Top 10 public speaking tips

A fear of public speaking is not a terminal condition. It can be cured, we promise. Follow Broadly Speaking’s top 10 public speaking tips and you’ll be a whole lot more confident standing up to speak in public.

PREPARATION

1. Know your audience. Every audience is different. Do your research before your talk or media appearance and adjust your speech to suit your listeners.

2. Know your purpose. Why have you been asked to speak?

3. Refine your messages. What are the top three messages you want to get across? How can you say them simply?

CONCENTRATION

4. Know your topic. Is this your area of expertise? Do you need to do more research on it?

5. Become a visual storyteller. Consider using photographs and statistics. They are also powerful visual tools.

6. Practice. Practice. Practice. Rehearse out loud with everything you plan to use for your talk.

PRESENTATION

8. Get to know your ‘stage’. If possible, try to arrive early to check it out.

9. Establish authority. Command the room when you enter it. Smile. Make eye contact.

10. Deliver the message; respect the audience. And enjoy it!