If you're reading this, I think it's safe to assume that you have some public speaking experience and are looking for ways to get better.
Either that or you’re new to public speaking, and you want to up your public speaking game before your first (or next) time in front of an audience.
Either way, you’re in the right place. 🙂
"How to be a better public speaker" is the question we're going to tackle together in this article and hopefully find answers to.
With this article, I'm going to share 11 tips I think are highly effective for "leveling up" your public speaking game.
Let's jump right in.
# 3
Focus On Connecting, And Less On Your Slides
I'll tell you a secret: I’m on stage or recording video content all the time. And whenever I’m speaking or recording, I have notes next to me as a “cheat sheet” of sorts. Because one of the challenges creators face, be they writers, speakers, or vloggers, is that we want to make sure we don't forget anything.
This is understandable.
However, here's the thing: What do you think is more important than not forgetting things? Do you know?
More important than anything you have to say to your audience is your connection to them.
While I even have a notepad with bullet points and an outline right here with me as I write, I actually spend the bulk of my time writing from the heart and trying to put a little of myself into every word.
Because more important than remembering every little detail of every little thing is my ability to connect with you, dear reader.
Focusing on connecting (as opposed to just reading) is critical to you becoming a better public speaker. When you have a presentation or speech, what I would suggest you do if you have a lot of text on your slides, is to take all of that text out and leave the slides as bullet points and pictures.
Trust me when I tell you this: Nobody wants to watch you on stage only to have you stare at a screen and read your slides to them.
If "reading" your slides is all you intend to do, it might save everyone some time if you simply gave your speech to them and let them read it for themselves.
# 4
Rehearse
Practice, practice, and then practice some more.
Unless you’re forced to be impromptu, don't just wing things before you get on stage or while you're on it.
The fact of the matter is that public speaking is a skill, just like any other. Getting better at public speaking is no different from getting better at riding a bike or playing the violin.
The more you practice, the better you get at it.
Over the years, I've been on stage more times than I can count… and despite the thousands of times I’ve been on stage, I STILL practice before I get onstage or on camera.
I practice my speeches in the shower… I practice my speeches in between sets at the gym… and if I’m in the car driving, I turn down the radio and practice some more.
When I’m backstage and about to go on, I’m constantly practicing to myself and muttering my speech.
Do I look crazy? Yes
Do people think I’m possessed? Yes?
Do I care? Nope! Because I understand that practicing/rehearsing is one of the keys to me crushing it when I take the stage.
And while practice doesn't make perfect, it very well does a good job of making you better.
# 6
Dress The Part
Here's the funny thing about dressing up. I want this to sound right, so I'm choosing my words carefully here: Dressing up in today's world isn't as "strict" as it was decades ago.
Back in the day, if you had to speak in public, there was only one way to dress: In a suit and a tie.
Today, you're often good to go in jeans and a t-shirt.
But whether you’re in jeans and a t-shirt or you’re wearing a 3-piece suit, the important thing is to understand your audience before you get in front of them and dress the part in an authentic and aligned way.
Personally, if/when I’m emceeing a multi-million dollar company event, I almost always wear a sharp vest & tie combo with nice slacks.
But…When I’m making videos for my YouTube channel, and the videos are going to be watched mostly by people who already know me, then “dressing the part” means simply putting on a well-fitting t-shirt.
The point is to be aware of how you're dressed.
If you're not sure about how to dress, then my general rule of thumb is to dress a little bit nicer than the average person at the event. One of the things this does is that it gives you a chance at a better first impression.
Because to them, often, we subconsciously make the assumption that a nicely dressed person obviously knows what they're talking about. And while this assumption may be silly, if people are going to subconsciously think it, then it makes sense for you to lean into it by dressing the part.
# 7
Record Yourself
This is what professionals do.
Professional public speakers record themselves doing what they do and then watch these recordings.
What this does for you is that it gives you a way to see yourself the way your audience sees you.
The way you see or hear yourself on stage is definitely not how the audience sees you. Understanding that fact, the question now becomes, "how can you see yourself the way they see you?"
The simple answer to this is, "record yourself."
If you record yourself and then look at the recordings later, you can figure out how you appear to your audience and what you may need to adjust (or keep) when it comes to your performance.
And remember, don’t be too judgemental of yourself. This isn't about grading your performance in a harsh or negative light. It’s about improving. How can you be a better public speaker if you don’t know what to improve?
Pick out the things you do right and focus on the good stuff just as much as you focus on the stuff you want to improve.
The point is, when you watch recordings of yourself on stage, you can see yourself as the audience sees you. Once you see yourself in that light, it’s much easier to make adjustments and figure out where there’s an opportunity for improvement.
# 9
Talk To Your Audience Like You're Talking To Your Friends
…because they actually are your friends.
Once I understood that I could speak to an audience the way I spoke to my buddies from college (within reason, of course), it freed me up to become more authentic. And when I was more authentic, I was a better public speaker.
When I first started making YouTube videos and getting on stage, what I thought was that my audience wanted me to be some "pristine and polished, suit and tie" personality who always used the right words and never made mistakes.
Well, I'll tell you now: This isn't what your audience wants or needs… at all.
What people want is to be part of a conversation. And what makes these conversations worth having for them is when they feel like they're speaking or listening to a friend.
It is perfectly fine to speak to your audience as you'd speak to your homies. Again, within reason -LOL. I mean, after all, I cuss when I’m with my friends... A LOT. But you rarely find me dropping an f-bomb when I’m on stage.
The point is to speak to them like you actually know them.
One of the things I've found out is that when I start the conversation off with my audience like I'm speaking to my friends, it puts them at ease and makes them go, "oh, this person is cool... I like them".
This is true whether you’re on the physical stage or a virtual one.
# 11
Own Your Mess-Ups, And Be Willing To Make Fun Of Yourself
True story: I was the MC at a seminar of about 3000 people once. I was in the middle of a talk with them, and the line I meant to say next was, "the information you're about to get today is going to help you level up your success."
I'd already said what I said in front of all 3000 people before I realized that instead of saying "success" at the end of my sentence, I'd used the word "sex" instead.
My bad.
The audience laughed at my slip-up while I stood there.
And you know what I did?
I owned it… I didn't shy away from it. After I realized what I'd said, I paused, smiled, and added, "You See? I bet you didn't even know you were getting that bonus. Aren't you lucky you're here?"
With that line, I managed to turn a totally cringeworthy mistake into a joke and a memorable moment.
The point is to own your mess-ups and make fun of yourself every now and then. A tiny bit of self-deprecation goes a long way to show that you don't take yourself too seriously.
There's absolutely no one who speaks perfectly 100% of the time, and part of the thing that makes speakers great speakers great is that we can see their humanity.
So tip #11 for becoming a better public speaker is to own up to your mistakes and to never be afraid to laugh at yourself.
Before You Go
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