How to Master the Art of Public Speaking

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How do you feel when you are about to give a presentation?

Do you feel energised and excited? Do you strut out on stage with a smile, ready to mesmerise the audience?

Or perhaps you might feel cool as a cucumber, casually walking to the podium.

However, if you feel anxious and nervous, you are not alone. 77% percent of the general population feels some anxiety when public speaking, and many experience real fear. But if you want to overcome the feeling of apprehension and deliver compelling executive presentations, I have put together 11 tips to help you master the art of public speaking.

12 Tips to Master the Art of Public Speaking

1. Plan Your Speech in Advance 

The first and most crucial step is to plan your speech. You must know exactly what you are going to say in your presentation and how you will say it. For some people, this might mean writing a script, like many politicians and Nobel prize winners. Others might need just to allow their slides to guide them.

Either way, you need to be prepared and have a clear idea of what you want to say before stepping on stage.

When you plan your speech, you need to ensure you are

  • Starting with a friendly opening

  • Leading into a compelling hook

  • Using a solid structure

  • Focusing on your communication goal

  • Outlining the main points of your talk

  • Using strong supporting evidence

  • Concluding with a powerful call to action or take away message

This can help you ensure you have your speech organised so that your audience is engaged from the moment you open your mouth and you can make the difference you really care about (or you can make the impact you really want). 

2. Practice Your Speech and Then Practice Some More

The next step to mastering public speaking is to practice your speech at least 10 times if it's key. 

You need to make sure you are comfortable with the material and know exactly how long it will take to deliver. Check if you have sufficient time for questions if that is what the audience is expecting. If not, reduce your content, do not speed up.

Practicing your speech, again and again, will help you reduce those anxious feelings of giving an executive presentation. You will feel more relaxed because you will know your content well and the beats and rhythm of your speech. With enough practice, you will be able to pace yourself to avoid rushing so you can communicate clearly, with authority and credibility.

3. Record and Review Your Speeches

With video conferencing features, it has now been made easy to record your speeches. Rewatch your recordings and note what worked well and what could be improved. You might also want to rehearse and ask for feedback from friends and/or colleagues, so you can get an idea of how you are perceived when you speak.

Recording and reviewing your speeches is a great way to improve your public speaking skills. It allows you to check your structure and flow, hone your skills step by step, and make sure your message is clear. Plus, it can help build your confidence because you will see firsthand how well you are doing.

When you review your recordings, be on the lookout for

  • How natural do you look?

  • How fast are you speaking?

  • What are your posture and body language?

  • How does your voice sound (monotonous or engaging)?

  • How often do you use filler (eg right? OK?) words?

  • How many 'ers' and 'ums' do you use?

  • Are your slides helping to emphasise your message?

  • Is your language simple and strong?

With this constructive feedback, you can work on improving your public speaking skills for future executive presentations.

4. Develop a Warm Up or Relaxation Routine

One way to master public speaking is to develop a warm-up or relaxation routine before you give your talk. This can help you get into the right headspace and ensure you are calm and collected when you take the stage.

There are many different ways to relax before giving a speech. Some people like to meditate, others might do some deep breathing exercises, and others listen to music. Find what works best for you and stick to it.

A relaxation routine can help you master public speaking by ensuring you are relaxed and confident when you give your talk. It can also help to focus your mind so that you are less likely to make mistakes.

5. Learn to Engage Your Audience

One of the most important aspects of mastering public speaking is learning how to engage your audience. This means making eye contact, using facial expressions, and speaking with passion. If you feel comfortable, exaggerate your gestures to fill the space around you. Create opportunities to move as your audience will follow you, but move with clear intention and practice this technique so it is credible and appears natural.

You should also try to connect with your audience personally by sharing stories. Humans just love stories! Tell ones that are personal to you so you can relive them and use your own feelings to recount your tales. And make sure you link them to your communication goal or you will lose credibility.

The more engaged your audience is, the easier it will be for you to master public speaking. They will be more likely to pay attention and remember what you say. An inspired audience is also more likely to change the way they think, feel and act after listening to you; your ultimate goal. And they often give very positive feedback!

Encourage the audience to interact with you. You could ask them questions, invite them to take notes, or even volunteer to participate in part of your presentation. Role-play or activity in pairs is another fantastic way to engage your audience while showing everyone an example of what others might be experiencing.

6. Utilise the Power of Stories

Stories are a powerful tool that can help you master public speaking. They can be used to deeply connect with your audience, illustrate your points in a personal way, and make complex topics more relatable.

When choosing a story to share, make sure it is relevant to your presentation and the point you are trying to make. It should also be exciting and engaging while paralleling the core points you are making in your speech. 

A 2 to 3 minute story can be the most engaging way to start your speech, as it immediately humanises you. Stories build empathy and can break down the barriers between the individuals in front of you, creating powerful bonds.

7. Display Confident Body Language

Your body language plays a big role in how you are perceived by your audience. If you appear confident, your audience will be more likely to believe in what you are saying. On the other hand, if you have nervous body language, it can make your audience sceptical of your message, and you might lose credibility.

Some ways to display confident body language include:

  • Standing up straight

  • Ensuring your chin is parallel to the floor

  • Placing your shoulders back

  • Making eye contact

  • Using deliberate gestures

  • Smiling

  • Speaking slowly and clearly

8. Cultivate a Positive Mindset

It is vital to have a positive mindset and lots of energy when giving a presentation. 

First, you need to be fully prepared, drink plenty of water, and have a good night's sleep.

Remind yourself that it is your knowledge and expertise that can really help people and organisations, so your great ideas are invaluable.

You can cultivate a positive mindset by preparing for your presentation and knowing your material inside and out. This will help you feel more confident when you take the stage. You can also try visualising your success. Imagine yourself giving an excellent presentation and receiving positive feedback from your audience. This can help increase your confidence and motivation.

And finally, cultivate your positive mindset by tapping into your passion for the topic you are presenting.  If you are passionate about your material, it will be easier to engage your audience and deliver an engaging executive presentation.

9. Use Visual Aids

Visual aids should be considered as an integral part of the communication process, and not an add-on. You want to take your audience on a journey and you need to think about how you can visually support them to get them to their final destination. They can help break up the monotony of a long speech, make complex topics more understandable, and add visual interest.

10. Recap Your Main Points at the End

It is important to recap your main points at the end of your presentation. This will help your audience remember what you talked about and solidify your message.

When recapping your main points, be concise. You don't want to repeat everything you said in your speech verbatim. Just hit the highlights and remind your audience of the most essential points.

You could also end your presentation with a call to action. Ask yourself What do you want them to do? What's their part in your plan? For people to act, you need to be explicit in stating the actions required, by whom, how, and by when.

11. Study the Habits of Master Public Speakers

Throughout history, there are many famous public speakers and orators whom we can learn from.  We can learn what worked for them and adapt those techniques to our own speeches by studying their habits.

Here are some master public speakers you can study:

  • Winston Churchill

  • Michelle Obama

  • Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (amazing personal stories)

  • Barack Obama

  • Steve Jobs

  • Christine Lagarde

  • Ronald Reagan

  • JK Rowling (incredible language) 

  • Brené Brown (friendly, warm style)

  • Martin Luther King Jr.

Each of these master public speakers has different techniques that made them successful. For example, Winston Churchill was known for his stirring rhetoric and masterful use of language. Martin Luther King Jr. was an expert at using metaphors and stories to convey his message. Barack Obama is a master at using cadence and inflection to keep his audience engaged.

By studying the habits of master public speakers, we can learn what techniques work and adapt them to our speeches.

12. Consider Working with a Coach

If you want to master the art of public speaking, consider working with a coach. A coach can help you fine-tune your skills and give you feedback on your performances.

Look for a coach who has experience working with executive presenters. They will be able to help you with both the technical aspects of public speaking, such as delivery and stage presence, as well as the content of your speeches.

Working with a coach is a great way to accelerate your learning and improve your executive presentations. An executive communication coach can synthesise public speaking strategies into a personalised curriculum for you or your company.

Coaching and Training to Master Public Speaking

Mastering public speaking is not a tough or impossible task. Step by step it can be fun and immensely rewarding. With these 11 executive presentation tips, you can start your journey to becoming an engaging spokesperson.

If you want to discuss your organisation’s (corporate, NGOs, Associations and Universities) Public speaking or Presentation skills needs, I offer free 30-minute consultations through my site. I’d love to meet you.