So I recently took a job as a professional public speaker. I deliver presentations, trainings, consultations, etc. to groups of 10-12 people usually, but can go up to 30-40 for some clients. I will also eventually be required to deliver presentations at large conferences and trade shows with audiences of 200-1000+ attendees. I've never had a job like this and was recruited for my expertise in an area. Is anyone here good at public speaking? Are there people who are "naturals" at speaking in front of an audience? I am having a hell of time not being a wreck on stage. What are some tips to be a good public speaker?
Maybe I misunderstood but... you got hired as a "professional public speaker" but you yourself are a poor public speaker?
Interesting. Well, good luck! I'm not experienced giving presentations to 200+ in a professional setting so I can't help but hopefully someone can chime in with good advice.
practicing in front of a mirror always helps me. i've always had problems with anxiety with public speaking, but during my mba program i've had to give lots of presentations and with each one i feel more comfortable.
I regularly speak in front of large groups. The best piece of advice -- be fully prepared for the content of your speech.
I have some friends who have to give presentations on a regular basis for their company. A lot of them take a low dose beta blocker (propranolol) to calm the nerves. I've heard it is a fairly common technique/approach many professional speakers use to help them.
Write up a Powerpoint and bring it with you. Maybe spend every second of your free time rehearsing and record it, so you can watch it later. You could also ask "how's everybody doing" at the start, pretend they weren't enthusiastic enough, then passive-aggressively keep asking over-and-over until your anxiety subsides.
I imagine it's different for everyone. 1. Practice modulating and projecting your voice (best way I can describe it). This allows you to "power through" nerves that would cause your voice to crack if speaking normally. 2. If I'm feeling nervous, I get myself into a "these people put their pants on one leg at a time. I'm better than them. I don't care what they think of me." mentality, borderline arrogance and contempt. 3. In my experience, the more prepared you are, the less nervous you will be.
I can barely speak in front of people I know about something that I know about, much less people and topics I don't. @OP: Why does your company think you're up to the task of this new job? Have you shown that you're capable of public speaking before?
I personally have trouble with public speaking also. For some reason, I can never get comfortable (my voice and hands shake, etc). So I would just say to the OP, know that you aren't alone. Many people also have trouble with public speaking. 99% of the time the audience is rooting for you (or is at least neutral). They aren't against you.
1) Always think how you can provide value to your audience. Ask about your audience and maybe meet a few before you speak so you get a sense for what they want to hear. 2) Use a simple/clean slide deck with powerful, themed images (if they're not themed, at least make sure you have some kind of color scheme going), avoid resizing images, and provide minimal text in clear readable font as guideposts for the discussion you're trying to advance (I usually use Keynote, but for PPT I default to Lucida Console). If you really want to be pro, consider using a custom font to really distinguish yourself--ex: Avenir Next LT Pro http://www.cufonfonts.com/en/font/13217/avenir-next-lt-pro Or FF Tisa Web Pro (Medium uses this for maximum readability and impact across web) http://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2...choose-ff-tisa-web-pro-as-the-font-for-posts/ 3) Using the text from your presentation as a guidepost for what you want to say, use the method of loci to remember where to go with longer presentations. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Method_of_loci 4) Practice, practice, practice, with a mental checklist of the points you really want to get across. Incorporate those into the loci. I usually like to end off my presentations with the strongest of those points: "If there's one thing I want to leave you with today, it's [point X]" 5) Stop giving a s**t what people think about you, because most people have arbitrary and vapid judgement criterion. Focus on providing as much value as you can to your audience and they will love you. 6) If you really want to be swag, get a Nod ring to control your presentation pixel by pixel, wirelessly
I've always dreaded public speaking but I've gotten a lot better since being in law school. Like others said, know your stuff. And also what always helps me out to think about is.....you are the expert on the topic you are talking about, no one in the audience know more about this than you. There is no need to feel pressure or embarrassment when are the only one in the room who knows what they are doing.
Join a local Toastmasters. The most effective public speakers are a lot like athletes, some are just "naturals" with an innate talent, but practice can lead to better performance.
This. If you're prepared and confident in what you're saying it becomes easier. It helps me if I truly believe in what I'm saying as well. I'm not big fan of having to BS my way through things. If that makes sense.
