Let me preface this by saying I wouldn’t post this unless I were cornered. I was. I don’t usually appreciate public speaking advice which attempts to "sum it all up" on one page. I’ve never considered the complex subject of public speaking to be easily summed up. It’s just too broad and requires a variety of skills. There are plenty of one-pager, you-can-do-this-too web sites which always leave me anxious to add a resounding “but” in the comments.
I was giving a talk to a community service group about the value of developing their public speaking skills. As I was about to close, this question came from an eager participant: "What are the top five things that you would advise are the most important skills for public speaking?" In my minds ear, I heard something like, “Please put the answers to life’s persistent questions in a nutshell.” My first comment was to tell the inquiring business leader that I appreciated the brevity in her intentions, and that there is much more to it than we have time for. Off the top of my head, I proceeded with these points:
Organization: Take the time to prepare your thoughts first. Mentally organize your speech goals and content. A disorganized speech is a pain for the audience and becomes ineffective quickly. Putting your thoughts down on a notepad will help smooth the entire process from preparation to writing to practice to execution.
Vocal projection and control: It’s speaking. The voice is critical to the job. You can learn to project without straining your voice by using the mouth to shape sounds instead of expecting your gut and throat to belt it out (the sure way to permanent voice strain). You can speak clearly, loud and long without straining if you learn to project carefully – from the mouth, not from the back of the throat. Gargle with warm salt water regularly to help get yourself in touch with your own clear voice. If you are serious about good vocals in speech or singing, get Arthur Lessac’s books, and take a voice training class.
Presence: The body and voice are connected by the mind, so don’t resist the urges of the body to follow the words, but make sure that motions and gesture emphasize instead of distract. You can command the stage with a professional look, a few pauses, some silence, and by making visual connections without saying a word. Add these to your repertoire to add an impact which fills out a speech beyond the words.
Connect: The audience will lean forward when the human side of you is built into your presentation. People are very interested in the speaker’s personal perspective on the topic of the day. Delivering interesting pieces of your background builds credibility, and the details of a personal story help drive a point.
Stay on mission: Content should be consistent. Every part of a speech should build, add to, or support the purpose of your talk. Each colorful metaphor must paint a clear picture, relatable to the topic by way of strengthening the feelings about the purpose or the future state. When we call people to action, the message must be as visible as sky-writing on a clear blue day.
Wouldn’t you know it, one of their group reminded us all that it’s also important to have something to say.
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