CHAMPION STRATEGIES – PUBLIC SPEAKING WORKSHOP – NOVEMBER 2, 2021 -2
Important Public Speaking Skills for Workplace Success
Engaging Presentation Style
Presentation style includes vocal tone, body language, facial expression, and timing. The right style can make a talk that could have been boring become exciting and engaging.
Assessing the Needs of the Audience
Some audiences want a lot of technical detail; others don’t. Some will enjoy humor; others won’t. There are jokes that work in some crowds but not others. To draft a successful talk and to adopt the appropriate presentation style, you need to be able to assess the needs of your audience.
Before you begin speaking, think about your audience and what they hope to gain from your presentation. That can help you assess their needs, which can help ensure that your presentation is the best possible use of your time and theirs.
PowerPoint Skills
PowerPoint is a popular software used for creating slides. Not all public speakers use them, but slides are so common that doing without them is sometimes called “speaking naked.”
It’s not only important to understand the technical aspects of using the software, it also helps if you have the artistic ability to create slides that are aesthetically pleasing and easy to understand—or, you should work with a collaborator who can do so. Either way, you must know how to integrate your slides smoothly into the other aspects of your presentations.
Composition Skills
Whether you prepare your talk ahead of time or just go with the flow, you must be able to construct talks that are rational, coherent, and easy to understand, and that cover all the points you want to hit.
Storytelling and humor help, and you must know how to use them. Public speaking is not only a form of performance art; it also requires writing skills.
How to Improve Your Public Speaking Skills
Whether you feel like a public-speaking expert or you’re new to it, there are always ways you can improve. You can brush up on your public speaking skills with these tips:
- Take a public speaking class or workshop.
- Practice in front of the mirror.
- Practice in front of friends, family, or colleagues; then, ask for feedback.
- Record yourself giving a presentation, watch the video, and take notes.
- Watch videos of accomplished public speakers you admire.
At every opportunity ask to Introduce or recap an event at work, church or community event.
