The ability to speak to others is hugely valuable. It’s all about stepping outside of your comfort zone as often as you can! When was the last time you did public speaking?
Here are 7 powerful public speaking tips to help you deliver your message with impact and leave a lasting impression.
- Practice makes perfect – it’s always best to be prepared.Have a general idea of your talk and what you want to say
- Don’t over rehearse – you want to find the balance between well practiced and too rehearsed. Being too rehearsed can lead to a stiff and uninteresting talk.
- Grab your audiences attention – Tell a story or use a personal anecdote to orient our audience to the talk and capture their interest.
- Always scaffold – your audience may not know as much as you on the topic. Always scaffold down your findings after presenting them to make them more digestible to a less knowledgeable audience.
- Stay loose – It’s okay to smile or laugh. Remember, you’re a real person. A talk is more engaging with a relaxed speaker.
- Work through stumbles – if you ‘make a mistake, keep going! We are our own biggest critics. Chances are your audience didn’t even notice the stumble. Keep the talk going!
- Record your talk before giving it – review the tape to see how it sounds for yourself. Is it engaging? Are you using too many filler words like “um” or “so?”
Remember that the key to successful public speaking is practice, preparation, and the ability to connect with your audience. When was the last time you did public speaking?
