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How To Become a Powerful Public Speaker
Public speaking ranks right up there
with death in terms of the things we are terribly afraid
to do. Whether it’s the fear of being watched closely
by others, or the insecurity and self-conscious feeling
of slipping up during the presentation, these six tips
will help you give a polished, professional speech that
you (and your audience) can be proud of !
1. Know your audience. This is the single best
piece of advice for delivering a presentation that really
hits home. What are there interests? Their backgrounds?
Why are they coming to hear you speak or present? What
ideas do you have to share with them? Approaching your
speech as more of a “me-to-you” discussion
rather than a full-blown broadcast will make it more
manageable (and less stressful) and easier on you.
2. What do you want your audience
to do as a result of your speech? What’s really
at the heart of your presentation? By concentrating
on the “end result” rather than slogging through
the beginning, you can create a powerful punch that
drives home your message instead of rambling on and
losing your audience’s interest (or missing the
point entirely!)
3. Share a story. In public speaking
circles, this is called a “hook” – something
that gets your audience’s attention and makes them
sit up and listen. Start off by asking questions or
sharing an experience you had. People like to be active,
rather than passive listeners. By giving them something
that they can identify with, you’ll find that these
people are, in essence – just like you! And that
makes giving a presentation a whole lot easier. Just
be sure your story has a beginning, a point, and an
ending. There’s nothing quite as bad as telling
a story to an engaged audience and then forgetting why
you told it!
4. If you’re selling a product,
focus on the benefits instead of the features. People
would much rather hear WHAT a product can do for them
than HOW it does it. Narrow down your product’s
features until you get to the core of how it solves
a problem. If you need help with figuring out the difference
between a feature and a benefit, ask yourself “So
What?” For example, if you’re selling a vacuum
cleaner that has a hypoallergenic filter, put yourself
in the customer’s shoes and ask yourself “so
what?” The answer would be something like, “It
picks up dust, mold and pet dander”. Again, “so
what?” Answer, “You’ll feel relief from
runny nose and sneezing plus itchy, water eyes.”
Now THAT’s a benefit!
5. Don’t lean too heavily on
media to make your message clear. Powerpoint presentations
are great for making specific points, but they can be
overwhelming – or downright boring. Instead, give
your audience something to DO by providing them with
fill-in-the-blank flip charts or “team activities”.
These help reinforce and emphasize your message in ways
that a computer presentation simply cannot.
6. Above all, make sure your speech
ends in a way that reiterates the beginning. Too
often, speakers get carried away with the details and
leave their audiences asking, “What was the point
of all that?” People naturally digest information
in “chunks”, so focus on the big picture rather
than all the pieces. If the details are just as important,
save it for an after-speech handout that the audience
can take with them and read over at their leisure.
If you keep these six tips in mind,
you’ll not only have an easier time overcoming
your fear of public speaking, but you’ll have a
very appreciative audience who will in turn be more
receptive and eager to try your product or service.
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