Public Speaking: Less is More

There’s nothing worse than listening to a speaker who repeats the “ums,” “so,” or “like” every sentence.

The fact of the matter is that it’s just a nervous tick the presenter needs to become aware of and it can be easily fixed.

Always remember, “silence is golden.”

Use a pause in your speech instead of the dreaded; "um," "so" or "like."

By remaining silent, it gives you a chance to gather your thoughts and your audience will be on the edge of their seat waiting for your next comment.

Don’t be critical of your public speaking.  We all started out with the dreaded "um," "so" or "like" as fillers to our spoken word.

Take a deep breath, focus on your story, and when you feel the urge to fill space with one of those words, don’t!

You’ll become the better speaker for it, your audience will enjoy your talks more and listen to what you have to say.

For more resources on public speaking from Toastmasters International go HERE.

For a post I did last year titled Public Speaking 101: 3 Tips to Remember go HERE.

3 Tips for a Great Presentation

Start with a bang.  Tell a story.  End with where you began.

All successful speakers have mastered these three techniques in addition to their own experiences on delivering the goods on a great presentation.

Here's three I'd like to focus on:

1. Know your subject matter;
2. Tell a story; and
3. Keep it simple.

Know your subject matter:

You're not credible if you don't know your subject matter.  Don't fake it!  They will see right through you. The key is to stay focused on your presentation and subject matter and don't get off on a tangent.

Tell a story:

If you've ever read anything about giving a top-notch presentation, it's all about storytelling.  Begin with a story and end with a story that ties back to the original story that you told.  The stories is what your audience will remember, not the other stuff, unfortunately.  So it's key to bury your main message in the story.

Keep it simple:

I'm reminded by a blog post I did, and you can find it HERE, that if you want them to remember something keep it to three topics, if you want them to remember nothing, than tell them 10 things.

It's so true.  Keep it simple and they will remember your message. So don't push that theory!

Figure out what you want them to leave with and deliver that message.

I'm also reminded by a recent blog post I did on "If You're Creating a Start-up: Find Your Three Words" to describe your business?  You can find it HERE.

It's true, keep it simple and they will remember your message.

Public Speaking 101: 3 Tips to Remember

There have been many articles and books written on public speaking from how to deliver a great speech to how to control your breathing.

Here are three things I think about before giving a presentation.

And by the way, these three are on multiple lists, just Google it!

• Knowledge
• Audience
• Delivery

Knowledge

It goes without saying that giving a speech about a subject matter you know well is a great confidence booster.  I would suggest you don't give a speech on a subject you know little or nothing about.  You must be credible.  Don't' fake it!

Audience

It's important to know the audience you're speaking to and how they identify themselves.  Speaking to a group of business people and talking about organizations or vice versus is a killer.

I also put the room set-up in the "audience" category.  It's important that you visit the venue where you will be speaking to get comfortable with the lighting, make sure your AV works and how you will project your message.

Delivery

Watch those nervous ticks!  I hate when a speaker says "um."  It's a pet peeve of mine.  Remember, silence is golden.  Don't rush your delivery and stay on message.

Open strong, tell a story and end with a powerful quote or fact to bring it all together.

If you keep these three things in mind the next time you're about to give a speech, you'll do great.

Just get out there and do it!

For two blogs on public speaking go HERE and HERE.