Public Speaking Tips for the Young Professional

Practice, Practice, Practice

Public speaking, especially at the beginning is all about practice. The better you know your speech, the easier it is to deliver.

Practicing a speech does not mean you need to memorize each word. Every day you practice, the speech will be a little different. Some days will be better than others, but by the end you will know what works and what doesn’t.

Meet your audience

The single best thing you can do before a big speech is talk to the people who will be in your audience. If this means showing up early, do it! For one, you will probably make some great contacts. But more importantly, meeting your audience assures that there will be some familiar faces in the crowd when your mind begins to go blank.

Also, after talking with a few people, you will realize that they are genuinely interested in hearing you speak, and they are actually routing for you to do well. Everyone will want to talk to you after the speech, but it’s up to you to initiate the conversation with them beforehand.

Use Visuals

Create a simple PowerPoint with key words and a lot of bullet points. Using a PowerPoint until you get completely comfortable speaking is more than acceptable. A visual will keep you in line and on topic and will allow your audience to follow along with you.

Tell Stories

Nothing connects you with an audience better than a good story. A personal story will humanize you and let your audience relate to you on a deeper level and an entertaining story will immediately hook your audience.

Make fun of yourself

The best way to lighten up the mood is to make fun of yourself. If you stumble over your words or stutter, don’t pretend it didn’t happen. Go ahead and poke fun at yourself for trying to move your mouth faster than your brain is working.

If you’re young and you’re speaking to an older crowd, poke fun at your age. Chances are, the audience is a little skeptical about why a “kid” is lecturing them. Showing that you recognize the irony in the situation goes a long way in gaining the audiences respect and attention.

- www.employeeevolution.com

Tags: Generation, Professional, Public, Speaking, Y, Young

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Eric S. Crane on February 29, 2008 at 6:32am

This is a great article. I am a huge fan of self-deprecation (with good reason, most would say) and it can definitely get a crowd more invloved.

Practice is key as well, and your observation that lectures will change each time is on point. Don't get discouraged if you suddenly find yourself changing your presentation- this is evolution, it is healthy.

I would point out on using visuals that it is very important not to read from any visuals or hand outs that you give to a group. Assume that your crowd can read. You can create a lot of separation from your audience if you read material directly from a power point or go over the bullet points of a hand out. They will assume that you don't think they can read. Use visuals as a cane, not as a crutch.

Again, this is a great article.

Permalink Reply by Amanda Hite on March 1, 2008 at 10:43am

Thanks Eric! I hate when people read to me! I immediately disconnect and start to doodle or pass notes!

Permalink Reply by Andy Swingley on March 1, 2008 at 9:37pm

You are such a rockstar!!! When can I go to work for you? You are so right on every point. I would only add confidence. Know your material in your heart and the audience will feel your message.

Permalink Reply by Matt Milletto on March 6, 2008 at 8:40am

Great tips. I have been speaking now for the last 3 years at our industry tradeshows to about 200-300 people at a time, and it has gotten a little easier. Each time I give the same seminar it IS a bit different. Being 29 and giving seminars on owning a business, to mainly older people is sometimes tough, but in the coffee industry, like the food industry, us youngsters are often the ones who are leading and raising the bar.

I also so agree that you need to speak from your heart. The first couple times I spoke publicly I was giving a seminar that was designed by a fellow consultant with our firm. It was so hard to re-hash what he had written, as only he truly knew what he meant with each bullet point. I re wrote the entire seminar, and changed about 80% and now it is much better, and I can give it with my own style.

- Matt

Permalink Reply by Jay Larson on March 6, 2008 at 12:00pm

I agree. My style is very interactive. I try to get the room energized right away with interesting questions diving into the topic at hand. I try to establish right away that they (as a group) have more experience than I do and that we are going to do this together. This is more for workshops (1/2 day, full day) than for keynotes. But I still try to keep the keynotes very interactive.
Works for me!
Thanks for forming the group Amanda.

Permalink Reply by Amanda Hite on March 7, 2008 at 5:17am

Thanks Jay! What are some of the ways you keep it interactive in big groups like 400?

Permalink Reply by Kristen Siqueiros on March 9, 2008 at 5:17pm