Public speaking is one of our most common fears. It can cause us to break into a cold sweat at the very thought of being in front of a crowd. The fear of public speaking is so prominent that there’s a name for it – glossophobia. It’s one of the most important aspects of professional life, yet for many of us, it’s a complete nightmare.
Up to 70% of the population live with this fear. It’s not surprising, considering that our society has put such an emphasis on social media and self-promotion. Public speaking is unlike other fears in that it can be conquered by understanding how it works and what sets it off.
The following tips will help you to address this and put your best self forward.
1. Audience Needs
The first step to becoming a better public speaker is to understand the audience’s needs and what they want from you as a presenter. Put yourself in their shoes – know who will be listening and do your best to consider what would be most valuable for them to take away from your talk. Is there an action you can encourage listeners to take?
It is also really important that you understand your own strengths and weaknesses as a presenter. You can do this by reviewing your past presentations or having someone else do this for you. Get feedback from a trusted colleague or friend. Ask a trusted colleague or friend for feedback. Alternatively, record yourself on your phone to review your performance and look for areas to improve. Identify content that can be removed, unclear areas and points to emphasise.
You should prepare thoroughly for each presentation: come up with an outline, practise your speech, and make sure that you have all of the necessary materials to present. These steps will lead you in the right direction but there are some specific tips that can take you even further.
2. How to Develop Effective Speech Writing Skills
The most important factor in delivering a well-written speech is to make it sound conversational. This is the best way to engage your audience and create a sense of connection. Make sure to maintain eye contact with your listeners too.
It’s also important to have an outline of what you’re going to say before you write anything down. Start with the most important point, then work your way down the list in order of importance. Once you have laid out what you’re going to say, use that outline as your guide when writing the speech.
Stories are extremely powerful in public speaking – wherever possible try to use personal stories or anecdotes to frame the message you’re trying to deliver. People will remember a story long after the speech has concluded.
The following two structural models are a good place to start:
General speech model
Introduction (tell the audience what you’re going to tell them and what they will get from the speech)
Topic overview (summary of subject matter that is going to be delivered and how it relates to the listener)
- Point 1
- Sub point
- Sub point
- Sub point
- Point 2
- Sub point
- Sub point
- Sub point
- Point 3
- Sub point
- Sub point
- Sub point
Summary (bring together the key points from the content)
Conclusion (reminder of what’s been covered and key call to action)
Add points and sub-points based on the length of speech you are delivering.
ADUCATE speech model
- Attention – Give overview of presentation and highlight the benefits and results for the audience if they listen
- Difficulty – Outline the challenge or problem and how it manifests itself
- Understand – Show how you understand the problem through your own personal experiences
- Credibility – Demonstrate how you have earned the right to teach the topic based on the lessons and experience you’ve gained in the subject area
- Action Steps – Outline three things the listener needs to learn to address the challenge
- Testimonial – Give examples of those who have followed the advice to successfully overcome the challenge
- Exit – Outline the next steps the audience can take
Whatever framework you use you should aim to develop the speech content and practise delivery of it until you are able to deliver it confidently. You should know each part off by heart or by using a single index card with reminder words for each section.
3. How to Deliver Engaging & Entertaining Talks
Many people are introverts or just prefer not to be in the spotlight. You may not feel comfortable speaking before a group of people. But you also know that you have something valuable to offer. Maybe you have an idea about how to fix a problem in society, or an innovative way to do something better, or some research that could change the world.
So if you’re quite shy and don’t see yourself as a born speaker then here are some tips on how to deliver an engaging and entertaining talk.
It’s important to remember that the most important aspect of your talk will be the information that it contains, and not how you say it. You want to think about what is interesting or unique about your topic and discuss why you’re passionate about it. How does this topic relate to people who come to hear it? What can they do with this information?
Giving a presentation is stressful. It can be difficult to present new information in a way that is both factual and engaging. One of the best ways to do this is by structuring your speech or presentation in a way that can have an impact on people. Think about the main message or action you would like your audience to take away and incorporate that at the end of your speech.
The other key consideration is your delivery. Use pauses for effect, consider your movement and posture, and vary vocal variety where appropriate. These additions will help to keep the audience engaged. A great way to learn how to do this is to watch others delivering talks. Ted talks are fantastic for this, or any speaker that you admire.
4. How to Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking
The best way to get over public speaking anxiety is to start with smaller crowds and work your way up. There’s no substitute for getting in front of people with your content. One of the most supportive environments for this is Toastmasters International. There are clubs in every city around the world. Join a club and you will be able to learn and grow with a great variety of people who will provide valuable feedback and support on your journey. They have a brilliant programme to develop speaking skills and provide a supportive environment too.
5. Overcoming Nerves
A few other things can help you to manage your nerves:
- Before you speak, if you are able to, find a private space, and get into a superman pose for a few minutes. This reduces stress chemicals in your body which really helps to calm and centre you. More details on this in our tips for personal presence.
- If you are able to, chew gum before speaking. The act of eating tricks your nervous system into thinking it’s in a calm state and can help to reduce nervousness.
- It’s natural to be nervous – try and reframe your worry into excitement, the opportunity for you to share your knowlege and help others. Stress is a natural part of life, learn to dance with it rather than fight it.
- When speaking, make sure you are rooted to the floor. Sink down into yourself slightly – this connection with the ground helps to reduce jerky movement. As you gain confidence, move more. If you’re sitting down, the same rule applies – make sure you feel rooted to the chair, go down into your body when speaking.
- If your mouth gets dry during your talk, take a sip of water or if you are unable to do so, take a slow breath and continue.
- Smile – it will help you to deliver the talk and it will naturally calm both you and the audience.
- Use panoramic sight to settle the nervous system. Recent research has shown that when we focus in on a single point, we naturally become more stressed. However, if we can change our view to a more panoramic one, this settles you. Look above the audience and look at the whole width of the ceiling/venue for a few seconds (or the width of your room if you’re online).
- When speaking, focus your eyes on a single person at one side of the audience, then, when you reach the end of a sentence, move to someone else. Do this throughout your talk and don’t just look above the crowd.
Remember, those who are listening want you to do well and deliver a great speech, they are rooting for you, so try to think of the audience as your friends.
Conclusion: How to Become a Truly Great Speaker
We have looked at some of the qualities that make a speaker great. To become truly great, you need imagination and empathy, courage and passion, a sense of proportion and a deep understanding of your subhect.
The path from being a good speaker to being a great one may take time but it is well worth the effort. A truly great speaker can become something extraordinary with the ability not only to inspire others but also to change their world for the better.
Further reading and useful links
If you’d like to explore this topic further, the following links will help.
