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Public Speaking Tips by the Boatload
Posted by Kevin Purdy at 2:30 AM on November 22, 2007
The Public Speaking Blog never met a tip it couldn't share—or so it would seem from an extensive roundup of suggestions, dos and don'ts posted there. You might not want to sit down with the entire list before your moment at the mic, but a few of them are worth writing down somewhere, including this bit of speech-prep zen:
Present 70% of what you prepared. Keep the rest for emergency purposes, e.g. during Q&A or when you need to show off.One of the tips, of course, is to never stick too hard to such rules, and to adapt to a crowd's response. One more great tip? Don't kill your audience with PowerPoint. Photo by eschipul
Tags: preparation | presentations | public speaking | speaking
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
cprincipe
Posted 2:22 PM 21/11/07
I highly recommend #27 from this list, joining Toastmasters. It is an excellent way to learn and practice public speaking in a non-stressful environment, so that when it is time to make that big presentation, you've got the chops to handle it.
cprincipe
Kuz
Posted 10:51 AM 21/11/07
My head almost exploded trying to read all 250 tips, so I will try and digest more of it later. But as someone who actually enjoys public speaking opportunities (seriously, how many lawyers do you know who don't love to expound endlessly on any topic they can think of?), the "don't kill your audience with PowerPoint" is a gem.
I am always amazed at people who create these slides that basically require audience members to become readers - bad, bad, BAD. No one will hear you as they try to spend all their time digesting the reams of information in 10 point Arial on slide 23 of 45.
My key to doing well has always been to get away from being formal and focus on having a conversation with the audience. Don't use some kind of "special presentation language" or anything you would not use in a conversation with a friend or co-worker to explain some concept. It just comes off forced and fake.
Kuz
Advice_Network
Posted 3:02 PM 21/11/07
I can talk one on one to anyone, I can shout to a crowded room and be heard by hundreds. If you hand me a microphone, I can't talk to my own mom. Something about hearing my voice come really loudly from another direction just freaks me out.
Advice_Network
Dooga
Posted 7:05 PM 21/11/07
Somehow, Lifehacker freaks me out (in a good way) because everything I think about ends up being something I want on the site immediately after. I buy a new mouse: Top 10 Mouse Gestures. I want DVD burning software: approx 5 posts about DVDs. I get a cellphone, and all these SMS sites come up on lifehacker. And yesterday I spent 3 hours looking for public speaking tips. Well I guess Lifehacker hacks my life to know what I want :P.
Dooga
DebbieLundberg
Posted 1:14 PM 24/11/07
It's amazing that still to this day, most people have a tremendous fear of impromptu and/or public speaking, when, in fact, nearly all (if not all) of your conversations and sharing are impromptu...and to members of the public! I appreciate that it is either #1 or #2 on most fear lists compiled by people who feel better knowing what tweaks us, and still, I encourage each of you to remember that nobody knows what you have planned if you are toasting, hosting or roasting, so go with a smile and whatever you say and embrace it...with no excuses...and your audience will as well!
DebbieLundberg