If you think about the most prominent public speakers in the world, how do you feel? Do you feel inspired by the way they deliver their speeches? Or are you worried you might not speak as well as they do? While the internet has given us the chance to listen to numerous speeches, one can feel that the standard is set relatively high. However, it is essential to remember that all of these speakers were just beginners at one point in their lives.

No matter what stage you are at in your public speaking journey, there is always room to grow. With consistent reflection and practise, you can make small steps towards being a more compelling speaker. And one effective way to help yourself grow as a speaker is to set goals for yourself.

Goal setting is a powerful way to help yourself identify where you currently stand and how to improve yourself. That is why you should apply goal setting in your public speaking journey, regardless of your experience level. As Tony Robbins (a well-known personal development coach and public speaker) once said, “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.”

In this article, I will share the four steps of setting powerful and SMART public speaking goals.

Steps for Setting Powerful Public Speaking Goals

1. Get Clear on Why Public Speaking is Important For You

To set your public speaking goals, you must first identify your personal ‘why.’ Why is public speaking important to you? Your reason should be unique and meaningful to you.

For example, maybe you want to become a public speaker because you want to:

Grow and excel in your career
Make a positive change in society
Inspire people to take action
Help people learn something new

Your personal ‘why’ will help you stay motivated when working towards your public speaking goals. You know yourself best. If you truely want to become a powerful public speaker and you believe you can achieve it, you will have the motivation to pursue your goal.

2. Identify the Executive Public Speaking Skills to Improve

After you’ve identified your motivation for public speaking, it’s time to examine the different public speaking skills you want to improve.

Some common public speaking goals you could set are to:

Increase your confidence when speaking in front of an audience
Reduce your nervousness or stage fright
Speak more fluently with pauses and with less ‘um’s
Project your voice so your audience can hear you in a large room
Use gestures and body language effectively
Make eye contact with the audience
Tell engaging stories
Answer questions confidently

There are many other public speaking skills you may want to work on, but these are some of the most common goals people set. Note down the skills you want to improve.

3. Set SMART Goals for Each Skill

Setting SMART goals is an effective way to measure and track your progress as you work on improving your public speaking skills.

As you may know, SMART stands for:

S – Specific: Your goal should be clear and specific.

M – Measurable: You should be able to track your progress and measure whether or not you’ve achieved your goal.

A – Achievable: Your goal should be realistic and achievable.

R – Relevant: Your goal should be relevant to your personal ‘why’ for public speaking.

T – Time-bound: You should set a deadline for yourself to stay on track.

For example, a SMART goal for public speaking could be:

“I will reduce the number of ‘um’s I use in my speeches by 50% in three months.”

This goal is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Look at the areas in public speaking that you want to improve upon. What kinds of SMART goals could you create for each of them?

4. Commit to Achieving Your Goals and Take Action

Now that you have several SMART goals, you may wonder, "Okay, now what do I do? I have my goals; what is the next step?"

The answer is simple: take action. But this step is often where people get stuck.

There are many ways to take action towards your public speaking goals, and here are a few ideas to get you started:

Join a public speaking group, like Toastmasters, so you can practice regularly and get feedback.
Attend public speaking events and workshops to learn from experts.
Hire a public speaking coach to help you reach your goals.
Read public speaking books and articles to gain more knowledge.

These are just a few ideas – there are many other ways you can take action towards your public speaking goals. But the most important thing is the commitment to taking action and making progress.

Every small step counts in your journey. It is not about how fast you progress. As long as you continuously improve, you are one step closer to achieving your SMART goals.

Ready to Set Your Powerful Public Speaking Goals?

Public speaking is a skill that you can continuously improve upon. The learning never stops. By setting powerful public speaking goals, you can ensure that your journey in improving your speaking skills is focused and effective.

So take the first step today – get clear on your personal ‘why’ for public speaking, and start setting SMART goals. Then, take action and commit to reaching your goals. Before you know it, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a confident and competent public speaker.

These are just some of the qualities that make an effective public speaker. Consider seeking coaching or training if you want to improve your public speaking skills. You can set smart goals to help you chart your path to becoming a powerful public speaker.

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.

Presentation

4 Steps for Setting Powerful Public Speaking Goals