Tips for Improving Your Public Speaking Skills

Whether you are a member communicating a point at a meeting or an officer leading a presentation to a group of investors around a place shaping bid to regeneration an area, public speaking is a skill that I would encourage all local government officers to master. However, few are immune to the fear of public speaking. The good news is that by exploring the following pieces of advice you can improve your ability and make public speaking to be an enjoyable experience.

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Nervousness Is Normal. Prepare and Practise! Everyone experiences some physiological reactions like pounding hearts and trembling hands. Do not associate these feelings with the notion that you will perform poorly or make a fool of yourself. Some nerves are beneficial. 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 review your notes several times. Once you have become comfortable with the material, practise — a lot. Record yourself, or get a friend to critique your performance.

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, organisational pattern, and motivational statement.

"I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think." Socrates

Organise Your Material in the Most Effective Manner to Achieve Your Purpose. Create the framework for your speech. Write down the topic, general purpose, specific purpose, central idea, and main points. Ensure you grab the audience’s attention in the first 30 seconds.

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.

Let Your Personality Shine 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.

Use Humour, 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.

Victor Borge: "Laughter is the shortest distance between two people."

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.

Use Your Voice and Hands Effectively. Omit Nervous Gestures. Non-verbal 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.

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.

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.

In conclusion, achieving proficient public speaking is within your reach. By following the steps outlined above and embracing the journey with a sense of fun and enthusiasm, you can become a confident and engaging speaker. You’ve got this!

This blog post was sponsored by RPNA, who help local authorities to deliver projects and implement changes efficiently. They offer expertise in areas like leadership, wellbeing, technology, and commercial acumen, ensuring excellent value for money and meeting key priorities.