Public Speaking Tips for Public Speakers
 

Drink Water
Before you give a speech, deliver a sales presentation or make phone calls - drink one to two glasses of water. It lubricates your vocal chords, helps your voice and gives you needed fluids that you lose while speaking.  Lukewarm water is best. Cool water is OK. Ice water is not good for your vocal chords. Avoid dairy products because they create phloem in your throat.

 
 
Move away from the lectern
When you address an audience move away from the lectern (often called the podium). Let them see you as more than just a talking head. You will be both more powerful and more connected to your audience. If you must see your notes then stand beside the lectern - and don’t lean on it. Stand strong.
 
 
Emphasize your name
While introducing yourself to one person or a group, emphasize your name, so they hear it, feel the respect you have for your name and remember it. State, “My name is (short pause) George (short pause) Torok (smile).” Say it loud enough to be heard. Most importantly - say it much slower than you normally do and smile.
 
 
Make your name memorable
If your name is unusual, difficult to remember or pronounce, say it extra slow and repeat it, ‘Torok’. Help them remember it by adding, it sounds like ‘tore – rock.’ You might add, It means ‘Turk’ in Hungarian. Or you can call me ‘nickname’.  If you can have fun with your name people will like you. If you make them laugh with you, they will remember you.
 
 
Stand and wait for everyone’s attention
Giving your 30-second presentation at a networking meeting? Stand, stop playing with your chair and wait till you have everyone’s attention before you speak. It might take a second or two. Then when you speak it makes your information seem more valuable - and they will hear you.
 
 
Use action verbs
Telling people what you do? Use action verbs and words that paint pictures of results. Avoid nouns ending in ‘tion’. Don’t say, “We are in the telecommunication business.” Instead try, ‘We install and maintain phone systems for small and medium sized business.” We specialize in designing customer
friendly systems for busy offices with unique needs.’ Use the word ‘specialize’ - it means you are special.

 
Talk to People
Don’t speak at the audience - instead speak directly to each individual in the audience by making eye contact with each one in the audience. Deliver a few words as you look at the person - then move your glance to another. Too long a glance is intrusive - too short can appear shifty-eyed.
 
 
Smile
Smile when you start your presentation. Smile when you have stated an important fact. Smile when you want them to laugh. Smile just after you said your name. Smile when asking for the order. Smile when you close. There are many occasions to smile. Use them.
 
 
Grab Attention
Your opening must grab their attention and establish rapport. Reveal an amazing statistic; ask a question; state a quotation from a famous person; create a visual image, tell a story. Don’t start with “Today I’m going to talk about...’ That’s boring.
 
 
Laugh
Help your audience laugh. Use exaggeration or surprise. Tell a funny story about something silly you once did. Humour is tragedy or embarrassment removed by time. Don’t tell jokes that put anyone down. Humour must be inclusive not exclusive.
 
 
Be Prepared
Be prepared - but don’t be so slick they disbelieve you. People accept your errors. It makes you look human and imperfect like they are. Don’t fret about small mistakes - just carry on. And don’t apologize about every mistake - it over-emphasizes the mistakes.
 
 
Speak their language
Speak in the language of the listeners. Engineers need how to’s and facts - tolerances, specifications & blueprints.  Accountants want numbers - balance sheets, debits & ROI. Sales people are interested in - commissions, customer benefits & price. Find out what the organization calls their people - members, staff, associates, investors or true believers.
 
 
Vary your Voice
Play with your voice to keep interest and emphasize key points. Lower your voice to make an important point. Speed up when you are describing a process. Ask rhetorical questions which allow you to inflect your voice. Put feeling in words that naturally lend themselves to emotion, e.g. family, Christmas, grandma, home, first prize, baby, vacation…
 
 
Close Strong
Make your close memorable and effective. Conclude with a call to action; end with a quotation; sum up your key points; repeat your opening line; end with a story. Avoid ending with ‘thank you’ - it is a very weak close - and not memorable. You can say ‘thank you’ after they applaud.
 
 
Say Nothing
Practise saying nothing. No, not gibberish - nothing, as in silence. It is powerful. Pause before you start, pause after you said something important and pause when you are done.
 
 
Your Audience is a Mirror
Your audience will mirror you. If you frown - so will they. If you want them to smile - you must smile. There are no ugly audiences - only ugly speakers.
 
 
Show Your Hands
Keep your hands where we can see them. We will trust you more. Hiding them behind your back will make us wonder, “What is he hiding back there?” Putting them in your pockets may feel good - but you lose power and might appear too casual.
 
Let your hands hang at your side. As you speak and become involved in your speech you will naturally move them. It will look natural and you will appear more trustworthy.
 
Look at Them
Look at the audience - not the screen, the back wall, or your notes. Talk to them - look at them - one at a time. Move your eyes from one to another as though you are having many one-on-one conversations.
 
 
Show Your Respect
When you ask the audience to respond to your question show that you respect their response. Pause and look around the audience; nod your head in approval or show your delight with a smile. Remember you asked them a question. Show that you really wanted an answer.
 
 
Enjoy the Unexpected Humor
Sometimes they will laugh when you did not expect it. Pause and let them enjoy it. Smile and show you also have a sense of humor - even if you are not sure why they are laughing.
 
 
Have a Helper
When you speak before a group, always have a helper who can fix the lights, help with handouts, and usher latecomers to their seats. When looking for volunteers don’t waste time waiting for someone to put up their hand - appoint your volunteers. Always thank your helpers.
 
 
Be Prepared for your Worst Question
Always be prepared to handle your worst question. You know what it is - the one you dread the most. It might be too expensive, too cheap, too old, too new, too far, too near… When that killer question is posed you can smile and confidently give the answer you rehearsed.

 
Don’t Offend your Audience
Don’t offend your audience by using words like “obviously” or “everyone knows”. If they don’t know or think it is not obvious to them you have insulted them and they will not listen to you.

Practical Public Speaking Tips

© George Torok is The Public Speaking Pro.

As a professional speaker he has delivered over 1,000 presentations. He coaches executives to deliver million dollar presentations and has trained hundreds of managers, sales reps and professionals to deliver more effective presentations.

Yet George Torok was a shy high school student who refused to speak to an audience. Since then he learned and developed the public speaking skills of a professional speaker.

Contact him to arrange presentation skills training for your business associates or speech coaching for your executives.

www.Public-Speaking-Pro.biz