CHAMPION STRATEGIES – PUBLIC SPEAKING WORKSHOP – AUGUST 19, 2021
Public Speaking Tips
Move Faster
So, not only do you want to move more and bigger, but also faster. For instance, when you walk to the front, don’t run, but take about a half-step faster pace than normal. If you walk like you are going to the gallows, you will suck the energy out of the room and leave the impression of being boring. If you move like you want to get to the front of the room, you will push energy into the room.
Speak Up
Your voice is your best tool when you present, so use it. If you are quiet, the audience will question your authority on the subject. Increase your volume a little to show the audience that you are in control.
Change Your Tone
What do they call boring speakers? Right, “mono-tone.” When we get nervous, especially when we memorize a presentation word-for-word, we tend to zoom through the presentation because we are afraid we will forget something. Most often, a speaker will sound very monotone when he/she does this. By the way, this is different from the “speaking faster” that I mentioned above. The reason why most coaches will tell a speaker to “slow down” is because most speakers zoom through memorized speeches with little or no emphasis on content, so the tone stays the same all the way through. Instead, design your speech as we talked about, and make a conscious effort to call attention to words or phrases that need emphasis. “It made a HUGE difference,” versus “It was a huge difference.”
Make Your Title Audience Focused
Go back to your title now and redesign it so that it has a significant “want” of the audience. Just look at the title as you have it and ask “why” does the audience need to hear this presentation? Whatever the answer to that question is should be added to the title. For instance, if your title is “Project Update,” and you followed tip #1 and made it more specific, you might end up with, “Smith Building Construction Project Update.” Now go one step farther. What is the actual result of the update? What conclusion do you want the audience to come to about the presentation? Now the title becomes, “Smith Building is Two Weeks behind Schedule, but Back on Track by the End of the Month.”
