Public speaking is a great way to promote yourself and your company and it opens up more speaking opportunities down the road. But the majority of people fear public speaking more than they fear death. Or spiders. Or flying. Personally, I fear packed elevators, but I’m here to tell you that public speaking is way better than all of those other things.
As @juliey and I gear up for our Wordcamp Portland presentation in September, we’re focusing equally on the quality of our information and the quality of our presentation. Here are some tips we’re keeping in mind as we prepare:
1) Dump the notes.
Granted, reading notes is a great way to avoid the audience, but it does not make for a dynamic speaker. If you must have notes, just write out a few bullet points and leave that paper on the podium.
2) Know your ending.
The worst thing a speaker can do is go on too long. Know where you’re going to end, and end it there.
3) End before the time limit.
See above.
4) If you mess up, say, “Oh, I messed up.” Or, “I forgot to tell you this.”
The audience wants you to be human. Even though you’re the expert, they still want you to be real. They want a connection. Nothing makes you seem more human than humility.
5) Listen to the audience.
Pay attention not just to what they’re saying, but also how they’re acting. Are they shifting in their seats? Gathering up papers? Chatting to one another? These are all signs that you’ve lost them. Time to change tacks. Try asking for questions or begin wrapping up.
6) Have fun.
Smile, relax and enjoy yourself and the audience.
Are you ready to get on the mic? If so, leave a comment and let us know some of your favorite speaking tips or some great speaking opportunities in your community.
Tags: advice, cmd agency, community, conversation, conversation starter, networking, notes, Portland, social media, speaking, speeches
Nice tips! I find it helpful to jot down a few trigger words to keep my thoughts on track. Sort of a “glance and go” approach!
Thanks for the tips Melissa! Too often speakers tend to get caught up on tricks and gimmicks when they’re speaking, and forget to stick to the basics.
When I was in high school I hated conforming to that format that had a clear beginning, middle with three main points, and a conclusion. I thought it stifled my creativity. As I got older and more practiced at public speaking, I realized that people actually process information and pay attention better when information is laid out a clear format like that.
Now, whenever I need to speak or give a presentation I try to limit myself to those three main points with three sub-points each. Most people don’t want to hear more than that anyway. It also makes it a lot easier to leave those notes down on the podium.