The Guru Nation Blog

How you say something is just as important as what you say! If you are intent on selling your ideas or branding yourself effectively, then how you deliver your message… to a boss, an employee, a colleague, or a partner…is critical for your personal success.
There are so many tips on public speaking but not all tips are easy to follow. The best tips on public speaking are the ones you can understand simply and plainly and then actually practice in the company of a mirror.

Here are three “straight talk” tips on public speaking that everyone can master:

1. Resist Your Use of Semaphore

Unless you’re sending ship-to-shore messages with your arms or with flags, please limit
your use of hand and arm gestures to get your point across. When in doubt, don’t!
Exaggerated arm and hand movements are just that – exaggerated. The more effective presenter does not signal the audience from the beach or traffic ships into the harbor.
Practice more natural movement for your arms, hands, legs and head. The more comfortable and natural you are, the more so your audience.

2. Lead With Your Eyes, Not With Your Chin

We have all done it. We want to make a point, either on the stage, on camera, or in an interview, so we unconsciously push our chin (and mouth) forward as we deliver our message. We think it gives us a better sense of control. The truth is, it diminishes our impact and weakens our delivery. What we really should be doing is leading with our eyes. When you let your eyes lead, you appear more in control, you command attention, and you grab your listener.

3. Project Your Power but Maintain Your Intimacy

When you present to an audience, your team, the Board, or even a group of friends, your power, and your “believability” come from a sense of intimacy you create with the audience. The intimacy comes from your ability to focus on them as well as on the core of your message. So many presenters believe that power equals “big-ness” in front of the listener. It doesn’t! Power comes from control, and the control creates the intimacy that your audience is seeking. Find what an athlete might call “spotting points” so your eyes have distinct places to focus. Wandering eyes do not create intimacy.

Follow these tips on public speaking and you’ll begin to feel a composure and control.
Then watch others speak publicly. Determine if they are following these tips on public speaking and see what else they are doing to “hold the audience.” Experiment with your mirror!

So why is public speaking so important? Well, the truth is, everyone is on stage. In business, that stage is usually a meeting or a presentation.
How well you speak or perform on that business stage will identify you as a lead performer or chorus member. So why is public speaking so important? In short, your ability to speak well, or perform, allows you to have greater impact and influence.
Most successful professionals know why public speaking is so important so they spend a good deal of time mastering their presentation skills.

Strong and effective public speaking begins with the practice and mastery of three
key rules of good speaking. Here’s what to concentrate on:

1. Have It, Don’t Show It

The moment you feel a need to “show” how much you know or how entertaining you can be, or in some cases just how much you are energized about your message, curb your enthusiasm. The stronger and more effective presenter does not over-deliver, over- enunciate, over-gesture, or over-play. Instead, have it…the composure, the knowledge of your material, the confident but relaxed voice, and the grace of movement.

2. Focus on Your Best Friend in the Back Row

If you’re on the stage in front of a large audience, you may see the faces in front of you as a “sea of expressions” with no one person to serve as ballast. When that happens, whether you’re aware or not, you lose the ability to engage the people in the audience. What’s the trick? If you pretend your friend is sitting in the back row, your delivery will
be warmer, your connection greater, and you won’t need to shout. By connecting to your best friend, you will connect to the entire audience.

3. Don’t Swallow Your Punch Line

A good presentation can end up with an arrow in the heart if the punch line, or key concluding message, is lost. It happens too often. After addressing an audience, presenters can lose their energy when they know they are near the end of the speech. It’s akin to an amateur runner who slows down just when the finish line is in sight.
Do not lose your last word. It can often be the most important message that will remain with your audience. Make sure you can be heard. There is a tendency to let your voice trail off when you hit your last sentence, and that’s just a giant no-no.

When you are asked why public speaking is so important, you need simply recite this mantra: What is the point of communicating if you can’t have impact on the audience?
Practicing these rules will get you there!