12 Keys to Public Speaking Mastery

By Michael Goldberg
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Horsesmouth Essential: Great speakers are perceived as being experts in whatever it is they’re speaking about. It takes practice, being open to feedback, and having confidence in yourself. Remember, the audience always wants you to succeed. Follow these 12 points and you won’t disappoint.

What is one of the best ways to promote and market your business? Public speaking!

How can you showcase your expertise, talent, confidence, passion, energy, and communication skills? Public speaking!

How can you meet, connect, and network with more people in less time? Or brand your name, message, and purpose to a group of strangers in a credible way? Yup!

Yes, public speaking is a great skill to master, but it can be tough stuff! There were days (long ago, of course) when, before a presentation, you might find me curled up in the fetal position under a desk, sobbing like a little girl. OK, I’m exaggerating. A little. Maybe. But some of you have been there or pretty close to there. Yes, tough stuff.

I believe one of the best ways—and maybe the best way—advisors can help lots of people, sell themselves, and offer insight is through effective presentations. That could mean a formal sales presentation, a speech at your next seminar, or an address to the Rotary Club. Whatever kind of speaking it is, it does beat cold calling! And yet most advisors don’t deliver such presentations, can’t deliver them, or refuse to deliver them.

One of the most successful advisors I know does nothing to market his business other than delivering presentations at a few universities in his community. He offers a program at night that covers the nuances of planning, annuities, long-term care, estate planning, life insurance, health insurance, and taxes.

He invites the attendees both at the beginning and end of his program to fill out the accompanying fact finder, and he’s happy to schedule an appointment. Out of 20 attendees, he ends up with 16 appointments on average. And he does business with almost all of them. Not bad.

Here are 12 ways of overcoming your fears and delivering a great presentation—and tapping into that kind of prospect pool.

  1. Know your material cold. If you don’t, you have no business speaking to an audience (which is a privilege, if you ask me). I have attended too many presentations where the speakers either didn’t know their stuff or spent the time promoting a product or service to an audience instead of presenting useful information. Do the math—one hour multiplied by 100 people equals 100 wasted hours—101, if you count the speaker.
  2. Be organized in your delivery. Break your content into a format that’s clear and makes good sense. If your audience has to work too hard to follow you, they may give up and you’ll lose them, especially during technical presentations. You should be able to start off this way: “For the next hour, we’re going to discuss the five best ways to plan and invest for the retirement you’ve dreamed about. I’ll list them in order and then we can discuss each. First…Second…[etc.].”
  3. Project your voice. When speaking to a group, large or small, pretend you’re only speaking to the back row of attendees. I teach public speaking at Rutgers University. In the classroom, I’ll have the student who’s presenting in front of the room turn around so her back is facing the audience. Then, I have her speak so the back row can hear her. After talking to the wall for a while, I’ll have her turn around to face the audience while keeping her decibel level the same. Problem solved! If you’re using a microphone, this is not as much of an issue. But you should be projecting your voice all the same. (Important note: If you keep your back to the audience, you may not be invited back.)
  4. Use silent pauses. This is as opposed to verbal pauses: the “um”s and “ah”s. Just take a breath and pause while transitioning to the next speaking point or thought. Silence is also a great way to change the tempo or let a powerful point simmer a bit with an audience. Or you can use a pause to put a little pressure on an audience to answer a question you have asked. An audience is often more uncomfortable with a silent pause, while a confident speaker is not, so use it to your advantage.
  5. Practice, practice. Obvious, yes. But speakers practice in different ways. A colleague of mine practices for keynote talks by presenting her speech word for word to an empty room. Others present to a mock audience as batting practice and to gain feedback for adjustments. I just try to know my content, approach, and audience cold and visualize the speech being presented in the perfect way. With any luck, it will be.
  6. End with a bang. Like a good book, a presentation needs a great ending, or the whole thing may fall flat. Remember, the close is what you leave behind for an audience. Often that’s the last words uttered from your lips. If they’re the right words, they could effectively sum up your theme or purpose and be remembered forever. “Oh, Auntie Em, there’s no place like home.”
  7. Get them involved. One of the best ways to succeed with a small group or even a large audience (depending on the venue) is to somehow get them involved. Make them part of the fun! Ask engaging questions and wait for a response, facilitate an activity, flip-chart responses, and then speak to each (a good way to show you know your stuff), ask their opinions, speak to their issues, and use their jargon. The audience may not be actively speaking, but if there are positive nods and eye contact throughout, you’re probably in good shape.
  8. Start with your best stuff. Your best stuff should be up front. Why? Because if you’re nervous or trying to get into your groove, you’ll be more at ease if you begin with an approach that makes you feel most comfortable. It might be a quote, statistic, the statement of a problem—in my case, it’s often a story. Just retool your best material to be sure it is relevant to the point or topic you’re addressing.
  9. Understand your purpose. There are really only a few reasons why anyone would be giving a presentation. They’re looking to inform, persuade, entertain, commemorate, or introduce someone or something. Understand your purpose, and make sure your language and format are consistent with it.
  10. Be confident. And if you’re not, fake it. People are attracted to those they perceive as being confident. Good speakers and presenters put this vibe out. So do great leaders. How do you build your confidence when speaking? The more expertise and skill you can develop around your topic, delivery, and audience, the more confident you will be. (See tip No. 1.)
  11. Use deliberate body language. Go out of your way to make sure your body language and facial gestures amplify the points you’re trying to make. I don’t think it should be rehearsed (of course, performers and some speakers orchestrate all of this), but it should be well thought out and prepared. For example, when I’m telling what I think is a funny story, I can’t help but giggle a bit or even laugh when telling it. More often than not, the audience laughs right along with me.
  12. It’s all about them. Not you. Your presentation should not be about your products and services. It should be about delivering great information that’s helpful, relevant, and applicable. Examples and perspectives should always be told for your audience’s benefit, not for yours. Remember, strong speakers can be very convincing from the front of the room. I believe it’s unethical to use this positioning just to peddle your wares. Instead, use the platform to give sound advice, help lots of people, and showcase your knowledge. If you do this and use these same guidelines in serving your clients, you’ll have a solid book of business forever.

Great speakers are perceived as being experts in whatever it is they’re speaking about. It just takes lots of practice, being open to feedback, and having the confidence to be yourself. Remember, the audience always wants you to succeed. Follow these 12 tips, and you won’t disappoint.

Michael Goldberg is a speaker, consultant, author, and the founder of Knock-Out Networking. Michael speaks at conferences, runs sales meetings, and helps agencies increase their production and retention. His expertise is in the areas of networking, referrals, recruiting—and believe it or not—amateur boxing! His book, Knock-Out Networking!, is available now. For more information, or to subscribe to Michael’s blog, go to www.KnockOutNetworking.com.

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