“Picture the audience naked,” “memorize your material,” “be yourself!” are all bits of public speaking advice you’ve probably heard time and again. And while it’s not necessarily bad advice, it’s probably not teaching you anything new. These suggestions have been made to presenters for decades, often at the expense of more valuable, untold advice that can make your presentation a whole lot better than if you simply pictured the audience naked.
The following public speaking tips aren’t as widely known as the aforementioned generic advice we’ve all received, but if you apply them to your presentations, they’ll work wonders to improve your presence, confidence, and connection with the audience.
It’s okay to admit you’re nervous
Most presentation experts point to confidence as being among the most important qualities a public speaker can have. But what a lot of presenters don’t realize is that, if you’re nervous as all hell, a willingness to say as much to your audience at the jump can actually be a huge display of confidence. It shows you’re human and willing to be vulnerable—something everyone in your audience will relate to. As a result, you’ll cut away any tension between you and the audience early-on, which will make cultivating a connection that much easier.
Introverts can be amazing speakers
If you’re an introvert, don’t think you can’t be an impactful speaker. In fact, some of the best presenters out there are introverts at heart. Being an introvert doesn’t mean you’re shy and incapable of speaking to large groups; it simply means that you’re an introspective person who observes thoughts, patterns, and insights more closely (and quietly) than your extroverted counterparts. Those qualities can make for mind-blowing presentations. If you don’t believe us, check out fellow introvert, Susan Cain’s, groundbreaking TED Talk on The power of introverts to see for yourself.
If you can’t say your message in a sentence, you’re saying too much
People who sign up to present something tend to have a lot of things they want to say about that thing. We get it. But if you try to say too much about too many things, that’s a fast track to delivering a disjointed, convoluted, and confusing talk each time. Therefore, make sure that you can summarize the primary message of your presentation using just one sentence; a quick elevator pitch, so to speak. If you find you’re struggling to do that, then it’s a strong signal that you’re attempting to say too much about a topic and could benefit from trimming some of the fat of your content and honing in on your main message more closely and concisely.
Look closely at your audience
Some presentation advisors might suggest that you try to forget all of the people looking at you and focus on delivering your content—we’re telling you to do the opposite. Forgetting your audience means losing their connection to you. Instead, pay plenty of attention to them. Make an effort to gauge their reactions and the expressions on their faces as you’re talking, then use that data to inform your talk. If you notice that people are growing visibly bored during a certain section, then move away from it; if the audience seems particularly enthusiastic during a segment, then stay with it. Think of the audience as your partner in your presentation dance—work with them, not against them.
Your content matters less than the tone you use to deliver it
You can have the best content in the world, but if you rush through it, deliver it in a monotone voice, or generally fail to pay mind to how your tone influences your presentation, then the whole talk will fall flat. In his research, MIT professor Alex Pentland, found that certain qualities of our voice—like volume, articulation, and modulation—greatly impact how well and for how long others pay attention to us. So, if you want to be sure your message is received, then give at least as much thought to well-timed pauses, tonal emphasis, and vocal inflections as you do to preparing what you’re going to say.
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