Public Speaking Tips and Techniques

Sure-Fire Ways to Make a Good Presentation or Give a Good Speech

Jul 2, 2009
Brian Tubbs

Be Comfortable Behind The Podium - tvvoodoo

Good communication skills, including verbal communication skills, are critical to both personal and professional growth. How can people improve their public speaking?

Public speaking entails any situation in which a person verbally addresses a group. Even in today's internet age with Facebook, Twitter, and cell phone texting, verbal communication skills remain important. Those seeking to advance personally and professionally would do well to conquer (or at least manage) any fear of public speaking and learn to effectively communicate to groups of varied sizes.

Guaranteed Ways to Make a Good Presentation

When called upon to make a verbal presentation or given an opportunity to make a speech, a person adhering to the following steps will, barring any extremely unusual circumstances, meet with solid success. These steps to giving an effective presentation are:

Know the Audience - A speaker should do what she can to learn all that she can about the audience she is addressing. Why is this important? Think of how different it is for a speaker to address a high school assembly versus the local Chamber of Commerce. Know the audience.
Know One's Objectives - Before a speaker opens his mouth, he must know what he is trying to accomplish with his presentation. What is the purpose of the presentation? Is it to drum up additional business, persuade one's boss to adopt a different sales strategy, entertain an after-dinner crowd, or pay tribute to a loved one or colleague? What is the ultimate "call to action" in the presentation?
Thoroughly Prepare - Advance planning and intensive preparation are the keys to hitting a Home Run with a public presentation.
Project Confidence - People are attracted to confidence. How can a speaker project confidence, especially if she is nervous. Smile. Stand up straight. Use relaxed, controlled gestures. Speak deliberately and intentionally. Don't rush through what you have to say. Assume the audience (or at least a majority of it) will like you and will agree with you. If you act confident, your body's feelings will catch up.

More Tips for Public Speaking

While the above tips will help with specific presentations, here are some general tips to help anyone enhance their public speaking skills:

Diet & Exercise - The better a person takes care of himself, the more confident he will feel when standing in front of a group.
Practice Eye Contact - Start practicing eye contact on a daily basis. Get in the habit of establishing and maintaining eye contact (make it natural and comfortable - not forced and awkward). This will then more easily transfer over to the podium when you speak to an audience.
Study and Observe Other Speakers - Become a student of public speaking. Watch other speakers. Learn from them.

Becoming an effective public speaker is not a complicated quest. It requires planning, preparation, and discipline. A speaker who makes it a habit to know her audience and objectives is already well on her way to becoming an excellent communicator. When she adds intense preparation, proper diet and exercise, eye contact, and further study of the techniques of public speaking to the mix, she will become a superior public speaker and will move both herself and her career forward.