Have you ever had the feeling when you get up in front of an audience to give a speech that you’re utterly and completely naked? Not in the real sense, of course, but in the sense that it’s just you, the microphone and the audience. You have no podium to hide behind – no slide projector or pointer – in other words, you have no props.
In truth, public speaking is like anything else we do in life – the more often we do it, the more familiar it becomes and the better we get at it. A surgeon is a better technician after performing 1,000 surgeries than he is performing his first – the same theory applies to a public speaker – the more practice you have, the better a public performer you will be.
Identify your message - your message needs to be clear – what is it that you want people to do? Sleep more? Take better care of themselves? Be kind to one another? What makes your message special? How does your message stand out from the crowd?
Humor can benefit your presentation in so many ways – it can overcome an overly complimentary introduction and tell your audience you don’t take yourself too seriously. It can also make you seem more down-to-earth and less intimidating – helping you form a bond with your audience. And, perhaps most importantly, it will keep attention focused on you – they’ll be waiting for the next punch line, and you can use that opportunity to hit them with your key message. It’s also a good way to illustrate main points or concepts without creating hostility.
A key point many public speakers forget is that they don’t have to be perfect to be an effective public speaker. You can get tongue-tied, forget whole sections of your speech, go off on a tangent, and not recall your best joke – and the audience may still love you. In fact, they may relate to you better if you’re imperfect than if you got up in front of them and delivered a polished and flawless speech. You’re less intimidating – more like them.
Let your imagination run wild when trying to imagine props to use. Humor can be introduced into your presentation with some “wild and crazy” props – I’ve seen speakers bring mannequins on stage and throw them around to make a point, I’ve seen people use simple magic tricks and sound-effect machine that make noises like a crying baby or galloping horse to illustrate a point.
Like it or not, public speaking is part of the entertainment industry – and even if your message is a serious one – audiences still want to be entertained. If you’ve been hired by an organization or a service club to stand up and deliver a message, you need to be able to do just that – or you won’t be invited back. Nor will you receive any recommendations to address any other group they might be connected with.
How well do you know your message? You need to be able to answer any question your audience asks. If you can’t do that, you haven’t prepared enough. Read about your subject, study it from every angle – you need to feel, look and sound like an expert.
Props can be used very effectively to help draw attention to key points of your presentation – visual aids of any sort, such as slides or flipcharts - can deliver your message more effectively to the visual learners in your audience. They can also add variety and a great deal of additional dimension to your speech, and make your key points even more noticeable.
Not at all. But consider this - if your audience isn’t listening – if you’re boring them, you’re not delivering your message in an effective manner. And if you’re not getting through to them – you’re wasting your time and your message is being lost. You don’t have to become a comedian to be a good, but you do have to know when to use humor to get your message across.
Your presentation should be interesting - regardless of topic. Don’t drone on and on and on for days about some boring little detail - tell them the facts and get out of the way. Don’t be one of those public speakers who can’t shut up - who loves the sound of their own voice so much they just can’t seem to stop talking. Believe me, your audience will be too polite to say it, but they’ll wish you put a sock in it.
Next, have a “hook” at the very beginning of your presentation - a joke, a one-liner, a poignant story - something that instantly draws your audience into your presentation. Make it funny, make it serious - it doesn’t matter as long as it compliments your presentation - but make it interesting enough to make your audience listen to you.
Used correctly, props can add a tremendous amount of significance and variety to any presentation and help ensure that your message is received and understood. And that’s what public speaking is all about.
Hone your speaking skills – someone needs to critique your presentation – a friend, colleague or spouse. Have you tried having someone coach you or received instruction on how to be a better speaker?