Imagine if public speakers were super-heroes. What wold their powers be? If I were to describe the powers of Public Speaking Woman or Orator Man, this is how I would do it:

The Power of Eye Contact
Sincerity is a great element in public speaking. No other part of the body can show it better than the eyes. When Public Speaking Woman speaks in front of people, she looks at them, and makes eye contact with several people in the room. This way she helps establish rapport with her audience and shows them that she is honest about what she is sharing with them.

The Power of Visual Aids
Not all people are willing to listen that long. So, in order to retain their attention, Orator Man uses powerful visual aids. He shares charts, graphs and illustrations that help him communicate his points. His visual aids are clear and uncluttered, and they always support what he is saying.
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The real success of every presentation is leaving your audience with something of value. What do they get out of spending time listening to your presentation?

Many people believe that they need natural brilliance in speaking and presenting well. They believe that they need to be polished, smart, witty and charming all before they actually start to build a speech. Those attributes can come naturally, but most often, they come as a result of passion, knowledge and practice.

One of the most important factors in a successful presentation is serving the needs of your audience. Going back to the idea that you need to leave your audience with something of value, caring for your audience’s needs doesn’t require perfection. You can make mistakes during your speech and it’s going to be okay. The projector equipment can fail and it’s still going to be okay. You don’t have to include humor in order to be a success. True perfection in public speaking is more like being successful at reaching your audience.
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As a professional speaker, everything you do the minute you walk into the room sets the tone for your message. Without even speaking one word, you can determine just how many people you will reach because their engagement with your message depends on you; not on them. You can have a great topic and great presentation skills, but if you are not able to communicate the passion you have about your topic, none of it really matters.

Expect the Best

Go before your audience expecting to make an impact. People aren’t interested in what you know. They want your information for themselves and passion is the “grease” that lubricates that passage of information. Do you expect your audience to receive what you have to say? Do you communicate that you’re excited to be there and you’re excited that they are there as well?
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