10 Tips for Public Speakers

One of the reasons that many people fear taking the podium is because they are afraid of being the focal point of everyone’s attention and they don’t want to make a fool of themselves. There are several things you can do to put your best foot forward every time. Here are 10 of them.

1. Take the time to prepare well for your presentation.

Preparation enhances your confidence and it’s also an opportunity to refine any weak areas in your presentation.

2. Begin and end your presentation on time.

Arriving late to your presentation is simply unprofessional; not to mention that it won’t win you any points with your crowd. Also speaking over time shows your audience that you don’t value their time.

3. Know your audience.

The only way you can really relate with your audience is if you know who they are. Profile your audience. Are they male or female? What income bracket are they in? Why would they attend your presentation? What other commonalties do they have with each other and with you?

4. Dress appropriately for your audience.

Not all speaking engagements require a business suit! There are many places where business casual attire has become the norm. Before your audience even hears your message, they are already sizing you up and this impacts whether or not they will hear what you have to say. Too formal attire can be as damaging as too informal.

5. Have a backup plan for visual aids used in your presentation.

You’ve selected to use visual aids because you thought they would be helpful in getting your message across. What happens when laptops fail or the room cannot accommodate presentation equipment? Create a plan on how you would handle this situation. Then, if things do go wrong, you can handle it with grace.

6. Tone down information overload.

Yes, you can overload your audience with too much information and, if you’re not careful, you’ll lose them. They’ll mentally check out. As a speaker, you’ll want to present enough information to hook them into getting more information from you. Keep your points to no more than seven, three or five is better.

7. Don’t use inappropriate humor.

Humor can be a tricky thing. I can work for you or it can work against you. You really have to know your audience in order to use jokes or humor appropriately.

8. Vary your speech tones.

The monotonous speaker will lose his or her audience within the first 15 minutes. It’s okay to be animated during your presentation. In fact, doing so transmits flair and passion that keeps people engaged with your message.

9. Relate your topic back to your audience.

Remember point #3? Once you know your audience you can relate your topic to them. Stop talking only about yourself! Your audience might want to hear a testimony or two, but mostly, they’ll want to hear about themselves and how your presentation can help them.

10. Solidify your message.

Support your ideas with data and evidence. Build a solid case for your viewpoints. Use appropriate statistics, testimonies, demonstrations, pictures and more. Help your audience fully understand your point.

Your presentation can be fool proof if you take the time to minimize mistakes. By going through these 10 tips, you can assure yourself that you are well prepared for any challenge that might come your way. Follow these 10 tips and you will experience success.