, there are plenty of situations where good public speaking skills can help you advance your career and create opportunities.

For example, you might have to talk about your organization at a conference, make a speech after accepting an award, or teach a class to new recruits. Speaking to an audience also includes online presentations or talks; for instance, when training a virtual team, or when speaking to a group of customers in an online meeting.

Good public speaking skills are important in other areas of your life, as well. You might be asked to make a speech at a friend's wedding, give a eulogy for a loved one, or inspire a group of volunteers at a charity event.

In short, being a good public speaker can enhance your reputation, boost your self-confidence , and open up countless opportunities.

However, while good skills can open doors, poor ones can close them. For example, your boss might decide against promoting you after sitting through a badly-delivered presentation. You might lose a valuable new contract by failing to connect with a prospect during a sales pitch. Or you could make a poor impression with your new team, because you trip over your words and don't look people in the eye.

Make sure that you learn how to speak well!

Strategies for Becoming a Better Speaker

The good news is that speaking in public is a learnable skill. As such, you can use the following strategies to become a better speaker and presenter.

Plan Appropriately

First, make sure that you plan your communication appropriately. Use tools like the Rhetorical Triangle , Monroe's Motivated Sequence , and the 7Cs of Communication to think about how you'll structure what you're going to say.

When you do this, think about how important a book's first paragraph is; if it doesn't grab you, you're likely going to put it down. The same principle goes for your speech: from the beginning, you need to intrigue your audience.

For example, you could start with an interesting statistic, headline, or fact that pertains to what you're talking about and resonates with your audience. You can also use story telling as a powerful opener; our Expert Interviews with Annette Simmons and Paul Smith offer some useful tips on doing this.

Planning also helps you to think on your feet . This is especially important for unpredictable question and answer sessions or last-minute communications.

Remember that not all occasions when you need to speak in public will be scheduled. You can make good impromptu speeches by having ideas and mini-speeches pre-prepared. It also helps to have a good, thorough understanding of what's going on in your organization and industry.

There's a good reason that we say, "Practice makes perfect!" You simply cannot be a confident, compelling speaker without practice.

To get practice, seek opportunities to speak in front of others. For example, Toastmasters is a club geared specifically towards aspiring speakers, and you can get plenty of practice at Toastmasters sessions. You could also put yourself in situations that require public speaking, such as by cross-training a group from another department, or by volunteering to speak at team meetings.

If you're going to be delivering a presentation or prepared speech, create it as early as possible. The earlier you put it together, the more time you'll have to practice.

Practice it plenty of times alone, using the resources you'll rely on at the event, and, as you practice, tweak your words until they flow smoothly and easily.

Then, if appropriate, do a dummy run in front of a small audience: this will help you calm your jitters and make you feel more comfortable with the material. Your audience can also give you useful feedback , both on your material and on your performance.

Engage With Your Audience

When you speak, try to engage your audience. This makes you feel less isolated as a speaker and keeps everyone involved with your message. If appropriate, ask leading questions targeted to individuals or groups, and encourage people to participate and ask questions.

Keep in mind that some words reduce your power as a speaker. For instance, think about how these sentences sound: "I just want to add that I think we can meet these goals" or "I just think this plan is a good one." The words "just" and "I think" limit your authority and conviction. Don't use them.

A similar word is "actually," as in, "Actually, I'd like to add that we were under budget last quarter." When you use "actually," it conveys a sense of submissiveness or even surprise. Instead, say what things are. "We were under budget last quarter" is clear and direct.

Also, pay attention to how you're speaking. If you're nervous, you might talk quickly. This increases the chances that you'll trip over your words, or say something you don't mean. Force yourself to slow down by breathing deeply. Don't be afraid to gather your thoughts; pauses are an important part of conversation, and they make you sound confident, natural, and authentic.

Finally, avoid reading word-for-word from your notes. Instead, make a list of important points on cue cards, or, as you get better at public speaking, try to memorize what you're going to say – you can still refer back to your cue cards when you need them.

Pay Attention to Body Language

If you're unaware of it, your body language will give your audience constant, subtle clues about your inner state. If you're nervous, or if you don't believe in what you're saying, the audience can soon know.

Pay attention to your body language: stand up straight, take deep breaths, look people in the eye, and smile. Don't lean on one leg or use gestures that feel unnatural.

Many people prefer to speak behind a podium when giving presentations. While podiums can be useful for holding notes, they put a barrier between you and the audience. They can also become a "crutch," giving you a hiding place from the dozens or hundreds of eyes that are on you.

Instead of standing behind a podium, walk around and use gestures to engage the audience. This movement and energy will also come through in your voice, making it more active and passionate.

Think Positively

Positive thinking can make a huge difference to the success of your communication, because it helps you feel more confident.

Fear makes it all too easy to slip into a cycle of negative self-talk, especially right before you speak, while self-sabotaging thoughts such as "I'll never be good at this!" or "I'm going to fall flat on my face!" lower your confidence and increase the chances that you won't achieve what you're truly capable of.

Use affirmations and visualization to raise your confidence. This is especially important right before your speech or presentation. Visualize giving a successful presentation, and imagine how you'll feel once it's over and when you've made a positive difference for others. Use positive affirmations such as "I'm grateful I have the opportunity to help my audience" or "I'm going to do well!"

Cope With Nerves

How often have you listened to or watched a speaker who really messed up? Chances are, the answer is "not very often."

When we have to speak in front of others, we can envision terrible things happening. We imagine forgetting every point we want to make, passing out from our nervousness, or doing so horribly that we'll lose our job. But those things almost never come to pass! We build them up in our minds and end up more nervous than we need to be.

Many people cite speaking to an audience as their biggest fear, and a fear of failure is often at the root of this. Public speaking can lead your "fight or flight" response to kick in: adrenaline courses through your bloodstream, your heart rate increases, you sweat, and your breath becomes fast and shallow.

Although these symptoms can be annoying or even debilitating, the Inverted-U Model shows that a certain amount of pressure enhances performance. By changing your mindset, you can use nervous energy to your advantage.

First, make an effort to stop thinking about yourself, your nervousness, and your fear. Instead, focus on your audience: what you're saying is "about them." Remember that you're trying to help or educate them in some way, and your message is more important than your fear. Concentrate on the audience's wants and needs, instead of your own.

If time allows, use deep breathing exercises to slow your heart rate and give your body the oxygen it needs to perform. This is especially important right before you speak. Take deep breaths from your belly, hold each one for several seconds, and let it out slowly.

Crowds are more intimidating than individuals, so think of your speech as a conversation that you're having with one person. Although your audience may be 100 people, focus on one friendly face at a time, and talk to that person as if he or she is the only one in the room.

Watch Recordings of Your Speeches

Whenever possible, record your presentations and speeches. You can improve your speaking skills dramatically by watching yourself later, and then working on improving in areas that didn't go well.

As you watch, notice any verbal stalls, such as "um" or "like." Look at your body language: are you swaying, leaning on the podium, or leaning heavily on one leg? Are you looking at the audience? Did you smile? Did you speak clearly at all times?

Pay attention to your gestures. Do they appear natural or forced? Make sure that people can see them, especially if you're standing behind a podium.

Last, look at how you handled interruptions, such as a sneeze or a question that you weren't prepared for. Does your face show surprise, hesitation, or annoyance? If so, practice managing interruptions like these smoothly, so that you're even better next time.

Chances are that you'll sometimes have to speak in public as part of your role. While this can seem intimidating, the benefits of being able to speak well outweigh any perceived fears. To become a better speaker, use the following strategies:

• Plan appropriately.
• Engage with your audience.
• Pay attention to body language.
• Think positively.
• Cope with your nerves.
• Watch recordings of your speeches.

If you speak well in public, it can help you get a job or promotion, raise awareness for your team or organization, and educate others. The more you push yourself to speak in front of others, the better you'll become, and the more confidence you'll have.

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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

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Five tips to set yourself apart.

Never underestimate the power of great communication. It can help you land the job of your dreams, attract investors to back your idea, or elevate your stature within your organization. But while there are plenty of good speakers in the world, you can set yourself apart out by being the person who can deliver something great over and over. Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired together are more memorable); don’t underestimate the power of your voice (raise and lower it for emphasis); give your audience something extra (unexpected moments will grab their attention); rehearse (the best speakers are the best because they practice — a lot).

I was sitting across the table from a Silicon Valley CEO who had pioneered a technology that touches many of our lives — the flash memory that stores data on smartphones, digital cameras, and computers. He was a frequent guest on CNBC and had been delivering business presentations for at least 20 years before we met. And yet, the CEO wanted to sharpen his public speaking skills.

• Carmine Gallo is a Harvard University instructor, keynote speaker, and author of 10 books translated into 40 languages. Gallo is the author of The Bezos Blueprint: Communication Secrets of the World’s Greatest Salesman  (St. Martin’s Press).

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Home Blog Presentation Ideas How to Become Great in Public Speaking: Presenting Best Practices

How to Become Great in Public Speaking: Presenting Best Practices

As the popular lore tells: you can talk your way into success. Indeed, great public speakers often hold top corporate positions, lead the nations, and rally others to take joint action. But what if talking isn’t your forte, especially when it comes to doing so in front of large audiences? In that case, you’ll benefit a lot from the public speaking tips and tricks we showcase in this post! 

What is Public Speaking? 

In the simplest terms, public speaking is the art of effective oral communication with one person or many. We talk to the public anytime we engage in a discussion with someone else.  

Everyone knows how to communicate with others and do so in front of bigger groups e.g. at work. Far fewer, feel confident with delivering persuasive speeches or doing public presentations at conferences, virtual events, or even in the boardroom full of important stakeholders. 

But we also know how great public speakers look and act. They are confident and inspiring, can “plant” ideas into other’s heads, and inspire action. 

The Benefits of Public Speaking 

Being a great public speaker gives you several major advantages in personal and professional areas: 

• Higher level of verbal and nonverbal communication skills
• Better critical thinking and analysis abilities
• Leeway into leadership positions 
• Personal brand development
• More productive networking 

Ultimately, being good at public speaking helps you get more comfortable in group settings and draw the spotlight towards yourself. Talented public speakers can connect better with new people through charismatic presentations and persuasive talks. This, in turn, opens up an array of new opportunities — be it making more friends or raising funds for your project.

Different Types of Public Speaking 

As mentioned already, public speaking refers both to our day-day two-way exchanges with others and public presentations to an audience. 

In the case of the latter, public speeches can be classified as: 

Extemporaneous speeches

Pre-written speeches and practiced ahead of time. Usually, a speaker will rely on aids such as notes, presentation slides, or an outline when delivering the speech. Example : Conference talks. 

Impromptu speeches

Spur of the moment speeches, delivered without any preparation, agenda, or notes. Since you are caught off guard, delivering such a speech can be pretty challenging unless you are already good at speaking in public. Example : being asked to speak up during a customer meeting.

Manuscript speeches

Word-by-word delivery of a pre-written script, usually displayed on a screen/teleprompter. In essence, you are reading your speech rather than presenting it. Example : Officials addressing the nation. 

Memorized speeches

You deliver a prepared speech from memory without any aids. Such speaking can feel gut-wrenching if you are afraid to forget your lines and don’t feel confident improvising. Careful preparation is needed. Example : Ted talks or live product presentations. 

The Fear of Public Speaking 

Despite the fact that most of us love chatting, far fewer feel comfortable talking in front of larger audiences. In fact, 75% of Americans have some level of public speaking anxiety. Many also feel frantic about going on the stage. 

The fear of public speaking is called glossophobia. It’s a recognized psychological condition with symptoms such as: 

• Accelerated heart rate
• Dizziness and lightheadedness 

So what makes us terrified of public speaking? 

Physiologists say that the above reactions are our body’s natural response to threatening situations. Our nervous system enters a hyperarousal state, activating the sense of fear. This sabotages our performance on stage. 

But what prompts us to treat public speaking as a threatening situation? Researchers found that humans perceive prolonged eye watching as an existential threat. Back in the old days, observations from a hostile tribe were a strong sign of upcoming trouble. So did a watchful eye of a predatory animal. 

This “memory” still remains imprinted subconsciously in our brain today. Thus, when we go on stage to deliver a public speech, our brain first registers the gazing audience as a threat. The brain goes into the “fight or flee” mode, prompting a reaction similar to the one we experience when facing actual danger. Most public speaking tips are aimed at helping us cope with this reaction and develop a more relaxed response to being observed. 

Also, some of us tend to get extra jittery before public speaking due to anxiety sensitivity — the fear of fear. Apart from being scared of public speaking as an act, some of us also feel stressed about how their anxiety will interfere with performing well. This leads to a cascading effect of paralysis. 

But as Dalel Carnegie wrote in the “ Art of Public Speaking, 13th Edition ” : “ If you believe you will fail, there is no hope for you. You will.”

A strong mindset is the key to taming your fear of public speaking. If regular calming exercises don’t help, try attending public speaking classes or taking individual coaching sessions. An experienced mentor can help you learn to cope with anxiety, hone your public speaking skills, and develop better confidence in front of groups. 

How to Be a Better Public Speaker: 6 Tips 

Confidence is also crucial. Whenever we are uncertain of our abilities to do good, we feel uncomfortable. So practice public talks, and practice a lot. In the words of Dale Carnegie, 

“Practice in speaking before an audience will tend to remove all fear of audiences, just as practice in swimming will lead to confidence and facility in the water. You must learn to speak by speaking.”

So, how to be a great presenter and improve your public speaking skills? Below are six research-backed public speaking techniques you should employ the next time you are preparing to deliver a speech! 

1. Nail Your Opening

The presenter’s anxiety is at highest during the first 30-60 seconds of the speaking. Once you get past that, you’ll hail more confidently through the rest of your speech. 

Hence, make sure to get a positive response from your audience from the get-go. Here are some ideas for starting a public speech: 

• Begin with the ending: use BLUF technique — bottom line upfront 
• Share a personal story to build empathy 
• Ask a rhetorical question to make the audience think 
• Provide a quote that sets the tone for your narrative 
• Project into the future to get the audience focused on outcomes 
• Use some humor to squeeze out some laughs and relax yourself 

Read more about how to start a presentation and which slides to use. 

2. Maintain Eye Contact with the Audience 

Simon Sinek, the most-viewed presenter on TED, offers this piece of advice : 

“Look at specific audience members throughout your speech. If you can, give each person that you intently look at an entire sentence or thought, without breaking your gaze. When you finish a sentence, move on to another person and keep connecting with individual people until you’re done speaking.”

By maintaining such gradual eye contact, you can build a better rapport with all audience members. Then again, it prevents your thoughts from getting scattered if you leave your gaze scanning over everyone. Also, by focusing on one person at a time, you deliberately ignore the stares from others. This helps minimize the anxiety-inducing “fight or flee” reflex. 

3. Try the “Inward, Outward, Forward” Formula For Your Speech 

The Inward, Outward, Forward format of structuring your speech is a good way to make a strong point within a short time span. It helps the listeners retain your core message and align with your way of thinking. Here’s how it works:

• Explain why you are bringing up the topic. 
• Provide evidence on what others think about it. 
• End with a solution to the stated problem.

For example, if you are doing an after-action review meeting with your team, you can first summarize the main challenge you’ve faced. Then present examples of how individuals or other teams are handling similar issues. Lastly, sum up your proposal on the follow-up steps and solutions you’d recommend trying. 

4. Use the “Commander’s Intent” Technique to Make Your Ideas Stick 

Commander’s Intent (CI) is a technique the military personnel uses to communicate the main directive. 

A CI is a brief statement, placed on top of every order, summarizing the plan’s goal and desired end results. You can apply the same tactic to highlight the main points from each section of your speech. Or to prepare accompanying slides for the presentation.

Add a CI statement to the most important slides. Then expand on the idea within your speech. Doing so will help the audience focus on the key discussion point and retain the information better. 

5. Choose the Right Pitch and Tone of Voice 

Researchers from Yale University found that a speaker’s tone of voice and pitch influences the listeners’ perception of the speaker in terms of trust and likability. Why so?

Because voice is the most effective means for conveying emotions. It’s more channeling to disguise your attitude when you talk. So if you sound unconfident, anxious, doubting, or bored, the audience will likely sense that and act accordingly. 

For that reason, many amazing public speakers undergo voice coaching. They train to project the right emotions via their voice and naturally adjust pitch and vocal tone to convey different ideas. Most strive to achieve the maximum resonance point — a resonance that infers power to your voice.

For example, if your range is 2 octaves and 4 notes respectively, this is your max resonance point. Talking at this level most of the time is optimal. 

When you need to show passion, go a note higher. Go a note or two lower if you want to project certainty or authority. 

Final Tip: Work on Your Body Language

When presenting in person, your body language will also be telling of your confidence and authority. Plus, it will shape the audience’s perception of you, just like your voice.  Hence, be sure to practice your posture and gestures too! In particular:

Don’t self-block (aka trying to shrink your body).

This means crossing arms, slouching, keeping hands in the pocket, etc. Such movements act as a barricade between you and the audience. They make you appear less trustworthy. To avoid them, hold on to the microphone or a presentation clicker. 

Practice breathing and hand gestures.

Uneven, raspy breathing will affect your pitch and tone of voice. So practice taking slow, measured breaths to pace your speech better. Take longer pauses when you want to emphasize a point.  Also, use mild hand gestures, head nods, and arm movements to engage with the audience. But don’t gesticulate too much as this will appear distractive. 

Ultimately, there are no shortcuts. Practice, practice, and then practice some more! Great public speakers aren’t born — they are self-made! 

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101 Public Speaking Tips

• Fear of Public Speaking

Anyone Can Develop Good Presentation Skills

No matter what they tell you, people who have excellent presentation skills are not lucky. They didn’t win the lottery of life. Also, those of us who are not great at presenting aren’t doomed to failure. Anyone can develop presentation skills. I also believe that, with just a little practice, anyone can become a world-class speaker. Below are 101 public speaking tips that will help you reduce stage fright and become more self-confident. Don’t try to memorize all 101 tips, and don’t try to apply every single one before your next presentation. Instead, bookmark this page and pick one single tip to master during your next speech. Then come back over and over to try new ideas.

One of the challenges with tip pages (like this) is that readers are often embarrassed by their fear and try to hide it. If you have stage fright, chances are there are tons of others out there who need help as well. So, if you get value out of these tips, make sure and link to it or post it on Facebook or Linked-In . Help us help more people, please.

Public Speaking 101 – A list of 101 Public Speaking Tips!

Design a good skeleton of a presentation, create a clear and specific title or topic.

If you create a vague or general title, you will have a vague and general (hard to deliver) speech. Get specific and focused. For instance, instead of talking about “Last Year Financials,” talk about how “Cost-Saving Measures and Increased Sales Led to Higher Profit.” Remember in High School when you had to give book reports? It is tiresome to hear 32 versions of “Book Report about Julius Cesar,” but “Julius Cesar is a Metaphor for High School Peer Pressure” is much more enjoyable.

For additional details, see How to Design a Catchy Presentation Title .

Limit Your Support to a Few Most Important Points

Once you have a great topic, prove that your point or conclusion is valid by using just three, four, or five essential support items. Spend more time showing your few points versus adding more and more and more additional points. Your audience will only remember a few things that you cover, so make sure they are the most critical points. If you have trouble determining what points to use or narrowing down to just a few points, go back to tip number one and adjust your topic.

For additional details, see Write a Speech in Just a Few Simple Steps .

Add Stories

Stories are easy to remember and easy to deliver to an audience, so your nervousness will drop as you relay stories to your audience. Examples also help you prove your bullet points in a way that makes it easy for the audience to remember.

For additional details, see Storytelling in Speeches .

Use Stories as Facts and Figures

Most presenters like to create a long list of bullet points with facts and figures. Instead, give your audience the story behind the number. For instance, (1) revenue increased 10% (2) closing ratios went up 3% (3) advertising costs decreased 15%, and (4) profit went up 15% is quickly forgotten and will take up a whole PowerPoint slide.

However, “At the beginning of the last quarter, we changed our advertising strategy and focused more on repeat business from current clients versus spending money to attract new clients. We stopped sending mailers to the mailing list that we used in the past, and we sent multiple mailers to past customers instead. We were able to cut the mailing cost by 15%. The sales team had fewer leads and was able to spend more time developing repeat business. This allowed them to increase their closing ratios by 3% and total revenue by 10%. Since the cost was down as well, the combination of increased revenue and decreased advertising cost led to a 15% increase in profit.” Much easier to remember, much more comfortable to deliver, and no bullet points needed.

We jammed a lot of content into this tip page, so come back often to renew your focus. Remember that the Fearless Presentations ® class helps participants implement every one of these 101 puplic speaking tips! Our blog posts give these tips and more in greater detail.

Public Speaking Tips to Reduce Public Speaking Fear

Practice with a Partner

Now that you have a good outline and skeleton of a presentation practice delivering the speech with a friend or coworker. Practicing alone is a bad idea because you are your own worst critic. When you practice with a friend, though, you will get good verbal and visual feedback.

For additional details, see How to Reduce Public Speaking Fear .

Avoid Video Feedback

Video feedback can be a fantastic way to grow as a speaker, but it can also scare the gooey out of you. Avoid video feedback unless you have an excellent coach, professionally trained, to go over it with you. Going it alone can cause a lot of challenges.

Get Good at Delivering without Notes and Visual Aids

Since you are practicing a fairly simple speech right now, practice it without notes. Just write your three, four, or five key points on a slide or flip chart and practice delivering the presentation by really developing your stories. At this point, you will only really need to remember which story you want to use for each of your points. Keep it simple.

For additional details, see How to Memorize a Speech .

Butterflies are Normal

At this point, as you practice, you might start to feel butterflies in your stomach or other symptoms of public speaking fear. Don’t worry. Those symptoms are normal. However, as you practice once or twice, the nervousness should drop pretty dramatically.

For additional explanation of these and other ways to reduce nervousness, see this post. 10 Ways to Reduce Public Speaking Fear .

Lose Train of Thought?

If you lose your train of thought and feel some panic, then one of a couple of things might be happening. You likely have a bunch of bullet points that are difficult to remember. If so, go back through the earlier tips and design your speech differently. If you are feeling light-headed and confused, though.

When we get nervous, we tend to breath more shallowly. When this happens, the speaker will not have enough oxygen, which makes the panic even greater. Which alters the breathing even more. When you feel this happening, stop and take a deep breath from the diaphragm. To keep this from happening, take a nice deep breath before you say your first sentence.

Realize 90% of Nervousness Doesn’t Show

The audience usually can’t see the butterflies, or shaky hands, or sweaty palms. The problem occurs when we start thinking about these symptoms rather than focusing on the audience and our topic. By human nature, most people are focused on themselves, not on you. Focus on them, and two things will happen. First, they will like you more. Also, much of the nervousness that you feel will go away.

Avoid Writing Presentation Word for Word

Don’t fall into the trap of writing everything out so that you don’t forget something. You will be likely just to read it to the audience and probably sound boring when you do. Design your outline as we described above, and you will sound and feel more confident.

Avoid Memorizing Your Entire Speech

Most people believe that if they memorize their written speech, they will sound better than when they read it. It is possible, but not likely, though. More likely, the speaker will, at some point, forget something and panic. Instead, follow the guidelines above to design a good skeleton of a speech and memorize your stories.

Presentation Skill Tips to Add Energy to Your Delivery

Add Energy and Enthusiasm

Enthusiasm is the absolute most important public speaking secret. If you have energy and enthusiasm, your audience will love you. Be excited about your topic, and your audience will be excited about your presentation.

For more details, see 5 Turnkey Ways to Add Energy to a Presentation .

Talk with Your Hands

We all naturally speak with our hands, but for some reason, when we stand up to speak, we tend to lock up our body language and lose a lot of our natural energy. Drop your hands when you start a speech, then use them to explain your points. (By the way, if you tell a lot of stories, this will happen naturally.)

Make Your Gestures Bigger than Your Body

In a small room, try to make your gestures outside of your torso. Small gestures below the shoulders and close to your body make you look weak and timid. The higher and wider your gestures are, the more confident you appear. When we get nervous, we want a barrier between us and the threat, so the small gestures show the audience that they threaten you. Make the gestures bigger.

Exaggerate Gestures in Big Venues

As your audience gets bigger, so should your gestures. If you have a stand, (most people call it a podium, but the podium is the small stage that a speaker stands on), the audience will not see your gestures unless you exaggerate them. Make your gestures huge. They will look very normal for the audience.

Speak Faster

This tip goes against conventional wisdom in public speaking, but it is one of the most valuable tips. Speak faster! Really. When you talk faster, you add natural energy to your presentation. Think about the last time that you were excited about something. How did you tell people about it? We’re you slow and measured or fast and exaggerated? Talk faster, and the audience will get excited about you and your topic. I know what you are thinking.”Everyone else tells me to slow down.” Well, everyone else doesn’t get paid tens of thousands of dollars every time they speak and are probably pretty boring. If you want to be like them, do what they tell you. If you want to be a great speaker, speak faster.

Move Faster

So, not only do you want to move more and bigger, but also faster. For instance, when you walk to the front, don’t run, but take about a half-step faster pace than normal. If you walk like you are going to the gallows, you will suck the energy out of the room and leave the impression of being boring. If you move like you want to get to the front of the room, you will push energy into the room.

Your voice is your best tool when you present, so use it. If you are quiet, the audience will question your authority on the subject. Increase your volume a little to show the audience that you are in control.

Change Your Tone

What do they call boring speakers? Right, “mono-tone.” When we get nervous, especially when we memorize a presentation word-for-word, we tend to zoom through the presentation because we are afraid we will forget something. Most often, a speaker will sound very monotone when he/she does this. By the way, this is different from the “speaking faster” that I mentioned above. The reason why most coaches will tell a speaker to “slow down” is because most speakers zoom through memorized speeches with little or no emphasis on content, so the tone stays the same all the way through. Instead, design your speech as we talked about, and make a conscious effort to call attention to words or phrases that need emphasis. “It made a HUGE difference,” versus “It was a huge difference.”

Add Impact and Pizzaz to Your Presentation

Make Your Title Audience Focused

Go back to your title now and redesign it so that it has a significant “want” of the audience. Just look at the title as you have it and ask “why” does the audience need to hear this presentation? Whatever the answer to that question is should be added to the title. For instance, if your title is “Project Update,” and you followed tip #1 and made it more specific, you might end up with, “Smith Building Construction Project Update.” Now go one step farther. What is the actual result of the update? What conclusion do you want the audience to come to about the presentation? Now the title becomes, “Smith Building is Two Weeks behind Schedule, but Back on Track by the End of the Month.”

For more details, see How to Create a Great Presentation Title .

Make Your Bullet Points Audience Focused

Once you make your title audience-focused, your bullet points are likely to change. If your title is just “Smith Building Project Update,” then you’d likely have dozens of possible points that you could cover from personnel, schedule, budget, project map, client meetings, community outreach, etc however, if the title is about how the project is behind schedule and our plan to get back on schedule. You’ll likely spend point one on what happened to get us off track (and tell a few stories about it). Then, points two and three will probably be a few things that we will do to get back on track with examples of each.

For additional info, so Create Great Bullet Points in Your Presentation .

Add More Stories

I know that I gave this tip earlier, but stories are your Ace-in-the-Hole in presentations. The more that you have, the better your presentation will be, and the more that your audience will like you. I often hear statements from class members like, “But, presenters in my company don’t tell stories.” I always respond with, “Well, I can pretty much bet that meetings and speeches within your company stink, then.” And then almost always agree. After you have your skeleton presentation designed with a topic, a few key bullet points, and a story to prove each bullet point, go back and add a few more stories as proof. Below are a few ways to do this.

A Few Ways to Use Stories to Reduce Nervousness and Add Impact

Add a Moral or an Action

Your examples are great ways to teach the audience or persuade them. When you finish your stories, add a moral or call to action to the end, such as, “so, what I want you to get from this is.” When we tell people to do something or give advice, human nature is to play Devil’s Advocate, but when you tell a story first, they are more likely to agree. Try it around the office. Instead of giving advice right away, start with a story about the advice first and see if you get better results.

For more info, see How to Write an Effective Persuasive Speech .

Use Success Stories as Proof

Your successes are solid proof that your advice is sound, so anytime you offer advice or a suggested plan of action, always try to use a personal example as your proof that your input is valid. If you haven’t had personal success with the new idea, find some other group or person who has and use their success story as proof.

Learn from Mistakes

When you or your team has challenges, tell the story about the trial or mistake, and then add the moral at the end to show how you learned from it. A lot of times, this can add some self-deprecating humor, as well.

Give Contrasting Examples

A good way to use examples and stories is with a “good” example and a “bad” example. For instance, if you are giving a suggestion or advice in your presentation, give one example of a time when you or someone else didn’t take the advice, and the results were less than adequate and a second example when we used the advice and had success.

A Few Public Speaking Tips to Use Audience Participation to Add Impact

Add audience participation.

Audience participation is a fantastic way to break up the presentation and add energy and attentiveness to a presentation. The adage is that “People will support a world that they help create.” When your audience helps deliver your presentation, they will enjoy the presentation more and retain the information longer.

Avoid Rhetorical Questions

Never ask the audience a question that you don’t expect them to answer. Rhetorical questions aren’t interactive and have the potential to be annoying or even manipulative, so really avoid these types of questions.

Be Careful with Yes/No Questions

Questions where some people will answer “Yes” and some will answer “No” will divide the audience, so only use them if a division is what you want. For instance, “How many of you have been sexually harassed at some time in your career?” will likely cause a harmful division that you’d rather avoid, but “How many of you made President’s Club this year?” might give you a positive result. Just be careful, dividing your audience.

Avoid Single Answer Questions

Questions with only a single correct answer have only two possible results. Either one single person will answer the question correctly for one single success, or no one will answer the question, and the entire audience will feel stupid. If there is only one answer, avoid the question and tell the audience the answer.

Ask Open-Ended, Opinion Based Questions

The best types of questions are open-ended and “opinion-based” meaning that anyone with an opinion can, and most likely will, be correct. So a whole group of audience members is now the heroes of the room. The best way to do this is to make sure that your bullet points have gone to that “next level” where the result to the audience is added and ask it instead of telling it. “So we are two weeks behind schedule on the Smith building. What kind of things can we do to get back on track by the end of the month?”

Think/Write/Share

If your audience more introverted or less likely to interact, use Think/Write/Share. “Think about all of the possible ways that we can get back on track on the Smith project…” “If you would, write down two or three of your best ideas.” Then wait for everyone to write down at least one thing. “Tell me what you wrote down, and I’ll write them on the whiteboard.” You’ll get a lot more participation this way.

Use Sticky Notes to Get Input

If you have one or two overly vocal audience members who tend to overpower all other opinions, then try having everyone write their ideas on individual Sticky Notes instead. Collect all of the notes and read them out to the group and organize them into piles of similar ideas. That way, you can see where the real consensus is in the group without it becoming a popularity contest.

Another way to get a group to participate is to ask them to tell their best idea to a partner sitting next to them. Then have the partners volunteer to say to the group a single idea that their partner shared that was particularly good.

Have a Contest

Divide the audience into small groups and have a contest of some kind. This could be a test to see what they remember from the speeches from previous presenters, or it could be a contest to see who can come up with the most creative solution to a challenge or problem that you are experiencing. Get creative because people learn more when they are having fun.

My Favorite Ways to Add Impact to Presentation

Analogies are a fantastic way to make complicated information easier to understand and make your presentations more fun as well. An analogy is just a comparison where we are saying that something (complicated information) is just like (something less complicated). Or instance, a financial planner is trying to explain early retirement planning might compare planning your retirement to planting an orchard. If you only plant one tree and wait only one year, you aren’t going to get a great crop. But if you plant a dozen trees of different types of fruit and let them grow for ten years while nourishing them along the way, you’ll end up with a bountiful harvest.

Anecdotes Add Fun and Humor

They called Ronald Reagan The Great Communicator because he had an anecdote for everything. These are short, often funny, stories kind of like parables, that is used to teach a point and add levity. A good place to find these are at the end of articles in Reader’s Digest . Motivational speakers use this technique quite often.

Demonstrations

Demonstrations help audience members better understand processes and products by showing them in action. This technique is common at trade shows and fairs or exhibits. (It is also the most common selling technique on infomercials.) if you are explaining a step-by-step process or have a product that is impressive to the audience, then a demonstration might be a great addition to your presentation.

Offer a Sample

Give the audience something they can see, touch, feel, or experience. If you are talking about a product, bring one to pass around. If your topic is less tangible, give an example. For instance, when we teach public speaking skills classes, and we introduce how powerful stories can be, we give an example of a dry presentation without stories, and then we go back and add the stories in and show the audience the difference. Give a sample to reinforce your point.

Quote from an Expert

When you quote an expert, you are temporarily borrowing their expertise and credibility. Quotes should be short, and by someone, the audience will recognize, but when used properly, they can help the speaker have even more credibility.

If you don’t have a formal quote, but you know multiple famous people (or companies) agree with you or follow your advice, then you can name drop them. For instance, “405 of the Fortune 500 companies have sent people to Fearless Presentations including Microsoft, Apple, ExxonMobil, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte, and more.”

Add Showmanship

Remember that in addition to informing and persuading the audience, as a speaker, we also must entertain the audience. If you can “WOW!” the audience, you will be memorable. So do something different than what everyone else does. Below are a few ways to add showmanship.

A Few Public Speaking Tips to Add Showmanship

Use posters instead of pictures.

Adding a picture, or multiple pictures, to a PowerPoint slide can be effective in a pinch. However, you can go to printing stores and get a picture blown up into a poster that you can set on a tripod, and the poster will be much more memorable. Think of a trade show. The exhibits that have big posters are more eye-catching and attention-getting.

Add Some Magic

Quick and easy magic tricks can add some fun and energy to a presentation if it is appropriate. Since our instructors teach seminars and training classes, a quick magic trick used as an analogy to something that we are teaching can be entertaining and memorable. Doing a card trick in a boardroom presentation may not work as well, though.

Teach The Audience Something that will Surprise Them

When we teach team-building activities, we often start will a memory trick that helps the audience improve their memory very quickly. It is a simple technique that anyone can learn, so it is awe-inspiring to most audiences. When I was in school, a speaker showed us how to read faster by having us read a section from a book in our usual way for 60 seconds. Then, he had us read again, but this time pointing to the words in the book with our left hand as we read. The second time that we read, we gained as many as a couple of dozen extra lines of reading. It was really cool. Try it yourself.

Props can Add Showmanship

When legislators were trying to get people upset about the healthcare legislation in 2009; they just printed out the thousands of documents that made up the bill. The piles and piles of unreadable pages were pretty overwhelming and made a valid point. When I was starting out teaching leadership classes, I found a toy that was a tiny shipping box that, when I pushed a button, shook and said, “Let me out of here!” I used it as a prop when I talked about self-confidence, saying, “we all have that confident person inside of us who is struggling to get out and be seen.”

A Good Leave-Behind can Add Showmanship

A handout, book, or another type of reference item can make you more memorable. When we teach our leadership classes, we have a business card holder with a series of leadership principle cards that we give to every participant as a way to reinforce the crucial principles from the course.

Organizing the Presentation

Add at least one “impact idea” to each point.

Now go back to the skeleton outline that you created earlier and add at least one additional technique from the last ten or so ideas above. Add a question, analogy, quote, etc. to each of your original points. Give your presentation some meat.

Take a Break

If you have too much content to fit into five or fewer key points, consider taking a break in the middle to make the presentation more digestible.

Use Your “Impact Ideas” to Alter Time

If you are short on time, it is easy to shorten or cut a story or analogy, and if you are zooming through the presentation, just give more details in your stories, etc. or add an audience participation. This will allow you to hit exact time limits.

What If You have to Give a 10 Point or 20 Point Presentation?

If you have to give a content-heavy presentation, you can, but manage your expectations. Your audience isn’t likely to retain a lot of the content. A follow-up handout or another takeaway will be helpful.

PowerPoint Tips

Design your presentation first, then add visual aids.

Most presenters start with their PowerPoint slideshow, and later try to come up with words to explain the bullet points that they have written. Instead, start with the presentation, and the look for visual aids that will help you clarify your points.

Use Fewer Slides

An excellent way to do this is to practice your presentation a few times without any visual aids first and get good at your delivery. Then go back and add only the visual aids that help you explain your points better.

Less is More

The fewer slides that you have and the less content that you have on each slide, the more impact that your words will have.

A good rule is to have no more than six words on each line and no more than six lines on each PowerPoint slide. This way, everyone in the room should be able to read your slide content easily.

Avoid Overuse of Animation

Spinning bullet points with sound effects are just a distraction, so avoid frivolous animation.

Use Appropriate Animation to Clarify Your Points

Use animation that adds showmanship and clarifies your points. I had a client that had their animation team create a 3D animation of the terrain where they would be building an addition to an Army base that showed everything from the blacktops being poured to the final buildings rising on the horizon to the military tanks being rolled into the gates. It was an impressive piece of proof that the company understood the project.

Charts and Graphs are for Handouts, not PowerPoint Slide Decks

Charts and graphs are very hard to read and follow on a slide, so make a handout or put them on a big board instead.

Pictures for Decoration

If you use a picture (or pictures) for decoration, make the decoration the same on every slide and make it subtle. A single picture in the corner of the slide is usually enough. If your decorative picture changes, your audience will wonder what it has to do with the content of your slide.

Pictures for Clarity

If a picture help adds clarity to your bullet point, then add it in, but if it is just being used to make the slide prettier, leave it out.

Consider Boards Instead of Slides

Instead of putting a picture or chart on a slide, consider getting a board or poster made instead.

PowerPoint Slide Colors

A dark background with light text is most eye appealing.

Use Simple Fonts

Time New Roman or Arial are good choices for PowerPoint fonts.

Use Bullet Points

Although result-oriented, well-developed bullet points are essential when you design and organize your presentation, you might want to use shorter bulletins in your visual aid.

Reveal Your Bullets One at a Time

Reveal bullets one at a time to make sure no one reads ahead.

Point to Bullets when You Reference Them

Move toward the screen and point to your bullets as you read them. This lets the audience knows that you are covering something new and adds energy.

Stand Up When You Speak

The person who Stan’s and speaks carries authority. You will also have more energy.

Practice with Your Slides

After you have practiced without the slides and gotten good at your delivery, add the slides back in and practice in front of a group of people.

Avoid “Read… Click…”

If you design and practice your presentation based on these tips, you will never do this, but if you find yourself just reading and clicking, STOP! You are boring for your audience.

Design Your Own Slideshow

This tip is so important. If someone else designs your PowerPoint slide deck for you, it will increase the complexity ten-fold.

Places to Practice Delivering Your Presentations

Social clubs.

Rotary Clubs, Kiwanis, the Jaycees, Lions Clubs, etc. are great places to practice delivering speeches. Most of these organizations a weekly meeting that requires a guest speaker, so there are 52 opportunities every year for a slot.

Chambers of Commerce

Chambers often have committees where officers lead meetings and give presentations, so run for office. PS, most people avoid positions like this because they don’t want to have to speak in front of their peers.

Libraries and City Recreation Centers

City offices often have scheduled seminars and workshops that are easy to get a speaking engagement in as long as the topic is marketable to them and you will work cheap.

Lunch-N-Learns

If you are a salesperson and want to speak to employees at a specific client, you can buy them lunch and offer to teach them something about your industry.

Teleseminars or Webinars

Just by promoting a free (or paid) Teleseminars on your website, you can often get a nice following of people who will be happy to gain a little of your expertise.

Association Meetings in Your Industry

No matter what industry you belong to, chances are that there are one or more associations for companies like yours. Join one or more of these associations and look for meetings or events where you can speak and become an influential member of your industry.

Association Meetings in Client Industries

If you sell to specific industries, make sure and become a part of their associations and attend their trade shows and meetings. By speaking within these groups, you will be seen as a go-to person/company for their industry.

Trade Shows

If you attend trade shows and purchase booth space, consider purchasing the booth space adjacent to you and fill it with folding chairs. Then conduct a short seminar every half hour or so on topics related to the needs of the attendees.

Marketing Seminars by Reservation

In-person marketing seminars can be a great way to get in front of a lot of potential audience members. Financial planners will often offer free retirement seminars because they know that anyone who attends will likely be a good potential client.

Paid Seminars

Seminars that individuals can attend by paying a fee to you can be a great way to promote yourself because you are gaining income for your efforts. When individuals pay a fee to attend a seminar, they are much more likely to show up as well.

Paid Consulting Meetings

You can also charge individuals or groups to attend consulting or coaching sessions with you. This is a nice way to help customers implement your products/services without losing money. The meetings can be in-person, online, or by teleconference, so you have a lot of flexibility.

Radio and TV Shows

Although there is still a great opportunity to speak on traditional TV and radio programs, the Internet has opened a lot of doors for additional speakers. Internet radio is big and getting bigger all the time, and many hosts are looking for interesting people to interview.

YouTube and other online video services are a great way to make a single presentation get replicated over and over again. Make short, two to three-minute information videos teaching something about your industry and post them on YouTube. Post them once every week or so.

Podcast Your Videos

As you add more videos to your library, offer them as Podcasts (just Google “podcast” for a list of them) so that you can attract a group of “followers” who get access to your videos every time you post one.

Joint Venture Seminars

Partner up with other people or companies who are in the same market but who don’t compete for clients or customers. For instance, if you build websites, partner with a social media expert, a graphic designer, and a video person, and teach people how to build killer websites.

Public Speaking Tips for Sales Teams Delivering Group Presentations

Prepare your team ahead of time.

For many high-level sales presentations, purchasers want to hear from team members who they will be working with on the project. Please don’t let the first time that these folks speak in front of a group be when you have a big contract on the line. Get your team professional presentation training well in advance of the presentation.

Talk About THEM, Not You

Many presenters mistakenly cover a lot of detail about how great they (the presenters) are, how much experience they have, and how they are the best thing since sliced bread. The audience doesn’t care much about this stuff. They have a problem that they want you to solve. Show them how you can help solve their problems, and they will like you.

Show the Client that You are a Team

Edify each other when you introduce the next speaker. Build the next person up by sharing his/her expertise with the audience. Get the entire team involved in the presentation.

Use Showmanship

We covered this as one of the impact ideas above, but showmanship is vital to big sales presentations. You and your team have to be memorable and different. Before every presentation, come up with something new and different that you know others won’t do.

Question and Answer Sessions

Questions for clarity.

The easiest questions are those asked for clarity. The questioner is confused or curious and is looking for a simple answer. In these situations, answer the question quickly and add an example if you need to.

Questions to Test You

Sometimes, audience members may ask aggressive questions to try to test you or throw you off to see how you handle it. A great way to answer these types of questions is with an example or story related to the issue. Then, after you finish the quick tale, give the advice or solution.

Set a Time Limit

Set a time limit for questions and keep it short. Two to five minutes is standard, but some presentations require 15 minutes. Regardless, set a time limit and keep to it.

Ask the First Question if Needed

Audiences are often hesitant to ask the first question so that you might need to prime the pump. “A question that I’m often asked is…” It usually works pretty well.

When Time Expires, End It

If you can have a few more question askers waiting when you end the session, it can work well. Just say, “I’m out of time, but for those of you who we weren’t able to get to, I will be in the back of the room as you leave.” This will create a crowd of energy around you after the presentation.

The Seven Deadly Sins of Presenting

(We know… This puts us at 103 tips versus 101, but we like to over-achieve.)

Thou Shan’t Not Go Overtime without Consent

To “uh” is human, but too many is annoying, thou shall not speak monotonally, avoid shop-talk. thine audience wilst be confused., thou shall not speak whilst the audience readests thy slide, you thou shan’t read endless excerpts to thine audience, thou shan’t dump endless data upon thine audience.

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• Delivery Techniques →

Mastering Public Speaking Skills: Tips, Techniques, and Strategies

Audiences are a peculiar breed. They can bring out the best and worst in speakers, so it’s important to stay on top of your game when it comes to public speaking. No matter what your current level of experience when it comes to delivering a presentation, there is always room for improvement. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or just starting out, the following 10 tips are sure to help you level up your public speaking artistry. Here are our top 10 tips for mastering public speaking.

Tips for Overcoming Your Nerves

Overcoming nerves is one of the most difficult aspects of mastering public speaking. For some, nerves are a normal part of the experience – after all, it’s natural to be anxious in front of a large group of people. But if your nerves start to interfere with your performance, they must be addressed before moving forward. Here are some tips that can help you overcome your public speaking jitters: Prior preparation: The key to mollifying your fear is to prepare ahead. Have the material ready and know it well enough that you can just focus on delivering it. Also know how the event will happen and what technology or materials you’ll need for your presentation or speech. Nerves Are Normal: It’s important to remember that nerves are perfectly normal and even expected when presenting publicly. Many successful professionals still get nervous prior to their presentations; the difference is that they learn ways to channel these feelings productively instead of letting them overwhelm them. Engage with Your Audience: When possible, create opportunities for interaction with the audience at the beginning or end of the presentation. This could be something simple such as taking questions to avoid having audiences become inattentive or bored during long readings. Interaction will also give you an opportunity to build a connection with them and make them feel welcome and appreciated in the moment, enhancing your presentation skills further. Focus On Your Message: Public speaking is more than just getting through a presentation or monologue – it’s inspiring and engaging people with a message they care about! As you work on overcoming your nerves, try focusing on what you hope to accomplish rather than constantly thinking about any negative outcomes that may come from being in front of a big crowd. By taking these important steps and refocusing on why you’re presenting, you can confidently move forward when addressing an audience and fully master public speaking despite heightened anxiety or jitters. However, for those who continue experiencing challenges due to being nervous in public, there is one more tactic which can be very useful in calming down prior to speaking – visualizing success beforehand. To learn more about this method as well as other tips for improving public speaking skills, the next section will look into “Visualizing A Successful Presentation” in detail.

Visualizing a Successful Presentation

Visualizing a successful presentation is essential for successful public speaking. During the preparation process, take time to visualize yourself giving an effective and engaging speech. Think through how to you will structure your content and delivery, as well as practice key points in order to feel confident when you take the stage. By having a positive vision of your performance, you can increase your mental preparedness and help reduce nervousness. On the other hand, some speakers may find that visualizing their entire performance can create too much stress or overthinking before the event. It may be more beneficial to envision specific parts of your speech, such as highlighting key points or transitioning between sections of content. Focus on the most important pieces of your talk and practice those mentally first. Additionally, it helps to visualize moments of success after delivering a point or having an audience response positively. This can also lay a foundation of confidence in preparation for your talk . Overall, visualization is a powerful tool that supports the success of public speaking when used effectively and appropriately. Preparation including visualizing elements of performance should be balanced with rehearsing aloud so that both physical and mental prep is encompassed. With this approach, speakers can feel ready and confident as they take on public speaking tasks with ease. To further hone public speaking skills, the next step is to focus on how to engage your audience when presenting.

How to Engage Your Audience

Engaging your audience is key to keeping their attention throughout your presentation and making sure your message gets across in the most effective way. This can be done through a few simple tactics, such as opening with an interesting story, asking questions to generate audience response, and being creative with visuals. Starting with a story is an excellent way to draw your audience into the presentation and start building a connection. You can even interpret this story to tie in with the larger themes or ideas of your presentation. As you move through content, ask your audience questions that require more than a yes or no answer. This will encourage them to think more deeply about the material and give you feedback on how well they are understanding it. Another important way to engage your audience is through visuals . They don’t have to be overly complicated; using pictures, diagrams, and videos can help break up the monotony of long text-heavy slides and provide eye-catching visual interest for those more inclined to learn visually. In addition, having interactive activities for participants during any presentation provides further engagement and shows everyone that their input is valued within the discussion setting. Engaging an audience is part of a successful presentation, but there are other important elements that should be included as well. For example, incorporating ideas and stories in a way that helps explain complex concepts is necessary for helping people understand all aspects of what you are trying to convey. In the following section we will discuss how to incorporate ideas and stories effectively in order to make a powerful impact on your listeners.

Incorporate Ideas and Stories

Incorporating ideas and stories while public speaking is essential in engaging your audience and making your presentation more memorable . Doing so can help to illustrate key points, draw parallels between ideas, evoke an emotional response and make complex topics easier to understand. Ideas and stories should be presented in a way that relates to the audience, as this will ensure that listeners are more likely to retain the information. To ensure effective incorporation of ideas and stories, it is important for speakers to be aware of their own expertise in the subject matter, thoroughly research the topic being discussed and include only relevant and authentic examples. Not every idea or story requires heavy background research either; improvisation and personal anecdotes can sometimes lead to meaningful connections between concepts. While incorporating stories into presentations can be effective, speakers should take care not to overload their speeches with too many opportunities for listeners’ minds to wander away from the subject at hand. All stories must remain concise and on point while also relating back to the larger theme of the presentation. By carefully curating relevant ideas and stories that serve to capture an audience’s attention, speakers will have taken a key step towards delivering a powerful presentation .

Delivering a Powerful Presentation

One of the most essential aspects of public speaking is delivering an impactful presentation; this involves having command of your voice, body language and content. In order to deliver an effective presentation, it’s important to stay in control of your physical presence and be mindful of how the audience may perceive your movements . Paying attention to your facial expressions, posture and gestures will help you build trust with the audience, embodying confidence and clarity while speaking. Additionally, you should practice at home or in front of a mirror so that you become comfortable with controlling your nerves. When speaking, use volume modulation as well as pauses and emphasis so that your speech appears natural and enlivened. This can also make a strong impression on the people listening; using rhetorical devices such as repetition, metaphors or rhetorical questions will gauge interest from the listener. It is also important that each point you make has a significant purpose; staying on topic will prevent rambling and help keep everyone engaged throughout the conversation. Leading into the next section, it’s also essential to understand how to use your voice and body language for a successful presentation.

Use Your Voice and Body Language

In order to master public speaking, you must use your voice and body language effectively. The way we speak and present ourselves when speaking can make a huge difference in how well the audience responds. A key factor is to control your vocal pitch; by varying it slightly , you will be able to capture and retain audience attention for a longer period of time. Additionally, slower speech usually carries more impact than faster speech, so practice pacing yourself to increase engagement. When it comes to body language, the primary action is often eye contact . It engages the audience and helps establish trust that can be used in your favor. However, not all audience members are comfortable being directly looked at. In this case, try scanning the room while still making time to focus on individual members of the audience when appropriate. Smiling also plays an important role in public speaking. It projects confidence in addition to sending a positive message that helps create an inviting environment. On the other hand, smiling too much can be tiresome or distracting if done repeatedly throughout your presentation. Take care to use it only when necessary or when emphasizing a particular point. These voice and body language techniques together help give you better control over how your message is presented and received by the audience. Preparing for each speech will go a long way towards honing these skills and ensuring success. In the next section, we will discuss how proper preparation and practice are essential for mastering public speaking.

Prepare and Practice

Preparing and practicing are the cornerstones of effective public speaking. Taking time to create helpful material and practice beforehand will ensure you have a speech you feel confident about. It helps to create an outline which can guide you through your presentation. An outline allows for flexibility and improvisation during the actual talk but still keeps you focused on the main points you wish to convey. When it comes to practice, the absolute best way is to speak out loud in front of another person, preferably several times. This can be done alone or with a group of people. Doing so will help familiarize yourself with your material, as well as give you an idea of how well it flows. Practicing in front of somebody also helps build confidence by creating familiarity with an audience before actually delivering the presentation itself. That being said, some people may find it more beneficial to rehearse their speeches without an audience present. By imagining an audience in front of them, they are able to become comfortable with the material without any anxiety impeding their progress. Ultimately this comes down to personal preference — there is no rule book for what works best for each individual speaker. The amount of preparation necessary is ultimately up to the speaker, however it’s important to give yourself enough time prior to a presentation so that you can adequately prepare and practice. With enough time set aside for this important step, your public speaking skills will be sure to improve substantially. The next step in mastering public speaking is to identify and understand your comfort zone, which we’ll cover in the upcoming section.

Key Points to Remember

Preparing and practicing are important aspects of effective public speaking. To ensure success, create a helpful outline that allows for flexibility while still keeping the main points in focus. Practicing aloud with an audience is beneficial for building familiarity and confidence. However, rehearsing without an audience through imagining one present is another option dependent on individual preference. Ultimately, it’s essential to allocate enough time for adequate preparation and practice prior to every presentation so public speaking skills improve substantially.

Know Your Comfort Zone

Knowing your comfort zone is essential to improving your skills as a public speaker. Being aware of the areas in which you feel more comfortable can be valuable for noticing any difficulties in speaking and adapting accordingly. Comfort, however, isn’t always best; it is important to understand when it is necessary to push yourself beyond that boundary. Accompanying every comfort zone are certain anxieties, anxieties stemming from the fear of discomfort and uncertainty. Allowing ourselves to stay within that space may limit our growth as presenters. Maintaining a healthy balance of security and challenge will enable us to become more confident speakers. Taking risks by attempting things out of our normal scope will aid in developing better coping strategies for next time. To ensure we’re not becoming too complacent with being secure in our own bubble, asking questions such as “What would happen if I pushed myself today?” are wise considerations before every presentation. Although stepping into the unknown might bring worry and hesitation, this attitude may open up the doors to unexpected results. For the truly courageous among us, taking the road less traveled can result in memorable experiences that open the potential for future success in public speaking. Now that you know your comfort zone boundaries and how they can be adjusted according to different situations, you need to learn how to use them with your audience. The following section dives into Listen to Audience which emphasizes on building rapport by showing true engagement with them during your speech.

Listen to the Audience

Listening to your audience is essential for mastering public speaking skills. As a speaker, it’s critical to read the emotions of the people in the room and respond accordingly. When engaging with an audience, it’s also important to be flexible and receptive to their questions and feedback. Doing so can help you to better understand their level of knowledge, as well as any potential issue or concern they may have. On the one hand, listening can help the speaker become more informed and speak from a place of knowledge and understanding. Listening involves being open-minded and examination of both sides of an argument. By approaching public speaking with openness, you’re more likely to effectively communicate your message in a way that resonates with the listener. On the other hand, some speakers may find it difficult to adjust their message according to the reception of the audience. This can put the speaker at risk of straying away from the main purpose of the talk and lead it into an endless loop with no resolution in sight. Moreover, if not done well, listening can lead to talking points which aren’t well-informed or relevant to the conversation at hand. In conclusion, listening is paramount for successful public speaking; however it must be done properly so that it does not detract from the primary goal of initializing productive communication between speaker and listener alike. With that said, let’s move on to our next section outlining how to effectively conclude your speech and summarize all learned public speaking skills.

Conclusion and Summary of Public Speaking Skills

Public speaking is a skill that will benefit anyone for the rest of their lives. It is a way to express yourself to a larger audience, network and establish relationships, influence decision makers, and grow as an individual. With the tips presented in this article, you can begin learning to master public speaking today. These tips include finding and joining a local Toastmasters club, transforming fear into excitement, practicing in front of a mirror or friends and family, being able to concisely explain your message, telling stories, staying calm under pressure, dressing confidently, taking time to get familiar with the venue and equipment, eating right before your presentation, and focusing on making valuable connections through the art of public speaking . All of these elements will help you become a more confident speaker in time. Ultimately, mastering public speaking depends largely on experience. Everyone has different levels of comfort when it comes to public speaking – what works for one person may not work for another. This means that trial-and-error will be necessary for each individual as they work on building their public speaking skills. The more practice you give to public speaking opportunities as they come throughout your life, the sharper your skills will become over time. Debate: The overall consensus agrees that building public speaking skills takes practice and experience; however some may argue that some are born with a skill for public speaking – while others may need to make more effort in order adjust accordingly. On one hand those who speak well innately do have certain advantages in terms of being able to stand up in front of an audience relatively easy while other individuals with less natural ability still have the opportunity to acquire such skill through patience and effort applied towards honing their craft.

Responses to Frequently Asked Questions with Detailed Explanations

How can i become more comfortable speaking in front of a large audience.

Becoming more comfortable speaking in front of a large audience comes down to practice, preparation and positive thinking. Practicing your speech or presentation in front of family and friends or in front of a mirror can help you build up confidence and become more comfortable expressing yourself in public. Additionally, it’s important to prepare thoroughly by doing your research on the subject matter and knowing your material inside out. This will give you the knowledge needed to answer questions confidently. Finally, having a positive attitude is key when it comes to public speaking; challenge any negative thoughts and understand that nerves are normal. Remember that everyone in the audience wants you to succeed.

What techniques can I use to build my public speaking confidence?

First and foremost, it is important to know your audience . If you know who they are and what kind of topics they may be interested in, this can help you feel more confident and prepared to give an engaging speech. Second, practice is essential for success in public speaking. Make sure to go through the key points of your speech aloud a few times before you have to present it. This ensures that you can speak confidently and clearly when the time comes. Third, establish eye contact with the people in the audience by scanning the room as you speak. This will help keep them engaged and focused on what you’re saying. Fourth, try to think positively before you start your presentation and focus on what you are doing right rather than everything that could go wrong. Having a positive attitude can really help boost your confidence levels during public speaking. Lastly, take deep breaths before you start speaking and remind yourself that everyone in the room is likely just as nervous as you feel. Knowing that the people listening are feeling similarly can make it easier to stay calm and collected while delivering your speech.

What resources are available to help me hone my public speaking skills?

There are a variety of resources available to help hone your public speaking skills. Here are just a few: 1. Books and Publications – There are hundreds of books and publications dedicated to improving public speaking. Many of these books provide helpful tips , techniques for overcoming anxiety, and strategies for delivering powerful speeches. 2. Online Courses – In addition to reading books, there are a number of online courses available to improve public speaking . These courses often feature lectures, instructional videos, and practice sessions that can help you prepare for your next presentation or speech. 3. Mentors – Connecting with mentors can be incredibly valuable in honing your public speaking skills. Look for professionals in your industry who have had success with their own presentations and learn from them what strategies they used to become an effective public speaker . 4. Practice Sessions – One of the best ways to hone your public speaking skills is through consistent practice sessions. Whether it’s in front of the mirror or in front of a live audience, practice makes perfect!

Ace the Presentation

The Ultimate Guide to Public Speaking

Knowing how to communicate effectively is fundamental for both our personal and professional lives.

Speaking in Public is challenging for many people, as some are timid and insecure, or simply require more experience in speaking in front of others .

In this article, you will learn about the basics of public speaking , common speaking challenges that people have, how to address those challenges, and key tips on how to structure your delivery to make your speeches more successful.

Let us start our Guide to Public Speaking with a bit of history. Further along, we will address the importance of communication elements, and we will also bring relevant information on how to use language and structure a public presentation.

The Art of Public Speaking – Origin and Meaning

Oratory or public speaking originated with the need people had to defend themselves from the attacks of the tyrants of Syracuse, thereby meaning a way of setting social justice and a ticket to freedom of speech.

According to Lopes (2000), the art of public speaking comes from Greek origins; the city of Athens was the most crucial center of oratory studies both in rhetoric and eloquence.

In the 5th century BC, with concern for the mastery of the verbal expression arose the oratory in Greece. At that time, ordinary citizens would be usurped of their property and other rights. Only the clergy and high society people would be allowed to reverse social and political situations.

However, with Aristotle, public speaking found fertile ground for its development in his most ancient work on oratory entitled “The Art of Rhetoric .”

Aristotle book refers, respectively: 

• The line of argument to be followed by the speaker;
• To teach how the listener learns the ideas;
• The exposition of the structure of the discourse and its parts.

What is Public Speaking?

Public Speaking is an exposition of ideas prepared in an organized way, and that should always be composed of some essential characteristics concerning the organization of thought and reasoning.

Bloch et al. (2002) point out that public speaking expresses what we feel, communicates what we think, and exposes the facts as effectively as possible.

 Your audience can be from the child to the most evolved scientist who can absorb what you say.

7 Elements of Speech Communication

1. emitter/ speaker.

The emitter is the person who wants to deliver a message to a particular group of people or individuals; in public speaking, the issuer is known as the speaker.

Factors to be considered:

• Motivation – The presentation can be made to provide/obtain information, to convince the group about a new idea, to “sell” a service, to present results, or to persuade about an argument;
• Credibility – The degree of acceptance of the message shall be directly proportional to the knowledge of the speaker on the subject;
• Performance – Correct use of verbal expression and non-verbal communication with others.

2. Receiver/ Audience

The person or group of persons situated at the other end of the communication chain receives the message and interprets it internally, manifesting this interpretation externally.

The receiver goes the other way, that is, part of the signifiers until reaching the intention of signification.

Therefore, the mapping of characteristics of the target public shall include all attempts to obtain as much information as possible about it: number of persons present, sex, age, race, profession or function in the undertaking, training, level of education, knowledge of the subject to be dealt with, relevant background and expectations or needs.

3. Target/ Content

The content or target is the link between speaker and audience; the object of communication; translation of ideas, objectives, and intentions; the message shall be organized in terms of:

• Content – refers to what will be said regarding a specific subject, and the first step is to define the purpose of the presentation; 
• After that, having in mind the main characteristics of the audience and the time available , one should select the most important ideas that will be presented, that is, prioritize the relevant arguments.

4. Structure

The structure concerns the organization of the message. A well-organized message presents everyone its elements connected logically with each other;

When organizing the content, it is essential to divide the presentation into three parts: i) introduction (attractive and inviting), ii)  a body (concise, clear and coherent), and a conclusion (emphatic and brief);

The codes are a set of rules combined to generate understanding; the audience will identify this sign system, performing the decoding operation, only if its repertoire is typical of the issuer.

Language is the code most used to establish communication since it is the social agreement of language made by a particular society.

The code is also a set of signs and signals used to transmit the message: verbal language, non-verbal language, sign language, colors.

 If the speaker fails one of these elements, the message may not be delivered properly, and there is no communication.

Therefore, it is vital that you thoroughly analyze your target audience to make sure that they understand the set of codes you choose.

6. Channel 

The channel functions as a “vein of circulation” of the message, which means the pathway chosen by the sender/speaker to which the message is handed.

When making a presentation, the message can be transmitted in different ways: visual gestures, body movements, facial expressions, posture, tone of voice, variation of height and vocal intensity, and manipulation of objects.

Whenever possible, it is crucial to know the location of the presentation in advance; in this way, some amendments it deems necessary can be removed.

By getting to know the environment you will be delivering your speech, you can plan each movement in the room, reduce the anxiety, the correct position of the equipment, the use of the microphone, etc.

“When troops move, it is essential to know the conditions of the land first; when you know distances, you can draw up direct or indirect attack plans. The understanding of where the battle will be braked shall indicate where they should concentrate or subdivide the forces. ” Sun Tau

The 7 Basic Elements of Public Speaking

An Easy Guide to All 15 Types of Speech

10 Public Speaking Tips for First-Timers

5 Things to Consider when Structuring and Delivering a Public Speaking

1. who is the speaker.

The speaker must know his natural communication behavior, if he speaks little, likes to communicate, has the habit of reading, is reserved or outgoing, so the speaker will know when his linguist skills are or will need to be further explored.

For speech skills to be improved, it is necessary to stimulate the habit of reading, producing texts and performing interpretations of written materials.

Reading aloud and recording the production of speech may also help to know about one’s evolution, deficiencies, and potentialities.

2. Who is the audience?

The speaker refers to the listeners/audience of the message, so the success of the speech is determined by the listener’s understanding or by the action that the experience will generate.

To guarantee that the message is accurately delivered to the audience, it is necessary to adjust the speech to the level of instruction and the current situation of the listener.

And that is determined by how you present the content starting from the structure to the tools you use to deliver it; also, the audience can become more attentive to receive the message have some prior knowledge of the subject.

3. What is the message being delivered?

Refers to the content and type of speech; however, the content is always involved in the service of a determined intention. For a purpose, the communication becomes meaningless if it fails to convey the subject.

4. Why is this message important?

What drives you and makes this message crucial to this crowd you wish to face and deliver it?

The Cruciality of a message has to do with the impression made to the listener after the message is transmitted. This effect to be produced when a speech is concluded must directly connect with the action intended to generate as a response.

Refers to the channel through which the message will be transmitted, being auditory, visual, or both, if it will be necessary to use more audiovisual resources, including microphone, multimedia, and others.

To know which resources will be most effective in the relevance of the message transmission takes into account, among other things, the distance between speaker and listener.

Inappropriate channel selection can lead to ineffective communication. The speaker should ask himself if the message he wishes to spread would be better understood if it was written or spoken, don’t forget about visual impacts.

Did you know that pauses during a speech create a feeling of suspense? A more attentive environment is built from a short crease, and the audience gets ready to receive what you will be saying, so using it share a key message from the content you have prepared.

• Being able to emphasize what one wants to say, providing explanative intonation can also manifest surprise, admiration, or irony; 
• The fluency and speed of speech present logical thinking and chained ideas, the use of more than one question mark in an interrogative phrase characterizes a question difficult to answer.

Thus, the use of these resources with balance and variety can confer the speaker’s naturalness, expressiveness, and attitude with the text emitted of greater understanding of the subject by the listener.

Imagine a doctor (speaker) who uses technical language to explain how a symptom a patient (listener)  has may turn into a dangerous disease if not taken care of and because he doesn’t master the language (content), he leaves there confused and not understanding how important it is that action is taken.

In such a case, the speaker:

1) Did not assess who the receiver of the message was;

2) Did not adapt the content to its listener;

3) Did not evaluate the intention of the message.

• Its essential point is to assess whether the receiver understands the message;
•  Check, whenever possible, by asking questions about what you exposed until that moment or asking him to recall the point’s central issue.

Public Speaking – Fears, blockages, and barriers

Blockages, barriers, tension, and nervousness will always exist, either for beginners or those who already have experience in public speaking.

There’s no getting better if we are not aware of these public speaking barriers .

5 Reasons why you Fear Public Speaking 

Unsuccessful experiences .

You may have an experience of public speaking and for some reason didn’t go as expected, which creates in you the false idea that will always give wrong.

The past is the past and does it right; you have to know the wrong steps; remember that people you may know as great speakers did poorly before that would be the example of Mahatma Gandhi.

In 1889, while working as a young lawyer, Mahatma Gandhi froze before a judge and ran out of court, feeling humiliated . “My head was spinning, and it felt like the whole court was doing the same,” Gandhi wrote in a letter.

He called this feeling “the terrible strain of public speaking .” And that’s kept him from even talking at dinners between friends. 

When Gandhi decided to dedicate himself to a cause and wanted to convey a message he considered essential profoundly, Gandhi found the motivation he needed to overcome fear. 

Lack of Experience

When you do not practice something or do it a few times, you don’t create space for your brain to build learnings, preventing the development of skill, in this case, public speaking.

Cognitive psychologists say that the learning process is a systematic and active process that associates new information to the knowledge we already have on a subject, exploratory and creative.

The billionaire Warren Buffett was terrified of speaking in public early in his career. He attempted to take an oratory course, but he gave up out of fear; however, he was very aware that it would be essential to succeed.

Then, in his second trial, Buffett won a diploma that he boasts with great pride; in his documentary “Becoming Warren Buffet,” Buffet stated:

“In my office, you will not see the degree I got at the University of Nebraska, and you will not see the master’s degree I took at Columbia University. But you’ll see the certificate I received from the Dale Carnegie Course.”   Warren Buffett

Perfectionism 

Many psychologists describe perfectionism as the need to set high and rigid standards for oneself; a perfectionist follows a series of conduct requirements, created especially for himself, and makes constant self-evaluations.

Excess self-criticism when delivering public speaking may prevent you from seeing any action you do with empathy and can also degrade your self-esteem, which is crucial to standing in front of a podium.

Social anxiety corresponds to the difficulty the person presents in interacting socially, for example, speaking in public. It comes from the fear of being judged, feeling humiliated, or that other person may notice their weaknesses.

Symptoms of anxiety and nervousness are typical when they arise before or during a job interview or in a presentation. 

However, when symptoms arise in various situations, especially when you are around other people, it can be a sign of social anxiety disorder, and the person should seek psychological treatment.

Negative self-image

Your self-image is basically how you see yourself, and it’s your internal photography that shows itself to others. And how do you measure the impact of your image on those who hear you?

If you see yourself as someone who can’t do an outstanding performance in public, you probably can’t do it.

If perhaps you said something wrong at the time of school and your classmates laughed at you, you may today be afraid that others will laugh again at what you have to say.

Note that these problems directly influence your ability to speak in public. And that if you change the way you look at yourself, you will significantly improve your potential to express yourself in large groups.

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3 Strategies to reduce fear before and during a Speech

Focus on breathing.

A simple exercise to improve breathing is standing with your legs ajar in a posture that bodyweight is proportionally distributed in your two legs.

Place your hands on the waist and fill the lungs with air slowly, then release the air slowly with your mouth half-open.

 Repeat the exercise several times until you feel relaxed; this is a good exercise before starting a presentation.

Practice in a safe place (home or with friends)

One of the most effective ways to deal with the fear of public speaking is to practice a presentation in advance. Set the central points of your speech and set up a schematic to remember them all. After that, practice your exposure alone as often as necessary.

Prefer low lights

To reduce anxiety or any fear during public speaking, you can choose to dark the place a little bit to mitigate your excitement and keep your mind clear, and the audience focused and comfortable.

There is one more benefit to having dim lighting; the public laughs more.

  Comedians prefer a “poorly lit space,” Peter Mcgraw and Joel Warner described in their book The Humor Code, which seems to “help people feel more protected and thus less inhibited in laughing.”

5 Tips to Win a Crowd Over when Speaking in Public

One of the concerns of a speaker must be to please the audience. If you’ve done a previous study of the type of audience you’ll talk to, and you’ll undoubtedly know how to behave. Meet some challenges to get the viewer’s attention:

1. Be Truthful and Care about the Audience Experience

Do everything so that your professional qualifications and experiences do not demonstrate exhibitionism. Greet everyone with courtesy and issue honesty and professionalism. 

Another way of putting this would be – try your best to be charismatic.

2. Use a simple language

Your first strategy is to employ simple language so that your text becomes clear. The choice of words can create intimacy with the receiver and make your speech more pleasurable.

Beforehand knowing the audience to whom you will perform, it will be possible to plan how you will speak and what words to use.

It is essential to mark the vocabulary to be used considering the minor present education level.

3. Instill curiosity in the audience

Cite a fact or ask a question that makes them curious; when it’s time to deliver a speech, always give them new data to support the fresh perspective you want them to get to know.

4. Turn your text into a story

Generally, we will deal with matters related to reality, to a fact-specific, experienced, or relevant to society. In such a case, turn your theme into a story of your or other people and structure it with the same narrative techniques.

See the problem in the subject, what will give life, and arguments to your text. Count as the facts occur, its most critical points, and then conclude. 

People usually enjoy storytelling, especially if they are personal experiences related to a subject that is concerning to them it turns the presentation more engaging to them. 

5. Know when to change strategies

Notice the extent to which you are pleasing or not if you observe any tiredness movement (people getting up, yawning, talking).

Change your strategy, be more succinct, and instill the participation of all.

Changes in intonation in the course of speech and the use of audiovisual or dynamic resources, too, are usually good strategies to maintain the audience attentive to your presentation.

Public speaking can be difficult if you get familiarized with pitching ideas and sharing your notes and research with unknown people.

However, once you get in it and allow yourself to fail, keep learning and be open to practice and share the knowledge, you learn it quickly.

References and Further Reading

10 Tips for Improving Your Public Speaking Skills.

AcethePresentation. 13 ways to overcome public speaking anxiety.

AcethePresentation. AmadeBai, Emidio. What Makes A Bad Public Speaker? Top 10 Worst Traits To Avoid

High Spark. The Ultimate Public Speaking Guide To Impress Any Audience.

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8 tip to improve your public speaking skills

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The importance of public speaking skills

How to improve public speaking skills — 4 factors to keep in mind, 8 tips for public speaking, know how to improve public speaking skills and master your fears.

Some people are more afraid of public speaking than they are of dying.

I know that sounds extreme, but it makes sense when you think about it. 

Our ancestors needed one another to survive. Social acceptance or rejection meant the difference between life and death.

And if there’s one situation where you run the risk of mass rejection, it’s public speaking.

No wonder many of us find it terrifying. It’s our survival instinct kicking in.

Yet, public speaking is an essential skill in today’s labor market.

If you want to know how to improve your public speaking skills, keep reading for tips and strategies that will help make you a better public speaker.

Strong spoken communication skills are essential for a successful career or business.

According to a study by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the majority of executives and hiring managers prioritize strong oral communication skills .

Most jobs require some degree of public speaking, whether it’s giving a presentation to your team or speaking at a conference.

But the survey respondents reported that less than half of college graduates are satisfactory in this area.

Public speaking requires you to present your ideas clearly. At the same time, you must project an image of yourself that inspires empathy in your audience.

But many of us experience public speaking anxiety. It can hinder your ability to deliver your message and engage your audience. 

Public speaking isn’t only important at work. Fear of public speaking can also affect your personal life. It may create misunderstandings with family or friends or prevent you from taking part in activities. 

For example, you might avoid speaking about your ideas or plans or giving a speech at a wedding or social event.

The inability to communicate your ideas results in feeling misunderstood. This can lead to frustration, loneliness , and even social anxiety.

But if you have stage fright, don’t worry — you’re not alone. Few people are born with a natural talent for public speaking. 

This is good news, as it means it’s a skill that you can learn. So let’s dive into how to become a great public speaker.

Thank you for your interest in BetterUp.

Developing your public speaking skills has many benefits in a work environment. It will also increase your confidence.

Even if you’re an introvert or suffer from chronic anxiety , overcoming your fear and learning to be a great public speaker is possible.

Here are four factors that influence your ability to communicate effectively .

1. Voice control

Your voice is the most basic communication tool you possess. Learning to use it properly is key for improving your public speaking.

Diaphragmatic breathing is a useful voice control technique. It can give your voice greater power and clarity and prevent the shortness of breath that anxiety causes.

To do this technique, relax your belly and let it expand as you breathe. Extend your inhalations and exhalations to a count of four each.

Practicing this type of breathing without speaking will help you prepare to use it while speaking. 

It also helps calm your nerves. 

During your public speaking event, use diaphragmatic breathing to control the three main aspects of your voice:

2. Body language

Your body language is the combination of your gestures, facial expressions, and movements. 

It’s an integral part of how we communicate. It helps your audience better understand the nuances of your message.

If your body language contrasts with what you want to transmit or seems incoherent, your speech will be confusing.

Once you confuse people, you lose them.

Use the following tips to improve your body language and engage your audience:

• Stand up straight and avoid slouching if you are able. .
• Make sure your facial expression is coherent with your message.
• Stay still. Constant movement can distract your audience or change the way they receive your message.
• Practice power poses before your speaking event. This reduces stress and boosts your confidence . Try standing with your feet apart and arms stretched up. Take a few deep breaths, then observe how you feel.
• Watch a TED Talk and identify body language that effective communicators use. 

3. Delivery

Delivery is the way you speak. Good delivery is essential for your audience to understand your speech.

Follow these tips to improve your delivery:

• Speak at the speed of a normal conversation. Avoid speaking too quickly because people will get lost in what you are saying. But don’t speak too slowly, either, as they will get bored.
• Pause regularly. This gives people time to absorb the concepts and ideas. It also makes you appear more confident.
• Don’t mumble or eat your words — articulate clearly.
• Avoid making noises such as “ahh” or “umm” between words. If you need time to think, take a brief pause. There is nothing wrong with a few seconds of silence.

4. Audience relations

If you want your audience to listen to you, you need to engage them from the beginning.

The following are ways to connect with your audience:

• Smile and greet the audience. Thank them for being there. This will humanize you and establish a conversational tone.
• Look for people in the audience who seem actively engaged in your speech. Imagine speaking only to them.
• Make eye contact with as many people as possible. This will help establish personal connections with your audience.

Public speaking is a skill that anyone can develop. 

These tips for public speaking will help you overcome your fear and show up with confidence at your next public speaking engagement.

Giving a great speech or presentation starts with planning. 

Identify the core message you want to transmit. Look for interesting facts and statistics to back up your point. Prepare for possible questions that might come up.

Preparing also includes logistical planning. Visit the event location beforehand to get familiar with the environment. 

Use this opportunity to identify any technical requirements, such as a microphone or projector.

Consider using a visual aid, such as a PowerPoint presentation. But if it’s going to give you more anxiety and stress worrying about clicking through the slides, then don’t. There is no hard and fast rule on visuals.

2. Practice

Practice in front of the mirror or record yourself speaking, then watch it back.

Analyze your speed, tone, body language, and facial expression to identify areas for improvement.

Look for public speaking opportunities — whether it’s giving a presentation at work or joining a local Toastmasters club .

Practice your speech as many times as possible before your public speaking engagement. 

You can do this in front of the mirror, record yourself, or practice in front of friends and family. 

3. Have a positive mindset

Everyone gets nervous before a performance. In fact, research shows that a healthy amount of nervousness enhances performance .

But don’t let your nerves suck you into a spiral of negative thoughts. Instead, embrace them and use them as performance rocket fuel.

To cultivate a positive mindset, visualize yourself giving the best speech of your life. Top performers use visualization to improve their results.

4. Involve your audience

Not only does this grab their attention, but it’s also a way to take the spotlight off of you.

Sharing the starring role with your audience members will help you establish a connection with them and feel less nervous.

5. Start with a story

Humans are wired to pay attention to stories. It activates the same parts of our brain that would activate if we experienced the events first-hand. 

We all respond to stories in this way. There is no difference across cultures. This means you can harness the power of storytelling to establish a connection with anyone.

When you start your speech, you only have one minute to make a good impression on your audience. 

A story, anecdote, or question can pique their curiosity and make them want to keep listening.

6. Dress for the occasion

When you look good, you feel good. And feeling good is the key to giving the best possible performance.

Think about it. Do you feel more confident in your favorite suit or dress or in your pajamas?

Dress to impress, but make sure you feel comfortable. Don’t wear anything that’s not your usual style. 

Avoid wearing anything that you will constantly have to adjust as it will be uncomfortable and distracting.

7. Be yourself

It can be tempting to emulate a strong public speaker you admire. But this is a mistake. 

We are all unique, and although you can never be someone else, you are great at being you. 

Perhaps you wish you were funnier, but you’re not a natural comedian. That’s okay. Don’t start cracking jokes as soon as you get on stage.

Instead, embrace your other quirks — we all have them — and let them shine through in your speech. You never know how many audience members might resonate with you.

8. Ask for feedback

Ask a trusted friend or colleague to watch your presentation with a critical eye and give you feedback. (You can also film or record yourself.)

Ask them to be as specific as possible. Tell them to analyze what you do well, as well as what can be improved.

You probably already have some perceived strengths and weaknesses regarding your presentation skills. Ask your feedback buddy to look out for those specifically.

Even if you’re an introvert or suffer from social anxiety, it’s possible to overcome your fear of public speaking.

It will also boost your confidence, and you may even discover you enjoy it.

But if you still need more information on how to improve public speaking, consider taking a public speaking course. Alternatively, you could engage a coach to help you improve your confidence and become a better public speaker .

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Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

The 11 tips that will improve your public speaking skills

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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Public Speaking and Presentations

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Public Speaking and Presentations: Tips for Success

This resource includes tips and suggestions for improving your public speaking skills.

Even if you’ve never spoken in front of a large group before, chances are you will encounter public speaking sometime during your life. Whether you’re giving a presentation for your classmates or addressing local politicians at a city council meeting, public speaking allows you to convey your thoughts and feelings in clear ways. Having the right tools can prepare you for successful public speaking and equip you with high-quality communication skills.

Know Your Audience

Different audiences require different modes of public speaking. How you address a room full of preschoolers will vary from how you address a group of professors at an academic conference. Not only will your vocabulary change, but you might alter your pacing and tone as well.

Knowing your audience also helps you decide the content of your speech. For example, if you’re presenting research to a group of scientists, you might not need to define all your scientific language. However, if you present that same research to a group of individuals who are unfamiliar with your scientific field, you may need to define your terms or use simpler language.

Recognizing the extent to which your audience is familiar with your topic helps you center your presentation around the most important elements and avoid wasting time on information your audience either 1) already knows or 2) does not need to know for the purpose of your speech.

Knowing your audience also means tailoring your information to them. Try to keep things straight and to the point; leave out extraneous anecdotes and irrelevant statistics.

Establish Your Ethos and Feel Confident in Your Subject

It’s important to let your audience know what authority you have over your subject matter. If it’s clear you are familiar with your subject and have expertise, your audience is more likely to trust what you say.

Feeling confident in your subject matter will help establish your ethos. Rather than simply memorizing the content on your PowerPoint slides or your note cards, consider yourself a “mini expert” on your topic. Read up on information related to your topic and anticipate questions from the audience. You might want to prepare a few additional examples to use if people ask follow-up questions. Being able to elaborate on your talking points will help you stay calm during a Q & A section of your presentation.

Stick to a Few Main Points

Organizing your information in a logical way not only helps you keep track of what you’re saying, but it helps your audience follow along as well. Try to emphasize a few main points in your presentation and return to them before you conclude. Summarizing your information at the end of your presentation allows your audience to walk away with a clear sense of the most important facts.

For example, if you gave a presentation on the pros and cons of wind energy in Indiana, you would first want to define wind energy to make sure you and your audience are on the same page. You might also want to give a brief history of wind energy to give context before you go into the pros and cons. From there, you could list a few pros and a few cons. Finally, you could speculate on the future of wind energy and whether Indiana could provide adequate land and infrastructure to sustain wind turbines. To conclude, restate a few of the main points (most likely the pros and cons) and end with the most important takeaway you want the audience to remember about wind energy in Indiana.

Don't be Afraid to Show Your Personality

Delivering information without any sort of flourish or style can be boring. Allowing your personality to show through your speaking keeps you feeling relaxed and natural. Even if you’re speaking about something very scientific or serious, look for ways to let your personality come through your speech.

For example, when Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek announced in March of 2019 that he had stage 4 pancreatic cancer, he still let his trademark dignity and professionalism set the tone for his address. He began his announcement by saying “it’s in keeping with my long-time policy of being open and transparent with our Jeopardy! fan base.” Later, he joked that he would need to overcome his illness in order to fulfill his contract, whose terms required him to host the show for three more years. Though the nature of Trebek's announcement could easily have justified a grim, serious tone, the host instead opted to display the charm that has made him a household name for almost thirty-five years. In doing so, he reminded his audience precisely why he is so well-loved.

Use Humor (When Appropriate)

Using humor at appropriate moments can keep your audience engaged and entertained. While not all occasions are appropriate for humor, look for moments where you can lighten the mood and add some humor.

For example, just two months after the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan, Reagan was in the middle of giving a speech when a balloon loudly popped while he was speaking. Reagan paused his speech to say “missed me,” then immediately continued speaking. This off-the-cuff humor worked because it was appropriate, spontaneous, and did not really distract from his message.

Similarly, at the end of his final White House Correspondents Dinner, Barack Obama concluded his speech by saying “Obama out” and dropping the mic. Once again, the humor did not distract from his message, but it did provide a light-hearted shift in his tone.  

Don't Let Visual Aids Distract From Your Presentation

Visual aids, such as PowerPoints or handouts, often go alongside presentations. When designing visual aids, be sure they do not distract from the content of your speech. Having too many pictures or animations can cause audience members to pay more attention to the visuals rather than what you’re saying.

However, if you present research that relies on tables or figures, having many images may help your audience better visualize the research you discuss. Be aware of the ways different types of presentations demand different types of visual aids.

Be Aware of Your Body Language

When it comes to giving a presentation, nonverbal communication is equally as important as what you’re saying. Having the appropriate posture, gestures, and movement complement the spoken element of your presentation. Below are a few simple strategies to make you appear more confident and professional.

Having confident posture can make or break a presentation. Stand up straight with your shoulders back and your arms at your sides. Slouching or crossing your arms over your chest makes you appear smaller and more insecure. However, be sure you’re not too rigid. Just because you’re standing up tall does not mean you cannot move around.

Eye contact

Making eye contact with your audience not only makes them feel connected to you but it also lets you gauge their response to you. Try to look around the room and connect with different audience members so you’re not staring at the same people the whole time. If you notice your audience starting to nod off, it might be a good time to change your tone or up your energy. 

Avoid distracting or compulsive gestures

While hand gestures can help point out information in a slide or on a poster, large or quick gestures can be distracting. When using gestures, try to make them feel like a normal part of your presentation.

It’s also easy to slip into nervous gestures while presenting. Things like twirling your hair or wringing your hands can be distracting to your audience. If you know you do something like this, try to think hard about not doing it while you’re presenting.

Travel (if possible)

If you are presenting on a stage, walking back and forth can help you stay relaxed and look natural. However, be sure you’re walking slowly and confidently and you’re using an appropriate posture (described above). Try to avoid pacing, which can make you appear nervous or compulsive.

Rehearse (if Possible)

The difference between knowing your subject and rehearsing comes down to how you ultimately present your information. The more you rehearse, the more likely you are to eliminate filler words such as like and um . If possible, try practicing with a friend and have them use count the filler words you use. You can also record yourself and play back the video. The more you rehearse, the more confident you will feel when it comes time to actually speak in front of an audience.

Finally, Relax!

Although public speaking takes time and preparation, perhaps one of the most important points is to relax while you’re speaking. Delivering your information in a stiff way prevents you from appearing natural and letting your personality come through. The more relaxed you feel, the more confident your information will come across.

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What is Public Speaking? [Definition, Importance, Tips Etc!]

By: Author Shrot Katewa

If you are an ambitious professional, you will have to engage in some form of public speaking at some point in time in your life! The truth is, it is better to start with public speaking sooner rather than later! However, to better understand the subject, we must start with the definition of public speaking.

Public speaking is the art of conveying a message verbally to an audience of more than one individual. An average public speaker addresses a crowd of over 50 people, while some keynote presenters can expect an audience of a few thousand. With digital public speaking, this can be scaled infinitely.

In this post, you will learn everything you need to know to get started with public speaking, including why it is essential in the modern world, what skills make up the art form, and what you can expect when trying to turn your public speaking skills into a revenue-generating business or career.

Why is Public Speaking Important?

With over 77% of people having some degree of public speaking anxiety, according to Very Well Mind , and some positioning it as a greater fear than that of death itself, you might wonder why one needs to conquer such fear? What could be so essential about public speaking, after all?

Public speaking is critical because it allows you to connect with a group of people and persuade them to see things your way. It is the highest form of scaled influence and has existed as a change-making phenomenon in politics, society, and culture for over 2000 years.

Compare this to any social media platform, CEO-position duration, and professorship, and you’ll see that public speaking has been the most persistent form of influencing across time. In other words, it is transferrable and timeless.

You don’t have to worry about it going out of fashion because it has outlasted the fashion industry itself. Every other position of power relies on some degree of public speaking skills, even if an individual is not actively delivering keynotes.

What Are Public Speaking Skills?

At this point, you might be thinking, “wait, how is public speaking different from public speaking skills?” And I understand that because people often assume public speaking itself is a skill. Public Speaking is a performance art that relies on multiple skills to deliver a cohesive presentation of a singular skill.

Public speaking skills are the pillars that hold up an excellent presentation and include argument construction, audience engagement, stage presence management, timely delivery, and appropriate pacing. You can also improve your public speaking by using humor, rhetorical questions, and analogies.

Argument Construction

The way you position an argument matters more than the argument itself. That’s why in most rhetorical classes, you’re made to pick the “for” or “against” side at random, so you get good at making arguments regardless of the legitimacy of the position.

Usually, an argument follows the “problem,” “potential solution,” “reasons the said solution is the best” model though some constructions include countering general skepticism regarding a proposed solution.

Audience Engagement

This skill will help you lengthen your talk without having to script every second, but that’s not its primary goal. Audience engagement shouldn’t be used as fluff but as a means to retain your public’s attention, especially if a topic is particularly dry or the talk is too long.

Stage Presence Management

This is the aspect of audience engagement that has more to do with yourself. For instance, if you ask a question, you’re getting your audience’s attention by engaging with them.

However, if you strike a particular pose, make an exaggerated gesture, or simply carry yourself in a way that draws attention, you’re managing your stage presence (and increasing your audience’s involvement).

Timely Delivery

Timing is critical in public speaking because, given the fact that speechwriters exist, one can get away without constructing an argument or even writing the words to their talk. However, you cannot get away with bad delivery because if you don’t hold your audience’s attention, you’re only speaking to yourself.

Appropriate Pacing

Pacing your talk is essential because you cannot dump data on your audience without producing a cognitive overload. That’s why you must balance information with rhetoric and pace your presentation to bring your audience along with you.

Importance of Public Speaking Skills for Students

Whether you’re a student thinking of joining a public speaking club or a debating society, or a teacher looking to introduce your students to public speaking, knowing that it is an extracurricular art form that brings the greatest number of long-term benefits to students can be quite comforting.

The importance of public speaking for students lies in its cognitive benefits and social significance. Students who learn public speaking are more confident, can communicate their ideas better, and use speaking as a tool to polish their thoughts. This sets them up for success in public-facing roles.

More importantly, these benefits go hand-in-hand with long-term career success and social satisfaction because, unlike academic skills, public speaking expertise remains beneficial even after students say goodbye to their respective universities.

Benefits of Public Speaking

As mentioned above, the benefits of public speaking often outlast the student life and remain relevant to personal success. Whether you choose a corporate job or want to be a full-time speaker, you will be able to take the skills you build as a speaker and apply them to your life.

Benefits of public speaking include but aren’t limited to higher self-confidence, clarity of thought, personal satisfaction with one’s ability to communicate, a larger network, some degree of organic celebrity status, and higher levels of charisma.

Higher Self-Confidence

Self-confidence, as essential as it is, is a tricky subject because it relies entirely on one’s self-image. And if you don’t view yourself as confident, you aren’t confident.

The best way to improve your confidence is to observe yourself being confident : i.e., get into an activity that requires confidence. Given that oratory is one of the earliest art forms developed by humans, we can safely assume that it is also the one that has more inherent prestige involved.

Clarity of Thought

Public speaking forces one to learn new words and improves how one structures an argument. Since speaking also allows us to think and formulate thoughts into full-fledged concepts, a public speaker is better able to think with clarity.

Improved Ability to Communicate

Building on clarity of thought, one’s ability to communicate is enhanced once they have thought through their positions and arguments. Public speaking helps you communicate better in both the content and delivery of your thoughts.

Better Network

Humans are social animals, and networking is intrinsic to our success. They say that most of life’s significant events aren’t “what” events (as in “what happened?”) but “who” events (as in “who did you connect with?” or “who connected with you?”). Public speaking affords you the confidence to multiply the odds of better “who” events.

Natural Celebrity

We admire those who can do what we can’t. And since public speaking is such a valuable artform regarding which over 77% of people have trouble, it is pretty straightforward to conclude that the one who can pull this off will have higher social status among any group.

Increased Charisma

Finally, building on the previous perk of better social status, with Olivia Fox-Cabane’s definition of charisma as power and empathy, one can see how an organic celebrity status among one’s friend circle can also lead to improved charisma.

That said, not every public speaker is charismatic all the time. And to make sure you make the most of your ability to be charismatic as a public speaker, check out Fox Cabane’s book .

Types of Public Speaking

In the artform’s infancy, public speaking was public speaking. There was nothing else but an individual speaking to fellow city residents in a forum, trying to persuade them to get behind a certain reform or rollback one. Now public speaking has branched into various types.

Types of public speaking are divided across two dimensions: medium and mission .

Digital public speaking, on-stage speeches, and pre-recorded talks are three types differentiated by category. Keynote address, seminar, and debate are three forms differentiated by end-result.

• Division by medium allows us to see the type of speech by the method of delivery. You can conduct keynote, seminar, and debate in the digital type, but a live discussion is very likely off the table when you’re uploading a pre-recorded talk.
• Division by end-result allows us to see how public speaking can differ depending on the content format regardless of delivery. You can give a keynote address on stage or even have it pre-recorded. As long as you get the key point across, you’re doing your job.

Apple’s keynotes are consumed far more often online than they are in-person. So, being clear on the end result allows hybridization across different formats, especially with technology. Still, you should optimize the content and delivery of your talk for the medium you set as the primary one and let the others be optional.

In other words, if you’re conducting a seminar and interaction matters, do not sacrifice live interaction trying to force your seminar into a pre-recorded format.

However, once the seminar has been delivered digitally, or in person, the video can be uploaded as pre-recorded for those who want to follow along or are simply curious about your seminar’s content and might sign up for the next one.

To understand which format or type to set as your primary one, you must know the pros and cons of each kind of public speaking.

Digital public speaking emerged alongside the telethon selling format on cable TV. While the first telethons weren’t entirely digital, the format’s inception lies firmly in this period because TV’s shift to streaming brought about the first boom in digital public speaking.

In 2020, there was yet another shift as Corporate America got thoroughly familiarized with Zoom, a digital conferencing tool.

And once people knew how to use it to participate in meetings, listening to live talks was only a few clicks away. Zoom launched webinar mode, making it even more convenient to start giving talks to a large digital audience.

Still, there are multiple platforms through which you can engage in digital public speaking, including Facebook Live, Youtube Streaming, and even Twitch.

Pros of Digital Public Speaking

• Low overhead – You don’t need to book a conference center; people don’t have to pay to fly.  
• Easy for higher frequency – You can easily deliver more talks in a shorter period, thanks to the lack of traveling involved.

Cons of Digital Public Speaking

• Harder to hold the audience’s attention – Task-switching is the key obstacle in digital public speaking, making it harder to deliver keynotes. However, interactive digital workshops really thrive in this environment.

Pros of on-Stage Public Speaking

• Better translates to other arenas – If you learn to speak from the stage, you can speak to smaller groups, give talks digitally, and hold a confident conversation. This doesn’t always work the other way: Zoom maestros aren’t as equipped to give a talk from a stage.  
• Instant authority – The Lab Coat Effect is one where we automatically infer authority if someone resembles a figure of authority. That’s why stage presentations are important for big ideas. The audience is more receptive when they see you on a stage regardless of your credentials.

Cons of on-Stage Public Speaking

• Limits the ability to interact – Since the format allows monologuing, it can be easy to get carried away giving your talk without bringing the audience along. In some instances, it can be downright tough to engage more personally with people because the crowd is too big.  
• Hard to master – While it can ultimately be an advantage, you must recognize it for the drawback that is initially, as getting on stage is difficult for most people with no prior experience. Even seasoned public speakers admit to being nervous before each talk.

Pros of Pre-Recorded Talks

• Room for error – Since pre-recorded talks are not live, you can get away with making errors, especially if you’re adept at editing. You also don’t have to be in front of a crowd and can talk to the camera as if it were your friend. This allows even the uninitiated to get involved with public speaking without taking extensive training.  
• Simultaneous delivery for multiple talks – While it isn’t important for most people to give multiple tasks at once, it is possible to do so with a set of pre-recorded talks. If you’re a busy executive or a business owner, you can be more productive. If you’re trying to elevate your career as a professional speaker, a few pre-recorded webinars delivered to potential clients for free can help get your foot in the door without too much effort.

Cons of Pre-Recorded Talks

• Can become a crutch – The convenience of these talks is also their greatest drawback. You cannot give pre-recorded talks exclusively because that severely limits your public speaking muscles. Using them in conjunction with other forms of speaking is the ideal balance for skill maintenance and productivity boosting.  
• Lower engagement – Since you are not able to interact live, you’re limited to predetermined engagement tools like asking people to imagine a scenario or posing rhetorical questions. You can pop in live at the end of your talk to take live questions. This hybridization or pre-recorded public speaking with digital public speaking is best for consultants and thought leaders.

Examples of Public Speaking

To be a great public speaker, you must consume great relevant content. That’s why you need to know what type of audio content constitutes public speaking. The following section covers examples of public speaking:

Basic Elements of Public Speaking

Now that you know what kind of content you should consume as a budding public speaker let’s look at the key elements to watch out for. Most well-constructed speeches will include the following:

• Signposting – The beginning portion introduces not just the topic but sections of the talk, including what will be addressed later on. Look at the third paragraph of this post to get an idea of what signposting is.  
• Main argument – This rests in the body of the speech, where the speaker makes the main point. You should never make a point without supporting it with logic, fact, and even a compelling narrative.  
• Supporting the argument – As mentioned above, your argument needs support. Use analogies, metaphors, and of course, data to back up the point you’re making.  
• Recap – The conclusion is the final part where your talk’s recap sits. Here, you tell your audience briefly the main points you have made without taking them down the details lane.

Tips to Become a Better Public Speaker

To become a better public speaker, you must use the observe, internalize, and practice formula. Here’s how you should go about it:

• Observe – Look at the types and examples of public speaking listed in this article and consume different talks that fall into all sorts of categories. Don’t rely too much on one speaker, or you may inadvertently become a knock-off.  
• Internalize – By consuming content without judgment, you’ll start to internalize what you find compelling. You must let go of conscious deconstruction tendencies and simply consume content until it is second nature to you.  
• Practice – Finally, the toughest and the most critical part of becoming a public speaker is simply practicing more often. Find opportunities to give talks. If you don’t find on-stage openings, simply give recorded talks or even stream your keynote. With enough practice, you’ll find your talks rising to the level of great public speakers whose content you so thoroughly consumed.

Credit to cookie_studio (on Freepik) for the featured image of this article (further edited)

• Our Mission

4 Strategies for Developing Confident Student Speakers

Consistent support and low-stakes opportunities to practice go a long way to help students overcome the challenges of speaking in front of a group.

I belted out the opening line to Marc Antony’s funeral speech from The Tragedy of Julius Caesar , leaping up the stairs to the stage in my school’s auditorium. Thirteen ninth-grade students dressed in togas sat in the front rows, mouths agape, as they witnessed their goofy teacher unexpectedly launch into the 35-line monologue they had all just beautifully performed. 

Confession: I was nervous walking onto that stage—I sometimes get uncomfortable in the (literal) spotlight. To normalize feelings of anxiety during a performance, I revealed those emotions to my class afterward. 

Public speaking is hard, and it can be extremely daunting for our most introverted students ; however, with modeling and practice, I believe that teachers can cultivate confident speakers.

Strategy 1: Provide Direct Instruction

A poster inspired by Erik Palmer’s work on public speaking ( PVLEGS : Poise, Voice, Life, Eye Contact, Gestures, Speed) hangs in the back of my classroom. Well before we launch into a study of the funeral orations from Caesar , I explicitly teach those skills. I demonstrate for students appropriate eye contact—the speaker locks eyes briefly with individual audience members and scans the room as she speaks, establishing a connection with her audience. The speaker might also speed up his voice for a certain effect or raise his arms to command the attention of his audience.

Strategy 2: Provide Public Speaking Models

After we spend a class closely reading and analyzing the two funeral orations by Marc Antony and Brutus, I play clips of the speeches from the two film adaptations. We watch the performances and think about PVLEGS: Which speaking moves does each actor utilize in his performance? Which actor delivers the stronger performance and why? After we watch and students share their observations with partners, we discuss and debate the merits of each performance. 

When my classes work on memorizing and performing the monologues, I ask them to study the models and even borrow some of the actors’ techniques. They consider: Do I want to take an angrier approach to the Antony speech like Marlon Brando? Should I adopt a regretful tone like Jason Robards’ Brutus? This type of close viewing could be applied to any speaking performance. On a related note, I also hope that I serve as a public speaking model for my students as I stand in front of my English classes daily.

Strategy 3: Acknowledge and Coach through Anxiety

I remember stumbling through my senior research presentation in high school, well before the advent of interactive whiteboards and Google Slides. I’m vulnerable with my students about my former public speaking struggles. I want them to know that they’re not alone, and through practice and repetition, their self-doubt and fear can transform from an eardrum-rupturing siren into a quiet background hum.

I give a few bits of advice to nervous speakers as they prepare for any public speaking activity. First, I urge them to “practice, practice, practice!” If they know their stuff, they’ll be much more confident on game day. I also find that most students who report feeling very nervous while speaking don’t always appear nervous to others. Sharing this anecdotal evidence with them helps students tune out their inner critics and feel more calm. I also find lots of opportunities to confer with reluctant speakers and give them plenty of encouragement. This fosters stronger connections with my students and boosts their confidence. 

Strategy 4: Provide Lots of Low-Stakes Speaking Opportunities 

My Caesar unit usually takes place in the second semester, when students have had plenty of low-stakes speaking opportunities. In almost every class, I ask students to turn and talk to their partners to share a sentence from a quickwrite or to check in on their current drafts. Earlier in the year, I coach them on how to effectively talk to their partners, and the process quickly becomes routine. An effective technique to get all students speaking, even if it’s a quick response, is the whip-around. Teacher Marcus Luther asks a question with a short, one-word answer. He then goes around the room and has each student answer aloud, followed by a debrief with partners or groups. 

My favorite low-stakes speaking activity is the Pop-Up Debate , which teacher Dave Stuart Jr. invented and has been writing about for years. In this activity, the class is presented with a question, and they spend 10 minutes writing an answer to it. After that, the debate begins, and students simply “pop-up” at their desks to enter into the conversation. In my experience, this activity can transform a usually quiet class into an engaged one. Secondary students love to argue, even about literature! 

Flexibility, Support, and Incentives Develop Strong Speakers 

In many ways, the memorized funeral oration is the most high-stakes speaking task my ninth-grade honors students participate in throughout the year. I give a grade for this assessment, but to take the focus off of grades and to place that focus on improvement instead, I provide students with a few crutches to lean on. 

First, if students forget a line, a friend acts as a prompter in the pit with the text ready. Students can also revise the performance if they choose to. I tell students that they can redo the performance if it doesn’t go as planned. At the end of the class, if time allows, a handful of students always choose to give it another shot. I find that this also takes the pressure off. I think of it like a writing assignment; students can always revise a paper to improve it. Finally, I give them extra credit for wearing togas, which adds to the fun of the special day.

In a recent article in The Atlantic , “ End the Phone-Based Childhood Now ,” author Jonathan Haidt reports that Gen Z students are more anxious, shy, and risk-averse than the children of the past, which he attributes to social media and the introduction of the smartphone. Risk-taking, Haidt argues, “promote[s] competence, maturity, and mental health.” Public speaking, a type of risk-taking, can be very frightening for some of our students, but if teachers provide them with speaking opportunities each day, month, and school year, perhaps we can help mold them into confident, healthy young adults who venture into the world as strong public speakers. 

Thank you to my former department chair, Janet Matthews, for the Julius Caesar performance activity.

Come and join the School of Speaking to learn all about how to deliver presentations, speeches and talks in a compelling, confident and charismatic way. We’ll not only learn how to best design and deliver your public speaking event, we’ll also learn about how to mentally prepare and manage any anxiety we may experience connected to public speaking. We’ll have interviews with expert speakers as well as helpful relaxation exercises you can do to help manage your nerves and anxiety.

The School of Speaking David Oswald

• MAY 16, 2024

Episode 1 - Diaphragmatic breathing to aid sleep

In this episode of the School of Speaking Podcast we are looking at why a good nights sleep will help manage your stress and anxiety when speaking in public. This exercise is best done when in bed and ready to go to sleep. Definitely don't listen when driving or operating heavy machinery!!

• © Copyright 2024 All rights reserved.

Top Podcasts In Education

Improve your professional and public speaking skills with these tips

S peaking in professional environments can be daunting, especially for beginners in the workforce. At the same time, you can be further into your career but uncomfortable starting at a new company. 

Though a workforce veteran, you may find it intimidating to introduce yourself in large groups, give speeches or be vocal about necessary changes as the newcomer.

Whether you're offering a company-wide speech, introducing yourself one-on-one or participating in a team building activity, having strong professional speaking skills will get you ahead and get points across.

Here are some tips to achieve A+ professional speaking skills.

TALKING TED-STYLE: 5 STEPS TO A WINNING PRESENTATION 

• Practice on your own
• Prepare, prepare, prepare
• Watch public speakers you admire
• Maintain eye contact
• Record and learn from yourself
• Practice good voice control
• Radiate confidence

If you're truly nervous about public speaking, one of the best ways to get comfortable with it is to practice on your own. While it may feel like child's play to talk to yourself aloud, the method works. 

READ ON THE FOX BUSINESS APP

Practicing a speech before it happens will allow you to understand and alter your body language, make necessary changes to your speech and prepare your mind for what you'll look like in front of others. Often, the most intimidating part of public speaking is standing on a stage alone. Get used to the idea by envisioning yourself on stage while in an empty room.

Ahead of meeting with a boss, employee or major stakeholder, prepare points you'd like to discuss and discuss them aloud to yourself. This will help you choose whether the structure of the conversation flows well and develops a point.

Additionally, include your spouse, family member, roommate, neighbor or anyone who is willing to listen once you feel comfortable by yourself. This will allow you to become comfortable in front of another person and receive feedback on your topics.

For any type of professional discussion, you'll want to prepare. Whether it's a 30-minute meeting with your manager or an eight-hour event you'll be speaking at, you'll need to prepare. Anytime people are taking time out of their schedule to meet with you professionally should begin with preparation. Your time is valuable, as is theirs, and you won't want to waste either parties time. 

However, the level in which you prepare will vary depending upon the type of conversation or meeting you're to have. For example, if you're meeting with a coworker, piece together a simple agenda ahead of the call. In doing so, you'll have a plan in place for the flow of discussion. If you're both professionals when it comes to planning ahead, you'll each have an outline and the meeting will be full of constructive insights.

For something more grand like an event you're giving a speech at, you'll want to prepare something much more extensive. Create an outline and provide yourself a flow for topics. For example, if you're attending a financial planning seminar and speaking on 401k plans, begin with defining a 401k, employee contributions, company contributions, penalties, etc.

How detailed you dive into each section will depend on factors like the timeframe set aside for your speech, questions from the audience, etc.

UM, LIKE, WHATEVER: COLLEGE GRADS LACK VERBAL SKILLS

Watching and listening to other professionals is a great way to learn from them. Often, other professionals will discuss successes and failures from the past. Ideally, you'll learn from these instances without having to experience the same failures.

Put together a list of your favorite professionals in or out of your chosen industry. Success and failure stories happen to everyone, not just those on the same career path as you. So, you could benefit from hearing from others outside your industry. 

Find podcasts, videos, seminars, etc. they've produced and listen in. Take note of their body language like hand gestures, tone of voice, eye contact, how they involve or interact with a crowd and how they introduce themselves. Then, take note of your gestures in the same way and try to mirror the ones you prefer.

When talking to someone one-on-one or in a group, make sure you are making eye contact while you are speaking. This is both respectful and professional. It also shows confidence in what you are saying.

During an event where you are speaking to a crowd of people, be sure to take a look around the room as a whole and try to make eye contact here and there with audience members. Acknowledging the entire room vs just a section of it will be important to keep your audience engaged.

Learning from others is great, but be aware of the lessons you can learn from yourself, too. 

Record yourself speaking and take a look at the video once you've finished your speech. Pay attention to your eye moment and your focus on the entirety of the room, your hand gestures and your tone of voice.

Is your voice shaking or confident? Are you fidgeting with your fingers? Are you nervously combing through your hair or playing with an object?

You'll be able to relay quite a bit to yourself by recording your preparation.

Though speaking in a professional environment can be nerve-racking, you'll want to appear confident with the tone of your voice. If you are giving a speech, asking your boss for a raise or pitching an idea to a superior, a quiet voice, constant use of filler words and a nervous tone won't deliver confidence.

You can develop good voice control by practicing speaking skills yourself or with other people. The more you practice, the better you will become. Take deep breaths before speaking, speak slow and gather thoughts before vocalizing them and prepare your mind ahead of time.

Be confident! Know your worth, pull from your strengths and be confident in the message you want to deliver. 

If you aren't confident in yourself, you'll find challenges in getting superiors or coworkers on board with your message. As you continue your career or force yourself to professionally speak more often, you'll become more confident with time. Make sure to make yourself uncomfortable.