Public Speaking Tips
May 12, 2008 · Print This Article
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By Mike Bova
I'm going to fess up. Public speaking did not come easy for me. I would get very nervous (which led to dry mouth), lose my train of thought and use a lot of filler words like: and, and um, um, you know etc. I have come a long way from those early days. Public speaking comes a lot easier for me now. If you would like to improve your public speaking skills, this article is for you.
Before I tell you what has worked for me, I'm going to give (just like those weight loss infomercials do) a disclaimer…results may vary. Now, here is what has worked for me.
Open with a joke or say something funny. This is a good ice breaker. Being funny will loosen up the audience and you as well. Make sure "the funny" is tasteful, and if it goes over well, your confidence will immediately build.
Be prepared. You will of course prepare before you speak. Use the internet (which is an incredible resource by the way) to do some research. If you type an outline, this will help you prepare your delivery. Just like when you took notes in school, write down your main points and your secondary points. You can definitely ad lib, but try not to create too many rabbit trails. Rabbit trails will cause you to lose your train of thought and cause you to forget where you left off. Stick to the outline, rehearse as many times as needed to know your outline by heart. Being well prepared will boost your confidence.
Create a distraction. If it's possible, make a handout and give it to each member of the audience. Doing this will take the audiences mind off you somewhat. The handout will be similar to what you're speaking about and you could leave some blanks the audience would have to fill in. This would be more of a teaching than a preaching.
Continue to be funny. If you can think of funny stories (either your own or someone else's) that are related to the topic and can drive a point home, use them.
Give examples. Again using stories or situations (funny or not) that your audience can relate to. These are real crowd pleasers.
Be as animated as you can. Raise and lower your voice. Walk back and forth. Make your public speaking engagement interesting. This leads me to my next tip.
Make what you're speaking about interesting. If what you are speaking on is boring, or if what you have prepared is boring, find a way to…. "BAM, SPICE IT UP A LITTLE!"
Use props or other visual effects. Overheads and power point presentations are good. Any props you can use are will help you as well.
Encourage audience participation. You can do things like dividing the room in two and on cue one side of the room says, "ooh" and the other side says, "ah" or use audience members to help you with illustrations.
Close with a question and answer session. This will allow for a nice finish.
Being a great public speaker, like anything, takes practice. If you have a video camera, set it up on a tripod and tape yourself. Try to be conscience of those filler words. Work on your joke telling and story telling. Practice being animated. After reviewing your videos, make any necessary adjustments. I wish you all the best with your public speaking engagements. Have fun & "break a leg."
Mike Bova is the Madison County Advertising Director & Business Columnist for Eagle Newspapers in
OK, this Mike Bova guy is really good. Do you have any other articles he's authored, or where can I find more on him?