You may think effective speakers are born that way. You'd be wrong! Public speaking is a skill that can be learned.
effective public speakers have worked hard to master effective speaking skills
and good public speaking techniques. They may spend hours practicing, working
with a coach, or taking speech courses.
good news is that, with the right public speaking techniques, you can improve
your public speaking skills and become an effective speaker. In this tutorial, we've listed over 15
different public speaking techniques that can help you learn how to become an
Is Public Speaking?
speaking occurs when you give a speech before a live audience. It differs from
other types of speaking, such as videos, which may be recorded. It's also
different from online presentations, which are created and then uploaded to the
speaking has many
improving your confidence level and giving you the opportunity to champion a
cause you care about. Plus, having effective public speaking skills can help
you find a job. Many jobs, such as an instructor or sales professional, require
you to speak in public. Even when a job doesn't include public speaking in the
job description, employers still value candidates with effective public
speaking skills. In one survey of 600 employers participants indicated that they felt good
communication skills were twice as important as managerial skills.
At this point you may be asking "what makes a good public speaker?" The answer might seem easy: A good public speaker makes use of effective public speaking techniques. What are those effective public speaking techniques? That's what we're going to talk about in the rest of this tutorial.
Before we dive into our discussion of effective public speaking techniques, download our new eBook: The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations. It's available for FREE with the Tuts+ Business Newsletter. Learn how to write, design, and deliver the perfect presentation.
Now, let's look at how you can deliver an awesome presentation by using effective speaking techniques.
Effective Public Speaking Techniques
can learn to become a more effective speaker by using the right techniques and
practicing your public speaking skills. Here are some techniques to follow:
Care About Your Topic
Passion goes a long way when it comes to being an effective speaker. The audience can tell if you're apathetic. If you don't care, they won't care either. Even worse, you can come across as a fake.
the other hand, if you sincerely care about your topic the audience will
pick up on that too. They'll view you as being more authentic and believable.
They'll listen more closely to discover why your subject is so important to
you. And they're more likely to forgive any minor mistakes you might make.
Remember Your Speaking Goal
all probably listened to at least one speaker who seemed to go on and on
forever about nothing in particular. One reason why this happens is because the
speech isn't focused enough. The speaker is trying to cover too much and ends
up boring their listeners.
in the process of developing your speech, identify the reason why you're
speaking. Make it a point to stick to this goal during your presentation. Don't
get sidetracked or off-topic.
Support Your Main Points
Every point you make in your speech needs to be supported with either an example, an illustration, or facts. When you're supporting a point, it's best to be as specific as you can be.
For example, in a speech about the importance of clean water this statement is too vague:
"Many people don't have clean water."
this statistic from the U.S. Center
for Disease Control is a more effective way to support your point:
"Worldwide, 780 million people do not have access to an improved water source."
4. Tell a Story
love a good story. So, if you want to be a more effective speaker, tell a
is a great way to make your material more engaging and to relate to your
audience. Make sure your story is relatable and relevant.
you're speaking is about your business, here are some examples of stories you may
be able to tell:
- A customer story. The story of how your product or services met a need for a specific customer or solved a problem. Satisfied customers are often happy to share this.
- Your company story. The story of how your company came to be. This can be especially effective if it's customer-oriented.
A product development story. The
story of how you came to offer a new product (or service).
course, there are many other types of stories you could tell depending on the
type of speaking you are doing.
Use Presentation Tools Wisely
Slide presentations often get a reputation for being dull, but that's because many speakers are unaware of what their presentation tools can do and don't make the best use of all the features. To better engage your audience, learn how to use the more advanced features of your tool.
an example, here are just a few ways you can use PowerPoint and Google Slides
(with links to related tutorials):
- Add animations (PowerPoint, Google Slides)
- Add video (PowerPoint, Google Slides)
- Add audio (PowerPoint, Google Slides)
- Construct a timeline (PowerPoint, Google Slides)
these features are just the tip of the iceberg. To really elevate your public
speaking techniques, you'll want to learn everything your presentation software
tool can do. Our tutorial series on Google
a good place to start.
Use a Professional Template
we're talking about presentation tools, let's also talk about presentation
design. Your presentation design affects how your audience perceives you. Even
if you've memorized your speech, give it perfectly, and have the most amazing
topic--your audience might still judge you negatively if your presentation
design is sloppy and unprofessional.
Of course, you could use a standard template (the same ones that everyone uses) or design your own template (costly and time-consuming). But a better plan is to use a professionally designed presentation template that you can easily customize. The presentation templates from Envato Elements and GraphicRiver, for example, are proven, easy-to-use, and professional. And there are hundreds to choose from--so you're bound to find one that meets your needs.
7. Practice Your Speech
of the most important public speaking techniques is often one of the most
overlooked--practice. If you expect that you'll be an effective speaker without
practicing your speech, you'd be wrong. One of the quickest ways to avoid public
speaking failure is to try and give a speech you don't really know and haven't
old saying, "practice makes perfect," really is true when it comes to
developing effective speaking skills. The more you practice your speech, the
more familiar it will be to you and the more comfortable you'll be giving it.
Plus, practicing your speech is the only way to discover how long the speech will
take and where you need to pause.
Work With a Coach (optional)
If you're really serious about developing effective speaking skills, there's no better way than working with a speech coach or a speech teacher. A coach or teacher can teach you the principles of public speaking and point out mistakes in your public speaking techniques that you wouldn't be aware of otherwise.
While you may be thinking that a speech coach is too pricey (and there are private coaches who'll teach you public speaking), you may be able to find reasonably priced public speaking help through one of the following organizations:
may even be additional resources close to you.
normal to be nervous about public speaking. The numbers vary, but one study
from The National Center for Biotechnology Information estimates that as many
as 77% of us have a
fear of public speaking. It's
so common there's an actual technical term for fear of public speaking--glossophobia.
not telling you this to make you more anxious, but rather to let you know that
having some anxiety before giving a speech is perfectly normal. Still, you
should try to relax if you can. You'll be more comfortable, and the audience
will relate to you better too.
there's something that normally calms you down in stressful situations, try
using it right before you're due to speak. Popular calming techniques include:
- Positive affirmations
following tutorials can also help you fight your fear of public speaking:
- PresentationsHow to Give a Good Presentation—Without AnxietyJulia Melymbrose
- Public SpeakingHow to Speak Confidently in Public (Like a Pro)Laura Spencer
Don't Worry About Mistakes
One of the reasons so many of us fear public speaking is because we're worried that we'll make a mistake and embarrass ourselves in front of everyone. If this is your fear, let it go. Most audiences will understand if you make a mistake. And if it's a small mistake, the audience may not even notice it.
course, practice can dramatically reduce the likelihood of you making a
mistake. The more you practice the better you'll know your speech--and
mistakes will be less likely.
what should you do if you do happen to make a mistake? If it's a minor mistake,
don't stop or apologize for your mistake as that only calls attention to it.
Just continue on. If you make a big mistake, try using humor to diffuse the
situation and then continue your speech. Your listeners will be impressed with
how gracefully you handled things.
When it comes to public speaking, a common newbie error is to speak too quickly. This is usually caused by a combination of nerves and not realizing how fast you're actually speaking. But talking too fast makes it harder for your listeners to understand what you're saying.
public speakers know to pace themselves. They'll speak at a natural pace and
work short, natural pauses into their speech.
also helps if you remember to breathe during your speech. A surprising number of
people hold their breath without realizing it when they're nervous (I'm one of them). But holding your breath will only increase
your anxiety. So, remember to breathe deeply during the breaks in your speech.
If your speech is a long one, taking a sip of water during a break can also
Add Visual Aids
aids can serve as a powerful illustration of your speech. Humans use their
sight more than any other sense. So, if you can make your point by showing it
to your listeners rather than describing it, they are more likely to remember
careful though. To be effective, your visual aid must be of high-quality and
easily visible to all members of your audience. Avoid incorporating sloppy
graphics into a slide presentation. Likewise, don't hold up a visual aid that's
physically too small for those listening to see.
Dress Comfortably, But Professionally
the right outfit to wear if you want to be an effective public speaker?
there's no one answer. How you dress depends on who your listeners will be. But
the general principle is that you want to dress professionally to make a good
impression. Make sure to observe good grooming and hygiene rules too.
experts feel you should dress according to how your audience dresses. If the
audience is dressed formally, you don't want to show up in shorts and a tee
shirt. Likewise, if the audience is wearing shorts and a tee shirt, don't dress
14. Avoid Awkward Fillers
"Um," "uh," "like." We all slip these filler words into our conversations without even realizing it. But overuse of these words during a professional speech can make you sound less than confident. If you can, break the habit of using these words to become a better public speaker.
Practice can help you eliminate these words from your speech patterns, but you may be so used to using them that it's hard to notice when you're doing it. This is where a speech coach, teacher, or friend would come in handy. They could listen for these words and help you break the habit of using them.
Use Gestures (But Don't Overdo)
movement during a speech is a sign of an effective public speaker. Hand
gestures and even taking a few steps across the stage can be good public
speaking techniques as long as they're natural, purposeful, and not overdone.
can make you appear more comfortable and help your audience relate to you.
You've probably seen the stiff speaker who delivers their speech while standing
stock still, hands hanging limply by their side. Which would you rather listen
to? That stiff speaker, or a speaker who punctuates their speech from time to
time with meaningful hand gestures?
Allow a Q & A
and answer sessions (Q & A) are one of the most underused public speaking
techniques. Many speakers just say what they're going to say and then sit down.
What a waste!
beauty of Q & A is that you get to hear your listeners' concerns directly
and address them publicly, further strengthening your case.
can prepare for a Q & A session by creating your own list of questions and
possible objections that audience members may have (with answers). Study the
list carefully so that you're familiar with it. If someone does bring up a
point that you hadn't thought of, don't panic. They don't expect you to know
everything. It's perfectly acceptable to take their contact information and
tell them that you'll get back to them once you've got the answer.
Resources on Effective Public Speaking
If you're ready to learn more about developing effective speaking skills, we've got a number of tutorials on public speaking that can help:
- PresentationsHow to Write a Great Motivational Business SpeechLaura Spencer
- Presentations10 Business Presentation Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)Brad Smith
- PresentationsHow to Start a Presentation Strong and End PowerfullyJulia Melymbrose
Download Our Free PDF eBook on Making Great Presentations
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Now that you know that you can improve your effective public speaking skills, you're ready to get to work!
You can use the list above as a checklist of good public speaking techniques to work on, or just tackle those specific speaking skills that you're struggling with. Either way, with a little effort on your part you'll be on your way to becoming a more effective speaker.