Public speaking can be one of the most challenging tasks you are ever required to do.
Putting yourself out there in front of an audience can be rough.
If only there was a list of public speaking tips which would have an instant impact on your presentation… Oh, look!.. Here they are:
1. Plan backwards
You’ve just been asked to deliver a speech and it’s panic stations. What are you going to say? What will you put on your PowerPoint slides?
Take a breath, grab a piece of paper, and let’s do some analysis.
Consider the outcome you would like. This is your number one priority. Decide the destination.
Once you know where you are going, once you have decided where you want to end up, everything else falls into place.
Imagine your speech is about a new computer system that will be implemented over the weekend. Your goal is to make employees aware of the system, get them to arrive 15 minutes early on Monday morning, and ensure they can log in to the system. Once you know this is the goal, the rest of your planning is easy. Your plan is tailored around reaching that outcome.
Begin with the end in mind.
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2. Outline in 3’s
Now it’s time to plan your speech.
Create your outline with 3 topics (or less) to support your desired outcome.
Planning more than 3 things to talk about makes it difficult for your audience to remember everything you said.
Keep it simple and plan to talk about no more than 3 supporting points.
3. Practice without a script
A public speaking killer is trying to memorize and recite a script.
Here are the problems with memorizing a script:
- It’s impossible to remember it perfectly, you will make mistakes
- You will sound robotic and un-natural
Good public speakers sound natural when they deliver. They sound natural because they are talking about what they know rather than reciting a memorized script.
Instead of memorizing, focus on knowing your topic well. Combine this with a clear outline (see above) and you’ll deliver a natural, engaging presentation.
4. Let gestures happen naturally
Perhaps some of the worst advice I’ve seen on public speaking forums and blogs is about gestures.
Practice gestures the “gurus” say.
This is terrible advice.
The best gestures are natural, the same as the natural gestures that just happen when you are conversing with friends.
Don’t force gestures, let them happen naturally. If you are talking about a topic you understand the gestures will flow without having to think about them.
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5. Don’t read your slides
When you’re on stage you are there to present. You are there to speak. You are not there to read.
If you spend time the entire time on stage reading your slides your audience will be livid!
The audience is there to hear you. The audience didn’t attend to be read to like a baby that needs to take a nap.
If you are just reading to the audience there is no point doing a presentation… Just email your slides to the audience and everyone saves time.
Remember this: If you are reading your slides, the audience aren’t listening.
6. Don’t try to fill time
When you are done, you’re done.
If you have 30 minutes allocated for your speech but you can get through the content well in 20 minutes, then 20 minutes is better.
Think quality over quantity. Don’t waste the audience’s time to fill a time slot.
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Haroun says
April 3, 2019 at 9:23 pmI totally agree with the idea that you should know about your topic from your inside rather than memorizing the whole script. This ain’t shooting for a drama !
Rick Shea says
July 9, 2018 at 3:46 pmThanks for the great tips, Dave! Some good ideas in the comments, too.
I would add that I’ve found it very helpful to really plan my opening comments. It helps me to calm down and feel confident if I know I have a strong opening planned, perhaps even memorized. When properly done, it also sets the stage for everything that follows.
Dr Kevi Jones says
March 31, 2018 at 11:48 amA big killer of successful public speaking is the use of slides – almost always too many that have far too much information on them – why?? They have become visual distractions, not visual aids!! So no more than five bullet points per slide (3 is best!) with one or two words per bullet.
I’ve taken this to a new level and actually use the slides as a prompt for me which make little sense to the audience when they read them, until they listen to what I’m saying because I want them focussing on my message!
So from the original example at the head of this article I would have slide one with just this on;
Weekend
15 mins
Log in
Simples!
Hope this helps you. Good luck!!
Gifty Boatemaa Annan says
March 15, 2018 at 3:06 pmWell communicated…very useful tips for a successful presentation.
Shawn Dooley says
March 7, 2018 at 4:08 pmA concise summary. Thank you. I tell people that the graphics, or PPT slides, should support and enhance the speech by providing a visual anchor to the ideas you are sharing. Less is more with slide content.
Tarrannum says
March 6, 2018 at 12:32 pmNice thanks for sharing i liked 5th point not to read your slides i seen our resource person reading n we were very bored. So it’s really helpful.
Thanks
Jerry says
March 2, 2018 at 6:28 pmMaybe you should not read your slides, but a beginning public speaker may need to a little. I would say don’t read your slides word for word, but paraphrase the information contain within the slides. Use the slide to remind you of the next piece of information to convey to the audience.
Amal says
February 23, 2018 at 10:39 amI love the idea of planning and i always do it before my presentations. I think verbal and non verbal communication can follow planning
Diane Hall-Harvey says
February 21, 2018 at 3:30 pmThank you! The idea of planning the end 1st vs the beginning is a great tip that’s new to me. I’ve been doing public speaking parts for decades but generally concern myself with where I need to start and not the destination. It’s a new concept that I’ll begin using for my next assignment at the end of March. 😀
Satish Kakri says
February 21, 2018 at 3:23 amSimply explained, the article forms a very interesting reading and is immensely useful.
Kathryn Kelly says
January 29, 2018 at 3:07 pmI really like your first point and I will use this in planning for my upcoming presentations!
Wendy Smith says
November 19, 2017 at 10:02 amAnd a tip about warming up your audience before you even get near a stage. Get to introduce yourself to as many people as possible in the room. Shake their hands, introduce yourself, smile at them.This is particularly useful to anyone you may feel is oozing nerves or negative body language. Get them on your side.
Tam Trinh says
October 31, 2017 at 9:05 pmExcellents tips. I would add a few items
1- make eye contact with each side of the audience : from let to center to right
2- Avoid verbal pause (um um)
3-Variation of speed and ton of voice : slow down or make a pause after making a key point.
4- Make short sentences: be brief, clear and decisive.
Dr Christiaan Willems says
October 23, 2017 at 1:06 amAs a coach in non-verbal and on-camera communication over the past 15 years, I concur with what you say Dave. particularly the point you make regarding Gesturing. I have had clients who had previously been told “don’t gesture – it confuses the message”. Also clients who try to gesture artificially (particularly politicians). Both these bits of ‘expert advice’ are emphatically wrong, incorrect, misleading and counter-productive. As you point out, they make for a wooden, un-engaging, ‘non-human’ presentation.
Dr Christiaan (Chris) Willems.
Nitin Kagalkar says
October 6, 2017 at 8:40 amIt is immensely useful and practical.
Thanks!
Israel Romero says
October 30, 2017 at 8:44 pmIt works, every leader must have this skill set!