How to Become a Boss At Public Speaking

Imagine everyone in their underwear, right? Wrong! 

As much as we hate it, public speaking is a normal part of assessments in high school and university. Chances are you’re gonna have to do a few presentations before you graduate, so why not ace them?

Plus, if you start building your public speaking skills now, you’ll find that it will come in handy in your career, whether you’re giving a presentation in a meeting, selling a house or just having a conversation.

So, here's five tips on how to public speak like a boss.

Do your research.

A good public speaker knows their topic inside out. Even the most nervous student will get a good mark if they have done their research.

Research your topic from a variety of sources, and then include this research and statistics in your speech. This will show the marker you know what you’re talking about. 

Plan ahead.

It’s one thing to have the research, but another thing to tell other people about it. Don’t just get up in front of your class and wing it, be sure to plan out your speech.

It might sound simple, but having an intro, body and conclusion is a great place to start. Check that every paragraph is related to your topic and adding to your argument. If it’s not, it’s best to ditch it.

Practice makes perfect!

Practicing your speech is the best way to stop you having a mental blank halfway through the real thing. Leading up to the speech, just spend 15 minutes twice a day practicing either in front of a mirror or friends and family.

While you don’t need to memorise your whole presentation, reading the entire thing from paper is never a good look. Practicing will help you become less reliant on your palm cards and give your attention to your audience. Plus, the confidence you project will go a long way.

Watch your volume, speed and tone.

You want to make sure you are speaking with the right volume for the room you’re in. Nothing is worse than when the teacher tells you to speak up (that happened to me).

Watch that you don’t speak too fast. Nerves may be telling you to just speed up and get it over with, but it isn’t much fun when the teacher tells you to slow down (again, this happened to me).

Good communicators have excellent control over both these things, adjusting their volume and speed to create excitement and emphasis on what they’re saying. The more you publicly speak, the more you’ll master your tone.

Be funny and don’t apologise.

Injecting a little humour into your speech is a great way to get rid of those nerves. Plus, it lets the audience know this isn’t gonna be all serious and helps them engage from the get-go. Just make sure the humour you’re using is appropriate for the audience. There's nothing worse than a joke that makes the audience cringe.

If you make a mistake while you’re speaking, don’t dwell on it and let it trip you up. Chances are no one noticed so keep powering on.

Nerves are normal.

It’s natural to feel nervous before doing a speech. Even the most experienced communicator gets this. Acknowledge the nerves, but don’t let them take control. The previous five steps are there to keep you on track despite your nerves.

If you find that your fear and anxiety is continues and is interfering with your daily life and sleep, it’s a good idea to seek some extra support. Speak with a parent, teacher or counsellor and if need be, book an appointment with your doctor.

Header Image: NBC