Public Speaking: 10 Tips to Improve Public Speaking Skills

When I ask my audiences their number one challenge with public speaking, they overwhelmingly say, "to overcome the fear of public speaking." It's okay to have "butterflies." The key is how to get them organized, focused and flying in formation. Here are 10 tips for delivering a more powerful, persuasive presentation. Practice these techniques consistently to improve public speaking skills.

1. 95% of your success is determined before the presentation. Your audience will know if you didn't rehearse. Rehearsing, or "rehearing" yourself minimizes 75% of your nervousness. Rehearse standing up, or better yet, ask someone to videotape you. The camera will be your most objective ally. The more comfortable you become with your material via rehearsing, the more comfortable you will be with your body language.

2. Either memorize or "know cold" your opener and close. Two minutes each for an opener and a close is enough. The most important thing your audience will remember is your closing. Second most important thing they'll remember is your opener. Start with something attention grabbing, like a quote or statistic, which relates to your topic. Never start with, "Good Morning." It is obvious and boring.

Public Speaking: 10 Tips to Improve Public Speaking Skills

3. Public Speaking: 24 hours before your presentation:

A. Have a quiet dinner with a quiet friend. (This may or may not be your spouse!) You won't be as concerned about your public speaking skills if you can put your nervous system on glide.

B. The evening before, put your presentation on audiocassette as background noise one hour before retiring. Listen to your opener and close before bedtime as a review.

C. No massive changes 24 hours before. Nothing increases the fear of public speaking more than rewritting your material at the last minute. Impromptu speeches notwithstanding.

D. Visualize your presentation going smoothly and successfully. All Olympic athletes use this technique, and it works with public speaking as well.

E. Review your notes and visual aids the evening before. Your notes should only be "fast food for the eyes" in bullet form, and are NEVER read to the audience.

F. Eat a good high protein breakfast the morning of your presentation. Even if you're not speaking until that evening, feed your mind and body the proper fuel.

4. Before your presentation, check yourself in a full-length mirror. A dear friend of mine forgot to do this. During her keynote speech in front of hundreds, someone quietly pointed out that her skirt was tucked into her pantyhose!

5. Public speaking and purpose: When organizing your talk, define your purpose. Why are you there? Why are they there? Is this a sales presentation? A community watch group? If you present technical information, is this an information/knowledge transfer or a decision briefing? When presenting technical information make certain not to overload your audience with too much detail, or too much on each slide. Tailor your message. Define your objective.

6. Know your audience before designing your opener and close. It is imperative that you "speak the language" of your audience. What are their ages? Percentage of males/females? Are they highly technical or non-technical? Do they want to be there or is this mandatory? What are their expectations? If you are a scientist or engineer, speak to the "lowest common denominator." Technical presenters have a propensity to use a lot of technical jargon. Does the person in charge of funding understand the language?

7. Avoid using too many slides. Visual aids are wonderful tools as long as they're used to enhance the information. A common mistake is using the visual aids as the presentation. Look at the audience frequently to establish rapport and a connection. In almost every presentation, you are there to "sell" them not simply "tell" them. Do not look at your visual aids other than a quick glance, and never read them. Never turn your back on the audience to read slides. They will not look at your slides. Their minds will start to wander. Remember, you are your own best visual aid.

8. Good public speaking skills mean being prepared. As the saying goes, prior planning prevents predictably poor performance. Planning and preparation will reduce nervousness 75%. Again, your audience will know if you didn't rehearse. Consider hiring a public speaking coach. The dollars invested may well be worth their weight in gold.

9. The Q & A period and how to handle a hostile audience. The second most frequent comment I hear in my public speaking seminars is "What if they ask a question and I don't know the answer?" Or, "What if someone in the audience is a know-it-all and doesn't like me?" Avoid being argumentative. If you don't know the answer, ask if someone in the audience has the answer. Or, simply let them know when you will get back to them. Make certain you do. When you lie you die. It destroys your credibility.

10. Variety and venue. Variety serves as a "wake up call" to your audience. Examples of adding variety: humor, relevant stories, quotes, voice inflection, paired and group activities, pauses, audience participation in the question and answer period, and slides or other multimedia. As for your venue, are your visual aids appropriate to your size of audience? Will everyone be able to see them?

Lastly, make sure to confirm the time, date, and place with the appropriate contact person. If possible, arrange to see the room ahead of time so you can practice visualizing in the exact location of your presentation. At the minimum, arrive at least one hour ahead of time. To improve public speaking skills, and overcome nervousness, nothing works like being prepared.

Copyright 2006 Colleen Kettenhofen

Public Speaking: 10 Tips to Improve Public Speaking Skills
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Colleen Kettenhofen is a motivational speaker, workplace expert, & co-author of "The Masters of Success," as featured on the Today Show, along with Ken Blanchard and Jack Canfield. http://www.ColleenSpeaks.com Topics: leadership, management, difficult people, success, public speaking. To order the book, or for free articles and newsletter visit http://www.ColleenSpeaks.com You are free to reprint or repost this information provided Colleen Kettenhofen's name and website is provided with the article.

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Add Humor to Your Speech Without Telling Jokes

How often have you heard someone start a speech with a joke? Too often probably. Speakers with limited experience tend to tell jokes just to get a laugh in the hope the audience will warm up to them. The jokes are often irrelevant to the topic of their speech.

Experienced speakers know there are better ways to add humor to a speech or presentation, including:.

Using funny stories and anecdotes--not jokes--in your speech

Add Humor to Your Speech Without Telling Jokes

Everyone has had bad experiences that become funny with the passage of time. They make great stories Remember that today's tragedy is tomorrow's funny anecdote.

If you don't feel comfortable talking about yourself, borrow stories from other people. It's acceptable to as long as you credit the source.

Collecting Stories from your audience

"Jollytologist" Allen Klein tells how he'd often ask his audiences "How do you spell relief?" "L-A-U-G-H" was his answer. Then during one of his presentations, an audience member cried out, "D-I-V-O-R-C-E." It was hysterical. Klein now relates the story as part of many of his presentations.

Creating a fun atmosphere in the room before you speak

Since I'm a former news anchor and sportscaster, I sometimes arranged for the person introducing me to show some of my worst on-air bloopers in video clips (there was plenty of material to draw from). The bloopers always got people laughing, and also let them know I wasn't afraid to laugh at myself a little--a great way to connect with them right from the start.

Self-denigrating humor

In the 70's, President Gerald Ford was skewered regularly on Saturday Night Live about his lack of grace. Ford struck back by making fun of himself better than the SNL writers ever could.

He told his audiences about the night he met his wife Betty, and how he wanted to dance with her "in the worst way." Then he'd say, "And Betty later told me I did just that--dance in the worst way."

Ford also said he had to become the center on his college football team because center was the only position where he didn't have to move my feet.

If someone as important as a former president can poke fun at himself, the rest of us can too. Self-denigrating humor is a powerful tool.

Using interesting props in your speech

I'd sometimes bring along "IFB" to use as a as a prop. An IFB (which stands for "interruptible feedback) is an ear piece TV reporters use when they're doing live reports from the scene of a news story. The IFB allows them to hear what the people back in the studio are saying to them as they're being introduced, and also allows them to hear questions the anchors might ask.

I would sometimes show a blooper clip of what can happen when something goes wrong with an IFB. The clip showed a female reporter stuttering and stammering during a live report. She sounded absolutely smashed. She wasn't.

It turns out someone had unintentionally pressed the wrong button back in the control room, and the reporter was hearing her own words in her IFB about half a second after she spoke, which, take my word for it, is extremely distracting. For about 15 seconds, she battled and tried to be as professional as she could, but the harder she tried, the funnier she sounded. She finally ripped the IFB from her ear and continued her report.

The clip always got the audience howling.

Borrowing humor

The Internet is a great place to find one liners and funny quotes. Personally, I borrowed often from Yogi Berra ("When you come to a fork in the road, take it..."), Will Rogers ("when Democrats want to form a firing squad, they get into a circle...") and many others.

Buying humor from people who sell it

There are professionals who will write funny stuff for you, and they're generally not expensive. You can also check your local comedy club and hire someone who's probably pretty good at writing one liners. Or do a search for "humor writers" or "humorists" on the Internet.

Steve Allen once said, "People would rather be entertained than educated." But if you can entertain and educate at the same time, you have the makings of a great speech--without ever telling a single joke.

Add Humor to Your Speech Without Telling Jokes
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George McKenzie is a retired TV anchor and radio talk show host. He often contributes articles to Speech Success, where you'll find more information and advice about making a speech and public speaking.

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Public Speaking - What's Confidence and How Do I Get It?

We all know that audiences are drawn to a speaker with confidence. We all know that we need to have confidence as speakers. But what is this magical thing called confidence, and where does it come from?

How do you gain the ability to believe in yourself and to demonstrate that belief to the whole world? Do you always have to feel confident to look confident? And is reducing anxiety the same thing as gaining confidence?

Let's explore these questions and solve the mystery of this most desirable and elusive trait.

Public Speaking - What's Confidence and How Do I Get It?

First of all, what does confidence look like? A confident speaker exudes positive energy that feeds and excites the audience. A confident speaker appears strong and authoritative, but not intimidating. A confident speaker appears relaxed but not sloppy, positive but not saccharine, and knowledgeable but not arrogant. Whew! That's a lot to live up to.

Confidence is both mental and physical. It's the positive way you perceive yourself, and it's the way your body projects that positive self-image. Here are some strategies to move toward both the mental and physical expression of confidence.

Pointer 1: Always be prepared

You must be well-prepared in order to feel confident. That means you're speaking about a topic you believe in, you know your topic inside and out, you've organized your thoughts into a cohesive presentation, and you've practiced it enough not to be thrown off by unexpected questions or mishaps. "Winging it" or tossing together your presentation the day before it's due is only going to increase any anxiety you have about speaking.

Preparation means visiting the venue where you'll be speaking to get a feel for the room, the layout, where people will be sitting, how much you'll have to project your voice, and how intimate or formal the setting will be. Where will your equipment go? Where will you stand? Feeling comfortable in the space where you're speaking will increase your confidence.

Preparation also means anticipating distractions or mishaps. Plan ahead for computer glitches, hostile audience members, forgetting your place, a waiter dropping a plate, and any other problem that might arise. Anticipating mishaps is not the same as worrying about them. When you've got Plan B and Plan C in place, you can actually relax more, because you know you're ready for anything.

Pointer 2: Embrace your uniqueness and imperfections

A confident speaker doesn't worry about what the audience thinks of her. A confident speaker is more concerned with delivering value and meeting the audience's needs. So what if you have a lisp, a visible tattoo or a hearing impairment? So what if you have a Scottish accent, a booming voice or you're from the projects? Make the most of your uniqueness, stand out from the crowd, and be proud of who you are!

If you have a strong accent, slow down when you speak and get feedback on your presentation before you deliver it to make sure you can be understood. If you have a booming voice, make sure to use vocal variation, and be sensitive to the size of the room and how close the audience is to you. The point is this: make your uniqueness work for you, not against you. Never be ashamed or embarrassed about who you are.

Audiences don't want speakers who are perfect, by the way. They want to be able to relate to and connect with the speaker. A presenter who is perfect makes her achievements seem unattainable. Be human, be real, and be you.

Use positive self-talk to reframe the way you perceive yourself as a person and a speaker. Before your presentation, say to yourself, "I believe in myself," or "I'm special and unique, and there's no one in the world like me." It seems a little corny, but affirmations work! Pair your mental practice with physical practice. Make sure your posture, eye contact and body language also say "I'm confident."

Pointer 3: Don't apologize

A confident speaker doesn't let the audience know when he's nervous. What? Confident speakers get nervous? Yes, of course they do!

The difference between a confident speaker and one who lacks confidence is that the latter tries to gain favor with the audience by pointing out or apologizing for his nervousness. This doesn't gain points with the audience; in fact, it makes them pity the poor speaker. A confident speaker doesn't want pity; he wants respect! A confident speaker appears calm and relaxed, even when nervous. This takes physical and mental practice, but the pros do it every day and so can you.

When things go wrong in your presentation, don't dwell on them and don't announce them. The audience most likely has no idea that you've lost your place or left something out. Keep going as though nothing has happened; the show must go on.

In the event that you make an obvious mistake, like spilling your water all over the lectern, take care of the problem quickly, lighten up the situation with a little humor, then move on. If you dwell on it, so will the audience. Successfully and smoothly handling a mishap shows you're a professional and adds to the audience's positive perception of you.

These tips are mostly about how you perceive yourself and how the audience perceives you as a result. You don't have to be confident to appear confident, but the beauty of this mental and physical practice is that the more you appear confident to others, the more your confidence will grow for real. When you believe in yourself and believe in your message, your audience will, too.

Public Speaking - What's Confidence and How Do I Get It?
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Lisa Braithwaite works with individuals to uncover their challenges and build their strengths in presenting themselves confidently as speakers. Find your voice with public speaking coaching! Sign up for the Presentation Pointers newsletter or a free consultation at www.coachlisab.com. Check out the 7-Week Shortcut to Public Speaking Confidence e-course and the Speak Schmeak blog.

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Presentation Titles That Fill the Room

You have the perfect topic. You know exactly what you want to say. Now, you need a title that commands attention. What drives people to sign up for a workshop? Think about workshops or teleclasses that you've taken. What did you find compelling? Maybe you liked the topic - or realized it was something you needed to know. Maybe the title was so catchy you couldn't resist finding out what else this presenter might have to say.

Be catchy, but be clear. Your title should make it clear what the audience will learn and why it is important to know this. At the same time, you won't want to make your potential audience feel like they've gone back to school - remind them that learning can be fun.

Which of these would you sign up for?

Presentation Titles That Fill the Room

Learn Money Management from A to Z

- or -

Financial Freedom in 10 Easy Steps

Planning and Designing a Workshop

- or -

60 Minutes Special - Using a One-hour Workshop to Build Visibility

In all four titles, the potential audience knows what they will learn, but in the second example in each pair, it sounds like they might have fun.

Keep your title short. If you need more than 10 words to explain what you will be doing, use a subtitle. One formula often used in creating book titles works well for workshops as well. The first part of the title is an attention-grabber; the second part - after the dash or colon - tells what the workshop is about. For example:

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-free Productivity
The Breaking Point: How Female Midlife Crisis is Transforming Today's Women
The One Thing You Need to Know ... About Great Managing, Great Leading, and Sustained Individual Success

Here are some teleclass titles that make you want to sign up:

Reclaim Your Health and Look and Feel Your Absolute Best!

Building a Thriving Network Through Masterful Connecting

Create an e-Product Today (Yes, Today!)

Each of these could be a great one-hour workshop. And each is something that draws 'em in.

Presentation Titles That Fill the Room
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Susan R. Meyer is a Life Coach and consultant specializing in clearing self-imposed barriers in life and at work. She draws on her twenty years experience in Training and Development, spent teaching presenters how to design and conduct workshops, in her programs including the One-hour Workshop e-course and the One-day Workshop e-course. Please visit her at http://www.life-workcoach.com or at http://www.onehourworkshop.com for information about these courses and the new One-hour Workshop Workbook. You can contact her at dr.susan@life-workcoach.com

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