11 Tips to be a Better Public Speaker

Public speaking is one of the most common phobias, often accompanied by dread and worry. You know the feeling: your heart pounds, your hands shake, your mouth dries up and you feel like you can’t get the words out. At its core, this panic stems from fear of judgement and lack of preparation.

At one time or another, most business professionals have been required to get up and speak in front of a group of colleagues. Whether it’s a short three-minute sales presentation or a one-hour keynote speech, there are things you can do to deliver an entertaining and informative presentation. The old adage ‘practice makes perfect’ definitely holds true.

These are my personal, tried and true tips for public speaking professionals to better their skills.

1. Intrigue the audience with a story. Craft presentations with attention-grabbing elements. Only dabble with humorous elements if jokes are a natural gift. Timing and knowledge of your audience are crucial. An intriguing story is a guarantee, but a joke is risky. Skip the prelude to your speech and jump right into the good stuff. Rambling quickly loses your audience.
2. Entertain to educate. When it comes to public speaking, the lowest paid speakers inform, while the highest paid entertain. Individuals engage with an entertaining presenter rather than a fact-filled presentation. Material is best absorbed when it resonates with the audience. Relevance is the key to entertaining and insightful presentations.
3. Start strong. Develop your introduction in advance, and give it to the event organizers. Avoid awkward transitions with precise preparation. Also, don’t forget to bring a hard copy on the big day. Include credentials to be read and a request for applause upon your entrance. This buffer grabs the audience’s attention and allows you to control the room. Crickets and a cold open are a difficult start.
4. A centerpiece creates peace. It may not sound like much, but a beautiful floral arrangement can brighten up the entire space. Flowers encourage uplifting and positive thoughts from the audience. The presentation environment sets the mood for how the audience receives your talk.
5. Talk with your body. It does not always matter what you say, but how you say it. Body language is reflected through power positions. An emotional response is evoked from the audience with a simple gesture. The bond built between you and your audience is rooted in trust. That trust is developed through your energy and nonverbal methods of communication during your presentation.
6. Gauge your energy. Think beyond your brand as business cards and a website. How you portray yourself is a direct reflection of your brand. Be enthusiastic without being spastic and be confident without being cocky. Your interactions should be spatially appropriate. Utilize that childhood concept of your ‘bubble’. Use distinctions of personal space for various interactions. As a professional speaker, communicate intimately while also projecting to the backrow. Engage your audience through your energy level to foster connection.
7. Be careful with your slides. There are two big mistakes speakers make when using PowerPoints in their presentation. 1. Never include pictures of yourself on vacation, being successful, standing in front of your Bentley or boat. You may think you’re sending them the message that if they hire you, buy your products or follow your advice, that they too can live this lifestyle. What’s really going to happen is you’ll come off as arrogant and rub the audience the wrong way. 2. Don’t use more text than pictures. An audience is conditioned to write down what they see. If they are too busy writing they are going to miss what you are saying. Too many speakers fill their slides with too many steps in bullet point format, and paragraphs that look like they are writing the next Harry Potter novel.
8. Use the stage to sell – for the long and short-term. Don’t get upset if you miss a sale. Some sales are more longitudinal than immediate. Producing worth, bonding with your audience, and deliberately operating your business, builds a strong foundation for future sales. Everyone has their reasons for not purchasing. Make a genuine connection now to make a sale later.
9. Be spontaneous but succinct. Understanding spontaneity comes from understanding your presentation. Make your presentation look the most natural by rehearsing your material often. Perfect delivery is achieved through mastery of an act. The most successful comedians appear to ‘wing it’, when they really perform their content thousands of times.
10. Avoid asking insultingly obvious questions. During presentations, some speakers ask the audience to raise their hands for blatantly obvious questions. It reflects a desperate need for participation, and often annoys the audience. If you already know what you are going to say, regardless of how many people raise their hands, then the question is unnecessary. Stick to questions that intrigue the audience and have no predetermined answers. This can be a helpful participation tool if used correctly.
11. Be original by being you. Everyone has their own style and essence. Try not to walk, talk, and look like the professional speakers you admire. Chances are if you admire them, so do many others. Take notes from your favorite techniques, and incorporate them in your own way. If you aim to imitate, authenticity is compromised. Utilize the greats and be creative to reflect your own style and personhood.

Public speaking is an art form like any other. The art is recognized through connection to the audience, and an entertaining yet informative presentation. Seek to teach your audience in a way that is original and authentic to yourself and your brand.