6 Simple Steps to Become a Better Public Speaker.

It’s officially time to become a better public speaker.  Whether you’re speaking in front of 5 people, 100 people of even 1000 people! It’s time to say farewell to red faces, cold/hot sweats and the overwhelming anxiety that comes with public speaking. You’re amazing and it’s time to share your magic with the world/your family/work colleagues/networking group/who ever!

Become more confident public speakers was one of our top 2015 goals and thanks to our collaboration with Microsoft we were able to have a one on one (ok… one on two) presentation skills workshop with ATS Training! And it was seriously amazing! There were AHA Moments coming at us from all angles. We took pages of notes using OneNote (of course on our Microsoft Surface Pros) and we just had to share our favourite take aways!

6 Simple Steps to become a Better Public Speaker

  1. Rehearse, no… learn it off by heart. Our favourite public speakers are the ones that come across super natural and the ones that have fun! These speakers we admire seem like they’re making it up… we therefore assumed this is how we should speak ( just ‘wing it’ and go with the flow). WRONG! Oh so wrong! Apparently the BEST way to get that authentic natural speaking feel is to actually learn it off by heart. Like a script and then you have this super mega confidence, which means you can make changes here and there. The presentation will flow and you’ll be able to handle anything! Makes a whole heap of sense yes? We told you there were AHA Moments.Institute_Integrative_Nutrition_carla_papas
  2. Oh no, you’ve stuffed up and forgotten what’s next. DO NOT STRESS! Make a plan for when this happens… have a glass of water on stand by and tell the audience you’re having a drink break. Everyone knows how thirsty you get when presenting and will completely understand! Plus, this time gives them a chance to really take in all the amazing things you’ve already shared. A calm drink break, compared to freaking out and telling the audience that you’ve completely stuffed up is a much better option!
  3. Ok so you’ve REALLY forgotten your next words and the glass of water trick didn’t help jog that memory! All is well… because you’ve left your notes on the lectern behind you! Wa-lah! Crisis averted! We keep all our presentation notes on our OneDrive so we can access them anywhere, anytime!6 tips to become a better public speaker
  4. Do you get hot when speaking in front of people? A little red faced? Well simply wash you hands with cold water right before you go on stage! This will cool you down instantly! On the other hand… do you get cold and clammy? Do the opposite and wash your hands with warm water. Genius really!
  5. Think of the layout of your presentation like an essay (we knew there was a reason we had to write so many essays at uni!) Like so… introduction: explain your main points and tell the audience what you’re going to tell them. Middle: expand on all points… tell them what you told them you were going to tell them! Conclusion, reiterate everything…. tell them what you told them! BOOM!
  6. Throw in a good story and don’t be afraid to add humour! Everyone LOVES a good story! By adding a funny personal story to your presentation it allows the audience to relate to you more. If it’s a really good story they’ll remember you and probably tell their friends too!

This year we’ve already spoken at plenty of events! Cooked on stage with Pete Evans, spoke at the League of Extraordinary Women Networking Breakfast, held coaching sessions at the Thr1ve Symposium, spoke at a corporate office for International Women’s Day and we’re not stopping there! We already have a few more lined up and we’re SO excited to make our presentations even better!

Do you have some hot tips for public speaking? We’d love to hear them, just leave a comment below!

Always merrymaking,

Emma + Carla

P.s. If you loved this blog post you should checkout this post . You’ll find some amazing tips on networking!

This content has been created as part of our involvement in Microsoft’s #WorkWonders Program.

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