Tips for Public Speaking: How You Can Become Awesome at Presentations
Chris Anderson, the Ted founder said: When I think about compelling presentations, I think about taking an audience on a journey. A successful talk is a little miracle — people see the world differently afterward. Being awesome at public speaking can be one of the most fear-inducing parts of modern life. However, it also can be one of the most rewarding tasks you can do. Talking in front of an audience is
nothing to fear, so long as you are prepared with these tips for public speaking. This article will give you everything you need to plan, prepare, and deliver an awesome public speech.
Be a master at grabbing and keeping his audience’s attention, which is the number one goal of any public speaker. And also any compelling speech. Take them on a journey by way of an interesting story or maybe several.
How do you do it, you say? Pay attention to these 10 key lessons from a rhetorical playbook. Follow them diligently and practice, practice, practice.
Let’s get started:
Tips for public speaking … speech title is critical
Match your topic to your objectives and audience interests. This will help capture the audience’s attention, raise expectations, and give you a specific focus. All are critical to your success.
And to achieve your goal, you must know your audience and do your research homework. Let what you learn the show in your speech.
Tips for public speaking.
Public speaking techniques … simplicity
You can keep it simple, even if you have mountains of research to report.
First, fine-tune your core message. Chisel away at your topic until you can reduce your presentation to a core message. Once you achieve this, all your ideas can march behind it.
This is as true for business presentations as it is for political campaigns. Consider Obama’s campaign speeches. He used his simple slogan to make us believe he was the politician for change — something so many Americans longed for — and he appealed to us to have faith (to believe) in the change he was offering us. He won people through a simple slogan, which then allowed him to more easily serve up his ideas about meaty topics.
Topic priorities
Be aware of the great line by Goethe, “Every word that is uttered evokes the idea of its opposite.” What this means is that when you express one view, the odds are high that people will reflexively think about other, unmentioned aspects of the topic.
A presentation that does not deal with this “evoking of opposites” loses the audience’s attention because it fails to address the questions and concerns that come up in people’s minds. So anticipate them. Show your audience that you understand the contrary view better than they do, and explain why your proposal or argument is still superior.
Make sure your points include things that are not obvious or known. Offer your unique opinions. Weave in proof points and examples. Then you can use the stories to help illustrate your points.
Public speaking tips and tricks … use down to earth speech
Chisel away at your speech wording until you can reduce your presentation to a core message. Once you achieve this, all your ideas can march behind it.
This is as true for business presentations as it is for political campaigns. Consider Obama’s campaign speeches. He used his simple slogan to make us believe he was the politician for change — something so many Americans longed for — and he appealed to us to have faith (to believe) in the change he was offering us.
He won people through a simple slogan, which then allowed him to more easily serve up his ideas about meaty topics.
Getting ready is most important.
Getting ready
Know your opening and closing statement COLD. Rehearse well. 3 hours prior to your speech, go for a short walk. Once on stage adapt the alpha pose to lower stress and increase your confidence.
Public speaking … taking the stage
The most important point to remember is to not rush at the start. Overlook the audience, smile, and pick out a few faces to concentrate on. Talk to these few faces and maintain good eye contact.
The delivery
Always use a wireless microform so that you can move around. Vary tone and inflections of your voice. Maintain good eye contact by picking specific people in the audience. Change them around every moment or so.
Master use of pauses
Well-planned pauses will do wonders for your speech. For example, Obama has mastered the art of pausing. He pauses to let us catch up with him. He pauses to let his words resonate. He pauses, in a sense, to let us rest. Pauses also give the impression of composure and thoughtfulness.
Where you pause is up to you; there are no hard and fast rules. Try it. Slowly inhale to the count of three at each breath mark. Speak as though you had plenty of time. The goal of this exercise is to teach your body to slow down.
Public speaking … making an impact
Ask a challenging question on your subject theme for a dramatic opening. Present the topic as a story if you can. Use an occasional short, witty quote. Also, use occasional repetition and pauses for attention on key points.
Memorable ending
As we have said, focus on one theme and eliminate everything else. One relevant message and several great stories to illustrate. Save your most memorable story for your ending. Hopefully, the one that is also most encompassing of your message.
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More reading on learning from Digital Spark Marketing’s Library:
The Nine Most Valuable Secrets of Writing Effective Copy
How Good Is your Learning from Failure?
10 Extraordinary Ways for Learning to Learn
Continuous Learning Holds the Keys to Your Future Success
