10 Keys to Excel at Public Speaking

How effective are you as a public speaker?

What is your level of comfort in public speaking?

Do you enjoy public speaking?

What thoughts and emotions come to mind when you think about these questions? For many people, public speaking brings a lot of fear and anxiety. Experts estimate that 77% of people have some level of anxiety with public speaking.

The thing with public speaking is that it is a skill that can be improved. Your technique, comfort level, and confidence can all be improved with practice and by using the right strategies.

Public speaking is also an essential skill for leaders to possess. It is valuable in gaining respect and buy-in, for effectively conveying a message, inspiring, and for your career path.

There are many strategies when it comes to public speaking. Here are 10 that I believe are essential.

1. Know your purpose - Anytime you deliver a speech, be guided by this question, "What do I want the audience to take away from it?" The purpose may be to educate them on a certain skill, inspire them to take action, get them to buy a product, etc. Keep your purpose in mind during the planning and execution of the speech.

2. Have a structure and outline - Think about how you will get their attention within the first fifteen seconds. Then how you will organize and deliver the main content of the speech. Finally, what is your closing message and how do you want to finish? Write this outline out and be willing to make changes to it.

3. Practice it - Trying to "wing it" is a recipe for disaster. Practicing the speech will help you to feel comfortable with it and will improve it. You don't need to memorize it word for word but you should be very familiar with it and know the main ideas and stories you will use.

4. Avoid filler words - These are words such as um, uh, like, so, and, etc. These distract the audience and take away from the message that you are delivering. Watching yourself on video and getting feedback from others can be helpful for this.

5. Use your body - Pay attention to how you use your body to deliver a point. You want it to be in alignment with what you are saying and to reinforce your message. Using your hands properly and making eye contact are great places to start.

6. Pay attention to vocal quality - Be aware of your pace, tone, and volume. This is something that separates a lot of great speakers from others.

7. Use pauses - Using pauses is a powerful technique that allows you to emphasize a certain point. It also allows you to gather yourself and prevents you from rushing.

8. Tell stories - This is a great way to captivate your audience and help get your point across. One study found that people remember 5-10% of information but 65-75% of stories that elicit emotion. Think about what stories you want to tell and how you will deliver them.

9. Focus on connecting with your audience - Remember the speech is about your audience not about you. First, you need to know your audience and what they care about. Then focus on connecting rather than presenting.

10. Breathe - Have some type of technique that you use to calm your body so that you can be at your best. The breath is a great one to help relax your nervous system.

Focus on picking one or two of the strategies listed above and put them into practice. Public speaking takes practice and having a growth mindset.