7 Game-Changing Strategies for Mastering Public Speaking

What do people report as their #1 greatest fear?
It’s not death….
It’s public speaking. (Seriously, look up the research study.)
But it doesn’t have to be. Let us show you how.

Public speaking is a top-level skill (in business and life) – 7 cheat codes to master it

Here are 7 cheat codes to hone the public speaking skill:

1. Record yourself speaking

The best athletes study their game film. They carefully review plays and look for missteps in order to improve.

Do the same. Record your run-through.

● Specifically watch for:
● Where you’re looking
● What your hands are doing
● How quickly you’re speaking
● Your filler words

2. Let the silence do the work

There is nothing more powerful than a well-timed pause…

Make a strong point. And then give your audience the space to fully absorb it.

Count to 5 in your head.

It might feel like an eternity to you, but it’s such a refreshing moment for the audience.

3. Focus your gaze on specific people

The most masterful speakers make meaningful eye contact.

Look at an audience member and deliver a short point.

Then move your gaze to the next audience member and deliver another.

One person. One point. That’s the rule.

4. Don’t memorize it like a script

There’s nothing worse than someone reading a script word-for-word.

Instead, jot down an outline of each paragraph to jog your memory.

● The opening line
● The transition
● The closing line

You’ll fill in the rest much more naturally.

5. Structure your talk as a story

The best public speakers don’t deliver a speech. They tell a story.

Kindra Hall wrote Stories that Stick, and described the perfect structure to captivate an audience:

● Normal (baseline)
● Explosion (big change)
● New Normal (adjustment/learning)

Conflict is key for a story to stick.

6. Inject a bit of humor

Nothing snaps an audience back into focus like a well-told joke.

Humor creates a bond. A sense of closeness.

The trick?

Poke a little fun at yourself. Choose something that humanizes you (and others might relate to).

7. Take every opportunity to chat with strangers in your day-to-day.

● Give more than just your order to the barista.
● Spend a few minutes with the doorman.
● Strike up a conversation with someone at the gym.

The more comfortable you are speaking to strangers, the more natural you’ll feel leading a meeting, toasting a wedding, or presenting on stage.

You got this.

Which one of these tips was your favorite?