How to Conduct Effective Public Speaking

Speaking to colleagues need not be daunting.

People often fear giving speeches in public. Yet, many jobs may require it. For effective public speaking you need to prepare well and appear confident, even if you are not. An opportunity to be heard, to persuade and influence people, a speech allows you to get your ideas across without interruption to a captive audience.

Instructions

1. Focus on your core message. Have a maximum of three key points, all of which advance a central message. Emphasize these points as you speak. Your audience should be able to sum up your speech to one another after you finish.

2. Know your audience. If you are speaking to a room full of industry leaders, then you do not need to explain basic terms. If you are speaking to a classroom of young children, you should not use advanced terminology. Direct your speech to your audience.

3. Pace your speech so as to avoid rushing or leaving things out. If you have three key points and you are speaking for ten minutes, spend two minutes on each point and two minutes on introducing and summing up your points. Practice your speech with a stopwatch.

4. Include anecdotes and examples in your speech to keep people interested and engaged. Use analogies to help people who may not understand jargon and condense your meaning into a memorable phrase. Give anecdotes to personalize the topic and help keep the audience's attention.

5. Condense your speech into bullet points on cue cards to use as a guide while you speak. Using the cue cards is better than looking down, but you may have a copy of your speech on the desk or lectern if it makes you feel more comfortable. You will likely remember more than you expect with only the cue cards.

References

• Speaking and speeches: Everybody's guide on public speaking
• A Research Guide: Presentation Tips for Public Speaking
• Stress cure: How to conquer public speaking fear