tips when giving a speech

10 Tips for Improving Your Public Speaking Skills

Few are immune to the fear of public speaking. Marjorie North offers 10 tips for speakers to calm the nerves and deliverable memorable orations.

Marjorie North

Snakes? Fine. Flying? No problem. Public speaking? Yikes! Just thinking about public speaking — routinely described as one of the greatest (and most common) fears — can make your palms sweat. But there are many ways to tackle this anxiety and learn to deliver a memorable speech.

In part one of this series,  Mastering the Basics of Communication , I shared strategies to improve how you communicate. In part two, How to Communicate More Effectively in the Workplace , I examined how to apply these techniques as you interact with colleagues and supervisors in the workplace. For the third and final part of this series, I’m providing you with public speaking tips that will help reduce your anxiety, dispel myths, and improve your performance.

Here Are My 10 Tips for Public Speaking:

1. nervousness is normal. practice and prepare.

All people feel some physiological reactions like pounding hearts and trembling hands. Do not associate these feelings with the sense that you will perform poorly or make a fool of yourself. Some nerves are good. The adrenaline rush that makes you sweat also makes you more alert and ready to give your best performance.

The best way to overcome anxiety is to prepare, prepare, and prepare some more. Take the time to go over your notes several times. Once you have become comfortable with the material, practice — a lot. Videotape yourself, or get a friend to critique your performance.

Communication Strategies: Presenting with Impact

Search all Communication programs.

2. Know Your Audience. Your Speech Is About Them, Not You.

Before you begin to craft your message, consider who the message is intended for. Learn as much about your listeners as you can. This will help you determine your choice of words, level of information, organization pattern, and motivational statement.

3. Organize Your Material in the Most Effective Manner to Attain Your Purpose.

Create the framework for your speech. Write down the topic, general purpose, specific purpose, central idea, and main points. Make sure to grab the audience’s attention in the first 30 seconds.

4. Watch for Feedback and Adapt to It.

Keep the focus on the audience. Gauge their reactions, adjust your message, and stay flexible. Delivering a canned speech will guarantee that you lose the attention of or confuse even the most devoted listeners.

5. Let Your Personality Come Through.

Be yourself, don’t become a talking head — in any type of communication. You will establish better credibility if your personality shines through, and your audience will trust what you have to say if they can see you as a real person.

6. Use Humor, Tell Stories, and Use Effective Language.

Inject a funny anecdote in your presentation, and you will certainly grab your audience’s attention. Audiences generally like a personal touch in a speech. A story can provide that.

7. Don’t Read Unless You Have to. Work from an Outline.

Reading from a script or slide fractures the interpersonal connection. By maintaining eye contact with the audience, you keep the focus on yourself and your message. A brief outline can serve to jog your memory and keep you on task.

8. Use Your Voice and Hands Effectively. Omit Nervous Gestures.

Nonverbal communication carries most of the message. Good delivery does not call attention to itself, but instead conveys the speaker’s ideas clearly and without distraction.

9. Grab Attention at the Beginning, and Close with a Dynamic End.

Do you enjoy hearing a speech start with “Today I’m going to talk to you about X”? Most people don’t. Instead, use a startling statistic, an interesting anecdote, or concise quotation. Conclude your speech with a summary and a strong statement that your audience is sure to remember.

10. Use Audiovisual Aids Wisely.

Too many can break the direct connection to the audience, so use them sparingly. They should enhance or clarify your content, or capture and maintain your audience’s attention.

Practice Does Not Make Perfect

Good communication is never perfect, and nobody expects you to be perfect. However, putting in the requisite time to prepare will help you deliver a better speech. You may not be able to shake your nerves entirely, but you can learn to minimize them.

Find related Communication programs.

Browse all Professional & Executive Development programs.

About the Author

North is a consultant for political candidates, physicians, and lawyers, and runs a private practice specializing in public speaking, and executive communication skills. Previously, she was the clinical director in the department of speech and language pathology and audiology at Northeastern University.

Why Gender Equity in the Workplace is Good for Business

Research indicates a correlation between gender equity and organizational success, yet it also points to obstacles for women in leadership.

Harvard Division of Continuing Education

The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) at Harvard University is dedicated to bringing rigorous academics and innovative teaching capabilities to those seeking to improve their lives through education. We make Harvard education accessible to lifelong learners from high school to retirement.

• Delivery Techniques →

How to Give a Speech: 10 Tips for Powerful Public Speaking

When we start preparing to give a speech, it can be a nerve-wracking experience. It’s completely normal—most of us feel a combination of excitement and nerves when we’re about to take the stage.

However, with some strategic planning and practical advice, you can make sure your speech is powerful and effective. In this blog post, we’ll explore how to give a speech that will leave your audience engaged and inspired.

We’ll examine 10 tips to help you build a powerful speech, from outlining your points methodically to crafting captivating introductions . Whether you’re a beginner or experienced public speaker, these nuggets of wisdom will help you take your next speech to the next level. Let’s get started!

Quick Review of Key Points

Preparing ahead of time is the key to giving an effective speech. Make sure to structure your speaking points, rehearse your delivery, and be aware of the needs of your audience for maximum impact.

How to Prepare for a Speech

Preparing for a speech is an essential step to public speaking success. It can help to build your confidence, create content that reaches the audience, and reduce performance anxiety.

Although it can be time-consuming in the beginning, preparation will ensure less stress and more comfort during delivery. Here are some tips to consider when preparing for a speech:

Practice : Before delivering a speech, practice it out loud several times. This will allow you to gain experience in speaking without an audience and increase your confidence when you do have one.

Practicing also helps to identify awkward moments in the speech or any difficult phrases which then can be changed or removed altogether. Additionally, it helps you determine where to pause for effect. Research : Depending on the topic of the speech , research should be done beforehand to gather information that is relevant and interesting for the audience. It is important to get acquainted with the language typically used by audiences to ensure a clear understanding of what is being said.

Additionally, relevant statistics and stories concerning the topic are a great way to draw in listeners and make the presentation more engaging .

Know Your Audience : When preparing your speech, be sure to consider who will be listening. For instance, if giving a presentation at work, include industry jargon that members would understand and include relevant topics from publications that might be familiar to the employees.

On the other hand, if consulting business professionals in their field then technical language may be easier for them to comprehend than laypeople or students.

By gathering valuable information about the topic and getting comfortable with a speech’s content and delivery through practice, speakers will gain more assurance during their talk as well as respect from their audience.

Preparing beforehand not only gives insight into how to engage listeners but also encourages more meaningful conversations after the event. Now that we have discussed how to prepare for a speech let us move on to creating an outline which will provide structure during delivery.

Create an Outline

After determining the audience and purpose of your speech, the next step to effective public speaking is to create an outline .

An outline serves as a roadmap to ensure that your speech has a logical flow and contains all important points. It also can help keep you on track during the speech itself, allowing you to stay focused and organized.

When constructing an outline, consider drawing up both a main point and sub-points for each portion of the speech. Both should be relevant to the goal of the presentation and backed up by facts and research.

Brainstorming can help in this process; try grouping your ideas together in clusters to make sure you cover all possible angles.

Furthermore, writing out exact quotations or figures can prove beneficial in forming a cohesive argument. At this stage, it is also wise to decide where transitions, humor, stories, or other engaging techniques will be included.

While there are differing opinions as to whether outlines should be memorized or simply used as a reference while speaking, many agree that they should serve their purpose – not only articulate the main thoughts of the speech but also assist the speaker with maintaining focus and preventing distractions.

The debate between those who advocate for memorization versus casual consulting touches upon issues such as rehearsal time, risk of errors in delivery, ease of practice versus actual performance and more.

Each side has valid arguments that should be weighed prior to deciding what type of approach best suits your needs.

Having a firmly constructed outline acts as a valuable tool when it comes time to deliver a powerful public speech. By actively utilizing this tactic, speakers may not only enhance their clarity and coherence, but also add structure and vibrance to their presentations.

Now that we have explored what goes into crafting an effective outline, let’s dive deeper into how we can best collect resources and research our topics for maximum impact.

Collect Sources and Research

Collecting sources and research is a crucial step for any public speaking engagement. It ensures that you have the necessary information to make strong points and back up your statements.

Before writing your speech, take time to research your topic to gain familiarity with different perspectives, facts, and counterpoints. This will help you to craft an argument that can stand up to scrutiny while also adding a breadth of knowledge to your speech.

Interviews can be a powerful source of evidence and anecdotes, so try to include one or two relevant interviews in your research process. Relying solely on secondary sources such as books and articles can lead to a narrow scope of understanding.

Interviews provide an opportunity to hear directly from an expert and create an interesting dynamic in your speech by adding personal experiences as well as commentary from a professional.

In research it is important to stay objective. Gather a variety of perspectives and be open-minded about their merits. Don’t forget to consider both sides of the argument when researching for your speech.

Doing this allows you to understand the opposing perspective and enables you to anticipate potential counter arguments from your audience.

By acknowledging them beforehand, you may increase the persuasive power of your speech by showing confidence in the points you make.

Once you have collected all sources, review them carefully and separate the most pertinent information from the less useful material.

Synthesising this information into concise yet impactful points is a critical part in delivering powerful talks without overloading your audience with too much data or going off track during your speech delivery.

Organizing Your Speech

Before you start putting your words together, it’s important to consider how the different parts of a speech fit together. By taking the time to organize the ideas in your speech , you’ll be able to deliver a presentation that is well-constructed and easy to understand.

One way to help with organizing your speech is to write an outline . An outline is like a map or plan that will provide you with a framework for each section of your speech.

Start by writing out your main points and then include additional details underneath each one. This will help keep your speech focused and provide direction for where you are going next.

Another approach for organizing your speech is known as the “inverted pyramid” method. This structure starts with your conclusion at the beginning of the speech, and then works backward by providing more explanation and detail as it moves toward the introduction.

This method can be helpful when speaking about topics that are unfamiliar to the audience since it doesn’t require them to wait until near the end of the presentation to learn what you’ve been talking about.

No matter which organization approach you choose, make sure to practice it before giving your speech so that you are comfortable with its flow. Lastly, remember that it’s ok to adjust things while you speak if they don’t seem or feel quite right.

Now let’s take a look at how we can use these organizing techniques to actually put our speeches together – starting with structuring our speech.

Structure Your Speech

Creating a strong structure for your speech will ensure that the audience stays engaged and understands your main points. As you are developing an outline, map out how you want to begin and end your speech.

Break up the information into smaller sections with either verbal or visual cues so that your audience can clearly see how you are transitioning between topics . Consider adding humor judiciously throughout your presentation as this could help engage the audience and lighten any tension.

The length of your presentation is also important. You will want to make sure that you include all of the necessary information without going over time.

Oftentimes less is more; if you can say it in five minutes why use ten? Make sure that you practice timed rehearsals so that you can gauge how long you’re actually speaking.

In contrast, avoid trying to pack too much content into one presentation as this could overwhelm both you and the audience. If needed, offer supplemental reading materials for those who may be interested in delving further into the subject matter.

Paragraphs can also be helpful when organizing large amounts of content within the body of your presentation. Utilizing paragraph breaks gives your audience a break and helps to highlight key ideas or summaries before moving onto a new topic area.

Finally, it is crucial to remember what your desired outcome is from the presentation; plan accordingly by ensuring that the beginning, middle, and end serve their respective purposes and adhere to that goal.

With careful deliberations, structuring a successful presentation can be achieved with relative ease.

Having established a solid structure for your speech, it’s important to focus on another key element: rehearsal. The next section will discuss the benefits of practicing before delivering a powerful public speaking performance.

Rehearse Your Speech

Rehearsing is integral to giving a successful speech. When you rehearse your presentation, you give your mind an opportunity to become familiar with the notes and concepts that you are presenting. It also increases your confidence and reduces anxiety or self-doubt.

In fact, studies have found that those who rehearsed their presentation had higher scores in public speaking performance and language proficiency evaluations.

When it comes to how much rehearsal is enough, opinions are divided. Some people believe that over-rehearsing can lead to a more robotic speech with less natural emotion and connection with the audience .

On the other hand, others argue that no matter how well-versed someone is on the topic, additional rehearsal time improves both the delivery of the speech and memorization of key points and facts.

Ultimately, it’s important to practice until you personally find the most comfortable level for yourself, as this will ultimately result in a more engaging delivery.

Finally, if at all possible, try to practice in front of a friend or colleague for honest feedback on any elements that need improvement before the big day. Rehearsal dedication may be tedious, but it results in big rewards on stage–enabling you to deliver your content with clarity, confidence, and poise.

With thoughtful preparation complete, it’s now time to step into the spotlight and give your speech!

Giving Your Speech

The key to success when giving a speech is to be well prepared and confident. Every individual’s preparation process will vary, but the basics should stay the same.

Start by studying your content, understanding the material and being able to repeat it in your own words. Clarify any potentially difficult points. Create visual aids like PowerPoint slides or handouts that supplement the key ideas in your speech.

Practice your public speaking skills with informal conversations with friends and family or rehearse it alone in front of a mirror. Use visualization; imagine yourself confidently delivering your speech. Consider addressing a practice audience if possible to become more accustomed to a live size group.

On the day of the event, arrive early and plan for any potential obstacles: What if my computer doesn’t work? What if I forget something? Allow sufficient time for setup and check-in.

When you are ready to give your speech, take some deep breaths, focus on the positives, and distract yourself from any anxious thoughts with positive affirmations. Remember you have prepared diligently for this moment, you are well prepared and you will succeed!

Start strong by engaging the audience immediately with an attention grabbing opening statement. Speak clearly and make sure that everyone can hear and understand your message.

Slow down and emphasize points as needed throughout your presentation. Be aware of pace, volume, and tone of voice: too fast/monotone can confuse/bore listeners while pauses add a dramatic effect that keeps their interest piqued.

Ultimately, giving a successful speech will depend on knowing your material well enough to speak confidently in front of your audience without hesitation or missteps.

When you do make a mistake (and they happen!) don’t panic – know that mistakes are inevitable but don’t be discouraged; get back on track as soon as possible and continue at the same energy level you had before the mistake occurred.

Having successfully given your speech, take a moment to reflect on what went well and what could be improved upon for next time before transitioning into the next step: mastering delivery.

Master Your Delivery

Mastering your delivery is the key to an effective speech. Without purposeful body language and careful emphasis on certain words , your speech may lack wow-factor and prevent listeners from tuning in. Following these simple tips can help you get started with delivering an engaging and memorable speech:

The most important part of delivery is practice. Rehearse and perfect your speech ahead of time – this allows for more natural flow and confidence during your presentation. It also helps to create pauses between sentences for clarity, emphasize key points, and not be too casual or stiff.

Practicing inflections and varying tones adds interest to your speech by keeping listeners’ attention.

Additionally, it’s important to project your voic e so everyone in the room can hear you; make sure you’re speaking loud enough but don’t feel pressure to shout or yell at any point unless that’s part of the atmosphere of the event.

It’s also crucial to maintain good posture while speaking – stand tall with both feet on the ground, keep your back straight, hold yourself up without gesturing too much or leaning against a podium if applicable.

To further engage listeners, use purposeful hand gestures as they help emphasize certain points and add visual interest – however, avoid overusing them as it can hinders communication.

Make meaningful eye contact with audience members throughout the presentation – otherwise you might come across as unenthusiastic or bored with what you’re saying which deters attention away from the content itself.

By mastering your delivery, you can boost the impact of your presentation considerably – providing a memorable experience for your audience that stands out from others’. As such, it’s worth investing time into practicing ahead of time until delivery feels comfortable and second nature.

Having said this, making use of visual aids such as PowerPoint slides can greatly improve the impact of a speech once delivery has been mastered – let’s look into that next.

Use Visual Aids

Using visual aids can help presenters express concepts more clearly and engage the audience.

Visuals are particularly useful when conveying complex information, such as data, trends, or statistics — they impart meaning at a glance. But some public speakers may wonder if visual aids can be distracting or unnecessary.

Even though visuals can attract attention away from a presenter’s verbal delivery, carefully designed visuals can actually support the speech and help provide clarity. If done well, visuals are effective for capturing an audience’s interest and helping them to better understand the content being presented.

For example, a graph or chart should relate to the points made in the speech and should be discussed in more detail during its appearance onscreen. The presentation can also include larger images that effectively reinforce the ideas conveyed in the speech.

Videos and sound clips are other powerful forms of multimedia that could be employed to make the speech more meaningful.

To ensure that visuals enhance the message of the presentation, key factors to consider include relevancy to topic, good graphic design or aesthetics, accurate size to prevent distortion or blurriness, and seamless integration into the keynote slides or printed handouts .

In this way, visuals offer an opportunity for presenters to demonstrate their creativity and keep their audiences interested in what is being said. Thus, used wisely and aptly, visuals can add tremendous value to speeches by presenting arguments more efficiently and driving home important points. Now let’s explore effective techniques for speech giving that will allow you to craft and deliver your speeches with confidence.

Effective Techniques for Speech Giving

There are a number of effective techniques for giving a speech that will help you deliver it with confidence and poise.

First, practice your delivery in advance. You should practice both in front of a mirror or recording device to check for any distracting habits such as talking too quickly or mispronouncing words.

Second, use simple, clear language and short, concise sentences. Avoid overly technical terms and jargon that may leave your audience confused.

Third, work to establish a connection with your audience by using appropriate facial expressions and hand gestures while speaking.

Fourth, utilize effective persuasive techniques such as presenting evidence, strong arguments supported by facts, personal anecdotes and vivid metaphors.

Finally, articulate an organized structure for your speech. Your speech should have an introduction, body and conclusion to clearly communicate the main point and provide the audience with the necessary context to understand it better.

While these techniques may sound intimidating at first, they can be learned over time with practice and will make all the difference in how successful your speech delivery is received by your audience.

To build on these skills further , the next section will provide tips on how to build confidence when giving a speech.

Building Confidence

Building confidence is key when giving a powerful speech, as it will enable you to deliver the speech in a more poised and credible manner.

To create this confidence , start by understanding that any hesitation or butterflies prior to your speech are completely normal and should not be feared. Instead, view them as natural states of anticipation for something exciting, knowing that you are about to give an amazing speech.

Next, understanding who your audience is and tailoring your speech to meet their expectations will help build your confidence.

Familiarizing yourself with their interests and knowledge on the subject matter ahead of time can equip you with the understanding needed to respond appropriately if questions arise or objections surface during the speech.

Further, practice is key when building confidence for a public speaking engagement . Rehearsing with friends or colleagues before hand will give you an opportunity to learn where problem areas are within the content of your speech, as well as help solidify your delivery by becoming more comfortable with each step.

Checking sound levels in the room you’re presenting in coupled with learning where exits/emergency locations are located within that space can also help alleviate stress levels and boost self-assurance while delivering the speech.

Finally, wearing comfortable clothing and dressing professionally adds an extra layer of confidence when speaking in public.

If possible, bring an additional outfit on hand during the presentation in case of spills or accidents that would require a quick change between sections of the talk. Having this back-up plan in place can aid in keeping peace of mind at ease throughout the speech.

In conclusion, building confidence prior to a public speaking event can mean the difference between a good and great delivery of your message.

By taking into account each of these tips you can ensure that this part of your preparation runs smoothly and sets you up for success when delivering powerful speeches.

With a well-crafted note card of talking points and strong sense of self-assurance, it’s time to start speaking with passion!

Speaking with Passion

As a public speaker, your audience expects you to engage not only with your words but also with your emotions. To share the most impactful message, it is important to speak passionately about your subject.

Doing so will make your speech more memorable and thereby more effective in convincing your audience of its legitimacy.

The power of speaking authentically with emotion lies in its relatability and connection. Showing feelings allows people to connect with you as a person rather than just a speaker. It opens the door to understanding through empathy and active listening .

Examples might include adding personal stories , telling jokes, or displaying your feelings openly during the delivery of your message.

However, not all topics lend themselves easily to expressing emotion. If the subject matter is overly complex or technical there may be less opportunity for emotional expression—but this doesn’t mean those conversations can’t incorporate emotion.

Even if faced with a difficult situation such as death or financial turmoil, emotions can still be conveyed in a respectful way that keeps audiences engaged.

Remember that how much emotion you show depends on the type of audience you’re sharing it with—using sensitivity when delivering passionate speeches helps avoid awkwardness or embarrassment for any attendees who may find opinionated language uncomfortable for whatever reason.

Striking the right balance between being straightforward and showing compassion takes practice, so take the time to develop a style that works best for you and improves upon each performance.

Finally, incorporating passion into a speech gives it life and makes it relatable and engaging—which are essential elements to speaking effectively.

Having passion means giving ourselves permission to take ownership over our stories, making them deeply personal in order to reach our goals and touch people’s hearts in meaningful ways. With that said, let’s move on to discussing how we should tackle dealing with challenges while giving a speech.

Dealing with Challenges

The process of delivering a speech can be challenging, but it is also rewarding. Difficulties can arise during the process that may threaten to derail your success. To ensure you are adequately prepared for these possible pitfalls it is important to consider strategies for proactively mitigating the risk of encountering these challenges. 1. Public Speaking Anxiety: Many people experience some form of anxiety when asked to speak in public. There are a number of techniques available to combat this fear and increase confidence, such as deep breathing exercises, mental rehearsal, positive self-talk and visualization of success.

Learning about the audience, creating an engaging presentation and using props or visual aids can also help reduce anxiety levels and create a better overall experience for both the speaker and the audience. 2. Unfamiliar Topics or Audiences: When presenting on unfamiliar topics or to an unknown audience it can be difficult to prepare effectively.

In this situation it is important to conduct research on the topic and familiarize yourself with the needs of your audience so that the content is tailored accordingly. It is also helpful to use humor or stories related to the topic in order to engage your audience and make them more receptive to your message. 3. Lack of Support: If you lack support from family, friends, colleagues or mentors, it can be difficult to push through difficult conversations or speeches without any additional motivation.

To overcome this challenge, seek out peer mentorship opportunities or find compatible online communities where people discuss similar topics or objectives. Here you can share ideas, provide feedback and learn from others who have experienced similar issues. 4. Time Constraints: One of the biggest challenges when giving a speech is managing your time effectively in order to deliver an effective message without going over allotted timeslots and boring your audience .

To successfully address this challenge try setting manageable goals for each section of your speech and practice regularly. Replicating real-time conditions as closely as possible will help you stay within time constraints when delivering your speech on the day itself. In conclusion, there are many potential challenges you may face when giving a speech or taking part in a public speaking event – but with proper preparation and practice they are easily managed if approached correctly.

With knowledge of techniques for dealing with such scenarios comes increased confidence when stepping up to the podium – further improving your chances of delivering an effective speech that resonates with your audience members.

Responses to Frequently Asked Questions

How should i end my speech to leave a lasting impression.

The best way to end your speech is by reinforcing your main point and summarizing the key takeaways. You should also encourage the audience to take action, whether it be to sign up for a newsletter, make a donation, or visit your website for more information. This final call to action will not only leave a lasting impression on the audience but will also help you achieve any goals you might have had when making your speech in the first place.

What techniques can I use to keep my audience engaged during my speech?

One of the best techniques for keeping an audience engaged during a speech is to keep it interactive . Ask questions throughout the presentation, as well as allowing for audience input and discussion. This can help to keep people’s attention and create a more engaging experience.

Another great tip is to use humor. Even if you don’t consider yourself a natural comedian, sprinkling in a few jokes here and there can break up the monotony of long speeches and keep people interested. Humor can also help to make points stick in people’s minds, making them easier to remember.

Finally, try to be enthusiastic about the content of your speech. If you show too much indifference or lethargic behavior, it will discourage your audience from paying attention and taking your message seriously.

Instead, be passionate about what you are saying so that the energy of your words carries into the room and engages your audience with excitement.

How can I use storytelling to make my speech more interesting?

Storytelling is a powerful tool that can be used to make any speech more interesting. Telling stories in your speech will help engage the audience and make your message stick. Here are some tips for using storytelling in your speech:

1. Choose stories that are relevant to your message and audience. Think about stories that will best illustrate the point you are trying to convey, or evoke emotions in your listeners. 2. Use vivid descriptions and visuals when telling your story. Be sure to include details such as setting, character descriptions, dialogue and plot points. This will help to bring the story to life for your audience. 3. Make sure the story you are telling has a strong conclusion or moral at the end. This will help add emphasis to your message and make it memorable. 4. Practice telling stories out loud before delivering a speech with them. Rehearsing will help you deliver your story more effectively and with more confidence in front of an audience. By using these tips, storytelling can be an effective tool to make any speech more interesting, engaging, and persuasive!

How can I prepare for my speech effectively?

Preparing for a speech effectively is essential to delivering an impactful and memorable presentation. Here are some tips: 1. Have a clear goal in mind. Before starting to prepare, ask yourself what the purpose of giving the speech is: what message do you want to convey? Defining this will help to structure your content and focus your research. 2. Research thoroughly. Make sure you understand the subject matter well, so that your delivery sounds confident and inspiring. Using facts and data will strengthen your arguments and make your talk more convincing. 3. Outline your speech. Make a rough outline of how you want it to go – from beginning to end – well in advance of the actual presentation. This will give you a strong foundation upon which you can craft an engaging talk with an effective narrative arc that keeps audiences interested and engaged. 4. Practice regularly. Rehearsing your speech out loud several times is key to ensuring that you know it well enough to feel comfortable when delivering it live in front of an audience.

5. Time yourself. Record how long it takes for you to go through your entire speech, so that you can adjust the length as needed before delivering it live – remember that most speeches should last no more than 10-15 minutes. 6. Identify potential questions from the audience and prepare answers before hand. Knowing ahead of time what kind of questions people may ask can help reduce the anxiety of not knowing what comes next, enabling you to stay confident when speaking in public. 7. Work on building up confidence levels before delivering a speech. Visualize yourself succeeding in delivering a great presentation; practice relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or positive self-talk; or use props during practice sessions such as water bottles or stress balls if needed to remain calm during the real thing!

What strategies can I use to reduce my anxiety when giving a speech?

1. Plan Ahead: Create an outline of your speech beforehand and practice it multiple times to become familiar with the content. Doing a trial run with the audience can also help you get used to speaking in front of people.

2. Visualize Success: Positive visualization is a great way to reduce anxiety before giving a speech. Imagine yourself confidently delivering the speech while feeling relaxed and composed.

3. Get Organized: Make sure you have all the materials necessary for your presentation, including notes, slides, etc., to reduce any additional stress that may come from not having what you need when you speak.

4. Take Deep Breaths: Before and during the speech, take a few deep breaths as this will help calm nerves and make sure your breathing is regulated throughout the duration of your presentation.

5. Speak Slowly: It is common to feel anxious while giving a speech and try to rush through it too quickly. Speaking slowly helps maintain composure while delivering your message effectively and clearly.

6. Pay Attention to Your Body: Your posture, stance, movements , facial expressions can all influence how confident you appear to your audience and how nervous you may be feeling inside. Check in with yourself frequently throughout the presentation and correct any tense body language or physical actions if needed.

7. Focus on the Audience: If you notice that your anxiety levels are growing as you present, shift your focus onto the audience instead of yourself as this will help refocus your attention away from negative thoughts that may arise from fear or insecurity.

8. Make Eye Contact: Establishing eye contact with your audience is a key confidence-builder for public speakers—it shows that you’re strong, engaged with them, and receptive to feedback or questions they might have regarding your speech topic .

9. Practice Positive Affirmations: Positive thoughts will boost your self-confidence as well as your mood which can help increase performance quality significantly during speeches or presentations in general—so don’t forget to tell yourself “you can do it!” several times throughout the day leading up to the event!

10. Seek Support of Friends & Family: Many experienced public speakers suggest seeking support of close friends & family members prior and during their speeches—not only does it allow helpful critique regarding content but it also creates a more comfortable atmosphere while speaking which can reduce pre-speech jitters drastically.

17 Public Speaking Tips That’ll Help You Crush Your Next Presentation

It’s no easy feat to stand up and talk in front of people—whether it’s five or 50 or 500. In fact, surveys have found that public speaking has long been one of the things Americans fear most.

Unfortunately, in many professions, some amount of public speaking is necessary. It might be that you need to present in a small meeting, give an update to the entire company, or present at a conference or other event. No matter what it is or how daunting you find it, there are steps you can take to prepare and improve your skills.

• Understand the Expectations and Learn the Details
• Know Your Audience
• Plan and Structure Your Speech
• Don’t Overload Your Slides
• Practice, Practice, Practice
• Get Feedback
• Memorize Your First and Last Lines
• Join a Club or Go to a Workshop
• Get in the Zone
• Don’t Bury Your Face in Notes
• Make Eye Contact
• Repeat Yourself
• Let Some Questions Go
• Keep Talking
• Remember the Audience Is on Your Side
• Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself

Before You Even Get Up There

So much of what goes into public speaking happens way before you step up to the front of the room. Preparation and practice are key. Here’s what you can do in advance to make the actual speaking part as smooth as possible.

1. Understand the Expectations and Learn the Details

“Gather all of the information regarding location, technical setup, time you’ll be speaking, dress, topics to include/avoid, type of presentation, etc.,” says Tara Goodfellow , a Muse career coach and owner of Athena Consultants . Having all of this information ahead of time will help you prepare a presentation that fits the occasion and resonates with your audience.

It’ll also help you avoid technical or logistical snafus that can add unnecessary stress, Goodfellow says: “You don’t want any surprises as in realizing you were supposed to bring a laptop or handouts.”

2. Know Your Audience

It’s as important to understand your audience as it is to understand the subject you’ll be discussing in front of them. “Make sure you understand the level of knowledge,” Goodfellow says, and tailor your presentation accordingly. “You don’t want to bore them with details they already know nor do you want to overwhelm them.”

Josephine Lee , third place winner in the 2016 Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking , emphasizes that even if she’s giving the same speech to two different audiences, she’ll take the time to customize it. She always asks herself, “What is the specific audience and why are they there?”

So, for example, the toast you’d give at an engagement party among all your college friends might be pretty different from the speech you give at the same friend’s wedding in front of the whole extended family.

Or in a professional context, imagine you’re giving a presentation about the future of your company. That would look really different depending on whether you’re talking to a group of executives from your own organization versus a room full of college students who are interested in getting into the industry. For one, you might dive into the nitty gritty of last quarter’s performance and share your insights about what changes your organization needs to make to remain competitive. For the other, you’d probably zoom out a bit more, give an intro to your industry, and sketch out what your company does and where it’s going.

3. Plan and Structure Your Speech

So often the focus of advice about public speaking is about how you’re saying the words in front of an audience. Those things are unequivocally important (which is why we go into detail about them below!) but before you get there, you have to think about what you’re saying.

“You can have great diction and you can have great presentation skills, but if your words and structure are all over the place then people are not going to remember what you said,” says Lee, who credits Toastmasters with teaching her how to write a speech. “It is 100% about simplicity, because when you’re giving a speech in front of a live audience it’s so fleeting that if you have multiple points and if you go off on tangents and if you don’t stay on one simple path then people won’t remember what you were speaking about.”

Lee always picks one central point when she’s preparing a talk—whether she’ll be speaking for five minutes or 45. She’ll present her central theme, give supporting evidence and examples, and keep circling back to that main message. “So even if the audience forgets 99% of your speech, which they will, they will go home with that 1%,” she says.

Rajiv Nathan , a Muse career coach and founder and CEO of Startup Hypeman , takes a similar approach with a slightly different formula. His go-to structure for a talk is “inward, outward, forward.” He starts with a story that explains why he’s talking about this topic in the first place, zooms out to evidence that others are thinking about it as well, and ends with solutions.

In a workplace setting, this might translate into laying out a challenge your team is facing, zooming out to examine how other teams and companies are thinking about and handling similar issues, and end by proposing next steps for your team.

4. Don’t Overload Your Slides

If you’re using slides to accompany your presentation, make sure you avoid overloading them with too much text. “Think about how you like to be presented to,” Goodfellow says. “Very few of us like an 80-slide presentation where the person just reads everything to us.”

Beyond the simple fact that people will be distracted squinting at that teeny tiny type, you might be tempted to start reading off the slides and you’ll end up sounding a little too much like Ferris Bueller’s economics teacher (i.e. droning on and on and on in a monotone).

Instead, Nathan says, use slides primarily as visual complements to your words and a tool to emphasize your main takeaway.

5. Practice, Practice, Practice

Okay, pay attention, because if you absorb just one thing from this article it should be this: You have to practice. Not once or twice but over and over again.

“When you practice it enough you figure out the rhythm,” says Nathan, who estimates he practiced his TEDx talk about 100 times before he gave it. You’ll also feel more confident and comfortable speaking without reading off a piece of paper (or your slides) because the structure and progression will become so familiar.

Lee takes advantage of any opportunity to practice when she’s preparing to speak. “Practice of any sort can be very helpful. I practice in my room or in the shower or driving in the car,” she says.

6. Get Feedback

While practicing on your own is useful, it can be even better to do it in front of a live audience—even if that’s just your work bestie or your sister. The more you get used to speaking in front of actual humans the easier it’ll get.

Plus, you can get feedback from your trusted practice audience before you go out and do the real thing. Ask them if your words and points were clear, if there was anything that confused them, how your rhythm was, and if there was anything else they noticed.

You can also give yourself feedback. Use your phone (or whatever other device you have) to record audio or video of your practice sessions. When you play it back, you can become your own audience in a way and pick up on things you didn’t realize needed some attention.

“I have had clients astounded at their mannerisms and overuse of ‘um’ when we’ve played back video. Most of us have a nervous ‘go to’ sound or movement,” Goodfellow says. “Once you’re aware of it, you can work on it.”

7. Memorize Your First and Last Lines

You’ll want to have a pretty clear idea of what you’re going to say, of course. But you also don’t want to sound like a robot regurgitating a pile of words you wrote down.

By the time she was comfortable in front of an audience, Lee wasn’t reading her speeches or even memorizing an exact script. “If you memorize everything word for word, it’s not going to sound very natural,” she says. Instead, she plans the structure but keeps the words themselves a little loose with a couple of exceptions: “I generally try to memorize the opening sentence and the closing sentence.”

The goal is to ensure you start and end strong while still giving yourself the room to speak naturally in between.

8. Join a Club or Go to a Workshop

If you’re committed to improving your public speaking skills, then not only should you practice each speech or presentation before you give it, but you should also try to get as many of the real thing under your belt as you can so that you become accustomed to it.

“It’s the most important to get as much stage time in front of an audience” as possible, Lee says. “That’s why Toastmasters was such a useful organization for me because it gave me the grounds to practice on in front of a live audience.”

Toastmasters is of course one of the more well-known options, with more than 16,000 clubs all over the world, but you can also check out meetups, classes, and workshops. If those options aren’t available in your area or don’t appeal to you, try gathering a group of friends and/or colleagues who want to practice their skills and give and get feedback on a regular basis as well.

During Your Speech

Doing all of the prep work should help you feel ready and confident—at least, more than you would otherwise. Here’s how you can keep helping yourself in the moment.

9. Get in the Zone

For about 10 minutes before he gets on stage to give a talk, Nathan becomes something of a recluse. He doesn’t talk to anyone, he drinks some water, he crouches down somewhere, he focuses on his breathing, and he repeats this phrase to himself: “Use expression to create possibility.”

Now, that’s a very specific set of actions that works for him, but he recommends everyone figure out their own “stage mantra” or routine. Ask yourself, he says, “What do you need to be repeating to yourself beforehand? What, action-wise, do you need to do beforehand to get yourself in the zone?”

It might take some time to find the things that help you in the lead-up, whether you do them the night before, the day of, or in the moments just before you begin. If you’re not sure where to start, think back to some other reference point in your life when you were preparing for an important event, Nathan says. What did you use to do before a baseball game or piano recital or big exam? See if those things help now and iterate until you find the right combination.

10. Don’t Bury Your Face in Notes

When Lee first started giving speeches, she’d just read the whole thing word for word off a piece of paper. “It was terrible,” she says, remembering the early days before she became the accomplished speaker she is today. “Notes are like a crutch. So you just start to rely on [them] more and more,” she’s realized. “It’s more important that you’re connecting with the audience, making eye contact with the audience, and [having] a true conversation with the audience.”

She no longer uses notes at all—she just memorizes the opening and closing lines, as mentioned—but reaching that comfort level takes practice. If you’re still working up to that and need your notes, she says, go with bullet points. They’ll help you stay on track without tempting you to read everything from the page.

Notes can also block your face or torso, or draw your eyes down as you’re reading, says Nathan. So if you plan to bring some, try folding your paper or using index cards with just those few bullet points to serve as a reference.

11. Make Eye Contact

You’ve surely heard it before, but eye contact is key in public speaking. It helps you connect with the audience, Lee says, and it’s most effective when you focus on one person at a time. “When you are giving a speech, you should always sound like you are delivering to a single individual rather than speaking to the masses,” she says. “Direct eye contact with one person then moving to another is an effective way to do that.”

12. Use Pauses

“A lot of times people speak really fast. Their mind is racing and they want to make a good impression,” says Jennifer Sukola , a Muse career coach and human resources professional. “People tend to want to rush through and get it over with,” especially when they’re nervous. It’s something you might get feedback about or pick up on if you record yourself.

One of Sukola’s biggest tips for public speaking—using pauses—can help with overall speed as well as pacing. You can use pauses strategically, inserting them right after important points to let them sink in or right before to allow you to gather your thoughts and get the audience’s attention for what you’re about to say.

Sukola likes to follow a structure where she makes a point, pauses, provides support for that point and recaps, pauses again, makes a related point, etc. “If you follow that outline and pause in conjunction with the points you’re making,” she says, “the audience has a chance to let that simmer, to let your points settle and think through [them].”

13. Repeat Yourself

Remember that the people listening to you talk live can’t rewind to catch that important thing you just said or flip back a few pages to find that crucial point you made earlier the way they could if they were watching a video or reading a book.

So help them out by repeating the thesis or main takeaway of your talk, says Nathan. In his own talks, he might repeat that take-home line six or eight times. The repetition ensures that everyone hears it, realizes it’s important, and can process it and let it sink in.

“It’s got to be short and punchy,” says Nathan, and you can accentuate it with pauses before or after you say it. If you have slides, you might also want to put it up there once or twice. It’s like the chorus of a song, Nathan explains. It’s catchy and it’s the first thing someone will be able to repeat back to you.

14. Let Some Questions Go

You can do a whole lot of planning, but the truth is that you can’t anticipate everything, including questions that might come up. Goodfellow stresses that it’s okay to say, “That’s a great question, let me get back to you on that.” In fact, that’s far better than stammering through and making something up.

15. Keep Talking

Lee may now be an award-winning speaker who travels all over the world to give talks and feels comfortable ditching the notes, but even she still freezes and forgets her speech sometimes. You have to just keep talking until you find your way back.

“Get away from that mentality that you have to be perfect. It’s okay if you forget,” she says. “You learn to start to fill in the gaps. Start to speak until you remember. No one in the audience knows you forgot your speech,” she adds. “What you are feeling inside is not as apparent as you think it is. If you keep that in mind and keep talking, eventually you’ll come back.”

And if your talk has a clear, simple structure, it’ll be easier to find your way back in.

16. Remember the Audience Is on Your Side

For many people, public speaking feels like one of the scariest things they could be called on to do, Lee says. They’re terrified of failing and think they’ll be humiliated and ostracized. But the people on the other side don’t want to see you mess up—they’re eager to hear what you have to say.

“If you remember that the audience wants you to do well, that they’re on your side, it’s a much easier process,” says Lee. Focus on what you’re giving to the audience—as if you were giving advice or telling a story to your best friend—rather than on yourself and how you appear.

17. Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself

Finally, remember that everyone gets nervous. Those executives many levels above you whose presence is making you sweat? They probably get nervous when they speak, too, Goodfellow points out. “Give yourself a little bit of grace,” she says, and do the best that you can.

• Bipolar Disorder
• Therapy Center
• When To See a Therapist
• Types of Therapy
• Best Online Therapy
• Best Couples Therapy
• Best Family Therapy
• Managing Stress
• Sleep and Dreaming
• Understanding Emotions
• Self-Improvement
• Healthy Relationships
• Student Resources
• Personality Types
• Sweepstakes
• Guided Meditations
• Verywell Mind Insights
• 2024 Verywell Mind 25
• Mental Health in the Classroom
• Editorial Process
• Meet Our Review Board
• Crisis Support

16 Public Speaking Tips for Students

Public speaking tips for students aim to reduce anxiety that can interfere with giving presentations or speeches in class. These tips can also be helpful for those with social anxiety disorder (SAD)   who have difficulty speaking in front of a group or telling a story among friends.

Public Speaking Tips

If you have SAD and need to give a speech  in elementary school, high school, college, or university, it helps to be as prepared as possible . Beyond preparation, however, there are strategies that you can use to reduce anxiety and fight the urge to stay home with a fake illness.

Even great speakers practice their speeches beforehand. Practice out loud with a recording device or video camera and then watch yourself to see how you can improve. If you are feeling brave, practice in front of a friend or family member and ask for feedback.

• Talk about what you know : If possible, choose a topic for your speech or presentation that you know a lot about and love. Your passion for the topic will be felt by the audience, and you will feel less anxious knowing that you have a lot of experience to draw from when other students ask you questions.
• Concentrate on your message : When you focus on the task at hand, anxiety is less likely to get out of control. Concentrate on the main message of your speech or presentation and make it your goal to deliver that message to the other students in your class.
• Grab the audience's attention : Most of your fellow classmates will pay attention for at least the first 20 seconds; grab their attention during those early moments. Start with an interesting fact or a story that relates to your topic.
• Have one main message : Focus on one central theme and your classmates will learn more. Tie different parts of your talk to the main theme to support your overall message. Trying to cover too much ground can leave other students feeling overwhelmed.

Tell Stories

Stories catch the attention of other students and deliver a message in a more meaningful way than facts and figures. Whenever possible, use a story to illustrate a point in your talk.

Being prepared to speak in public can also be important if you have social anxiety disorder. Feeling confident and prepared to give your speech may help lessen your feelings of anxiety. Some of the things that you can do to prepare include:

• Visit the room : If you have access to the classroom where you will be speaking outside of class hours, take the time to visit in advance and get used to standing at the front of the room. Make arrangements for any audio-visual equipment and practice standing in the exact spot where you will deliver your speech.
• Rack up experience : Volunteer to speak in front of your class as often as possible. Be the first one to raise your hand when a question is asked. Your confidence will grow with every public speaking experience.
• Observe other speakers : Take the time to watch other speakers who are good at what they do. Practice imitating their style and confidence.
• Organize your talk : Every speech should have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Structure your talk so that the other students know what to expect.

Manage Your Anxiety

Taking steps to deal with your feelings of anxiety can also make public speaking easier. Some of the things that you can do:

• Tell someone about your anxiety : If you are speaking in front of a high school or college class, meet with your teacher or professor and describe your public speaking fears . If you're in elementary or high school, share your fears with your parents, a teacher, or a guidance counselor. Sometimes sharing how you feel can make it easier to overcome stage fright.
• Visualize confidence : Visualize yourself confidently delivering your speech. Imagine feeling free of anxiety and engaging the students in your class. Although this may seem like a stretch for you now, visualization is a powerful tool for changing the way that you feel. Elite athletes use this strategy to improve performance in competitions.
• Find a friendly face : If you are feeling anxious, find one of your friends in class (or someone who seems friendly) and imagine that you are speaking only to that person.

Press Play for Advice on Finding Courage

Hosted by therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast shares a strategy to help you find courage when you need it the most.

Follow Now : Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts

Maintain Perspective

Remember that other students are on your side. Think about a time when you have been an audience member and the student delivering the speech or presentation was noticeably nervous. Did you think less of that student? More likely, you felt sympathetic and wanted to make that person more comfortable by smiling or nodding.

Remember—other students generally want you to succeed and feel comfortable. If for some reason the audience is not on your side or you experience bullying or social exclusion, be sure to discuss this with a parent, teacher, or guidance counselor.

Be Confident

Sometimes just knowing what makes a good speech can help you feel more confident. Focus on some of the following elements and practice them before you have to speak in public.

• Develop your own style : In addition to imitating good speakers, work on developing your own personal style as a public speaker. Integrate your own personality into your speaking style and you will feel more comfortable in front of the class. Telling personal stories that tie into your theme are a great way to let other students get to know you better.
• Avoid filler words : Words such as "basically", "well", and "um" don't add anything to your speech. Practice being silent when you feel the urge to use one of these words.
• Vary your tone, volume, and speed : Interesting speakers vary the pitch (high versus low), volume (loud versus soft), and speed (fast versus slow) of their words. Doing so keeps your classmates interested and engaged in what you say.
• Make the audience laugh : Laughter is a great way to relax both you and the other students in your class, and telling jokes can be a great icebreaker at the beginning of a speech. Practice the timing and delivery of your jokes beforehand and ask a friend for feedback. Be sure that they are appropriate for your class before you begin.
• Smile : If all else fails, smile. Your fellow classmates will perceive you like a warm speaker and be more receptive to what you have to say.

Don't Apologize

If you make a mistake, don't offer apologies. Chances are that your classmates didn't notice anyway. Unless you need to correct a fact or figure, there is no point dwelling on errors that probably only you noticed.

If you make a mistake because your hands or shaking, or something similar, try to make light of the situation by saying something like, "I wasn't this nervous when I woke up this morning!" This can help to break the tension of the moment.

A Word From Verywell

It's natural to feel frightened the first time you have to speak in front of your class. However, if you fear continues, interferes with your daily life and keeps you awake at night, it may be helpful to see someone about your anxiety.

Try talking to a parent, teacher, or counselor about how you have been feeling. If that doesn't get you anywhere, ask to make an appointment with your doctor. Severe public speaking anxiety is a true disorder that can improve with treatment .

Spence SH, Rapee RM. The etiology of social anxiety disorder: An evidence-based model . Behav Res Ther. 2016;86:50-67. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2016.06.007

By Arlin Cuncic, MA Arlin Cuncic, MA, is the author of The Anxiety Workbook and founder of the website About Social Anxiety. She has a Master's degree in clinical psychology.

How it works

Transform your enterprise with the scalable mindsets, skills, & behavior change that drive performance.

Explore how BetterUp connects to your core business systems.

We pair AI with the latest in human-centered coaching to drive powerful, lasting learning and behavior change.

Build leaders that accelerate team performance and engagement.

Unlock performance potential at scale with AI-powered curated growth journeys.

Build resilience, well-being and agility to drive performance across your entire enterprise.

Transform your business, starting with your sales leaders.

Unlock business impact from the top with executive coaching.

Foster a culture of inclusion and belonging.

Accelerate the performance and potential of your agencies and employees.

See how innovative organizations use BetterUp to build a thriving workforce.

Discover how BetterUp measurably impacts key business outcomes for organizations like yours.

Daring Leadership Institute: a groundbreaking partnership that amplifies Brené Brown's empirically based, courage-building curriculum with BetterUp’s human transformation platform.

• What is coaching?

Learn how 1:1 coaching works, who its for, and if it's right for you.

Accelerate your personal and professional growth with the expert guidance of a BetterUp Coach.

Types of Coaching

Navigate career transitions, accelerate your professional growth, and achieve your career goals with expert coaching.

Enhance your communication skills for better personal and professional relationships, with tailored coaching that focuses on your needs.

Find balance, resilience, and well-being in all areas of your life with holistic coaching designed to empower you.

Discover your perfect match : Take our 5-minute assessment and let us pair you with one of our top Coaches tailored just for you.

Research, expert insights, and resources to develop courageous leaders within your organization.

Best practices, research, and tools to fuel individual and business growth.

View on-demand BetterUp events and learn about upcoming live discussions.

The latest insights and ideas for building a high-performing workplace.

• BetterUp Briefing

The online magazine that helps you understand tomorrow's workforce trends, today.

Innovative research featured in peer-reviewed journals, press, and more.

Founded in 2022 to deepen the understanding of the intersection of well-being, purpose, and performance

We're on a mission to help everyone live with clarity, purpose, and passion.

Join us and create impactful change.

Read the buzz about BetterUp.

Meet the leadership that's passionate about empowering your workforce.

For Business

For Individuals

8 tips to improve your public speaking skills

Jump to section

The importance of public speaking skills

How to improve public speaking skills — 4 factors to keep in mind, 8 tips for public speaking, know how to improve public speaking skills and master your fears.

Some people are more afraid of public speaking than they are of dying.

I know that sounds extreme, but it makes sense when you think about it. 

Our ancestors needed one another to survive. Social acceptance or rejection meant the difference between life and death.

And if there’s one situation where you run the risk of mass rejection, it’s public speaking.

No wonder many of us find it terrifying. It’s our survival instinct kicking in.

Yet, public speaking is an essential skill in today’s labor market.

If you want to know how to improve your public speaking skills, keep reading for tips and strategies that will help make you a better public speaker.

Strong spoken communication skills are essential for a successful career or business.

According to a study by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the majority of executives and hiring managers prioritize strong oral communication skills .

Most jobs require some degree of public speaking, whether it’s giving a presentation to your team or speaking at a conference.

But the survey respondents reported that less than half of college graduates are satisfactory in this area.

Public speaking requires you to present your ideas clearly. At the same time, you must project an image of yourself that inspires empathy in your audience.

But many of us experience public speaking anxiety. It can hinder your ability to deliver your message and engage your audience. 

Public speaking isn’t only important at work. Fear of public speaking can also affect your personal life. It may create misunderstandings with family or friends or prevent you from taking part in activities. 

For example, you might avoid speaking about your ideas or plans or giving a speech at a wedding or social event.

The inability to communicate your ideas results in feeling misunderstood. This can lead to frustration, loneliness , and even social anxiety.

But if you have stage fright, don’t worry — you’re not alone. Few people are born with a natural talent for public speaking. 

This is good news, as it means it’s a skill that you can learn. So let’s dive into how to become a great public speaker.

Thank you for your interest in BetterUp.

Developing your public speaking skills has many benefits in a work environment. It will also increase your confidence.

Even if you’re an introvert or suffer from chronic anxiety , overcoming your fear and learning to be a great public speaker is possible.

Here are four factors that influence your ability to communicate effectively .

1. Voice control

Your voice is the most basic communication tool you possess. Learning to use it properly is key for improving your public speaking.

Diaphragmatic breathing is a useful voice control technique. It can give your voice greater power and clarity and prevent the shortness of breath that anxiety causes.

To do this technique, relax your belly and let it expand as you breathe. Extend your inhalations and exhalations to a count of four each.

Practicing this type of breathing without speaking will help you prepare to use it while speaking. 

It also helps calm your nerves. 

During your public speaking event, use diaphragmatic breathing to control the three main aspects of your voice:

2. Body language

Your body language is the combination of your gestures, facial expressions, and movements. 

It’s an integral part of how we communicate. It helps your audience better understand the nuances of your message.

If your body language contrasts with what you want to transmit or seems incoherent, your speech will be confusing.

Once you confuse people, you lose them.

Use the following tips to improve your body language and engage your audience:

• Stand up straight and avoid slouching if you are able. .
• Make sure your facial expression is coherent with your message.
• Stay still. Constant movement can distract your audience or change the way they receive your message.
• Practice power poses before your speaking event. This reduces stress and boosts your confidence . Try standing with your feet apart and arms stretched up. Take a few deep breaths, then observe how you feel.
• Watch a TED Talk and identify body language that effective communicators use. 

3. Delivery

Delivery is the way you speak. Good delivery is essential for your audience to understand your speech.

Follow these tips to improve your delivery:

• Speak at the speed of a normal conversation. Avoid speaking too quickly because people will get lost in what you are saying. But don’t speak too slowly, either, as they will get bored.
• Pause regularly. This gives people time to absorb the concepts and ideas. It also makes you appear more confident.
• Don’t mumble or eat your words — articulate clearly.
• Avoid making noises such as “ahh” or “umm” between words. If you need time to think, take a brief pause. There is nothing wrong with a few seconds of silence.

4. Audience relations

If you want your audience to listen to you, you need to engage them from the beginning.

The following are ways to connect with your audience:

• Smile and greet the audience. Thank them for being there. This will humanize you and establish a conversational tone.
• Look for people in the audience who seem actively engaged in your speech. Imagine speaking only to them.
• Make eye contact with as many people as possible. This will help establish personal connections with your audience.

Public speaking is a skill that anyone can develop. 

These tips for public speaking will help you overcome your fear and show up with confidence at your next public speaking engagement.

Giving a great speech or presentation starts with planning. 

Identify the core message you want to transmit. Look for interesting facts and statistics to back up your point. Prepare for possible questions that might come up.

Preparing also includes logistical planning. Visit the event location beforehand to get familiar with the environment. 

Use this opportunity to identify any technical requirements, such as a microphone or projector.

Consider using a visual aid, such as a PowerPoint presentation. But if it’s going to give you more anxiety and stress worrying about clicking through the slides, then don’t. There is no hard and fast rule on visuals.

2. Practice

Practice in front of the mirror or record yourself speaking, then watch it back.

Analyze your speed, tone, body language, and facial expression to identify areas for improvement.

Look for public speaking opportunities — whether it’s giving a presentation at work or joining a local Toastmasters club .

Practice your speech as many times as possible before your public speaking engagement. 

You can do this in front of the mirror, record yourself, or practice in front of friends and family. 

3. Have a positive mindset

Everyone gets nervous before a performance. In fact, research shows that a healthy amount of nervousness enhances performance .

But don’t let your nerves suck you into a spiral of negative thoughts. Instead, embrace them and use them as performance rocket fuel.

To cultivate a positive mindset, visualize yourself giving the best speech of your life. Top performers use visualization to improve their results.

4. Involve your audience

Not only does this grab their attention, but it’s also a way to take the spotlight off of you.

Sharing the starring role with your audience members will help you establish a connection with them and feel less nervous.

5. Start with a story

Humans are wired to pay attention to stories. It activates the same parts of our brain that would activate if we experienced the events first-hand. 

We all respond to stories in this way. There is no difference across cultures. This means you can harness the power of storytelling to establish a connection with anyone.

When you start your speech, you only have one minute to make a good impression on your audience. 

A story, anecdote, or question can pique their curiosity and make them want to keep listening.

6. Dress for the occasion

When you look good, you feel good. And feeling good is the key to giving the best possible performance.

Think about it. Do you feel more confident in your favorite suit or dress or in your pajamas?

Dress to impress, but make sure you feel comfortable. Don’t wear anything that’s not your usual style. 

Avoid wearing anything that you will constantly have to adjust as it will be uncomfortable and distracting.

7. Be yourself

It can be tempting to emulate a strong public speaker you admire. But this is a mistake. 

We are all unique, and although you can never be someone else, you are great at being you. 

Perhaps you wish you were funnier, but you’re not a natural comedian. That’s okay. Don’t start cracking jokes as soon as you get on stage.

Instead, embrace your other quirks — we all have them — and let them shine through in your speech. You never know how many audience members might resonate with you.

8. Ask for feedback

Ask a trusted friend or colleague to watch your presentation with a critical eye and give you feedback. (You can also film or record yourself.)

Ask them to be as specific as possible. Tell them to analyze what you do well, as well as what can be improved.

You probably already have some perceived strengths and weaknesses regarding your presentation skills. Ask your feedback buddy to look out for those specifically.

Even if you’re an introvert or suffer from social anxiety, it’s possible to overcome your fear of public speaking.

It will also boost your confidence, and you may even discover you enjoy it.

But if you still need more information on how to improve public speaking, consider taking a public speaking course. Alternatively, you could engage a coach to help you improve your confidence and become a better public speaker .

Sign up to receive the latest insights, content, and resources from BetterUp.

Elevate your communication skills

Unlock the power of clear and persuasive communication. Our coaches can guide you to build strong relationships and succeed in both personal and professional life.

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

The 11 tips that will improve your public speaking skills

Fear of public speaking overcome it with these 7 tips, overcome your public speaking anxiety with these 10 tips, what are adaptability skills 8 tips to shine in the face of adversity, improve your interpersonal communication skills with these 6 tips, 6 presentation skills and how to improve them, 7-38-55 rule of communication: how to use for negotiation, the significance of written communication in the workplace, examples of behavioral goals: 7 career objectives, how to write a speech that your audience remembers, the importance of good speech: 5 tips to be more articulate, 30 presentation feedback examples, learn types of gestures and their meanings to improve your communication, what is customer satisfaction and how can you improve it, stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

3100 E 5th Street, Suite 350 Austin, TX 78702

• Platform Overview
• Integrations
• Powered by AI
• BetterUp Lead™
• BetterUp Manage™
• BetterUp Care®
• Sales Performance
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Case Studies
• Why BetterUp?
• About Coaching
• Find your Coach
• Career Coaching
• Communication Coaching
• Personal Coaching
• News and Press
• Leadership Team
• Become a BetterUp Coach
• BetterUp Labs
• Center for Purpose & Performance
• Leadership Training
• Business Coaching
• Contact Support
• Contact Sales
• Privacy Policy
• Acceptable Use Policy
• Trust & Security
• Cookie Preferences

• Presentations
• Most Recent
• Infographics
• Data Visualizations
• Forms and Surveys
• Video & Animation
• Case Studies
• Design for Business
• Digital Marketing
• Design Inspiration
• Visual Thinking
• Product Updates
• Visme Webinars
• Artificial Intelligence

20 Public Speaking Tips With Great Examples (for 2022)

Written by: Chloe West

We've created a list of 20 public speaking tips to help you improve your public speaking skills and present with confidence in front of any audience.

Here are the some of the tips you’ll find inside:

• Make enough rehearsals so that you feel confident with your speech
• Practice in front of a mirror and in front of others
• Prepare a visually appealing presentation
• Get to know your audience
• And, many more.

So, if you want to get your public speaking skills to the next level, you’ll need this list. 

Read the tips one by one or choose the ones that interest you the most from the navigation below.

Let’s get into it. 

20 Public Speaking Tips to Make You a Better Speaker

Tip #1: know your audience, tip #2: prepare a visually appealing presentation, tip #3: practice in front of a mirror & in front of others, tip #4: make enough rehearsals, tip #5: speak from the heart, tip #6: use props for effect, tip #7: be candid, tip #8: start with a question, tip #9: end with a question, tip #10: simplify the complex, tip #11: test the equipment that you’ll be using, tip #12: make eye contact with your audience, tip #13: speak slower than usual, tip #14: leave space to breathe, tip #15: get to know the stage, tip #16: ask for feedback to improve, tip #17: don’t be afraid to repeat yourself, tip #18: try to memorize your notes, tip #19: plan your speech & create a structure, tip #20: include a digital version of your presentation.

The first thing you need to do is have a full grasp on who your audience is going to be. You need to have this down before you even begin choosing a topic and creating your presentation content because it could vary based on who you’re speaking to.

Even if you’re giving the same speech two separate audiences, take the time to tweak it and personalize it based on where you’re speaking and who you’re speaking to.

Furthermore, your presentation slides, props and stories that you tell might vary whether you’re speaking to a more business-oriented audience versus a room full of peers.

The next tip we have for public speakers is to ensure your presentation is visually appealing and engaging to your audience members.

This is the best way you can ensure you grab your audience’s attention from the get go. While the rest relies on your ability to speak well, you have full control over the design of your slides.

If you have no idea where to start, a professionally designed slide deck is the perfect starting point. Give our Simple theme a try – it has over 300 different slide designs for you to pick and choose from when creating your presentation.

Just be sure to leave out those bullet points and boring black and white slides. Match your branding if it makes sense and incorporate a variety of visual aids.

One great way to help you get over a fear of public speaking is to practice in front of a mirror and watch how you present yourself. 

Then once you’re comfortable giving your speech alone, recruit a group of friends, family members or colleagues who are willing to be your audience as you practice in front of them.

This can help you prepare for speaking in front of people, and starting small is the best way to become more comfortable and in your element.

Hey marketers! Need to create scroll-stopping visual content fast?

• Transform your visual content with Visme’s easy-to-use content creation platform
• Produce beautiful, effective marketing content quickly even without an extensive design skillset
• Inspire your sales team to create their own content with branded templates for easy customization

Sign up. It’s free.

Practice, practice, practice. The only way you’re going to get over that nervous energy and help your speech come across as natural as possible is through rehearsing it over and over again.

Read over your slides, make mental notes and create mnemonic devices to help you remember the information you want to share for each slide you create.

You don’t want to simply read off your slides, so be sure to give yourself plenty of time to rehearse. When it comes to public speaking, you don’t want to leave anything to the last minute.

If there was a category for the most forgettable speeches in the world each spring, it would be for those delivered at graduation ceremonies.

However in 2016, a young man by the name of Donovan Livingston changed all of that. His speech began safely with a quotation, a tried-and-true technique, although over-used for generations. But then, in an amazing display of creativity, Livingston broke all the rules.

Instead of the standard platitudes and well-wishes, he launched into a spoken-word poem as a speech and his imagery was so vivid, it drew an emotionally overcome audience to its feet at the end.

Livingston’s speech has since been shared more than 170,000 times and viewed by eight million people.

This proves that making presentations that your audience supports is not a trick or a gimmick – it is simply delivering eloquent, amazing content that touches people deeply and inspires them to reach out and share your message.

Sometimes the best way to stand out in front of an audience is to incorporate props into your presentation.

That was evident in another speech that brought the audience to its feet in support of Mohammed Qahtani, winner of the Toastmaster’s 2015 World Champion of Public Speaking award.

Standing on stage, reaching in his pocket and pulling out a cigarette, putting it to his lips and then flicking his lighter, the quirky speaker elicited a shocked response from his audience. Then he made them laugh by quoting some amazing statistics which he then revealed he had made up.

By this time the audience was hooked. What would happen next? You can watch this example below.

Qahtani’s unorthodox opening mixed with humor and effective facial expressions caught people’s attention and when he was ready to hammer home his message, they were already on his side.

“Words have power, words are power, words could be your power,” he told them.

The presentation of a powerful message for change can fall on unresponsive ears unless the speaker can bring the issue into the lives and hearts of the audience.

Caitlyn Jenner, in her acceptance speech for the Arthur Ashe Courage Award managed to bring her audience onside through her remarkably straightforward talk.

As you listen to these excerpts from Jenner’s message, you sense the emotion building. By the time she tells her story and vows to “reshape the landscape of how trans issues are viewed and how trans people are treated,” she has the audience following every word.

What Jenner illustrates best is not only how to grab the audience’s attention, but how to keep their attention. She reached out to thank her children in an emotional moment and talked about the everyday things that women take for granted that she had to get used to.

Telling a moving personal story remains one of the all-time best public speaking tips to get and keep an audience on your side. The more unusual the story is, the more the audience will be fascinated.

Note that Jenner also refrained from glorifying herself with her stories.

Instead, she focused on the impact of her decision on those around her and on urging others uncomfortable with their gender to take the necessary steps to live life on their terms. This approach scores higher with any audience.

She didn’t brag; she didn’t exaggerate. Her direct speaking style was refreshing to her audience and effective in bringing them on her side.

Telling a great story works well in bringing an audience on your side, as illustrated by Jenner’s remarks, but it gains even more power when you combine the story with another great technique, and that is asking your audience a question.

When self-help guru Amy Morin did both in her speech “The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong,” her audience was onside immediately.

Listen to her effective opening as she first tells a story about her friend and follows it up with a self-revealing question to her audience.

Morin, a licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist and lecturer at Northeastern University, is adept at building a bridge to her audience.

In fact, she not only bridges to them, but mentally they climb up on that bridge and start walking toward her. She knows how to use the best techniques in a way that is so natural, her audience is unaware that they are seeing professional tactics of presentation science at work.

If you opt to tell a personal story, make sure that it is closely connected to your theme. Also, make sure that it is not more than a minute or two in length.

If you decide to ask a question that invites your audience to think about your topic, be very specific. There is a time in life for open-ended questions, but it is not at the start of your presentation.

As Morin did, ask them one direct question about their immediate response or emotion to something. For example, do not say “do you think jealousy is just a part of the bigger picture of being human?”

In the same vein as starting with a question, you can also consider ending your speech with a question. This is a great way to keep people thinking about your topic and how they can apply it to their own life, job, etc.

Ending your presentation with a question can be a great way to inspire or motivate your audience and keep them thinking about your key points long after you’re finished.

Another important strategy for bringing audiences on your side is ensuring that if you are going to talk about a more complicated topic, you break down the concepts you present in a way that your audience can easily understand.

A great example of that is Dan Gilbert’s presentation on The Surprising Science of Happiness.

Gilbert makes his point by explaining from the beginning how the human brain works, and how cognitive judgments are formed. Then he illustrates that we can all misinterpret our own happiness or well-being because of our cognitive interpretations and false assumptions.

He makes it clear to his audience that they have the power to try out life experiences before actually doing them for real. He takes complicated concepts like our experience simulator and impact bias and shows how we can mislead ourselves.

But when we master these brain responses, we can live and interpret our experiences in a more positive way.

As all of the impressive presentations mentioned illustrate, there are lots of public speaking tips you can apply to bring your audience on side with you, but the foundation of all of them is having something worthwhile to say and a straightforward vocabulary to ensure that your audience grasps it.

In the presentation game, there is a huge element of showmanship, but in the end, that only works to impress people when you still deliver content that creates value in their lives.

Before you encounter technology errors in front of your entire audience, be sure to test all equipment that you’ll be using during your speech.

This can be anything from the clicker for your presentation slides, the computer you’re using to open your presentation, the projector or any other piece of equipment that might be available to you.

Knowing exactly how to use each of these objects before you go into your presentation will help your setup be that much more seamless and can take the edge off a bit before a big speech.

One of the key characteristics of any great speaker involves making eye contact with your audience. As you speak, take the time to look around the room, speaking directly to each person sitting in front of you.

Not only is this a great way to help yourself feel more at ease while you speak, it helps your audience feel even more connected and engaged with what you’re saying.

Often when people feel nervous or are encountering stage fright, they start to speak quickly. You need to be conscious of this so you can avoid that bad habit.

When you speak too quickly, your messaging can easily be lost on your audience as they struggle to keep up. Even a normal, conversational speed can be too quick for a speech.

You want to be fully aware of every word that leaves your mouth, speaking more slowly than you typically would, so that your main points really resonate with your audience. 

Another good practice is to pause for emphasis after your important points to let them really sink in. Speaking slowly and pausing for effect are two tactics for great speeches.

This goes right in line with our previous point – allow yourself time to breathe and don’t speak too quickly .

When you’re rushing through your speech, not only does it cause you to lose your audience, but it will also cause you to get winded quickly, ruining your performance.

Be sure to give yourself time to breathe. Taking deep breaths can also be a great way to get over stage fright and start to feel more confident on stage.

Ready to create your own presentation in minutes?

• Add your own text, images and more
• Customize colors, fonts and everything else
• Choose from hundreds of slide designs and templates
• Add interactive buttons and animations

While you’re testing out your equipment, take a chance to really get to know your stage area. Will you have a larger stage? If so, practice walking around while you give your speech so you can cover as much area as possible.

Find out if there’s a podium. If so, it might be helpful to bring props, notes and other memorization devices to keep on the podium with you.

If you’re able to access the stage ahead of time, consider doing a test run of your speech so that you know what to expect when you have an audience.

At the end of the speech, be sure to ask trusted colleagues and attendees for any advice or feedback on improving your presentation skills. 

As you get more comfortable speaking, this can be helpful to ensure you hone in on the feedback you’ve received and work to get better and better during each speaking engagement you attend in the future, whether it’s a TED Talk or a friend’s wedding.

If there’s a point you really want to drill into your audience, don’t be afraid to repeat yourself! Saying the same powerful phrase over and over again is going to sink in much more effectively than any filler words would.

Find the number one takeaway that you want your audience to get from your speech and say it again and again throughout your presentation.

You don’t want to stand up on the stage and read your presentation word for word from notecards. This is why it’s important to try to memorize your notes.

We’ve previously covered 8 memorization techniques that pros use to remember their notes, so be sure to check them out.

Another one that we recommend is to utilize our presentation notes feature. Include bullet points and quick summaries to keep you on track. You can also use this feature to time yourself so you know how long you’ve spent on each slide.

Be as prepared as possible. While you create your presentation slides , ensure the order makes sense and that you’ve planned your speaking points around the structure of your slides.

There are a number of ways to structure your presentation for maximum impact on your audience as well, so be sure to plan out the best way to tell your story and make your point. Ensure your body language matches the words you’re saying as well.

Creating a structure for your presentation helps your story to flow well from beginning to end. Practice sticking to your structure so your presentation makes sense and resonates with your audience.

Print out and distribute handouts to your audience, but also be sure to include a digital version of your presentation for your viewers to watch again later.

You can easily share this on your website, in a blog post or on social media platforms like LinkedIn. Uploading a digital version to SlideShare is another way to reach even more people with your content.

Ready to Design an Amazing Presentation?

Now that you’re ready to be a pro public speaker, it’s time to start designing a presentation your audience will never forget. Sign up for Visme to get access to professionally designed slide templates and stunning presentation elements for a one-of-a-kind slide deck.

Create beautiful presentations faster with Visme.

Trusted by leading brands

Recommended content for you:

Create Stunning Content!

Design visual brand experiences for your business whether you are a seasoned designer or a total novice.

About the Author

Chloe West is the content marketing manager at Visme. Her experience in digital marketing includes everything from social media, blogging, email marketing to graphic design, strategy creation and implementation, and more. During her spare time, she enjoys exploring her home city of Charleston with her son.

CHICAGO AUGUST 29-30 PUBLIC SPEAKING CLASS IS ALMOST FULL! RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOW

• Public Speaking Classes
• Corporate Presentation Training
• Online Public Speaking Course
• Northeast Region
• Midwest Region
• Southeast Region
• Central Region
• Western Region
• Presentation Skills

101 Public Speaking Tips

• Fear of Public Speaking

Anyone Can Develop Good Presentation Skills

No matter what they tell you, people who have excellent presentation skills are not lucky. They didn’t win the lottery of life. Also, those of us who are not great at presenting aren’t doomed to failure. Anyone can develop presentation skills. I also believe that, with just a little practice, anyone can become a world-class speaker. Below are 101 public speaking tips that will help you reduce stage fright and become more self-confident. Don’t try to memorize all 101 tips, and don’t try to apply every single one before your next presentation. Instead, bookmark this page and pick one single tip to master during your next speech. Then come back over and over to try new ideas.

One of the challenges with tip pages (like this) is that readers are often embarrassed by their fear and try to hide it. If you have stage fright, chances are there are tons of others out there who need help as well. So, if you get value out of these tips, make sure and link to it or post it on Facebook or Linked-In . Help us help more people, please.

Public Speaking 101 – A list of 101 Public Speaking Tips!

Design a good skeleton of a presentation, create a clear and specific title or topic.

If you create a vague or general title, you will have a vague and general (hard to deliver) speech. Get specific and focused. For instance, instead of talking about “Last Year Financials,” talk about how “Cost-Saving Measures and Increased Sales Led to Higher Profit.” Remember in High School when you had to give book reports? It is tiresome to hear 32 versions of “Book Report about Julius Cesar,” but “Julius Cesar is a Metaphor for High School Peer Pressure” is much more enjoyable.

For additional details, see How to Design a Catchy Presentation Title .

Limit Your Support to a Few Most Important Points

Once you have a great topic, prove that your point or conclusion is valid by using just three, four, or five essential support items. Spend more time showing your few points versus adding more and more and more additional points. Your audience will only remember a few things that you cover, so make sure they are the most critical points. If you have trouble determining what points to use or narrowing down to just a few points, go back to tip number one and adjust your topic.

For additional details, see Write a Speech in Just a Few Simple Steps .

Add Stories

Stories are easy to remember and easy to deliver to an audience, so your nervousness will drop as you relay stories to your audience. Examples also help you prove your bullet points in a way that makes it easy for the audience to remember.

For additional details, see Storytelling in Speeches .

Use Stories as Facts and Figures

Most presenters like to create a long list of bullet points with facts and figures. Instead, give your audience the story behind the number. For instance, (1) revenue increased 10% (2) closing ratios went up 3% (3) advertising costs decreased 15%, and (4) profit went up 15% is quickly forgotten and will take up a whole PowerPoint slide.

However, “At the beginning of the last quarter, we changed our advertising strategy and focused more on repeat business from current clients versus spending money to attract new clients. We stopped sending mailers to the mailing list that we used in the past, and we sent multiple mailers to past customers instead. We were able to cut the mailing cost by 15%. The sales team had fewer leads and was able to spend more time developing repeat business. This allowed them to increase their closing ratios by 3% and total revenue by 10%. Since the cost was down as well, the combination of increased revenue and decreased advertising cost led to a 15% increase in profit.” Much easier to remember, much more comfortable to deliver, and no bullet points needed.

We jammed a lot of content into this tip page, so come back often to renew your focus. Remember that the Fearless Presentations ® class helps participants implement every one of these 101 puplic speaking tips! Our blog posts give these tips and more in greater detail.

Public Speaking Tips to Reduce Public Speaking Fear

Practice with a Partner

Now that you have a good outline and skeleton of a presentation practice delivering the speech with a friend or coworker. Practicing alone is a bad idea because you are your own worst critic. When you practice with a friend, though, you will get good verbal and visual feedback.

For additional details, see How to Reduce Public Speaking Fear .

Avoid Video Feedback

Video feedback can be a fantastic way to grow as a speaker, but it can also scare the gooey out of you. Avoid video feedback unless you have an excellent coach, professionally trained, to go over it with you. Going it alone can cause a lot of challenges.

Get Good at Delivering without Notes and Visual Aids

Since you are practicing a fairly simple speech right now, practice it without notes. Just write your three, four, or five key points on a slide or flip chart and practice delivering the presentation by really developing your stories. At this point, you will only really need to remember which story you want to use for each of your points. Keep it simple.

For additional details, see How to Memorize a Speech .

Butterflies are Normal

At this point, as you practice, you might start to feel butterflies in your stomach or other symptoms of public speaking fear. Don’t worry. Those symptoms are normal. However, as you practice once or twice, the nervousness should drop pretty dramatically.

For additional explanation of these and other ways to reduce nervousness, see this post. 10 Ways to Reduce Public Speaking Fear .

Lose Train of Thought?

If you lose your train of thought and feel some panic, then one of a couple of things might be happening. You likely have a bunch of bullet points that are difficult to remember. If so, go back through the earlier tips and design your speech differently. If you are feeling light-headed and confused, though.

When we get nervous, we tend to breath more shallowly. When this happens, the speaker will not have enough oxygen, which makes the panic even greater. Which alters the breathing even more. When you feel this happening, stop and take a deep breath from the diaphragm. To keep this from happening, take a nice deep breath before you say your first sentence.

Realize 90% of Nervousness Doesn’t Show

The audience usually can’t see the butterflies, or shaky hands, or sweaty palms. The problem occurs when we start thinking about these symptoms rather than focusing on the audience and our topic. By human nature, most people are focused on themselves, not on you. Focus on them, and two things will happen. First, they will like you more. Also, much of the nervousness that you feel will go away.

Avoid Writing Presentation Word for Word

Don’t fall into the trap of writing everything out so that you don’t forget something. You will be likely just to read it to the audience and probably sound boring when you do. Design your outline as we described above, and you will sound and feel more confident.

Avoid Memorizing Your Entire Speech

Most people believe that if they memorize their written speech, they will sound better than when they read it. It is possible, but not likely, though. More likely, the speaker will, at some point, forget something and panic. Instead, follow the guidelines above to design a good skeleton of a speech and memorize your stories.

Presentation Skill Tips to Add Energy to Your Delivery

Add Energy and Enthusiasm

Enthusiasm is the absolute most important public speaking secret. If you have energy and enthusiasm, your audience will love you. Be excited about your topic, and your audience will be excited about your presentation.

For more details, see 5 Turnkey Ways to Add Energy to a Presentation .

Talk with Your Hands

We all naturally speak with our hands, but for some reason, when we stand up to speak, we tend to lock up our body language and lose a lot of our natural energy. Drop your hands when you start a speech, then use them to explain your points. (By the way, if you tell a lot of stories, this will happen naturally.)

Make Your Gestures Bigger than Your Body

In a small room, try to make your gestures outside of your torso. Small gestures below the shoulders and close to your body make you look weak and timid. The higher and wider your gestures are, the more confident you appear. When we get nervous, we want a barrier between us and the threat, so the small gestures show the audience that they threaten you. Make the gestures bigger.

Exaggerate Gestures in Big Venues

As your audience gets bigger, so should your gestures. If you have a stand, (most people call it a podium, but the podium is the small stage that a speaker stands on), the audience will not see your gestures unless you exaggerate them. Make your gestures huge. They will look very normal for the audience.

Speak Faster

This tip goes against conventional wisdom in public speaking, but it is one of the most valuable tips. Speak faster! Really. When you talk faster, you add natural energy to your presentation. Think about the last time that you were excited about something. How did you tell people about it? We’re you slow and measured or fast and exaggerated? Talk faster, and the audience will get excited about you and your topic. I know what you are thinking.”Everyone else tells me to slow down.” Well, everyone else doesn’t get paid tens of thousands of dollars every time they speak and are probably pretty boring. If you want to be like them, do what they tell you. If you want to be a great speaker, speak faster.

Move Faster

So, not only do you want to move more and bigger, but also faster. For instance, when you walk to the front, don’t run, but take about a half-step faster pace than normal. If you walk like you are going to the gallows, you will suck the energy out of the room and leave the impression of being boring. If you move like you want to get to the front of the room, you will push energy into the room.

Your voice is your best tool when you present, so use it. If you are quiet, the audience will question your authority on the subject. Increase your volume a little to show the audience that you are in control.

Change Your Tone

What do they call boring speakers? Right, “mono-tone.” When we get nervous, especially when we memorize a presentation word-for-word, we tend to zoom through the presentation because we are afraid we will forget something. Most often, a speaker will sound very monotone when he/she does this. By the way, this is different from the “speaking faster” that I mentioned above. The reason why most coaches will tell a speaker to “slow down” is because most speakers zoom through memorized speeches with little or no emphasis on content, so the tone stays the same all the way through. Instead, design your speech as we talked about, and make a conscious effort to call attention to words or phrases that need emphasis. “It made a HUGE difference,” versus “It was a huge difference.”

Add Impact and Pizzaz to Your Presentation

Make Your Title Audience Focused

Go back to your title now and redesign it so that it has a significant “want” of the audience. Just look at the title as you have it and ask “why” does the audience need to hear this presentation? Whatever the answer to that question is should be added to the title. For instance, if your title is “Project Update,” and you followed tip #1 and made it more specific, you might end up with, “Smith Building Construction Project Update.” Now go one step farther. What is the actual result of the update? What conclusion do you want the audience to come to about the presentation? Now the title becomes, “Smith Building is Two Weeks behind Schedule, but Back on Track by the End of the Month.”

For more details, see How to Create a Great Presentation Title .

Make Your Bullet Points Audience Focused

Once you make your title audience-focused, your bullet points are likely to change. If your title is just “Smith Building Project Update,” then you’d likely have dozens of possible points that you could cover from personnel, schedule, budget, project map, client meetings, community outreach, etc however, if the title is about how the project is behind schedule and our plan to get back on schedule. You’ll likely spend point one on what happened to get us off track (and tell a few stories about it). Then, points two and three will probably be a few things that we will do to get back on track with examples of each.

For additional info, so Create Great Bullet Points in Your Presentation .

Add More Stories

I know that I gave this tip earlier, but stories are your Ace-in-the-Hole in presentations. The more that you have, the better your presentation will be, and the more that your audience will like you. I often hear statements from class members like, “But, presenters in my company don’t tell stories.” I always respond with, “Well, I can pretty much bet that meetings and speeches within your company stink, then.” And then almost always agree. After you have your skeleton presentation designed with a topic, a few key bullet points, and a story to prove each bullet point, go back and add a few more stories as proof. Below are a few ways to do this.

A Few Ways to Use Stories to Reduce Nervousness and Add Impact

Add a Moral or an Action

Your examples are great ways to teach the audience or persuade them. When you finish your stories, add a moral or call to action to the end, such as, “so, what I want you to get from this is.” When we tell people to do something or give advice, human nature is to play Devil’s Advocate, but when you tell a story first, they are more likely to agree. Try it around the office. Instead of giving advice right away, start with a story about the advice first and see if you get better results.

For more info, see How to Write an Effective Persuasive Speech .

Use Success Stories as Proof

Your successes are solid proof that your advice is sound, so anytime you offer advice or a suggested plan of action, always try to use a personal example as your proof that your input is valid. If you haven’t had personal success with the new idea, find some other group or person who has and use their success story as proof.

Learn from Mistakes

When you or your team has challenges, tell the story about the trial or mistake, and then add the moral at the end to show how you learned from it. A lot of times, this can add some self-deprecating humor, as well.

Give Contrasting Examples

A good way to use examples and stories is with a “good” example and a “bad” example. For instance, if you are giving a suggestion or advice in your presentation, give one example of a time when you or someone else didn’t take the advice, and the results were less than adequate and a second example when we used the advice and had success.

A Few Public Speaking Tips to Use Audience Participation to Add Impact

Add audience participation.

Audience participation is a fantastic way to break up the presentation and add energy and attentiveness to a presentation. The adage is that “People will support a world that they help create.” When your audience helps deliver your presentation, they will enjoy the presentation more and retain the information longer.

Avoid Rhetorical Questions

Never ask the audience a question that you don’t expect them to answer. Rhetorical questions aren’t interactive and have the potential to be annoying or even manipulative, so really avoid these types of questions.

Be Careful with Yes/No Questions

Questions where some people will answer “Yes” and some will answer “No” will divide the audience, so only use them if a division is what you want. For instance, “How many of you have been sexually harassed at some time in your career?” will likely cause a harmful division that you’d rather avoid, but “How many of you made President’s Club this year?” might give you a positive result. Just be careful, dividing your audience.

Avoid Single Answer Questions

Questions with only a single correct answer have only two possible results. Either one single person will answer the question correctly for one single success, or no one will answer the question, and the entire audience will feel stupid. If there is only one answer, avoid the question and tell the audience the answer.

Ask Open-Ended, Opinion Based Questions

The best types of questions are open-ended and “opinion-based” meaning that anyone with an opinion can, and most likely will, be correct. So a whole group of audience members is now the heroes of the room. The best way to do this is to make sure that your bullet points have gone to that “next level” where the result to the audience is added and ask it instead of telling it. “So we are two weeks behind schedule on the Smith building. What kind of things can we do to get back on track by the end of the month?”

Think/Write/Share

If your audience more introverted or less likely to interact, use Think/Write/Share. “Think about all of the possible ways that we can get back on track on the Smith project…” “If you would, write down two or three of your best ideas.” Then wait for everyone to write down at least one thing. “Tell me what you wrote down, and I’ll write them on the whiteboard.” You’ll get a lot more participation this way.

Use Sticky Notes to Get Input

If you have one or two overly vocal audience members who tend to overpower all other opinions, then try having everyone write their ideas on individual Sticky Notes instead. Collect all of the notes and read them out to the group and organize them into piles of similar ideas. That way, you can see where the real consensus is in the group without it becoming a popularity contest.

Another way to get a group to participate is to ask them to tell their best idea to a partner sitting next to them. Then have the partners volunteer to say to the group a single idea that their partner shared that was particularly good.

Have a Contest

Divide the audience into small groups and have a contest of some kind. This could be a test to see what they remember from the speeches from previous presenters, or it could be a contest to see who can come up with the most creative solution to a challenge or problem that you are experiencing. Get creative because people learn more when they are having fun.

My Favorite Ways to Add Impact to Presentation

Analogies are a fantastic way to make complicated information easier to understand and make your presentations more fun as well. An analogy is just a comparison where we are saying that something (complicated information) is just like (something less complicated). Or instance, a financial planner is trying to explain early retirement planning might compare planning your retirement to planting an orchard. If you only plant one tree and wait only one year, you aren’t going to get a great crop. But if you plant a dozen trees of different types of fruit and let them grow for ten years while nourishing them along the way, you’ll end up with a bountiful harvest.

Anecdotes Add Fun and Humor

They called Ronald Reagan The Great Communicator because he had an anecdote for everything. These are short, often funny, stories kind of like parables, that is used to teach a point and add levity. A good place to find these are at the end of articles in Reader’s Digest . Motivational speakers use this technique quite often.

Demonstrations

Demonstrations help audience members better understand processes and products by showing them in action. This technique is common at trade shows and fairs or exhibits. (It is also the most common selling technique on infomercials.) if you are explaining a step-by-step process or have a product that is impressive to the audience, then a demonstration might be a great addition to your presentation.

Offer a Sample

Give the audience something they can see, touch, feel, or experience. If you are talking about a product, bring one to pass around. If your topic is less tangible, give an example. For instance, when we teach public speaking skills classes, and we introduce how powerful stories can be, we give an example of a dry presentation without stories, and then we go back and add the stories in and show the audience the difference. Give a sample to reinforce your point.

Quote from an Expert

When you quote an expert, you are temporarily borrowing their expertise and credibility. Quotes should be short, and by someone, the audience will recognize, but when used properly, they can help the speaker have even more credibility.

If you don’t have a formal quote, but you know multiple famous people (or companies) agree with you or follow your advice, then you can name drop them. For instance, “405 of the Fortune 500 companies have sent people to Fearless Presentations including Microsoft, Apple, ExxonMobil, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte, and more.”

Add Showmanship

Remember that in addition to informing and persuading the audience, as a speaker, we also must entertain the audience. If you can “WOW!” the audience, you will be memorable. So do something different than what everyone else does. Below are a few ways to add showmanship.

A Few Public Speaking Tips to Add Showmanship

Use posters instead of pictures.

Adding a picture, or multiple pictures, to a PowerPoint slide can be effective in a pinch. However, you can go to printing stores and get a picture blown up into a poster that you can set on a tripod, and the poster will be much more memorable. Think of a trade show. The exhibits that have big posters are more eye-catching and attention-getting.

Add Some Magic

Quick and easy magic tricks can add some fun and energy to a presentation if it is appropriate. Since our instructors teach seminars and training classes, a quick magic trick used as an analogy to something that we are teaching can be entertaining and memorable. Doing a card trick in a boardroom presentation may not work as well, though.

Teach The Audience Something that will Surprise Them

When we teach team-building activities, we often start will a memory trick that helps the audience improve their memory very quickly. It is a simple technique that anyone can learn, so it is awe-inspiring to most audiences. When I was in school, a speaker showed us how to read faster by having us read a section from a book in our usual way for 60 seconds. Then, he had us read again, but this time pointing to the words in the book with our left hand as we read. The second time that we read, we gained as many as a couple of dozen extra lines of reading. It was really cool. Try it yourself.

Props can Add Showmanship

When legislators were trying to get people upset about the healthcare legislation in 2009; they just printed out the thousands of documents that made up the bill. The piles and piles of unreadable pages were pretty overwhelming and made a valid point. When I was starting out teaching leadership classes, I found a toy that was a tiny shipping box that, when I pushed a button, shook and said, “Let me out of here!” I used it as a prop when I talked about self-confidence, saying, “we all have that confident person inside of us who is struggling to get out and be seen.”

A Good Leave-Behind can Add Showmanship

A handout, book, or another type of reference item can make you more memorable. When we teach our leadership classes, we have a business card holder with a series of leadership principle cards that we give to every participant as a way to reinforce the crucial principles from the course.

Organizing the Presentation

Add at least one “impact idea” to each point.

Now go back to the skeleton outline that you created earlier and add at least one additional technique from the last ten or so ideas above. Add a question, analogy, quote, etc. to each of your original points. Give your presentation some meat.

Take a Break

If you have too much content to fit into five or fewer key points, consider taking a break in the middle to make the presentation more digestible.

Use Your “Impact Ideas” to Alter Time

If you are short on time, it is easy to shorten or cut a story or analogy, and if you are zooming through the presentation, just give more details in your stories, etc. or add an audience participation. This will allow you to hit exact time limits.

What If You have to Give a 10 Point or 20 Point Presentation?

If you have to give a content-heavy presentation, you can, but manage your expectations. Your audience isn’t likely to retain a lot of the content. A follow-up handout or another takeaway will be helpful.

PowerPoint Tips

Design your presentation first, then add visual aids.

Most presenters start with their PowerPoint slideshow, and later try to come up with words to explain the bullet points that they have written. Instead, start with the presentation, and the look for visual aids that will help you clarify your points.

Use Fewer Slides

An excellent way to do this is to practice your presentation a few times without any visual aids first and get good at your delivery. Then go back and add only the visual aids that help you explain your points better.

Less is More

The fewer slides that you have and the less content that you have on each slide, the more impact that your words will have.

A good rule is to have no more than six words on each line and no more than six lines on each PowerPoint slide. This way, everyone in the room should be able to read your slide content easily.

Avoid Overuse of Animation

Spinning bullet points with sound effects are just a distraction, so avoid frivolous animation.

Use Appropriate Animation to Clarify Your Points

Use animation that adds showmanship and clarifies your points. I had a client that had their animation team create a 3D animation of the terrain where they would be building an addition to an Army base that showed everything from the blacktops being poured to the final buildings rising on the horizon to the military tanks being rolled into the gates. It was an impressive piece of proof that the company understood the project.

Charts and Graphs are for Handouts, not PowerPoint Slide Decks

Charts and graphs are very hard to read and follow on a slide, so make a handout or put them on a big board instead.

Pictures for Decoration

If you use a picture (or pictures) for decoration, make the decoration the same on every slide and make it subtle. A single picture in the corner of the slide is usually enough. If your decorative picture changes, your audience will wonder what it has to do with the content of your slide.

Pictures for Clarity

If a picture help adds clarity to your bullet point, then add it in, but if it is just being used to make the slide prettier, leave it out.

Consider Boards Instead of Slides

Instead of putting a picture or chart on a slide, consider getting a board or poster made instead.

PowerPoint Slide Colors

A dark background with light text is most eye appealing.

Use Simple Fonts

Time New Roman or Arial are good choices for PowerPoint fonts.

Use Bullet Points

Although result-oriented, well-developed bullet points are essential when you design and organize your presentation, you might want to use shorter bulletins in your visual aid.

Reveal Your Bullets One at a Time

Reveal bullets one at a time to make sure no one reads ahead.

Point to Bullets when You Reference Them

Move toward the screen and point to your bullets as you read them. This lets the audience knows that you are covering something new and adds energy.

Stand Up When You Speak

The person who Stan’s and speaks carries authority. You will also have more energy.

Practice with Your Slides

After you have practiced without the slides and gotten good at your delivery, add the slides back in and practice in front of a group of people.

Avoid “Read… Click…”

If you design and practice your presentation based on these tips, you will never do this, but if you find yourself just reading and clicking, STOP! You are boring for your audience.

Design Your Own Slideshow

This tip is so important. If someone else designs your PowerPoint slide deck for you, it will increase the complexity ten-fold.

Places to Practice Delivering Your Presentations

Social clubs.

Rotary Clubs, Kiwanis, the Jaycees, Lions Clubs, etc. are great places to practice delivering speeches. Most of these organizations a weekly meeting that requires a guest speaker, so there are 52 opportunities every year for a slot.

Chambers of Commerce

Chambers often have committees where officers lead meetings and give presentations, so run for office. PS, most people avoid positions like this because they don’t want to have to speak in front of their peers.

Libraries and City Recreation Centers

City offices often have scheduled seminars and workshops that are easy to get a speaking engagement in as long as the topic is marketable to them and you will work cheap.

Lunch-N-Learns

If you are a salesperson and want to speak to employees at a specific client, you can buy them lunch and offer to teach them something about your industry.

Teleseminars or Webinars

Just by promoting a free (or paid) Teleseminars on your website, you can often get a nice following of people who will be happy to gain a little of your expertise.

Association Meetings in Your Industry

No matter what industry you belong to, chances are that there are one or more associations for companies like yours. Join one or more of these associations and look for meetings or events where you can speak and become an influential member of your industry.

Association Meetings in Client Industries

If you sell to specific industries, make sure and become a part of their associations and attend their trade shows and meetings. By speaking within these groups, you will be seen as a go-to person/company for their industry.

Trade Shows

If you attend trade shows and purchase booth space, consider purchasing the booth space adjacent to you and fill it with folding chairs. Then conduct a short seminar every half hour or so on topics related to the needs of the attendees.

Marketing Seminars by Reservation

In-person marketing seminars can be a great way to get in front of a lot of potential audience members. Financial planners will often offer free retirement seminars because they know that anyone who attends will likely be a good potential client.

Paid Seminars

Seminars that individuals can attend by paying a fee to you can be a great way to promote yourself because you are gaining income for your efforts. When individuals pay a fee to attend a seminar, they are much more likely to show up as well.

Paid Consulting Meetings

You can also charge individuals or groups to attend consulting or coaching sessions with you. This is a nice way to help customers implement your products/services without losing money. The meetings can be in-person, online, or by teleconference, so you have a lot of flexibility.

Radio and TV Shows

Although there is still a great opportunity to speak on traditional TV and radio programs, the Internet has opened a lot of doors for additional speakers. Internet radio is big and getting bigger all the time, and many hosts are looking for interesting people to interview.

YouTube and other online video services are a great way to make a single presentation get replicated over and over again. Make short, two to three-minute information videos teaching something about your industry and post them on YouTube. Post them once every week or so.

Podcast Your Videos

As you add more videos to your library, offer them as Podcasts (just Google “podcast” for a list of them) so that you can attract a group of “followers” who get access to your videos every time you post one.

Joint Venture Seminars

Partner up with other people or companies who are in the same market but who don’t compete for clients or customers. For instance, if you build websites, partner with a social media expert, a graphic designer, and a video person, and teach people how to build killer websites.

Public Speaking Tips for Sales Teams Delivering Group Presentations

Prepare your team ahead of time.

For many high-level sales presentations, purchasers want to hear from team members who they will be working with on the project. Please don’t let the first time that these folks speak in front of a group be when you have a big contract on the line. Get your team professional presentation training well in advance of the presentation.

Talk About THEM, Not You

Many presenters mistakenly cover a lot of detail about how great they (the presenters) are, how much experience they have, and how they are the best thing since sliced bread. The audience doesn’t care much about this stuff. They have a problem that they want you to solve. Show them how you can help solve their problems, and they will like you.

Show the Client that You are a Team

Edify each other when you introduce the next speaker. Build the next person up by sharing his/her expertise with the audience. Get the entire team involved in the presentation.

Use Showmanship

We covered this as one of the impact ideas above, but showmanship is vital to big sales presentations. You and your team have to be memorable and different. Before every presentation, come up with something new and different that you know others won’t do.

Question and Answer Sessions

Questions for clarity.

The easiest questions are those asked for clarity. The questioner is confused or curious and is looking for a simple answer. In these situations, answer the question quickly and add an example if you need to.

Questions to Test You

Sometimes, audience members may ask aggressive questions to try to test you or throw you off to see how you handle it. A great way to answer these types of questions is with an example or story related to the issue. Then, after you finish the quick tale, give the advice or solution.

Set a Time Limit

Set a time limit for questions and keep it short. Two to five minutes is standard, but some presentations require 15 minutes. Regardless, set a time limit and keep to it.

Ask the First Question if Needed

Audiences are often hesitant to ask the first question so that you might need to prime the pump. “A question that I’m often asked is…” It usually works pretty well.

When Time Expires, End It

If you can have a few more question askers waiting when you end the session, it can work well. Just say, “I’m out of time, but for those of you who we weren’t able to get to, I will be in the back of the room as you leave.” This will create a crowd of energy around you after the presentation.

The Seven Deadly Sins of Presenting

(We know… This puts us at 103 tips versus 101, but we like to over-achieve.)

Thou Shan’t Not Go Overtime without Consent

To “uh” is human, but too many is annoying, thou shall not speak monotonally, avoid shop-talk. thine audience wilst be confused., thou shall not speak whilst the audience readests thy slide, you thou shan’t read endless excerpts to thine audience, thou shan’t dump endless data upon thine audience.

presentation skills | powerpoint tips , Public speaking tips , stage fright

View More Posts By Category: Free Public Speaking Tips | leadership tips | Online Courses | Past Fearless Presentations ® Classes | Podcasts | presentation skills | Uncategorized

• 11 Tips for Giving a Great Speech

Chances are you’ll be asked to give speeches or presentations in classes at school. If you get involved in volunteer groups, brief speeches to open events or thank participants are a must. Then there are the speeches at events such as weddings, as well as speeches that you might have to give in the workplace. That amounts to the average person being required to give quite a lot of speeches, even if they don’t get involved in an area such as politics where the ability to give a good speech becomes even more important. You might also have suffered through quite a number of bad speeches from other people – whether that’s at family events where the microphone squeaks the whole way through or a school presentation where the headteacher can’t quite make the jokes work. If you don’t want to inflict the same sort of experience on others, here are our top tips for giving a great speech.

1. Practise your microphone technique

2. Keep it short

Particularly at something like a party or a wedding, no one will be unhappy if your speech runs a little short; it’ll just give them more time to investigate the canapés. If you are giving a speech for a class in school, and it’ll be assessed, you need to prioritise keeping it within the required time limits. But even under these circumstances, if you’ve been tasked – say – with giving a 10-15 minute speech, it’s usually better to come in nearer the 10 than the 15 minute mark. Put simply, even if your speech is terrible, your audience can probably tolerate it for 10 minutes. Much longer, and they’ll be struggling. This shouldn’t limit what you can cover; in the film Up , the whole of Carl and Ellie’s heartbreaking love story is told in under 12 minutes. Do you really need longer to make your points? Achieve brevity by writing out the speech you would give if you had all the time in the world, and then cut anything that seems extraneous or boring.

3. Consider what your audience wants to hear

If you are giving a speech in class because it’s your assignment, what your audience wants to hear is likely to be “the bell ringing for lunch”; you can’t help them there. But under other circumstances, consider what your audience wants to hear and what you want to say, and strive for there to be as much overlap as possible. In the context of a political speech, for instance, what you want to say might be why your party should receive votes; what your audience wants to hear is what your party would do for them, if they won power. Hopefully it should be possible to write a speech that meets both sets of needs, rather than focusing solely on whatever it is that you want to say and leaving your audience disappointed.

4. Pick a theme and stick to it

Here’s a goal for giving a speech: someone sitting near the back, who’s messing around on their phone for at least two-thirds of it and focusing mainly on how long it will be until lunch, should nonetheless be able to give a reasonably accurate answer to the question, “what was it about?” If you’re supposed to be giving a speech in defence of the nuclear deterrent, for example, both the topic and your position on it should be clearly identifiable. This means – to stick with the nuclear deterrent example – not talking for a while about jobs, and then the wider economy, and then the North-South divide, and then Scottish independence, and then Ukraine with a brief digression into South Ossetia before rounding off by squeaking out “and that’s why we should renew Trident!” seconds before you run out of time – no matter how relevant that cornucopia of topics may feel (and they are all relevant, albeit tenuously). It means that even if you do have to take a while to explain a more complex idea, you need to be concise, and bring it back to your theme as quickly as you can.

5. Speak slowly

Most people speak more quickly than they realise when they’re on stage, especially if they’re nervous. But no one will be able to follow your speech if you’re jabbering it out. Thankfully, this one is easy to fix with a little effort and practise. First of all, figure out how quickly you’re actually speaking: do a word count for your speech and then time yourself saying it. A fast speaker will speak at maybe 160 words per minute, a slow speaker at 100 wpm and an average speaker at 130 wpm. For a formal speech, you want to be speaking on the slow side. While this will vary by culture and environment, 120 wpm is a reasonable target to aim for; slow enough that everyone should be able to understand you, and fast enough that you hopefully won’t be sending them to sleep.

6. Tell a couple of jokes

This is a tricky tip because there are lots of pitfalls in the world of telling jokes. For instance, there’s the temptation to include an in-joke that three of your friends will understand and find hilarious, that is utterly baffling to everyone else in the room. Avoid this – if you include any jokes, witty references or anything along those lines, make sure they are accessible to everyone present. All the same, if you can manage a joke or two, it can be a useful way to break up a speech and retain the audience’s interest. A little self-deprecation (not too much!) or the use of classic joke formats such as “the scene was chaotic; it looked as if a bomb had hit and we didn’t know where to start on repairs – but that’s enough about the hen party…” work nicely even if you’re not very confident. Don’t turn it into a stand-up comedy sketch if you’re not a comedian, don’t wait for ages for laughter that’s not showing up, and don’t make jokes at the expense of anyone who you don’t know for sure can take it.

7. Don’t be afraid to repeat yourself if you need to

If you follow US or UK politics at all, you’ve probably heard some of these phrases recently: take back control, make America great again, long-term economic plan, son of a bus driver. Three of these have already led the party or people they’re associated with to electoral victory; the fourth remains to be seen. To take the ‘son of a bus driver’ as an example, this refers to Sadiq Khan, now Mayor of London. There can be hardly anyone in London who doesn’t know what their Mayor’s dad did for a living. Meanwhile, many of them probably can’t remember his rival Zac Goldsmith’s name, let alone anything he said during the campaign. The point is that repetition works. In pursuit of point 4, if you want people to remember your key theme, you’re going to have to say it more than once. Don’t assume that everyone will have paid attention to everything you’ve said, unless you’re in a classroom setting where they’ll get told off if they don’t.

8. Only use the visual aids you need

This tip applies to two things: PowerPoints and notes. If you can do without either (and your assignment allows it), then do. Every time you’re glancing over your notes or up at the screen, fiddling with the laptop to get the slide to move on, fighting with a video that isn’t working or struggling to read your own handwriting, is time that you’re not spending engaging with your audience. A well-written, clear speech delivered without notes is always going to be better than someone awkwardly reading aloud the bullet points on their PowerPoint slides. If you must do a presentation – for instance, because there are photos that need to be included – have as little text on it as possible, preferably none. That way, if there are people at the back who can’t really see the screen through the sea of heads in front of them, they’ll still be able to follow what you’re saying.

9. Get a friend to check for awkward mannerisms

Mannerisms that are entirely fine in normal life become awkward and strange when you’re speaking in public. Perhaps you’re inclined to fiddle with your hair or your cuffs, you rock back and forth on the balls of your feet, or you have a habit of reaching your hand to your cheek when you’re talking. No one would notice in everyday conversation, but when you’re on a stage, it’ll become all they’ll see. Some of this is easily avoidable – for instance, if you have long hair that you’re inclined to twirl or otherwise fiddle with, tie it up. For other mannerisms, get the critical friend who helped you sort out your microphone technique to tell you what they are, and do your best to suppress the more annoying ones.

10. Look around the room

Talking about eye contact usually has the effect of making normal eye contact a lot harder, and so does giving a speech. All of a sudden, you’re up on stage, and you have no idea what a normal way to look at a group of people is. Some speakers deal with this by picking a point in the middle distance and speaking to it; others by picking a particular person near to the back and addressing their entire speech at them. This is obviously no fun for that person, who probably spends the whole thing feeling extremely uncomfortable, but it’s not too weird for everyone else. Better still, though, if you can manage it, is to look slowly and steadily around the room, trying to make eye contact with a decent range of people, before returning to the middle distance for a while, rinse and repeat. This needs to be slow and steady, or you give the impression that you’ve just smelled smoke and are casting about for a fire exit before the stampede beings.

11. Don’t be scared of a good reaction

If your speech is genuinely engaging, funny, inspiring or any of the other things you might hope it would be, your audience will react to it. There might be laughter, or applause, or even a bit of cheering depending on the setting. This can be daunting because when you’re practising your speech in front of your bedroom mirror, there’s no way to prepare for it. And it’s where even the best speakers can go wrong, by launching straight into what they were going to say next without waiting for the laughter or applause to stop, or by looking painfully awkward while it’s going on. It’s a pitfall that’s mostly solved by being aware it might happen. If your audience is applauding you or otherwise reacting well, it’s OK to smile, look up, wait for them to stop and then keep going with your speech – it’s as simple as that. You could even throw in a “thank you” before you continue in the knowledge that it’s all going well. Image credits: microphones ; audience ; boy with microphone ; clock ; winding road ; enjoy a joke ; sticky notes ; 

• Getting Started
• Best Practices

How to Give a Great Speech Every Time

August 8, 2020

How to give a great speak required practice and a specific skill set. And starts before you even step foot onto the stage. It comprises of three main categories: Getting Ready, Segments of the Speech, and Delivery. A good speech gives you the opportunity to leave the audience with the message you want to get across.

Getting Ready

Delivering a successful speech and the overall impression you give, depends on how well you prepare. This requires having a thorough understanding of your topic and a well-developed presentation. Additionally, it helps to know the stage, what you wear, how you stand and gesture, and how you will handle questions.

Know Your Topic

You probably have a good grasp of the topic on which you have been asked to speak or you would not have been asked. But just knowing the topic isn't enough of a strategy for giving a great speech. If you are still relatively new to the subject area, consider talking to others who have more expertise and doing more through research to prepare.

Being familiar with related topics and pertinent current events or trends is important, particularly if you will be answering questions. If speaking out of town, find out if any local issues or events are related to your speech topic.

Know Your Audience

Depending on the context of the speaking engagement, you might be able to some broad generalizations about the audience. However, don't make too many assumptions. Consider how much the audience already knows about your topic. Consider these questions:

• Will there be anyone who has a special or niche interest?
• Depending on your topic, will there be a contingency who have already taken a position about the topic?
• Will your approach be considered neutral, for, or against?

Answers to these questions should shape your speech and prepare you for follow-up questions.

Script Preparation

Many public speaking experts recommend writing out your speech, even if don’t plan on using notes. Doing this makes it easier to determine whether you are within your time limit and gives you something to edit.

Often speakers end up cutting their original manuscript in half to stay within the allotted time. If you intend to memorize your speech, you will need something to read and memorize.

EXPERT TIP If you use your written speech during delivery, make the font extra-large, in all capital letters, and on half of an 8-1/2 x 11-inch piece of paper or 5 x 7-inch cards. Mark pauses with a slash (/) and circle or underscore words and phrases requiring emphasis. Make sure to number the pages or cards.

The make-up of your audience should influence the language you use in your speech. Don't use technical terms with a nontechnical audience. Avoid phrases or nomenclature your listeners might not understand. Never use acronyms; they may exclude some audience members from your message. Use short sentences.

Above all, speak in a way that is natural for you. Stay away from compound sentences, multisyllable words, parenthetical phrases and qualifications, clichés, and overused phrases such as "you know."

Segments of the Speech

Your speech should have a clear opening, body, and ending. This not only lets the audience focus on what you are saying but it helps you convey the message you want to convey. Each segment provides an opportunity to engage the audience and build upon your overall message.

A strong opening statement will grab attention and set the tone for the rest of the speech. Right away establish the purpose and importance of your speech. There are several strategies you can use.

• Express your main point in an assertive manner   e.g. The company believes...
• Ask a rhetorical question   e.g. What is really needed to beat the pandemic?
• Include one or a series of startling facts   e.g. Are you aware that... ?
• Use a human-interest story
• Tell a joke or humorous anecdote One that bridges smoothly into the body of your speech will not only attract your listeners' attention, but also help you to relax.

No matter how you choose to begin, be sure it's pertinent to the topic of your speech and launches you toward making your main points.

Side Note: If you’ve been invited to give the speech, acknowledge the person who introduces you and thank the group for attending.

The body of your speech needs to support your topic, main message, and key points. There are many ways you can deliver the information you want to convey. However, avoid trying to use all of them as some may not be appropriate for the situation.

Anecdotes and Humor

Anecdotes and jokes, when chosen carefully and delivered naturally, are good tools to connect to your audience. Of course, humor should always be in good taste; in no way should it offend your audience.

Keep your humor relevant. Some apt humor within the speech can help maintain your rapport with your audience. A totally irrelevant joke will be recognized for what it is.

Not everybody can handle humor without some practice. Memorize and practice delivering anecdotes and one-liners because they fall flat if you read them. A pause is essential before the punchline and at the end of an anecdote.

Generally, if you are good at telling jokes privately, you will be able to joke publicly. If you're not a funny person, don't try to be funny at the podium.

Like humor, statistics are desirable, but too much data is hard for a listener to absorb. Save large tables of data, charts and graphs for a handout or packet the audience can take with them. For your presentations, use statistics and date to create complete thoughts or comparisons.

Good visuals add impact to your words. They should, however, support your speech and not overpower it.

Most people today use slide decks that can include charts, maps, and pictures along with text. However, don’t rule out the use of printed jumbo charts, maps, pictures, or other "show and tell" items. They can provide variety to your presentation but make sure everyone in the audience is able to see what you are showing.

Avoid complexity. Each visual should, at a glance, convey a single idea. The more "pictographic" a visual aid is, the better. With data and statistics only show the specific numbers or percentages that you mention.

Ending / Conclusion

The ending of your speech should be synopsis of what you covered by summarizing your main point and repeating your objectives.

A good strategy is to clue the audience that you are about to wrap up. For example, "Before I finish, there's one point I want to emphasize."

End compellingly or give your audience something extra like "In conclusion, let me add just one bit of advice."

Let your audience know how to connect with you via a website, email, or social media. If you will be presenting at at future meetings or seminars, it is appropriate to mention them at this point. Be open to answering questions, if the event is structured to include them.

A speech is only as effective as its delivery.

No matter how much time you spent writing your speech, your effort will be wasted if...

• You appear overly nervous
• You speak in a monotone
• You appear ridge or unmoving
• The audience can't hear you
• Your visuals can’t be seen by everyone

Practice, Practice, Practice

Practice multiple times. To give a natural delivery, you need to be as familiar with the text you’ve written as possible. It helps alleviate nerves the more accustom you are with the flow of the speech.

Practice delivering your speech by yourself in front of a mirror, in front of a family member or co-worker, and/or before a video camera.

This give an opportunity to test your anecdotes and jokes, as well as your stance and gestures. It allows you to check that your visuals are clear, pertinent, and emphatic.

Remember the Clock

Unless you are giving a keynote speech and have been asked to speak for a longer period of time, the best time frame for most speeches is 15 to 20 minutes, with another 10 minutes for questions and answers. Regardless of the subject matter and delivery method, you will lose your audience if you go on longer than this.

If you been given a specific amount of time to speak that is shorter than 15-20 minutes, be vigilant about staying within that time limit. Exceeding your time limit will only create a dissatisfied audience and risk losing their respect.

Your Stage and Props

Arrive at the speech site early so you have a chance to check the ambiance, chat with your hosts and the person who will introduce you and meet the other speakers if there are any.

Note the location from which you will be speaking. If using a slide deck take note of the screen and projector location. Find out how much of the set up you will be responsible for. If using other visual aids, be sure they can be seen by everyone in the audience.

Take time to be sure your presentation slides are in the right order. If possible, see if you can run them through the projector before the audience arrives to identify and address any technical malfunctions.

Your Appearance

Your speech actually starts the moment you enter the room. Dress in a manner that makes you comfortable. However, be aware of nature of the event and audience. For instance, you may be most comfortable in shorts and a t-shirt but that might not be appropriate at an awards ceremony.

Check your clothing and overall appearance before going on stage. That will give an opportunity to catch spinach in your teeth or a coffee stain on your shirt.

Eye Contact and Body Signals

Think of your audience in three segments‚ left, center, and right. Look at, and speak directly to, individuals in each segment.

When speaking from behind a lectern, don't grab onto it and hold tightly with both hands. Your body will tense up and you'll appear even more nervous than you are. If the microphone is removable, you may wish to pick it up and move about.

Gestures can help you look more relaxed and add emphasis to what you are saying. However, like every other element of your speech, they need to be controlled and pertinent. Don't "dead pan." Smile, nod, shrug your shoulders‚ move naturally and appropriately. Stand tall, with your head level and your shoulders square.

While you are speaking, be aware of the signals your audience is sending you. Are they looking right at you or are their eyes wandering? Are they sitting up and listening or slouched and dozing? If you begin to lose too much of your audience, you may have to change your style.

Voice and Diction

A clear, strong voice sets off a speech just as an attractive frame enhances a picture. The general tendency is to speak too softly, so speak louder than you consider normal. Good volume communicates confidence.

A monotone is boring, so change volume and pitch during your speech. Absorb this technique by listening to newscasts and commercials on radio and television. Note how they create interest by changing voice pitch and emphasis. Work to develop enthusiasm and "sell" in your voice.

Diction is important. You need to enunciate without going overboard and appearing stilted. The bottom line is to be clear while appearing natural.

People tend to speak too fast. Pacing and pausing are among the most effective techniques for public speaking. Change speed: go faster for excitement and slower for suspense. You do not have to keep talking. Pauses attract attention and may even trigger applause after strong statements.

Related Posts

Video Conferencing vs. Webinar Platforms: 5 Key Features to Choose the Right Tool

The first 10 minutes: how to keep your audience hooked, 14 virtual event formats and how to choose which one to use, 5 icebreaker tips for outstanding masterclasses and webinars.

Jennifer Sharkey is known as the Virtual Presentation Specialist. Being passionate about seeing people shine and be heard, she leans into her 20+ years of public speaking experience and uses what she has learned from presenting, both in-person and virtually, to small groups all the way up to 5000 people. Jennifer draws from her experience as an associate professor, academic librarian, and coach to help holistic coaches master virtual presentations to grow their business. Her unique immersive program provides practical strategies and methods to build confidence, engage audiences, and generate authenticity and authority.

Your Signature

Privacy Overview

16 Science-Based Public Speaking Tips To Be a Master Speaker

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Public speaking. Just the thought of having to get on stage inspires anxiety-fueled questions such as:

• What if the audience doesn’t like my speech?
• What do I do if I get on stage and my mind completely blanks because I’m so nervous?
• What if I look super awkward on stage?

Nearly 30 percent of Americans report that they’re “afraid or very afraid” of public speaking. In fact, this fear is so widely accepted that many scientists researching stress actually will induce anxiety by asking study participants to give a speech .

Most fears about public speaking stem from our fear of being judged. We are so scared of being criticized that we forget we have the power to share a message. I want to teach you how to captivate an audience so you can conquer your public speaking fears and get your message across. Let’s dive into the research-backed public speaking tips, so you have the confidence to get on stage and master your stage presence.

1. Up Your Public Speaking Game

Harvard Business Professor John Antonakis looked at charismatic verbal tactics. In his research , he discovered that when executives used these verbal tactics, their leadership ratings rose a whopping 60 percent! When presenting, you should incorporate these three charismatic verbal tactics:

• Use Metaphors, Similes, and Analogies. Metaphors are like mini-stories. You tie something that someone understands to a new idea or concept. I LOVE metaphors—I think they are the most powerful way to get ideas across. For example, I teach people how to read micro-expressions and liken the ability to decode the face to watching life in High Definition TV. All of a sudden you see things that you didn’t notice before. In other words, I turn the skill of decoding facial expressions into a metaphor with the connection to HDTV. Let me tell you, whenever I use this metaphor with live audiences, people either audibly will say, “oh” or “ah” or nod their head yes, as if it clicked for them. That’s the power of a good metaphor.
• 3-Part Lists. Whenever you’re speaking in public, you have to keep in mind your audience’s capacity for remembering information. Breaking down your message and actionable takeaways into three parts makes it easy for people to understand, remember and act on your goals. If you can organize your speech into three main ideas, even if it is an impromptu message in front of the team, it will help people remember what you have to say.
• Rhetorical Questions.  A rhetorical question is a question you ask of the audience for dramatic effect or to make a point instead of expecting a response. Something like, “Do you know how this tip can work for you?” or “How many of you have felt like the man in the story?” You don’t need people actually to raise their hands (although they might). The reason these are so powerful is because any kind of question engages people mentally; we are programmed to respond to questions, even if it is just internally.
• Speak Powerfully. It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it. Be sure that whatever verbal tactics you are using, you are doing it with power. Here are my favorite vocal power tactics .

2. Warm-Up Right

Even the most practiced public speakers face some performance anxiety. The best way to beat nerves is to have a great warm-up routine. Before taking the stage — or even front and center at a meeting, psych yourself up with a little pre-performance ritual. Here are some ideas:

3. Use a Sparkline

How do you go from being a merely influential speaker to an inspirational one? The answer lies in one simple, but extremely universal, speech theory.

CEO and professional presentation designer  Nancy Duarte spent years studying rhetorical strategies to uncover what makes some speeches powerful while other fail to captivate audiences. What she discovered is that all great speakers, from Martin Luther King Jr. to Steve Jobs, all follow the same structure.

Here’s what the diagram is showing:

• Start by explaining “ what is. ” This is the problem, the process, the level of achievement, etc. that you want to change.
• Then explain “ what could be .” This is your goal for a better future. The best speakers paint the picture of the best possible future that their message can provide. In other words, if every audience member uses your tips and solutions, what will their life look like? What will their day look like? What will change for them?

Here are public speaking tips from a few master public speakers:

• President Franklin Roosevelt addressed Congress in 1941 with a powerful speech that promised: “Freedom from fear, which, translated into world terms, means a worldwide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor–anywhere in the world. That is no vision of a distant millennium. It is a definite basis for a kind of world attainable in our own time and generation… To that new order we oppose the greater conception–the moral order. A good society is able to face schemes of world domination and foreign revolutions alike without fear.”
• Steve Jobs promised audience members, “So, today, we’ve added to the Mac and the iPod. We’ve added Apple TV and now iPhone. And you know, the Mac is really the only one that you think of as a computer. Right? And so we’ve thought about this and we thought, you know, maybe our name should reflect this a little bit more than it does. So we’re announcing today we’re dropping the computer from our name, and from this day forward, we’re going to be known as Apple Inc., to reflect the product mix that we have today… The Mac in 1984 is an experience that those of us that were there will never forget. And I don’t think the world will forget it either. The iPod in 2001 changed everything about music, and we’re going to do it again with the iPhone in 2007.”
• I use this when I’m speaking about body language.  I might start by talking about the miscommunication issues that people struggle with and then explain how learning body language allows you to communicate more effectively. I’ll repeat this throughout my speech by noting specific things that people struggle with, followed by body language tactics that solve each of those problems.

When you’ve explained all of your points, end your speech by creating a clear vision of what the audience can expect if they follow your advice, invest in your company, implement your plan–whatever you tried to persuade them to do. Watch Nancy Duarte’s TEdxEast talk to learn more about her speech theory and what you can do to become inspirational.

4. Don’t Caveat, Apologize or Beg

A big mistake nervous speakers make is apologizing or couching their ideas. When we are feeling nervous, we say things such as ‘It’s just my opinion,’ or ‘I’m not really sure,’ or ‘I could be wrong, but.’ This is detrimental to your message!

First, be sure to research all of your points so you feel confident about the information you are sharing. Second, once you are sure of your content, practice your speech in front of friends. Every time a qualifier or caveat is added, friends should gently point it out and have you start over. The best speakers also know that not everyone is going to like them. In fact, some of the best speakers are controversial, and that’s a good thing! You want people to get riled up, get thinking and feel emotion. That means you are striking a chord!

5. Master Your Nonverbal Behavior

One of the most fascinating things about public speaking is that our nonverbal behavior communicates more than the words we say. When we studied hundreds of hours of TED talks , we were shocked to find that speakers got the same ratings whether viewers watched the talks on mute or with sound. Even more surprising was that people accurately could predict in the first seven seconds whether the talk would be successful. Crazy, right? Our research also found that public speaking tactics, such as  hand gestures , smiling and vocal variety are essential for captivating audiences. Some other important nonverbal speaking tips:

• Don’t self-block. When we get nervous, we tend to try minimizing the amount of space our body takes up. We also subconsciously try to barricade our body from the audience with crossed arms or a podium. I recommend holding a clicker or microphone. This might seem counterintuitive, but it forces you to uncross your arms and makes putting your hands in your pockets more difficult.
• Carry one bag. Nonverbal communication goes beyond the body into colors we wear, clothes and accessories. One set of research has found that people who carry more than one thing–such as a purse and a briefcase or a briefcase and a coat are perceived to be less organized and more forgetful. Before going into a meeting or event, be sure to consolidate your bags, leave coats and extra things in the car or give your coat to the receptionist to hang up so you do not have to carry it in with you.
• Avoid self-touch.  You want to avoid a few nervous body language cues when speaking. The most common nervous body language cues are self-touch gestures. Specifically, you want to avoid wringing your hands, cracking your knuckles, touching your face or hair or biting your lips. If you need to hold a clicker, that can anchor your hands.

Check out my TEDxLondon Talk where I explain some of the other nonverbal research:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cef35Fk7YD8

6. Channel Your Fear

Academic researchers hypothesize that this intense fear of public speaking comes from evolution. In the past, when humans were threatened by large predators, living as a group was a basic survival skill, and ostracism or separation of any kind certainly would mean death. This may have evolved into the fear of public speaking — and it makes sense. What situation embodies that kind of separation more than standing all alone in front of a room full of people? On a deep level, people are afraid their audience will reject them.

Our friends at Quantified Communications used their software analyzer to compare patterns of the best speakers. They found that the most confident speakers demonstrate 22.6 percent more passion than nervous speakers, meaning their delivery exhibits the kind of energy and engagement that indicates they’re really invested in their topic.

Another theory states that when we enter a state of social anxiety, which is common in public speaking, our ability to pick up on angry faces is heightened. In a 2009 study , psychologist Matthias Wieser measured participants’ brain responses to angry, happy and neutral images. In order to elicit anxiety, Wieser told some of the participants they would have to give a speech. The anxious participants were significantly more sensitive to the angry images than to happy or neutral ones, but the rest of the participants did not exhibit the same bias. It’s easy to see how this phenomenon becomes something of a vicious cycle in the context of public speaking. When we start out nervous, no matter how many people are smiling or nodding along, we’re apt to lock onto the one person who looks angry, which makes us even more nervous.

If you’re nervous about an upcoming speech, channel that nervous energy into demonstrating your passion for the topic at hand as you share your best insights with your audience. Nervousness and excitement are two sister emotions. When you feel your heart race,  reframe that as excitement .

Action Steps:

• Use hand gestures! One way to calm nervous hands is to give them purposeful movement. Here are my 20 favorite hand gestures for speakers and how you can use them. This will help you channel your nerves into excited and passionate gestures.
• Beat performance anxiety. If you have really severe anxiety, try my 7 steps to beat performance anxiety . This is a more systematic approach you can take to battle those nerves.

7. Know How to Work the Stage

Do you have stage presence? I have created a formula to learn how to work a stage like a pro and win the crowd. My big idea: Don’t pace, purposefully move. When we have adrenaline pumping through our bodies, we tend to pace the stage. It is a way of moving all of our nerves out of our bodies. Many speakers do this subconsciously and often have no idea the audience is being forced to watch them like a ball in a tennis match.

8. Master Stage Presence

Did you know that public speaking is actually a skill? Many people struggle with stage anxiety because they feel they ‘missed the memo’ on public speaking or they are lacking because they do not have a natural stage presence. Not true!

Stage presence and public speaking are skills you need to be taught—very few people have them naturally. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1T7VlHbM3A

Here are all the aspects of public speaking you can master.

• How to make a first impression with an audience
• How to have stage presence
• Powerful body language
• How to speak with a commanding voice
• What to do with your hands while speaking

For every speaking skill you add to your toolbox, the less speaking anxiety you will feel.

If you want help really diving into your presentation skills, be sure to sign-up for our course…

Master Your People Skills

• Create a Memorable Presence
• Communicate with Confidence
• Achieve Your Goals

Have a question about the presentation or People School? Email Science of People support .

9. Include the Audience

Another finding from Quantified Communication was around the audience. They discovered that the most confident speakers use 46.9 percent more inclusive language than nervous speakers, meaning they’re using collaborative words and personal pronouns to help the audience feel more involved in the message. This finding could indicate that the most confident speakers are community-oriented, and suggests that camaraderie-driven language can help nervous speakers build confidence by overcoming that evolutionary fear of ostracism.

Don’t speak at the audience, speak to the audience.

Can you create activities, facilitate Q/A sessions or do call-outs to the audience? I gave the most nerve-wracking speech of my life and decided to include the audience constantly. This calmed down my nerves and helped me connect to the crowd. See how I included them here:

10. Move People to their Feet

Oh, the Standing O. It’s coveted by speakers. It’s hoped for by audiences. It’s the ultimate reward for a speech well-given. Why is it that some speakers can move us so deeply that we stand to our feet in triumph? Emotion. Here is the number one mistake speakers make:

Thinking credible means being unemotional.

Many speakers who are trying to come across as professional and serious think they have to deliver direct, emotionless speeches. This is the problem with most of the least popular TED Talks. They are interesting, well-presented speeches that are stiff and boring! Having emotions, caring about your work and fusing energy into your talk does NOT make you less professional. It makes your professional message more palatable.

Emotions are the condiments of speeches.

Emotions add spice, flavor and personality to your talk, your stories and your ideas. Here are the most common emotions speakers can add to their talks. Do you have any stories that can embody these emotions?

• Vulnerability

How to Get a Standing Ovation: Public speaking teacher, Michael Port has a great tip for speakers in his course Heroic Public Speaking . He encourages speakers to think of an exercise or activity to do right before the end of a speech so that the audience members are already on their feet. For example, you can have everyone stand up and say their action step out loud or give high fives to the people next to them. Then say your final few lines. With people already standing it activates them AND they are already on their feet for a standing ovation.

11. Solve a Problem

Another amazing public speaking tip from Nancy Duarte is framing your speech around solving problems. She argues that all great speeches start with a problem we all recognize—this instantly taps into a common pain that we can relate to and want solved. It is the problem of ‘what is’ or what is happening right now that is wrong. This captures people’s attention. Then the speaker promises a solution to this problem—which alleviates worry and provides relief to the audience. This is the ‘what could be.’ The best speeches go between problems and solutions, taking the audience on an emotional journey.

Example : Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream Speech”:

• Problem: “America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds.’”
• Solution: “But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.”

Anyone can do this with large or small lectures. For example, I do this with body language in every presentation I give:

• Problem: “How many times have you walked into a party or networking event and instantly felt awkward or uncomfortable?”
• Solution: “The best way to combat your awkwardness is with a success routine.”
• Problem: “The hardest part about sales is building trust. You love your product, you love your brand, but you have no idea how to share this love with a potential client without coming across as spammy or aggressive.”
• Solution: “There is an incredibly easy way to fix this. They are called trust indicators.”

What problems and solutions can you solve?

12. Once Upon a Time

Have you heard the writing advice, “Show, Don’t Tell”? The same applies for speakers. Speakers can tell audiences the problems and solutions, but showing the problems in real life and the solutions in action requires stories. Stories are incredibly powerful because our brains eat them up! Research has found that as you tell a story, the listener’s brain activates as if they themselves were in the story! Not only does this capture people’s attention, but it also makes your points more memorable. Let me tell you a story about the importance of stories.

I love science and used to put as many studies and facts into my presentation as possible. My slide deck was filled with nifty charts and stunning graphs. At one speaking event, I showed up and their projector wasn’t working—I couldn’t show my slides. I basically had to wing it. I was so nervous and worried I almost canceled the event. I thought it was ridiculous to cancel an event just because my slides weren’t working, so I pulled it together and warned the organizers that it would probably be one of my worst presentations. Since I had no visuals to go off of, I had to explain the experiments as stories (without numbers) and rely on examples from real people I had taught instead of formal case studies. At the end of the speech, the audience rose to its feet and burst into applause. It was a small audience of about 25 people, but still I was floored! I got some of the best feedback from that speech that I ever had received. Why? I used stories to illustrate my points instead of dry facts and figures.

• Think of the three main problems in your speech. Now think of stories to demonstrate them.
• Think of the three main solutions in your speech. Now think of stories of people who used them.

13. Use an App

Technology can be an amazing tool for speakers. Tons of apps are available that can help you hone your craft. I reviewed 6 of my favorite apps you can use before your next event.

14. Take Rehearsal to a Whole New Level

A big mistake speakers make is failing to rehearse enough — and in the right way. If you want to give a presentation that is compelling enough to inspire audiences to listen to your call to action, you need to give yourself plenty of time to prepare, so when you step on stage you know your presentation inside and out. You can take your rehearsal to the next level by practicing in phases.

• Phase #1: Read your content aloud to yourself or with a trusted friend. Make adjustments until the structure of your content flows, sounds natural and conveys your message.
• Phase #2: Practice your movements, body language  and props. This is the step that most people forget to do; they have brilliant content but look awkward on stage because they’re too stiff, don’t know what to do with their hands or haven’t practiced with their props for presentations such as product demos.
• Phase #3: Hold at least one full dress rehearsal. Invite a couple of your friends or colleagues to watch you give your presentation wearing the outfit you plan to wear on the day of and practice as if it was your actual presentation.

This tip comes straight from our Steal the Show summary — review all 7 tips .

15. Adopt A Laughing Mindset

I am not going to tell you to put a bunch of jokes in your speech—although it would be great if you did. I know it is almost impossible to try coming up with jokes that don’t come naturally. So instead, I am going to ask you to consider a laughing mindset. We noticed that the best speakers, the ones who received standing ovations, had people smiling, and also mentally smiling, throughout a Talk, even when it was serious. What I mean by mentally smiling is the speaker set up inside jokes and a congeniality with the audience that felt like sitting with an old friend.

Watch Ken Robinson’s Ted Talk. He does an amazing job of keeping the laughing mindset. He does tell jokes, but he also gives you the feeling that you are an old friend and you are about to have a good time:

Here’s how you can create a laughing mindset:

• Create an inside joke. Stand-up comedians do this really well. I went to hear one stand-up comedian and he started off with, “Oh brother, you know what happened to me today?” Then he told an amusing, but not laugh-out-loud, story. Then he did it again. “Oh brother, you know what happened to me yesterday?” and continued with another story. By the end of the routine, he could just say, “Oh brother,” and the audience would laugh. He created his own inside joke with the audience—both funny and powerful.
• Act it out. Sometimes a well-placed eyebrow raise or an exasperated sigh can loosen up the audience to the laughing mindset. Think of some of your stories that you came up with in point #3. Can you act out any aspects of your stories? Did your kid give you a hard time about something? Can you mimic them? Did you stumble into a bar late one night? Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge. Try to punctuate your words with expressions of your points. This pulls the audience toward you.
• Smile to inspire. When you smile you cue the audience to relax and smile. As you will see below, smiling also helps your perceptions of intelligence.

16. Learn from the Best

Sometimes you need to watch an amazing speaker in action to get inspired. I love watching public speakers who really know how to work a room. I always learn something from them and pick up a few tidbits. I have put together a video analyzing my favorite public speakers and why they are so talented. Watch to see who I chose and why:

More Public Speaking Resources

Get even more public speaking tips with our related resources:

• 10 Presentation Ideas that will Radically Improve Your Presentation Skills
• 6 Public Speaking Apps to try Before Your Next Presentation
• How to Give Captivating Presentations
• My Top 5 Favorite Public Speakers
• How to Give an Awesome Toast
• How to Start a Speech: The Best (and worst) Speech Openers

Bonus: Pitch Like Shark Tank

Do you watch the TV show “Shark Tank”? We do! In fact, we did a research experiment analyzing all 495 pitches on “Shark Tank,” looking for patterns. If you plan to do a lot of pitching in your public speaking, then you must check out our 10 findings from our Shark Tank Study .

I can’t wait for you to share your message using these tips! Remember to practice them until they become your own. And most importantly, always speak from the heart and always tell the truth. It should go without saying, but these tactics only work when you are being authentic and honest. I have no doubt that you can use your ideas to change the world, you just have to deliver them in a way so people hear them!

Popular Guides

8 thoughts on “16 science-based public speaking tips to be a master speaker”.

This is so apt! Thank you so much ma’am….Scheduled some time on this post, my mind is blown up. I believe this illustrations and instruction will work best for me. I believe this is simply for me because i find it very difficult attempting public speaking. Am glad i came across this publication.

Great insights and recommendations! I am always looking to make my speaking opportunities better for the audience and will apply some of what I learned in this article.

Comments are closed.

How to Deal with Difficult People at Work

Do you have a difficult boss? Colleague? Client? Learn how to transform your difficult relationship. I’ll show you my science-based approach to building a strong, productive relationship with even the most difficult people.

Related Articles

Science of People offers over 1000+ articles on people skills and nonverbal behavior.

Get our latest insights and advice delivered to your inbox.

It’s a privilege to be in your inbox. We promise only to send the good stuff.

A simple trick to help you speak in public without showing your nerves

Share this idea.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)

You don’t have to put up with a thin, shaky voice, says speech-language pathologist Jackie Gartner-Schmidt.

Every weekday for the month of January, TED Ideas is publishing a new post in a series called “How to Be a Better Human,” containing a helpful piece of advice from a speaker in the TED community. To see all the posts, click here .

Ever given a presentation and felt like your throat was closing up or that there was a big lump in it? Or made an important request of your boss but thought your voice sounded as shaky as Jello on a trampoline?

Turns out, you don’t suffer from some unexplained physical malady. There’s an anatomical explanation for what happens to our voices when we’re under pressure, says speech-language pathologist and University of Pittsburgh professor Jackie Gartner-Schmidt .

All humans have vocal cords — also called vocal folds since they’re folds of tissue — which sit on top of our windpipes, right behind the Adam’s apple. “The real reason we have vocal folds is to protect ourselves,” says Gartner-Schmidt. In fact, they do the very important work of preventing us from inhaling water into our lungs whenever we drink something.

But researchers have found “in experimentally induced stressful situations — be it public speaking, hearing a loud startle sound or having cold water put on your body — that the muscles around the voice box and the muscles actually inside the voice box [a.k.a. the vocal folds] react,” says Gartner-Schmidt. “They activate, and in some cases, they close altogether.”

Of course, no one wants to sound shaky, squeaky or choked up when they speak. As Gartner-Schmidt puts it, “We want our voice to reflect our strengths, not our weaknesses.” She says, “in study after study a high-pitched voice has been correlated with the perception of anxiety, not being competent, not being strong, and not being trustworthy.”

And this matters more and more now, as many of our meetings and interviews take place over conference calls or low-res video chats. As a result, says Gartner-Schmidt, “the voice is substantially taking over more and more of how we are perceived.”

To avoid this, she suggests doing this easy exercise (which she calls one of her favorites).

Hold up your index finger a few inches in front of your mouth. As you exhale steadily, make a “Wooooooo” noise (think: little kid pretending to be a ghost) for 5 to 10 seconds. Do this 5 to 10 times. (Watch her demonstrate it here .)

“This … essentially relaxes the vocal folds,” says Gartner-Schmidt. “It establishes breath and air flow and voice stability, which is the cornerstone of any strong, clear voice.”

Right before the next important occasion in which you have to speak — for work, for the toast you’re giving at a wedding, for a speech to a community board — take Gartner-Schmidt’s advice and “spend some time finding your best voice.”

Watch her TEDxPittsburgh talk here:

About the author

Mary Halton is a science journalist based in the Pacific Northwest. You can find her on Twitter at @maryhalton

• business advice
• how to be a better human
• jackie gartner-schmidt
• public speaking

TED Talk of the Day

How to make radical climate action the new normal

3 strategies for effective leadership, from a former astronaut

Feeling unseen by your boss? Here’s what you can do 

Let’s stop calling them “soft skills” -- and call them “real skills” instead

There’s a know-it-all at every job — here’s how to deal

The 7 types of people you need in your life to be resilient

Perfectionism holding you back? 3 ways to shift the habit

The unseen forces that can cause your great new idea to crash and burn

Have you quietly quit? Your next step: Go to the neutral zone

6 ways to give that aren't about money

One effective way to manage stage fright: Make it a habit

Before your next presentation or speech, here's the first thing you must think about

4 easy ways to upgrade your workday

Want to speak from the heart? Answer this question first

How to Speak More Clearly: 7 Tips for Effective Communication

• The Speaker Lab
• August 6, 2024

Table of Contents

If you want to be a professional speaker, then clear communication is vital. Whether you’re captivating a packed auditorium or simply having a one-on-one conversation, knowing how to speak more clearly can make all the difference. This is about much more than just enunciating; it’s about connecting with your audience on a deeper level and ensuring your message is heard. Let’s explore some powerful strategies and techniques to help you master the art of speaking clearly and confidently.

Understanding the Power of Clear Speech

There’s a certain magic in being able to articulate your thoughts and ideas in a way that truly resonates with others. Not only does clear speech boost your credibility, but it also reduces the risk of miscommunication, misunderstandings, and awkward moments. Speaking clearly helps create a more positive and productive experience for both you and your audience, whether that “audience” is a single person or a packed room.

Find Out Exactly How Much You Could Make As a Paid Speaker

Use The Official Speaker Fee Calculator to tell you what you should charge for your first (or next) speaking gig — virtual or in-person! 

Mastering the Basics of How to Speak More Clearly

Speaking more clearly can be boiled down to a few basic techniques. Let’s take a look at the fundamentals.

Taking Control of Your Breath

Mastering your breath is paramount to speaking clearly and confidently. Most of us are actually shallow breathers without even realizing it. Breathing deeply from the diaphragm ensures your lungs are getting a full supply of oxygen. This translates into having more air to power your voice and control its delivery, making it richer, clearer, and more resonant.

Slowing Down Your Speech

Speaking too quickly often leads to mumbled words and a jumbled message, making it difficult for people to understand what you’re saying. Slowing down your speech allows time for your words to land, making them far easier for others to process and understand. It also conveys a sense of confidence and control, further captivating your audience’s attention.

In addition to speaking slowly, you can also pause to reign in your audience’s attention. Take these strategic pauses after key points or whenever you want to emphasize an important thought.

Articulating Clearly

Proper articulation, or the clear and distinct pronunciation of words, is another key element of speaking clearly. Practice exaggerating the sounds of each syllable to refine this important skill. Pay close attention to the way you move your lips, tongue, and teeth to see how you can speak more clearly.

As you’ll notice in this Indeed article , learning how to articulate involves much more than just improving your pronunciation. It also involves elements like pitch and volume, which speakers use to engage their audience and emphasize certain points. For some this will take time and focused practice, while for others, it may come more naturally.

Beyond the Basics: Advanced Techniques for Speaking Clearly

In addition to basic elements like articulation, there’s always more we can explore to fine-tune your speaking voice for greater clarity. Let’s look beyond the fundamentals.

Using Voice Modulation to Engage Your Audience

Monotone presentations often lose their audience’s attention no matter how valuable the message is. That’s because humans naturally respond to vocal variety.

As you grow as a speaker, experiment with vocal modulation. Emphasize key words, but avoid doing it randomly as this will sound inauthentic and actually work against your goal. For additional impact and to help highlight subtle meaning or even humor, consider pausing before or after a word or phrase. This is known as an “elocutionary pause.”

Emphasizing Words Naturally

When speakers are uncomfortable, they tend to put emphasis on unimportant words. This reduces their power and makes it appear as though they lack confidence in what they have to say. As a result, audiences struggle to fully engage and grasp the core message.

When you’re giving a speech, resist placing emphasis randomly or placing too much importance on weaker words. You can plan ahead by marking up your speaker notes beforehand. As you build confidence as a speaker, you’ll soon be able to emphasize important words naturally.

Practicing Effective Body Language

People are often more perceptive to what they’re seeing than what they’re hearing. That’s why practicing consistent body language is important for anyone wishing to improve speaking clarity and confidence.

Practice using body language to further emphasize your points, express emotions, and captivate your audience’s attention. Even simple exercises such as maintaining eye contact and using hand gestures will make a big difference in your overall message.

Embracing Ongoing Practice

Practice makes progress. To improve your speaking voice, incorporate exercises like tongue twisters into your daily routine. For “B” words, you might try: “Bill had a billboard. Bill also had a board bill. The board bill bored Bill, so Bill sold his billboard and paid his board bill. Then the board bill no longer bored Bill, but though he had no board bill, neither did he have his billboard.”

Record yourself reading tongue twisters or giving one of your speeches, then play back the recording. This allows you to notice any areas that need improvement and helps you celebrate small wins along your journey.

Knowing how to speak more clearly is an invaluable life skill that can greatly enhance every part of your life, both professional and personal. Focus on practicing the basic principles of clear articulation, breath control, appropriate pacing, and remember to embrace those strategic pauses for emphasis. By consistently implementing these tips and strategies, you’ll boost your confidence , allowing you to more easily connect with others and achieve amazing things.

Ready to Get Your First (Or Next) Paid Speaking Gig?

Download our free 26-page guide and get the 14 exact steps you can follow to book a paid speaking gig right now!

FAQs on How to Speak More Clearly

How can i train my mouth to speak clearly.

Just as an athlete conditions their body for their chosen sport, practice strengthening and exercising your mouth muscles. You can train your mouth to speak more clearly by practicing various tongue and lip exercises, consistently engaging in focused articulation exercises, as well as maintaining good oral hygiene.

How can I improve my clear speaking?

Focus on proper articulation and pronunciation of your words. Ensure you are getting enough sleep to allow your brain the rest it needs to function at its peak. Stay well hydrated.

Why do I struggle to speak clearly?

There are several contributing factors ranging from shyness and low self-esteem to lack of sleep, proper hydration, or even medical reasons. A physician will be able to pinpoint the issue with testing.

Whether you’re delivering a business presentation, networking with potential clients, recording a podcast, or enjoying conversations with friends and family, mastering the art of speaking clearly is essential to achieving any goal involving communication. While mastering these tips will take dedication and practice, they’re essential to anyone’s personal and professional speaking journey. Now that you have some techniques for speaking more clearly and concisely, there is nothing stopping you from getting started today.

• Last Updated: July 26, 2024

Explore Related Resources

Learn How You Could Get Your First (Or Next) Paid Speaking Gig In 90 Days or Less

We receive thousands of applications every day, but we only work with the top 5% of speakers .

Book a call with our team to get started — you’ll learn why the vast majority of our students get a paid speaking gig within 90 days of finishing our program .

If you’re ready to control your schedule, grow your income, and make an impact in the world – it’s time to take the first step. Book a FREE consulting call and let’s get you Booked and Paid to Speak ® .

About The Speaker Lab

We teach speakers how to consistently get booked and paid to speak.  Since 2015, we’ve helped thousands of speakers find clarity, confidence, and a clear path to make an impact.

Get Started

Let's connect.

[email protected]

Copyright ©2023 The Speaker Lab. All rights reserved.

Faculty - August 13, 2018

Five Tips to Give a Great Speech

• Strategic Communication

Anybody can learn to give a great speech, says  Jane Praeger , a faculty member for the  Programs in Strategic Communication  at Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies. She offers five tips on how to keep speeches both simple and authentic.

1. Practice Beforehand

Practice replacing filler words like "um," "so," and "like" with silence. If you can rehearse in the space where you’ll be speaking, that’s a real plus. Go to the back of the room, imagine that you’re hard of hearing or distracted, and you’ll know how to reach those people.

2. Work the Room

Try to speak to audience members before your speech, so that you can focus on a few friendly faces, particularly if you get nervous. If you’re making eye contact with a friendly person in one quadrant, those nearby will think that you’re talking to them. Then do the same thing in another quadrant. You want to see your talk as a series of conversations with different people throughout the room.

3. Prepare with Relaxation Techniques

If you’re nervous before approaching the stage, take a few deep breaths. Picture yourself delivering a successful speech. Most people will be nervous for the first few minutes, but you want to channel that adrenaline into positive energy.

4. Don’t Read Your Speech

Tell your speech from heart or use a notecard with bullet points as a cheat sheet. Bring the card with you and place it on the lectern. If you freeze up mid-speech, you can take a deep breath, look at your card, and know exactly which story you’re going to tell next.

5. Stand Up Straight

Whether you walk across the stage or stand behind a lectern, try to maintain good posture. Imagine that your head is being held up by a string. Standing up straight shows that you have confidence in what you’re talking about and your audience will feel more inclined to listen.

Read the full story for five more tips at  Forbes  and learn more about the  Programs in Strategic Communication  at Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies.

Related News

Kamala harris has restarted the campaign money spigot, but will it make a difference the changing ways today's presidential candidates are spending campaign funds and tracking how voters consume their content. faculty so you want to start taking ozempic bioethics program director dr. robert klitzman expresses concern about the long-term side effects of prolonged semaglutide use. (dazed) faculty human capital management lecturer on why “career pathfinding” is the future angela finlay, who teaches finance for effective hcm, describes how organizations can explore new strategies for employee advancement. all news footer social links.

203 Lewisohn Hall 2970 Broadway, MC 4119 New York, NY, 10027

© Copyright 2019 Columbia University School of Professional Studies. Privacy Policy

• Skip to main content

100 Top Public Speaking Tips: Master List

by Jezra on January 20, 2013

If you’re looking for public speaking tips, you’ve come to the right place! Here you’ll find advice and information on everything from overcoming fear of public speaking to connecting with your audience.

These Tips are also available in a beautifully-designed, fully searchable download called  100 Top Public Speaking Tips: The Book.   Coded around five major areas — Body, Mind, Skills, Audience, and Career — the book can go with you when you’re off-line.

So explore these Tips individually, or read them all. But whichever way you like your Top Tips presented, be sure to e njoy learning more about public speaking!

Public Speaking Tip 1: Lose that Scorecard in Your Mind

Don’t aspire to public speaking perfection. It’ll trip you up — plus, there’s no such thing! Lose that scorecard .

Public Speaking Tip 2: To Be a Better Public Speaker, Give a Small “Speech” Every Day

The line between public speaking and regular talk is thinner than you think. In fact, you can practice public speaking (and increase your skills) during regular conversations — and no one will ever know! Give your small speech.

Public Speaking Tip 3: Make Public Speaking Practice a Game

Public speaking is part of everyday life — and you can make public speaking practice part of your daily life, by playing this game. Make it a game .

Public Speaking Tip 4: Writing “Rules” Aren’t for Public Speaking

The rules for writing that you may have learned in high school are rarely right for public speaking. Instead, write to speak in a way that reflects your natural conversation style. Lose the rules .

Public Speaking Tip 5: Want to Be a GREAT Public Speaker? Be Yourself!

No one else can tell your story, or speak from your heart. That’s why the most powerful speeches always comes from people who are being themselves. Be yourself!

Public Speaking Tip 6: Don’t Worry, You WILL Make Mistakes !

Every public speaker makes mistakes! If you hate that reality (and even if you don’t), here are some strategies to quickly recover from the inevitable imperfections. Get ready to recover.

Public Speaking Tip 7: For Kick-Ass Public Speaking, Forget About Words

Words have their place in public speaking, but it’s a much smaller place than most people assume. So instead of worrying about individual word choices, focus on your ideas and your connection with the audience. Forget the words .

Public Speaking Tip 8: Want to Give a Powerful Speech? Start By Telling Yourself the Truth

It isn’t always possible to tell “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth” at work. But if you start by being honest with yourself, it’s easier to find a compromise you can live with. Tell yourself the truth .

Public Speaking Tip 9: It’s Just a Feeling, so Embrace the Stress

What, besides experience, is the biggest difference between veteran and newbie public speakers? Both groups experience stress, nerves, even fear; but the veterans aren’t thrown by those feelings — and you don’t have to be, either. Embrace the stress .

Public Speaking Tip 10: For Public Speaking Phobia, Get Help

Is your fear of public speaking a phobia? Or is it in the the mild-to-heavy anxiety range that most of us feel when we make a presentation? Here’s what to do when the fear is more than fear. Got phobia?

Public Speaking Tip 11: Ask for Information Before You Agree to Speak

Before you agree to give a speech, ask for information about everything. Time, place, audience size and composition, topic, your fee, of course. Everything!   Ask.

Public Speaking Tip 12: Listen to Your Audience (Part 1)

Great public speaking isn’t just — or even primarily — about what you say. Your ability to LISTEN is equally important. Here are some tips for listening better to become a better public speaker. Listen better .

Public Speaking Tip 13: Listen to Your Audience (Part 2)

Listening to one person can be hard work — and listening to an AUDIENCE can really seem daunting. But if you stop, look, and focus on their cues, you’ll find that the mood of your audience isn’t all that hard to “hear.” Listen even more!

Public Speaking Tip 14: Learn from Babies, the World’s Best Communicators

Adults often approach public speaking with fear, self-doubt, and inhibition, but babies just open their mouths and speak their minds. We could learn plenty from watching them. Learn from babies.

Public Speaking Tip 15: Know When to Lose Your Script

Public speaking situations can change, and when they do, you may find yourself having to choose between adjusting your speech, changing its context, or totally abandoning your script. Adjust your speech!

Public Speaking Tip 16: When It Comes to an Audience’s Reaction, Forget about Control

Wouldn’t it be great if we could speak with such mastery that a positive reaction was guaranteed? Unfortunately, things don’t work that way — people will respond as they see fit, not as we want them to. But the good news is that audiences are generally on the speaker’s side.  Give up control .

Public Speaking Tip 17: Savor Your Speech, Giving Every Moment It’s Due

Savor your speech, giving each moment its due, and the fear that made you want to sprint toward the finish line will dissolve.  Savor y our speech.

Public Speaking Tip 18: Your Accent Doesn’t Matter — Speaking Clearly, Does!

Many people who come to the U.S. from other countries are concerned that their accent makes them hard to understand. But if you organize your thoughts, speak slowly and clearly, and leave pauses so that people can absorb one idea before hearing the next, listeners will almost always understand you.  Accents are fine .

Public Speaking Tip 19: Master the Instant Speech (It’s Easy!)

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a simple and flexible five-sentence format that made every idea sound better? There is; and it’s called the Instant Speech.  Make Instant Speeches!

Public Speaking Tip 20: If You Make a Public Speaking Mistake, Don’t Explain

If you make a public speaking mistake, don’t explain. We all make mistakes, and your best move is to acknowledge, apologize if necessary, and move on!  Don’t explain .

Public Speaking Tip 21: For Great Public Speaking, Go To the Edge of Defeat

Public speaking always offers the choice of whether to present your material in a way that’s predictably safe, a little more flexible, or right at the high-risk edge of defeat. And sometimes, it’s worth taking a risk.  Jump!

Public Speaking Tip 22: For Public Speaking Power, Breathe OUT, Not In!

To get your fill of air — a critical element in any public speaking situation — learn to breathe OUT before you breathe in. Here’s how.  Breathe out.

Public Speaking Tip 23: For Public Speaking Success, Be Audible

Listening is hard work! But you can make it easier for an audience to understand and remember what you’re saying by being easier to hear.  Be audible .

Public Speaking Tip 24: Write an Email that Gets Read

It’s not enough to write a great email. You have to get the other person to open it up! Here’s how to get your email read. Get your email read.

Public Speaking Tip 25: Use a Simple Key Message to Make Your Most Important Point

A simple key message is the heart and soul of any speech. It will help you make your point with elegance, clarity, and confidence.  Keep it simple.

Public Speaking Tip 26: Uhm, Lose Those, Like, Filler Words, Y’Know?

Uhm, it’s clear that, people who, like, fill up every available space with sounds that, y’know, have no meaning are just sort of forgetting to add the silence. Add silence.

Public Speaking Tip 27: Know Your Dress Codes

Like it or not, we’re all judged on how we look. So when you’re interviewing for a job, or presenting to a business audience, be sure that you know what looks professional to them.  Look professional.

Public Speaking Tip 28: Use a Template for Public Speaking

Public speaking templates can save you time, effort, and anxiety, whether you’re making a speech or writing a thank you note.   Use templates.

Public Speaking Tip 29: The Word YOU Helps You Connect with Your Audience

The word YOU is magic. It helps you connect with your audience, and let’s THEM know that you relate to their needs, goals, and situation. Use the word YOU .

Public Speaking Tip 30:  Want to Be a Great Public Speaker? It’s a Process

The public speaking process — the process of becoming the public speaker YOU want to be — is mental, physical, social, and individual to you. Start the process.

Public Speaking Tip 31: Want People to Listen? Add Some Drama

If you’ve been practicing the flat, gray speech that’s standard in many businesses and professions, it’s time to stop! Instead, delight yourself and your listeners by adding a touch of drama when you speak.  Be dramatic!

Public Speaking Tip 32: For Great Public Speaking, Be Miserable (Not!)

Want to be a great public speaker? Be miserable! OK, not really; but thinking about how to be miserable as a public speaker can help you be the opposite.  Be miserable.

Public Speaking Tip 33: Don’t Panic about Public Speaking Panic

Most of us feel some level of public speaking panic from time to time. Don’t make things worse by assuming this means there’s something wrong with you. Don’t panic .

Public Speaking Tip 34: Lead Your Audience Through Your Speech

Lead your audience through your speech, just like a tour guide would — taking them from idea to idea until you deliver them at your conclusion.  Lead your audience.

Public Speaking Tip 35: Treat Your Speech Like a Five-Course Tasting Menu

Would you rather savor five-course tasting menu, or plow your way through a plate of hash? Well, it’s important to savor each “course” of a presentation, too!  Savor Your Speech

Public Speaking Tip 36: Use the “Three Audience Questions” to Make Sure People Know What You’re Talking About

We all get a little wonky in our own areas of expertise. So use the “three audience questions” to make sure people understand what you’re talking about.  Don’t wonk out!

Public Speaking Tip 37: At Every Stage of Public Speaking, Put Your Focus On The Right Thing

As a public speaker, you can focus on yourself, your content, or your audience — and putting the right amount of focus in the right place at the right time is important for your success.  Focus!

Public Speaking Tip 38: Tell Success Stories, Because If You Don’t Talk About Your Achievements, Who Will?

Lots of people hate to “brag” about their accomplishments. But you can tell success stories without being obnoxious about it! Tell success stories

Public Speaking Tip 39: Don’t Let Career Building Screw Up Your Public Speaking

As a young professional, you’ll feel lots of pressure to develop a bland public speaking style. But that could hold you back as your career develops. Build your  p ublic speaking style. 

Public Speaking Tip 40: Answer Questions Without Boring Your Listener, or Know When to Stop Talking

It’s easy to go on and on when you’re tired, nervous, or passionate about your topic. But try to stop talking before your listener stops caring!  Stop talking.

Public Speaking Tip 41: Repeat, Repeat, Repeat Yourself

Were you told in high school English class that you should never repeat yourself? For public speaking, forget that rule and repeat yourself a lot!  Repeat yourself.

Public Speaking Tip 42: When People Say Your Speech Was Great, Believe Them!

People often doubt the positive feedback they get when they’ve given a speech. Believe it!

Public Speaking Tip 43: Want to Minimize Negative Reactions? Vaccinate Your Audience

Just as we vaccinate against disease, you can vaccinate your audience against reactions that may stop them from hearing your message.  Vaccinate!

Public Speaking Tip 44: Make Small Talk in Business Settings Using the “Respond and Return” Technique

When you make small talk, you’re helping to build strong business relationships. Here’s an easy, two-step process for mastering the skill.  Respond and return.

Public Speaking Tip 45: Why You Should Answer the Question First (and Then Decide How Much More to Say)

Answer the question first to relax your listener, be concise, and give yourself flexibility in any situation.  Answer first.

Public Speaking Tip 46: How to Answer the Question, Even When That Feels Hard To Do

It’s not hard to answer the question once you decide that you really don’t have to know everything.  Go ahead, answer!

Public Speaking Tip 47: Fear of Public Speaking? Use YOU Language and an Avatar to Create Distance from Fear

Public speaking is scary. But you can manage fear of public speaking by distancing yourself from your emotions, with these two simple and highly effective techniques.  Manage your fear.

Public Speaking Tip 48: For Public Speaking Success, Keep the Glass Half Full of Honey, Not Vinegar

Whenever it’s possible to speak positively and appreciatively about your audience, do it! Criticizing their shortcomings won’t win you any friends; and even if you’re the boss, negative messages don’t generally lead to positive changes. Be positive.

Public Speaking Tip 49: For Public Speaking Success, Don’t Practice in Public (Shed on the Stand)

When you give a speech that you haven’t worked on, you’re subjecting your audience to a practice session. Don’t shed on the stand!

Public Speaking Tip 50: For Sustainable Success, Set a SMART Public Speaking Goal You Can Achieve

Want to become a better public speaker? Have a SMART public speaking goal.  Get SMART!

Public Speaking Tip 51: If You’re Reading a Speech, Read with Pride; Don’t Hide!

Today, many public speakers don’t want to read their speeches, and especially not from PAPER. But reading can help you give an even better speech! Read with pride.

Public Speaking Tip 52: Be an Entitled Public Speaker, No Matter What Social Class You Come From

The social class you come from can influence many things in your life, including whether you feel entitled to speak up and be heard by others. Be entitled!

Public Speaking Tip 53: Learn from Amy Cuddy, and Fake It Till You Become It

Amy Cuddy’s research could change how you feel about public speaking, and yourself!  Become your best self .

Public Speaking Tip 54: For Relaxed Public Speaking, Relax Your Throat

Public speaking can stress your voice. Here are some techniques for protecting your pipes, so that you and your voice can both go the distance.  Take care of your voice.

Public Speaking Tip 55: If Your Job Involves Serving the Public, Talk WITH Your Customers, Not AT Them (or: A Tale of Two Servers)

Build a relationship with your customers by engaging them, and listening to what they say. Listen to your customers!

Public Speaking Tip 56: When You Disagree with Someone, Rebut Their Ideas, Not  Them

When passions run high, it’s easy to slip into attacking your opponent. Instead, keep your tone friendly and light, and rebut their ideas,  not their value as a person.  Rebut ideas, not people.

Public Speaking Tip 57: How to Develop Executive Presence

It’s not enough to have great skills and a strong work ethic. You also need Executive Presence, the quality that telegraphs your strengths to others.  Develop executive presence.

Public Speaking Tip 58: For a Confident and Successful Presentation, Stand, Settle, Smile, Speak

A lot of public speakers are off-balance at the start of their talks. When you take the stage to give a speech, use the Stand, Settle, Smile, Speak method to make sure you start strong.  Stand, settle, smile, speak!

Public Speaking Tip 59: At the End of Your Speech, Stick Your Landing

It’s easy to lose energy after giving an entire speech, and let your ending (or your Q&A, or even your main message) dribble off or fade away. Don’t do that!  Stick your landing.

Public Speaking Tip 60: When You Practice Public Speaking, Say Inconsequential Things

As a speaker, you want to say things that matter. But when you’re PRACTICING your public speaking skills, it’s just as useful to say inconsequential things.  Be inconsequential.

Public Speaking Tip 61: How to Speak Up More in Meetings, Even If You Say Inconsequential Things

In a meeting, don’t wait for the most profound, perfect, or articulate comment to occur to you. Just talk!  Speak up .

Public Speaking Tip 62: Talk About Inconsequential Things When You Make Small Talk

It’s hard for many of us to talk about inconsequential, simple, silly, or obvious things. But small topics work best for small talk; here’s why.  Keep it small .

Public Speaking Tip 63: Keep Your PowerPoint Short, Sweet, and Simple

PowerPoint is a useful and effective tool, if you keep it short, sweet, and simple.  Keep it simple.

Public Speaking Tip 64: Don’t Listen to the Self-Critical Voice in Your Head

Is there a nasty little voice in your head that loves to criticize your public speaking skills? Here’s how to beat the NLV.  Don’t listen!

Public Speaking Tip 65: You Know You Should Practice, for Great Public Speaking! But HOW??

If you have trouble practicing a speech or talk, it may be because you don’t know HOW or WHAT to practice. These tips and tricks will help! So practice!

Public Speaking Tip 66: Choose a Networking Strategy that Works for YOU, Whether You’re an Introvert or an Extravert

There isn’t one right approach to networking. The best networking strategies, practices, goals, and actions are the ones that work best for YOU.  Go network!

Public Speaking Tip 67: Give Your Smile Muscles a Workout

Nothing helps you connect with an audience like a smile! To be sure your smile is always at the ready, give your smile muscles a workout.  Smile!

Public Speaking Tip 68: To Make Your Words More Memorable, Put Pauses In Your Public Speaking

Pauses are one of your most important, dramatic, relaxing, and versatile public speaking tools. Practice using pauses.

Public Speaking Tip 69: Copy Other Speakers, and Steal Their Secrets

Copy other speakers so that you can learn their secrets — how they pace, pause, build their ideas, and sell them. Then go out and speak like yourself!  Copy.

Public Speaking Tip 70: Use Pictures In Your Slides (They’re Worth Way More than 1000 Words!)

Even simple, silly pictures can make your slides engaging, when they’re personal. Use pictures.

Public Speaking Tip 71: To Get POWER from Your PowerPoint…Transition, Click, and Pause

A simple and fun way to add power to your slide decks is by learning how to transition, and taking your audience along with you.  Transition .

Public Speaking Tip 72: Small Talk? It’s Not Hard to Master When You Understand It

Small talk isn’t a conversation, it’s the warm-up for a conversation. Here’s how to master it.  Make small talk.

Public Speaking Tip 73: Build Your Confidence and Public Speaking Success in 15 Seconds, Twice a Day

What if you could build your public speaking confidence and success with an exercise that took 15 seconds? You would do that, right?  Build your confidence!

Public Speaking Tip 74: Millennials, Slow Down and Help Your Older Colleagues Understand You

Millennials speak quickly, and can leave older listeners in the dust. Here’s how to slow down so that your older colleagues understand you.  Slow down!

Public Speaking Tip 75: Learn How to Run Effective Business Meetings

What’s rarer than a unicorn? Effective business meetings. But you can learn to run them with these tips and a few minutes of advance planning.  Run effective meetings.

Public Speaking Tip 76: Public Speakers, Avoid Common PowerPoint Mistakes

It’s easy to avoid common PowerPoint mistakes and make your audience happy.  Avoid these mistakes .

Public Speaking Tip 77: Want to Be Relaxed, Consistent, and Effective Every Time You Speak in Public? Focus on the People You’re Talking To

To give a great performance every time you speak in public, focus on the person or people you’re talking to, not on yourself.  Focus!

Public Speaking Tip 78: To Know Your Audience is to Love Your Audience

If your audience seems very different from you, look deeper. You may have more in common than you think!  Learn about your audience.

Public Speaking Tip 79: Petite and Female? Your Size is No Obstacle to Being Heard!

Many petite women, like Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, have an outsized impact, proving that true power knows no size. Women, power up!

Public Speaking Tip 80: The Right Apology Makes Both People Feel Better (Even If You Don’t Think You’ve Done Wrong!)

We all make mistakes. Fortunately, it’s not hard to give an apology that helps BOTH parties feel better. Apologize.

Public Speaking Tip 81: Close With Your Key Message. And if Your Speech is Followed by Q&A, Do It Twice!

Every time you speak, remember to close with your key message — and if your speech is followed by Q&A, do it twice!  Close twice.

Public Speaking Tip 82: Don’t Let the TED Talk Style Intimidate You, or Stand Between You and Making a Good Speech

It takes tremendous effort to create the smooth professionalism of a TED talk, and it’s not fair to expect business speakers to reach the same bar.  Give a good enough speech .

Public Speaking Tip 83: Learn To Tell a Good Business Story (Part I)

Learning to tell a good business story isn’t hard, and it’s a a useful skill for growing your career.  Learn business storytelling.

Public Speaking Tip 84: Learn to Tell Good Business Stories (Part II)

Good business stories, like good wine, gain richness and depth as you practice and tell them.  Tell your business stories now.

Public Speaking Tip 85: Put Down that Editing Pen!

Editing your speech is helpful, up to a point. Then it’s time to stop editing and start practicing.  Drop that pen and practice!

Public Speaking Tip 86: Don’t Talk About Your Co-Workers on Facebook

Facebook can make it seem like a conversation is private, but IT’S NOT. So use extra restraint when discussing your colleauges, or better yet, don’t do it!  Watch out for Facebook .

Public Speaking Tip 87: Speaking Properly is a Game, Not a Measure Of Your Value As a Person

Speaking properly has nothing to do with being a good, smart, or valuable person. It’s a series of skills you can acquire, and a game you can master.  Master the game!

Public Speaking Tip 88: Three Questions to Ask BEFORE You Memorize Your Speech

Should you memorize your speech? That depends! Ask before you memorize.

Public Speaking Tip 89: Learn the Public Speaking Lessons of Orphan Black (Hint: It’s All About Your Avatar)

Orphan Black is outstanding entertainment, and it has surprising lessons to teach everyone who speaks in public (meaning, all of us!). Embrace your Avatar(s) .

Public Speaking Tip 90: Cultivate the Greatest Public Speaking Skill of All, Self-Acceptance

You can’t be a perfect public speaker (there is no such thing), but if you cultivate self-acceptance, you can be a great one.  Cultivate self-acceptance.

Public Speaking Tip 91: If You Work for Others, Learn How to Manage Up

Even the best bosses sometimes need a little help. You can teach them to manage you more effectively by learning how to manage up.  Manage up.

Public Speaking Tip 92: Communicating for Business is Like Talking to a Toddler (or, It Should Be!)

Most of us have some experience of talking to a toddler, which can come in very handy for business communications.  Talk like you’re talking to a toddler.

Public Speaking Tip 93: Use Gender Neutral Language in Your Public Speaking

Gender neutral language is a way of honoring difference, and the reality that we just don’t know how other people identify or want to be described.  Use gender neutral language.

Public Speaking Tip 94: Women (and Men), Watch Out for Upspeak — It Can Hurt Your Career

Upspeak can undermine your professional credibility, particularly if you’re female. That isn’t fair, but it’s a reality worth considering.  Lose the upspeak.

Public Speaking Tip 95: Find Out If You Have Unconscious Bias Against YOURSELF

Unconscious bias is bias that you’re not aware you have. It can affect how you see your audience, and just as importantly, how you see yourself.  Find out your bias.

Public Speaking Tip 96: Use the Rule of 3 to Speak Off-the-Cuff (and for Everything Else, Too!)

The Rule of 3 will help you shine in every public speaking situation, from media interviews… to off-the-cuff remarks… to knowing when to stop talking.  Use the Rule of 3.

Public Speaking Tip 97: Job Interview? Here Are the TOP 3 WAYS to Ace the Conversation

For job interview success, the top three things to focus on are not defending yourself, doing your homework, and having a conversation. Ace the conversation!

Public Speaking Tip 98: For a Successful Presentation, Get Your Attitude Together Before You Prepare Your Speech

Want to give a confident, successful presentation? Get your attitude straight, put practicing in your flow, and go for what you know with an audience! Succeed.

Public Speaking Tip 99: For a Successful Presentation, Practice Individual Ideas Throughout Your Day

Your speech isn’t a collection of words. It’s a series of individual ideas that can be practiced separately, as needed, during the regular flow of your day.  Practice.

Public Speaking Tip 100: For a Successful Presentation, Go for What You Know with Your Audience

You’ve worked hard to create and practice a speech that will help your audience succeed. Now, when you stand before them, it’s time to go for what you know!  Go for it.

Buy 100 Top Public Speaking Tips: The Book !

In 25 years of speaker coaching, I’ve helped my individual speaker coaching   clients develop their strengths and skills  become authentic and effective communicators. Along the way, I’ve developed tips for everything from small talk to speaking up in meetings, from managing fear to making an impact. And now, I’ve shared it all in 100 Top Public Speaking Tips: The Book . This beautifully designed PDF booklet is searchable, clickable, and categorized, so that you can find what you need, instantly.

Communication

11 powerful public speaking tips to hook any audience.

You just got the great news. You were selected to give a key presentation at the upcoming executive meeting. Or it could be you were honored to be chosen to be a speaker at a conference later this year. Whatever the case may be, you know it’s time to make sure you know your public speaking tips. You are both excited for the opportunity yet also nervous to be presenting to a large audience. It’s an honor to be chosen, even if you are one of the 3 in 4 people who have glossophobia, otherwise known as the fear of public speaking.

Not to worry. Here we will discover some very powerful public speaking tips to hook any audience. Not only will you get past the presentation or speaking engagement, you’ll wow the audience. If you are really good, you’ll wow yourself too.

1. Utilize the 7 Elements of Public Speaking

Public speaking can be a daunting task and something that isn’t easy for many of us. If you want to improve on your public speaking skills, read on to learn the 7 elements of public speaking. This will lay the foundation to develop the powerful public speaking tips to hook any audience.

i. Know You Audience

Makes sense right? You have to know who your audience is and the reason they are listening to you. If your audience is the board of directors, you probably want to dress the part and speak in a more formal tone and ensure you highlight the most important points.

On the other hand, if you are speaking to an audience before kicking off a fundraising walk, you’ll be more casual in your tone but probably throw in some inspirational words to get everyone pumped up.

ii. Warm Up

This is pretty basic as well but worth mentioning. Do a few warm up exercises for your voice so you don’t sound like you have a frog in your throat. Make sure you drink some water before hand so you don’t feel like you have cotton in your mouth. You might try shaking out your body a bit or stretching to feel nice and limber when you take the stage.

iii. Manage Your Anxiety

Yes, you will most likely have some anxiety. That’s okay, accept that you will have it and figure out the best way to manage it.

When I know I am going to be nervous about something, I tell myself that’s okay. I’ve been nervous before and things tend to work out fine.

Whatever works for you, figure out the best way to manage your anxiety. You might even tell yourself that most people are nervous and anxious when speaking in public.

iv. Gain Personal Credibility

People are there to hear you speak for reason. You’ve got a short window of opportunity to show them that they are spending their time wisely.

Right after your introduction, jump in and share something with them so they understand quickly that you know what you are talking about. You want them to feel like they’ve made a wise decision by spending the time coming to listen to you. Show them.

v. Use Different Methods of Presentation

Depending on the situation, you’ll have to decide what the best presentation material will be.

If you are giving that pep rally speech, then maybe you don’t need anything except enthusiasm and wearing the t-shirt of the cause you are supporting.

If you are presenting to a group of C-Level executives about a potential million dollar purchase they are considering, you’re probably going to want some hard data and facts to show them why the purchase will benefit them. Powerpoint presentations are fine but remember, they aren’t the best use of presentation material for every occasion.

vi. Rehearse Perfectly

You know the saying “practice makes perfect” of course. This is very true in public speaking. I wrote another article How to Memorize a Speech The Smart Way which got great tips for learning how to give a speech. The bottom line is you want to rehearse your presentation until you feel very comfortable making the delivery.

vii. Storytelling

I saved what I consider the best part for last. As humans, we are wired to love a good story. Make sure you have a few to share with your audience.

Personal stories that are salient to the point of your speech are the absolute best. If you have stories from other people or sources, make sure you let the audience know where you got the story from. In any event, put in a good story or two. Your audience will love it.

2. Start Off a Speech in a Charming Way

The most critical parts of a speech are the introduction and the conclusion. Sure, the middle is important as well but to really deliver a powerful speech you want to start off with a bang. A way that is going to get your audience hooked initially and excited about what’s coming next. Here are some great ways to start off of a memorable speech to add to your public speaking tips bag of tricks.

Make a Shocking Statement

This is one surefire way to grab the attention of the audience in a hurry. Saying something like “1 out of every 2 people in this room will have another job in 2 years” will get everyone’s eyes on you right away. And it will get their minds wondering what do you mean by that statement. Which also means they will be hooked on the next things you have to say.

Tell a Story

This is one of my favorite ways to start a speech. An engaging story will hook your audience quickly.

Recently, I was speaking to a group of recent college graduates at the company I work for. I began the talk by telling them the story of how my truck wound up going backwards down the highway on the way to the presentation due to icy roads. That had everyone wondering how I was standing there and what my truck looked like.

Thank the Audience

This is pretty basic but certainly worth mentioning. Thanking the audience for taking the time to come to the presentation is a great way to get things going. This should be included no matter what other methods you utilize in your opening.

What’s in It for Them

Another great way to get people paying close attention is to tell them what they will get out of the speech or presentation. After all, that’s why most of these people showed up!

Getting a taste of what they will gain and or learn from your talk as well as how it will benefit them will get them ready for more.

Solve a Problem

Let the audience know a problem you are going to talk to them about solving that they can relate to.

If the audience is made of people who are there to learn how to live a healthier lifestyle, you can say something like “Who here has a difficult time creating a plan for a healthy lifestyle and sticking to it?”. Hands will shoot up all around the room. You can then tell them “I’m here to share with you a simple 5 step process to live a healthier lifestyle.”

3. Show Genuine Emotion

An audience will feel more connected to you if you show genuine emotion.

I recently attended a conference with 5,000 of my closest friends. One of the initial speakers was so full of enthusiasm and genuine passion and emotion for what she was presenting to us that we were all hooked on her every word. Her use of genuine emotion fully engaged the entire audience.

4. Tell the Audience Something They Don’t Know

Sharing something with the audience that makes them go “Wow, is that really true?” is a great way to get people hanging on your every word.

When you share something that most people haven’t thought about and work it into you speech in such a way that it gives a great launching pad for your next point, you are bound to make a great impression on your audience.

When you tell a group something like “most dogs actually understand most of what we are saying” and then show people why this is true, you will be remembered.

5. Make the Benefit About Them

Don’t think of a speech as a way to promote a product, service or yourself. Make it about how the people in the audience will benefit, and you will have made a huge new group of friends.

People don’t like to feel like they are getting sold. What they do like is someone sharing tips and tricks with them on how to improve their life or situation or get better in some way. This is a great way to get the audience aligned with you.

6. Slow Down

Many public speakers tend to rush their words. They get anxious or nervous or overly excited, and words tend to rush out a lot faster than they should.

To create a more powerful speech that will engage your audience deeper deliberately, slow down the words coming out of your mouth. This is really good to do when you are practicing your speech.

By slowing down, the audience can understand you better and you will get better buy in from them.

7. Be Interactive

Something I have noticed over and over in great speeches is how the speakers are interactive with the audience. This doesn’t mean you have to ask everyone to raise their hand every few minutes. That being said, don’t be shy about getting the audience to interact with you from time to time.

Take a quick poll. Ask them to say something to the person sitting next to them. A few simple interactive action items like that will go a long way.

8. Be Controversial

We talked about making a shocking statement when you start off your speech. This aligns with that same concept.

Making a shocking statement right off the bat will engage people into your speech quickly. You can also sprinkle in some controversial statements or stances throughout your talk to keep people engaged and hooked.

It doesn’t have to be completely off the wall either, more like facts and statistics that most people don’t know but make them think more and therefore, listen to you more intently.

9. Get Them Laughing

Another great way to keep an audience hooked is by having them laughing from time to time. Laughing makes us feel good, so this will certainly win you some followers.

You have to do this the right way. Don’t tell a lot of jokes, those can fall flat or in some cases offend people.

Funny things that happen during a story are great to share. One of the best ways to be humorous during a talk is to use self-deprecating humor . This shows you are self-confident and have character.

10. Use a Prop or Two

This is one of those things where a little bit will go a long way. That being said, it is certainly worth considering to incorporate a few props when appropriate into your speech. Use them in such a way that they will highlight a point.

I watched a presentation where a guy took out a cigarette and acted like he was going to light it. Of course the audience reacted. He then went on to tell people that three times as many people passed away from diabetes than lung cancer from smoking. He then proceeded to tell everyone that nobody would have been shocked if he’d taken out a candy bar. Good props, good point.

11. Tell the Audience How Good They Are

Everyone likes hearing that they are good at something or special in some way. A surefire way to get the audience engaged in your speech and listening is to tell them how good they are in some way. Make them feel good about themselves.

I was recently at a Talent Acquisition conference. One of the speakers did a great job of making everyone in the audience understand how wonderful they were for connecting talented people to jobs and careers they could make a difference at. And it’s true, that’s how I feel anyway. The cool thing was they pointed out a way to make everyone in the room feel great about themselves.

Bottom Line

By this point, you should feel fairly well armed to make a dazzling speech the next time the opportunity presents itself.

Remember, the majority of people are nervous when giving a public speech. Utilize the above public speaking tips to hook any audience at your next speech. Your confidence will increase greatly and the audience will be coming back for more.

More About Public Speaking

• How to Cope With Public Speaking
• How to Conquer Public Speaking Fears
• The Ultimate Public Speaking Tips to Hook and Impress Any Audience

Featured photo credit: Marcos Luiz Photograph via unsplash.com

How to Use a Planner Effectively

How to Be a Better Planner: Avoid the Planning Fallacy

5 Best Apps to Help You Delegate Tasks Easily

Delegating Leadership Style: What Is It & When To Use It?

The Fear of Delegating Work To Others

Why Is Delegation Important in Leadership?

7 Best Tools for Prioritizing Work

How to Deal with Competing Priorities Effectively

What Is the RICE Prioritization Model And How Does It Work?

4 Exercises to Improve Your Focus

What Is Chronic Procrastination and How To Deal with It

How to Snap Out of Procrastination With ADHD

Are Depression And Procrastination Connected?

Procrastination And Laziness: Their Differences & Connections

Bedtime Procrastination: Why You Do It And How To Break It

15 Books on Procrastination To Help You Start Taking Action

Productive Procrastination: Is It Good or Bad?

The Impact of Procrastination on Productivity

How to Cope With Anxiety-Induced Procrastination

How to Break the Perfectionism-Procrastination Loop

15 Work-Life Balance Books to Help You Take Control of Life

Work Life Balance for Women: What It Means & How to Find It

6 Essential Mindsets For Continuous Career Growth

How to Discover Your Next Career Move Amid the Great Resignation

The Key to Creating a Vibrant (And Magical Life) by Lee Cockerell

9 Tips on How To Disconnect From Work And Stay Present

Work-Life Integration vs Work-Life Balance: Is One Better Than the Other?

How To Practice Self-Advocacy in the Workplace (Go-to Guide)

How to Boost Your Focus And Attention Span

What Are Distractions in a Nutshell?

What Is Procrastination And How To End It

Prioritization — Using Your Time & Energy Effectively

Delegation — Leveraging Your Time & Resources

Your Guide to Effective Planning & Scheduling

The Ultimate Guide to Achieving Goals

How to Find Lasting Motivation

Complete Guide to Getting Back Your Energy

How to Have a Good Life Balance

Explore the time flow system.

About the Time Flow System

Key Philosophy I: Fluid Progress, Like Water

Key Philosophy II: Pragmatic Priorities

Key Philosophy III: Sustainable Momentum

Key Philosophy IV: Three Goal Focus

How the Time Flow System Works

How to Start a Speech: 9 Tips You Can Use

Imagine standing in front of an eager audience, every pair of eyes on you. You only have a moment to capture their attention with your speech, or you’ll lose them. If you begin it well, your words have the potential to get the crowd buzzing and inspire your audience to action. Yet, to do this, the beginning of a speech needs to be captivating, which is not always easy to pull off, even for experienced speakers. For this reason, it’s crucial leaders know how to start a speech, as it’s an asset used throughout their entire careers.

9 Tips on How to Start a Speech

1. don’t wing it, 2. create an imaginary scenario, 3. use a quote, check out these quotes to get some ideas:, 4. use humor.

You can always start your speech out with a joke. Admittedly, this can be tricky to pull off since humor is subjective, but a joke can immediately put the audience at ease. Pick a joke that’s tasteful and relevant to the topic at hand. For obvious reasons, you should avoid starting with a joke if the subject of your speech is serious or sad.

5. Pose a Question

If you’re struggling with a way to begin your speech, why not try asking a question? The question you choose can be a literal question, such as, “How many people here run their own business?” Or you can go the rhetorical route by asking a “what if” question. A “what if” question is a great way to get people thinking about possible scenarios. For example, think about a speech that started by saying, “What kind of world would it be if every leader fulfilled their full potential?” The audience would immediately begin coming up with ideas and imagining what such a world would look like.

6. Pick a Statistic

7. shock the audience.

In another popular TED Talk, Pamela Meyer begins by making a shocking  announcement : “Okay, now I don’t want to alarm anybody in this room, but it’s just come to my attention that the person to your right is a liar.” Think of what a compelling way that is to get people to put down their phones and look at the speaker. It also ties nicely into the subject of her speech, “How to Spot a Liar.” With a shocking statement, you too can capture people’s attention in just a few seconds.

8. Describe a Problem

9. share a story, bonus tips for starting a speech, the one thing you should not do.

If there’s a surefire way to lose your audience right at the start, it’s by simply introducing yourself. First off, in most speech settings, someone will likely have introduced you anyway, so it would be a waste of time. Secondly, most people in the audience will already know who you are and why you are there. Introducing yourself treats your audience like children and may even lead to some people zoning out immediately. Don’t dawdle or play schoolteacher with the people in front of you. Launch right into your speech with the skills discussed earlier. The results will speak for themselves.

Start Your Speech Out the Right Way

Giving a speech is an art form that often relies on what happens at the start. Try out the above tips the next time you need to give a speech. Using  assertive communication  is another way to establish a connection with your audience. With the right beginning, you’ll have people following you every step of the way until you’ve finished.

Want more great quotes for starting a speech?  Check out the following:

50+ Success Quotes to Inspire Leaders

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

Nervous about making a speech? Life Kit can help

Nervous about making a speech life kit can help..

It can be anxiety-inducing to deliver a speech in front of an audience. NPR's Life Kit talks with a speechwriter and a speech coach to get their best tips for public speaking.

Copyright © 2024 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

10 Tips For Giving A Great Speech

• Whats Cooking
• Relationships
• Art and Culture
• Beauty and Care
• Healthy Living
• Tips & Tricks
• Beauty & Care
• Celebrity Fashion
• Mutual Funds
• Science And Future
• Create on India
• Ayodhya Ram Mandir
• Oscars 2024
• Indiatimes Frontlines
• India On Plate
• Sustainability
• Give Up Plastic
• The Great Indian Brain Drain
• #DubaiLikeALocal

Independence Day 2024 speech: Best short, long speech ideas on 15th August for kids and students

Celebrate independence day 2024 with engaging independence day 2024 speeches in english for kids and students. explore ideas for both short and long speeches, highlighting india's 78 years of freedom and the legacy of its freedom fighters..

Independence Day 2024 speeches: Independence Day is a special occasion that brings people across India together to celebrate freedom and honour the sacrifices made by our freedom fighters . As we approach August 15, 2024, marking the 78th Independence Day, it's a time to reflect on our journey from colonial rule to becoming a proud, independent nation. This year, let’s focus on crafting memorable and meaningful speeches that capture the spirit of this significant day. Whether you’re preparing a speech for school or a community event, having a well-thought-out Independence Day 2024 speech can help convey your respect and patriotism . In this guide, we'll provide ideas and tips for delivering the best speech, whether it's short or long, in English or Hindi, to make your Independence Day celebration truly special.

As India gets ready to celebrate its 78th Independence Day on August 15, it’s important to honour the courage, dedication, and sacrifices of our armed forces and freedom fighters . If you’re writing a speech for Independence Day (Swatantrata Diwas 2024), here are some tips and ideas:

Independence Day 2024 Speech: Tips and Ideas:

Keep your speech short and simple so kids can easily remember it.

• Verify all historical facts in your speech.
• Help kids practice their speeches.
• Practice in full uniform before the actual speech at school or college.
• Avoid using difficult words in the speech.
• Skip overly complicated or lengthy facts.

Speech on Independence Day 2024: Step-by-Step Guide

Giving a heartfelt Independence Day speech is a great way to show your love, gratitude, and admiration for our national heroes. Here’s how you can craft a memorable speech for August 15:

1. Start with Gratitude:

Begin your speech by expressing thanks to everyone, especially the Indian soldiers who have served the country.

2. Historical Context and Freedom Struggle:

• Briefly recount India's struggle for independence and the sacrifices made by freedom fighters.
• Highlight key leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, and Sardar Patel, who played major roles in the freedom movement.
• Share stories of courage and resilience from the struggle to inspire your audience.

3. Progress and Achievements:

• Talk about India's progress since gaining independence, including advancements in technology, science, space exploration, and economic growth.
• Mention achievements in sports, arts, literature, and entertainment that have earned global recognition for India.
• Highlight India's democratic framework and its status as the world's largest electorate, stressing the power of collective decision-making.

4. Diversity and Unity:

• Highlight India’s rich cultural, linguistic, and religious diversity as a strength and a source of unity.
• Celebrate the harmonious coexistence of different communities and the vibrant festivals, traditions, and languages.
• Stress the importance of respecting and preserving this diversity while working together for national progress.

5. Challenges and Opportunities:

• Acknowledge current challenges such as poverty, inequality, environmental issues, and healthcare.
• Discuss government initiatives like "Make in India," "Swachh Bharat Abhiyan," and "Digital India" aimed at tackling these challenges.
• Encourage citizens to actively participate in efforts to improve society.

6. Youth and the Future:

• Recognise the role of youth as key drivers of India's progress and development.
• Inspire young people to pursue education, innovation, and entrepreneurship as means for nation-building.
• Urge the youth to be responsible citizens engaged in community service and social change.

7. Call to Action and Unity:

• Call for unity and cooperation among all parts of society, transcending differences for the greater good.
• Encourage citizens to uphold democratic values, secularism, and social justice.
• Stress the importance of active civic engagement, responsible voting, and community involvement.

8. Hope and Aspirations:

• Conclude on a hopeful note, expressing optimism for a bright future and a prosperous India.
• Quote inspirational figures or lines from Indian literature to leave a lasting impact.
• Invite the audience to join in making the dream of a strong, united, and progressive India a reality.

Best Independence Day Speech sample in English

Good morning everyone!

Respected teachers and dear friends,

Today, we come together to celebrate the joyful occasion of Independence Day on August 15. Congratulations to all on this special day. I am grateful for the chance to address you all today.

As we all know, August 15 is a day of honour and pride for every Indian. Our brave revolutionaries and freedom fighters sacrificed their lives to free our nation from British rule.

We are incredibly fortunate to have had such courageous leaders who not only liberated our country from British oppression but also paved the way for future generations. Thanks to them, we are free today and continue to reach new achievements and heights.

From 1947 to 2024, our nation has progressed in every field. Every day, we add a new chapter to our history in areas like sports, education, technology, and military strength. Our military power is now so impressive that it stands as a model for other nations, and no country dares to challenge India directly.

Young minds, you are the architects of India's future. Embrace education, foster innovation, and cultivate empathy. Let us work together to build a nation where every citizen enjoys dignity, equality, and opportunity.

On this auspicious day, let us renew our commitment to the ideals of our freedom fighters. Let us uphold the unity, integrity, and diversity of our nation. Let us strive to make India a global leader, a land of prosperity and harmony.

In the end, I just want to say, that freedom is priceless, and our soldiers are incredibly brave, continuously protecting our borders from threats. We must always value and preserve this freedom with our hearts and minds.

That’s all I have to say. Jai Hind!

10-line Independence Day speech

Good morning all,

• India gained independence from British rule on August 15, 1947.
• The Indian Independence Act was passed by the British Parliament, granting India dominion status.
• Mahatma Gandhi led the non-violent freedom struggle against British colonial rule.
• Other key leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, and Subhash Chandra Bose played crucial roles.
• The partition of India into India and Pakistan took place simultaneously.
• The first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, hoisted the Indian flag at the Red Fort.
• Independence Day is celebrated with flag-hoisting ceremonies, parades, and cultural programs.
• It's a day to remember the sacrifices of freedom fighters and honor India's unity.
• The day also reflects on challenges and aspirations for the future of India.
• Independence Day reinforces the spirit of patriotism and love for the nation.

Independence Day Speech for Students

Good morning to our esteemed guests, respected teachers, and dear friends,

Today, we gather to celebrate India's Independence Day. I am truly honored to share my thoughts on this special occasion. I am very grateful to my teacher for giving me this opportunity to speak on our country's Independence Day.

On this day, India gained freedom from British rule through peaceful and nonviolent movements. The British ruled over us for 200 years, coming to India for trade but instead exploiting our nation and its people. Our ancestors fought hard for many years before India achieved independence on August 15, 1947.

This day is a reminder of the sacrifices made by our freedom fighters who fought for our country's freedom. It is a day to honor those who gave their lives so India could become an independent nation. We must pledge to stay devoted and committed to our country today.

In closing, I pay my respects to those brave souls with a quote from Sarojini Naidu:

“A country’s greatness lies in its undying ideal of love and sacrifice that inspire the mothers of the race.”

Jai Hind, Jai Bharat.

Short and simple Independence Day Speech

Good morning to respected Sir/Madam and everyone present here,

Today, we come together to honour the bravery of our freedom fighters on Independence Day. This day is not just a date on the calendar; it symbolizes India’s courage, resilience, and unbreakable spirit.

Independence Day is celebrated on August 15 each year, marking the day India gained freedom from British rule through nonviolent protests and civil disobedience.

The struggle for independence began during World War I, led by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.

From 1857 to 1947, our history is filled with revolutions and the sacrifices of great leaders and freedom fighters.

The Indian Independence Bill was introduced in the British House of Commons on July 4, 1947, and was passed within two weeks, ending over 200 years of British rule on August 15, 1947.

This Bill led to the creation of India and Pakistan as separate nations.

August 15 reminds us of the immense sacrifices made by our freedom fighters, including Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Chandra Sekhar Azad, and many others, known and unknown, who fought to free India from British colonial rule.

Our freedom fighters dreamed of an independent India, and their dreams became a reality. Remember, never stop dreaming, as dreams are what keep us alive.

On this Independence Day, let us promise to protect our country by upholding unity, helping others, and continuing our education. I will conclude my speech with these lines:

"Freedom in mind, faith in words. Pride in our hearts, memories in our souls. Let’s salute the nation on Independence Day!"

Bharat Mata ki Jai. Vande Mataram. Jai Hind.

Independence Day Speech for Kids

Good morning and Happy Independence Day to my respected teachers and dear friends!

Today, we are celebrating our 78th Independence Day, and we should be very proud to be part of a free nation where we have the freedom to speak our minds and live our lives as we choose.

India was ruled by the British for nearly 200 years. Thanks to the brave efforts of our freedom fighters, we gained independence on August 15, 1947. On this special day, our national flag was raised at the Red Fort in Delhi by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

Since then, we have celebrated Independence Day every year in schools, colleges, and government offices.

So, on this Independence Day, let’s promise ourselves to always protect our country by fostering friendship, helping others, and continuing our education.

Once again, I wish you all a Happy Independence Day. Let’s work together to build a wonderful nation!

Independence Day Speech in Hindi | स्वतंत्रता दिवस पर भाषण

माननीय अध्यापक गण, अतिथि, अभिभावक और मेरे प्यारे दोस्तों,

जैसा कि आप सभी जानते हैं, आज हम स्वतंत्रता दिवस के अवसर पर एकत्रित हुए हैं। आज हम स्वतंत्रता दिवस की 78वीं वर्षगांठ मना रहे हैं।

स्वतंत्रता दिवस हमारे लिए एक खास दिन है जब भारत ने ब्रिटिश शासन से आज़ादी प्राप्त की थी।

स्वतंत्रता संग्राम की शुरुआत तब हुई जब एक ब्रिटिश अधिकारी ने भारतीय क्रांतिकारी मंगल पांडे को गोली मारी। 1857 से 1947 तक चले इस संघर्ष के बाद, 15 अगस्त 1947 को भारत ने अंग्रेजों के राज से स्वतंत्रता प्राप्त की।

स्वतंत्रता दिलाने में महात्मा गांधी, मंगल पांडे, बाल गंगाधर तिलक, सुभाष चंद्र बोस, पंडित नेहरू, लाला लाजपत राय, और खुदीराम बोस जैसे स्वतंत्रता सेनानियों का बड़ा योगदान है।

इस स्वतंत्रता दिवस पर, मैं सभी स्वतंत्रता सेनानियों को श्रद्धांजलि अर्पित करता हूँ जिन्होंने भारत को आज़ाद करने का सपना देखा और इसके लिए अपने प्राणों की आहुति दी, ताकि हम एक स्वतंत्र भारत में जी सकें।

आइए हम सभी मिलकर एक ऐसे भारत का निर्माण करें, जहां हर नागरिक को समान अवसर मिले, जहां कोई भूखा न सोए, जहां शिक्षा और स्वास्थ्य सभी के अधिकार हों। हमें अपने देश की संस्कृति और विरासत को संजोना होगा और साथ ही आधुनिकता को भी अपनाना होगा।

युवा पीढ़ी के रूप में, हमारे कंधों पर देश का भविष्य है। हमें शिक्षित, कर्तव्यनिष्ठ और देशभक्त बनना होगा। हमें अपने देश की सेवा करने के लिए आगे आना होगा।

मैं अपने भाषण को यह कहकर समाप्त करना चाहूंगा कि हमें एक सच्चे राष्ट्रभक्त की तरह देश को एक बेहतर जगह बनाने में योगदान देना चाहिए। धन्यवाद!

जय हिंद!भारत माता की जय!

Note: You can customize this speech further by adding specific examples of India's achievements, challenges, or your personal aspirations for the country.

Bhupinder Singh serves as a Principal Executive in Content Management, specializing in SEO content related to trending financial news, net worth of celebrities, historic events, and art and culture. His passion for cricket shines through in his work and personal interests. In his free time, Bhupinder enjoys discussing cricket legends like MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar, as well as following the IPL.

Accept the updated Privacy & Cookie Policy