HOW-TO Become a better public speaker

After doing a post about how to become more social if you’re shy, I thought I might talk a little bit about becoming a better public speaker.

Now, I’m not about to suggest I’m an amazing public speaker by any stretch, but I’m all right. Good enough that I don’t mind throwing down a tip or two that might help you out if it’s something you struggle with.

1) Practice
Sorry, I know that doesn’t sound terribly helpful, but it’s obviously the most important thing. Take every opportunity that you can to do some public speaking. Do a presentation for your coworkers, classmates, or colleagues. Volunteer to get up there and explain something. The more you do that, obviously the better you’ll become.

2) Don’t read
Don’t read off your slides (if you’re using slides) or notes. You’ll seriously do more harm than good. You’ll get tied to them and you’ll sound and look unprepared.

3) No bullet points
Put your bullet points on the takeaway document you pass out after your presentation. Your audience will read your slides before you’ve even started addressing them, and while you’re slowly talking them through the bullets, they’re already bored. Don’t do it.

4) Don’t over-rehearse
Once you feel like you’re almost there with your presentation, stop rehearsing at home. Your next one will be your best. If you completely nail it at home you’ll try to replicate it perfectly when you do it for real, and you’ll get too caught up trying to remember how you did it last time. Your presentation should strive to improve upon the last time you practiced it.

5) Watch other presentations
Go to TED.com and watch other presentations. Notice what makes some people really good, and others pretty boring. For instance, notice that Sam Harris almost never says “um” or “uh” or anything like that. Saying “um” is still something I struggle with. I got out of practice forcing myself to avoid it, and it’s completely slipped back into my presentations.

6) Have a plant in the room
Not, like, a literal plant (well, feel free, but I don’t know if it will help), but someone you know and trust who can give you some confidence. Someone who will be the first person to ask a question at the end. Nothing’s more awkward than a silent room during question time, so try to make sure you’ve got someone in the room who’s prepared to ask you something. Once someone’s broken the ice, others will follow.

7) Avoid “tricks”
People will tell you to imagine the audience in their underwear, or don’t look directly at people, but at the back of the room, and other tricks like that. These are crutches. They may help at first (especially if you’re super nervous or frightened), but if you rely on them you’ll never improve. Get used to looking audience members in the eyes. There’s no other way to know if they’re listening or liking what you’ve got to say. If you stare at the back of the room people will notice, and they’ll start to tune you out.

8) Know your information, not your presentation
The problem with over-rehearsing and bullet points is that they make you concentrate on your presentation and not the information in it. What if the projector doesn’t work? What if you’re asked right before to deal with only one facet of what you’d intended to speak on? Know your subject matter well enough that you can adapt. You may never have to, but being that prepared will make for a much better presentation. Check out this great talk by Merlin Mann. Due to technical difficulties he had to present for over an hour, with no slides.

9) Be prepared to fail
You will crash and burn sometimes. It happens. Don’t take it personally and don’t beat yourself up. Just try to note what you could have done better and improve for next time. It’s not the end of the world. And don’t blame the audience.

10) Be prepared
This is the most important point. Being unprepared is not an excuse to do poorly. Don’t tell your audience, “sorry, I’m not really prepared, I’m just winging it.” Don’t advertise on Twitter the night before that you haven’t finished your slides yet, or you’re still working on your talk. If you don’t care enough to be prepared, why should your audience care enough to listen — or even show up? This is especially important if people are paying to attend the conference you’re presenting at. If the conference cost that person $400 to attend, imagine that it cost them $400 just to see you. As Seth says, “a presentation isn’t an obligation, it’s a privilege.”

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