18 things I have learned about public speaking
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This document provides 18 tips for public speaking from an experienced speaker and trainer. Some key points include preparing thoroughly by knowing the topic, rehearsing aloud, and editing down content. During the talk, speakers are advised to relax before starting, use visual aids appropriately, tell a story with their data, and encourage questions from the audience. The overall message is to focus on engaging the audience and coming across as a natural speaker on the topic.
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18 things I have learned about public speaking
- 1. 18 things I have learned about public speaking* Richard Adams @dickyadams
- 2. Why me? Experienced Trained Teacher Experienced University Lecturer Over 40 public talks in the last ten years Mentored around the world A number of TV appearances
- 3. Preparation
- 4. 1. Know what you are talking about* I have seen many people talk who clearly don’t fully understand what they are talking about. Stick to what you know. Have some confidence that you do know your stuff, you wouldn’t have been asked to talk otherwise. Don’t compare yourself to people who are professional talkers, it’s pointless like playing Sunday football and worrying that you aren’t as good as a professional player.
- 5. 2. Know what you have been asked to talk about * Many people go off topic and I’ve been sat in audiences that have grown very frustrated/bored/wandered off/engrossed in Twitter due to the speaker not talking about what is billed.
- 6. 3. Advertise or not?* Sure, you're there to talk about an aspect of your business so DO inform but only in the context of answering the brief… It is sooooo boring and of course, just plain bad manners, are you that bad mannered?
- 7. 4. Rehearse, read it out loud and then edit* I myself have done talks where for various reasons I haven’t had chance to read it out to myself before I speak it and they have invariably not been great, always interesting thankfully, but not great experiences. If YOU can’t read it out loud in PRIVATE, how can you do it in public?
- 8. The Talk
- 9. 5. To mic or not to mic* You may or may not need a microphone. If one is offered, remember, it’s usually because they are recording the talk, so use it. Having a radio mike is great as it allows you to walk around a stage and stops you gripping any stray lecterns until your fingers go white.
- 10. 6. Cue-cards, Script or Ad-Lib?* It’s up to you. I was taught that cards are best as they reduce the stilted delivery that reading brings. Actors can read scripts really well, are YOU an actor? No, you're an expert so be natural. I once followed a guy who was so allied to his script, he sent literally 50% of the audience to the loos/coffee. I had a terrible time following that.
- 11. 7. To PowerPoint or not* PowerPoint means your talk deck can be sent around the world and reviewed so it’s a great tool, but use it properly. Only use it to display images, videos or bullet points (hence its name by the way). DON’T fill each slide with text. Any text should be in your script or on the notes view for reflection afterwards. Don’t be afraid to use props, people love them.
- 12. 8. Take three deep breaths* JUST BEFORE you go to the podium/lectern/stage, It really does work, even if you are experienced. It really does help you relax./
- 13. 9. Take your time* Don’t rush to start, take your time and make sure things are working. If they aren’t, then ask for help, these things happen. In the meantime, while the techies fix things, talk to the audience and ask them who they are and where they are from. This will also relax you.
- 14. 10. Don’t be afraid of pausing* Leaving gaps between paragraphs or slides seems like an eternity to you on stage, to the audience it’s about half a second or time to breathe. They don’t notice. I tend to leave gaps so I can remember what I am talking about next or look at my cue cards.
- 15. 11. Try jokes, if no one laughs, make a joke of that* This way you will at least seem human.
- 16. 12. Remember, you’re telling a story* A talk is a story. Even the most ball-achingly dry academic talk (and boy, are they dry…) can be improved by putting data into the context of a story. If you don’t know what I mean, then watch a TV academic like Prof. Brian Cox or Neil De Grasse-Tyson. They tell stories about massive complexity and yet make it very simple. If your story is good, your data can be meh.
- 17. 13. Use your voice* Your voice is a brilliant storytelling tool. Make it loud, soft, and go up and down as you talk. If you want, you can emphasise the verbs. Think about William Shatner, in parodies of him, he emphasises the non-verbs and it sounds… unique; not what you want.
- 18. 14. Try to use no more than 10 slides/ boards/ whatever* 10 is enough, mostly. This deck has over 20. Why that, you ask? Well, each slide here is about one minute long and this is designed for you to read, so I can add more. If I gave this talk publicly I would keep it to twenty and rigidly time myself at twenty minutes (a perfect talk length is usually 20 – 30 minutes). If you can’t tell your story in that time then go home.
- 19. 15. Use , or videos, or sounds* It’s much better…and they act as a great counterpoint to your words. Or you can keep it simple, like this deck.
- 20. 16. Use your arms and fingers to point at things on your slides* Look at your slides if you are referring to them. This is a simple teacher’s trick, if it looks interesting to you, it will be interesting to them, if you ignore your slides, why bother having them? Point, gesture, wave and for God’s sake don’t grip the sides of the lectern until your fingers whiten!
- 21. 17. Allow, encourage and respond to questions and interruptions* Honestly, its great, it means you’re engaging them and it can often remind you to cover things that have slipped your mind. It can also give you time to recall what is next.
- 22. 18. Finish on a song* No, don’t, unless you’re Tom Jones. Finish by telling the audience you’ve finished and ask them to ask you questions. And say thank you, it matters.
- 23. Contact me if you want advice @dickyadams or richard@radams.co.uk