MASTER THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
Get comfortable behind the mic with this top advice
Whether you’re giving a wedding speech or a professional presentation in front of a small audience, public speaking can be extremely anxiety-inducing. In fact, a study published in Frontiers Of Psychology found that public speaking is the single most commonly feared situation in the population.
According to leadership consultant Monica Lunin, the biggest challenge for any public speaker is ensuring your message hits home for the people that are listening.
“You need your audience to tune in and understand,” explains Monica.
Take a deep breath and try her five techniques to take control of any situation.
Start & finish strong
First impressions matter and final impressions linger. People may lose the thread of your talk somewhere in the messy middle, so make sure you structure a clear introduction and conclusion. This is a simple hack that will get you out of a lot of sticky situations. If you don’t have time to memorise or rehearse your whole talk, you should plan to master your introduction and conclusion.
Your opening should include a hook to grab the attention and harness the interest of the audience. Plan it first, then land it with confidence. Your closing should deliver satisfaction, fulfilling the promise you set out at the start.
Make a connection
The most impressive speakers make you feel like you are the only other person in the room. Former US
President Bill Clinton had the knack of achieving this, and New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern can reach through the lens of a television camera and connect with whomever might be watching.
What these speakers have in common is the ability to convey empathy. Forming a personal connection is not just a nice feeling, it draws the audience to you. When people feel a connection, they are more receptive to your point of view.
Try making eye contact – we speak to eyes and ears, not over people’s heads, and not to your slides. If you are not looking at another human, you should not be talking.
Work with the energy in the room
Before you speak, consider what the dominant attitude, tone or energy level is in the room. There is no sense in trying to force your message on a crowd that is not primed to receive. If people are exhausted, inject new energy with some form of engagement or even movement.
Never apologise
Too many speakers begin with an apology such as, “I will only take a few moments of your time” or “I’m sorry we are a bit behind schedule.” This does nothing to improve understanding and it may even trigger pity, which is the death knell for any speaker.
Speak from a position of strength and confidence. When the audience is feeling sorry for you, it’s just another distraction getting in the way of them really hearing what you have to say.
Embellish your message
For every point you make, think about what you might add to bring it to life. Could you use a metaphor, anecdote or example to create deeper understanding? Greta Thunberg brings climate change to life with the metaphor of a “house on fire”. Grace Tame shares her personal painful story of abuse. Martin Luther King Jr wrapped his ideas in the metaphor of a dream.
As with these examples, you need to make sure that whatever device you use is relevant and appropriate to your central idea. A simple place to start is with your own personal experience – use a story to make a concept real.
For your communication to be effective, it must be understood. There are so many factors at play that might cause your message to bounce off in unintended directions. Your job is to minimise that diffraction and ensure the message you intend is the message that is received.