public speaking presentation hacks

Transform Your Presentations: Top Public Speaking Hacks

Public speaking is not just about delivering a speech or presentation; it should be a transformative event for both the speaker and the audience. These top public speaking hacks will help you develop a genuine presence, build confidence, and shift your mindset. It involves changing your approach to speaking and becoming a radically good speaker. This transformation is necessary to engage and captivate your audience and to reduce the psychological distance between you and the listeners. Being an effective leader who speaks goes beyond presentation skills and requires understanding the task at hand and using social skills effectively.

Table of Contents

Key takeaways:.

• Discover effective public speaking hacks  to transform your presence and captivate your audience.
• Overcome stage fright and build confidence through a growth mindset and reframing your mindset towards public speaking.
• Learn practical public speaking hacks to improve your delivery, such as using storytelling, metaphors, and aids.
• Create a clear structure for your speeches and presentations, with a strong opening and memorable ending.
• Embrace the opportunity to connect with your audience and make a lasting impact through effective communication .

The Art of Good Public Speaking

Good public speakers possess a unique ability to captivate and influence their audience. They understand that effective communication goes beyond the delivery of information. Instead, they focus on connecting with their listeners on a deeper level, creating a sense of community and engagement.

Influential public speakers come in different styles and approaches, each tailored to meet the audience’s needs. Some speakers excel in openness, honesty, and vulnerability, while others command authority and expertise. Regardless of the style, the art of good public speaking lies in making each individual in the audience feel like the speaker is speaking directly to them.

Connecting with the audience requires super focus and reducing the psychological distance between the speaker and the listeners. It involves creating a genuine presence on stage that allows the speaker to establish a connection and hold the audience’s attention throughout the presentation. By mastering the art of good public speaking, speakers can leave a lasting impact and inspire their audience to take action.

Public Speaking Hacks for Connecting with the Audience:

• Be authentic in your delivery, allowing your true personality to shine through.
• Use storytelling techniques to engage and captivate the audience.
• Make eye contact and actively involve the audience in your presentation.
• Speak with passion and conviction to convey your message effectively.
• Adapt your style to suit the needs and preferences of your specific audience.

By mastering these public speaking hacks and connecting with the audience , speakers can become influential leaders who inspire, motivate, and enact change. The next section will delve into the practical ways to add magic to speeches and presentations.

Adding Magic to Your Speeches and Presentations

Storytelling is a powerful tool in public speaking. It allows you to engage the audience on a deeper level and make your content come alive. By presenting your information in the form of a story, you can create a connection with the listeners and make your message more memorable. Stories have the unique ability to captivate and fascinate, making them an essential ingredient in any successful speech or presentation.

When incorporating storytelling into your speeches, it’s important to choose stories that are relevant and relatable to your audience. This will help them connect with your message and see the value in what you’re saying. Start by identifying the key points you want to convey and find stories or anecdotes that illustrate these points effectively. This will not only make your speech more engaging, but it will also help your audience understand and remember the information you’re sharing.

Another way to add magic to your speeches and presentations is by crafting powerful openings and memorable endings . A strong opening will grab the audience’s attention and set the tone for your entire speech. Consider starting with a surprising fact, a thought-provoking question, or a personal anecdote that relates to your topic. This will capture the audience’s interest from the start and make them eager to hear what you have to say.

Similarly, a memorable ending will leave a lasting impression on your audience. It’s your final opportunity to reinforce your message and inspire action. Consider ending with a call to action, a powerful quote, or a thought-provoking statement that will leave the audience thinking long after your speech is over. By crafting both a powerful opening and a memorable ending, you can bookend your speech with impact and ensure that your message resonates with your listeners.

The Power of Storytelling

Storytelling has long been recognized as one of the more powerful public speaking hacks for conveying messages and influencing others. Stories uniquely engage our emotions and connect us to the speaker on a deeper level. When used in public speaking, storytelling can help you establish a personal connection with your audience and make your message more relatable and memorable.

“The human mind is a story processor, not a logic processor.” Jonathan Haidt

By telling stories, you can take your audience on a journey, allowing them to experience your message rather than just hear it. This emotional engagement can make your speech more impactful and foster a stronger connection between you and your listeners. Whether it’s a personal story, a case study, or a fictional narrative, incorporating storytelling into your speeches and presentations will add that touch of magic that captivates and inspires.

In conclusion, you can add magic to your speeches and presentations by harnessing the power of one of the more powerful public speaking hacks of storytelling and crafting powerful openings and memorable endings. Stories can engage and fascinate, while solid beginnings and endings leave a lasting impression on your audience. So, the next time you step on stage, consider incorporating storytelling techniques and watch your speeches come alive and leave a lasting impact.

Overcoming Your Fears and Building Confidence

Public speaking can be an intimidating experience, with stage fright being one of the most common fears people face. However, overcoming these fears and building the confidence necessary to deliver powerful speeches and presentations is possible.

Adopting a growth mindset is one of the better public speaking hacks for overcoming stage fright. Instead of seeing public speaking as a test of innate ability, view it as an opportunity for learning and improvement. Embrace failures and mistakes as valuable lessons contributing to your speaking growth. Reframing your mindset can reduce anxiety and worry about making mistakes, allowing your true confidence to shine through.

Another helpful technique is focusing on serving the audience rather than yourself. When you genuinely care about delivering your message and positively impacting your listeners, the focus shifts from self-doubt to creating value. Limit your talk to one central idea to ensure clarity and simplicity. Practice your speech multiple times, becoming comfortable with the material and delivery style. The more prepared you are, the more confidence you will exude on stage.

Building a Growth Mindset

To build a growth mindset , remind yourself of your past successes and accomplishments. Recognize that public speaking is a skill that can be developed through practice and dedication. Challenge negative thoughts and replace them with positive affirmations. Instead of dwelling on potential failures, visualize yourself delivering a successful speech and receiving positive feedback. By shifting your focus and mindset, you can conquer your fears and build the confidence necessary for effective public speaking.

“The only way to overcome stage fright is to be so prepared that you know you’re going to knock it out of the park.” Marie Forleo

Practical Ways to Improve Your Public Speaking Skills

Improving your public speaking skills is essential for becoming a more confident and effective speaker. By implementing practical tips and techniques, you can enhance your ability to communicate clearly and deliver impactful presentations. Here are some strategies to help you improve your public speaking skills:

1. Create a Clear Structure

A well-structured speech or presentation is easier for the audience to follow and understand. Start by defining your central idea and organizing your content in a logical manner. Use headings, subheadings, and transitions to guide your listeners through your speech. A clear structure will help you stay on track and ensure your message is delivered coherently.

2. Utilize Creative Techniques

To make your speech memorable and engaging, incorporate creative techniques into your delivery. Use storytelling to capture your audience’s attention and connect with them emotionally. Employ metaphors, analogies, and vivid language to paint a visual image in their minds. Consider using props or visual aids to enhance the impact of your message. By employing these creative techniques , you can effectively convey your ideas and leave a lasting impression.

3. Practice Confident Delivery

Confidence plays a crucial role in effective public speaking. Practice your speech or presentation multiple times to familiarize yourself with the content and gain confidence in your delivery. Pay attention to your body language, voice projection, and pacing to ensure a confident and engaging delivery. Rehearsing in front of a mirror or recording yourself can help you identify areas for improvement and refine your delivery.

Remember, improving your public speaking skills takes time and practice. By implementing these practical tips and techniques, you can become a more confident and impactful speaker, captivating your audience with your clear structure , creative storytelling, and confident delivery .

In conclusion, public speaking is a transformative skill that can greatly enhance your professional development . By implementing the public speaking hacks and strategies discussed in this article, you can experience a significant transformation in your communication skills.

Effective communication is key to becoming a confident and influential speaker. By shifting your mindset, learning from experts, and consistently practicing, you can command the stage like a leader and make a lasting impact on your audience.

Don’t let fear hold you back from developing your public speaking abilities. Embrace the opportunity to connect with your audience and unleash your full potential. With the right mindset, preparation, and techniques, you can experience a profound public speaking transformation that will benefit you both personally and professionally.

What is the key to being a good public speaker?

The key to being a good speaker is to go beyond simply delivering information and create lasting influence by connecting with the audience .

How can I captivate the audience during my speech or presentation?

You can captivate the audience by incorporating storytelling and starting with a strong opening that grabs their attention.

How can I overcome stage fright and build confidence in public speaking?

One way to overcome stage fright is by adopting a growth mindset and reframing our mindset towards public speaking. Confidence comes from caring about your idea, limiting your talk to one central idea, and practicing in front of an audience.

What practical ways can I improve my public speaking skills?

You can improve your public speaking skills by adopting a growth mindset, giving your presentation a clear structure, using creative techniques , and practicing in advance while paying attention to your body language, voice, and empathy for the audience.

How can public speaking have an impact on my professional development?

Public speaking is a transformative skill that can have a significant impact on your professional development by improving your communication skills and allowing you to connect with and influence others.

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• On-Stage Magic: How to Transform Your Public Speaking
• Radical Change: How to Transform Your Public Speaking Presence
• 10 public speaking hacks to use right now

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For some, just the idea of public speaking is enough to send them into a panic. But for others, speaking in front of a crowd is a breeze: These people are natural orators—cool, calm, and collected. They can get their points across without stumbling or constantly looking at flashcards . But while those in the latter camp may have a knack for storytelling, they also have some tricks of the trade that they employ when they get behind a podium or hit the stage—and you can use them, too. Read on for 10 public speaking hacks to boost your skills.

RELATED:  8 Daily Affirmations to Send Your Confidence Skyrocketing .

1 | Look at foreheads.

One of the biggest concerns when public speaking is keeping your audience's attention. Eye contact is an essential aspect of this, but it can be tricky and difficult to maintain, which is why Beth Ribarsky , PhD, professor and director of the School of Communication and Media at the University of Illinois Springfield, suggests focusing on foreheads.

"Eye contact can ramp up people’s nerves, making them forget what they were even talking about," she says. "However, one of the simplest tips of the trade is to look at people’s foreheads vs. into their eyes. Typically, speakers are far enough away from their audience that this slight difference in where you’re looking is imperceivable to the audience."

2 | Pick a power pose.

Another expert tip to ramp up your confidence while public speaking is selecting a "power pose."

"The adoption of power poses—expansive, confident postures that convey strength and authority—can significantly influence one's psychological state and demeanor," Nneka   Vivienne   Onwuachu , transformational coach and founder of the blog Vivi's Cosy Corner , shares. "Standing tall, with shoulders back and chest open, can trick your brain into feeling more powerful and self-assured."

If you feel comfortable, you can also take this tip "to the next level" and ask your audience to pick their own power pose when you start speaking, Alexandria Agresta , TEDx speaker, DJing speaker, and leadership development expert , suggests.

According to Agresta, this exercise can effectively "transfer confidence and get powerful energy flowing through the room."

RELATED:  How to Ace Every Common Job Interview Question .

3 | Practice desensitization techniques.

Ribarsky, who is the co-author of the textbook Activate Your Superpower: Creating Compelling Communication , also recommends using desensitization techniques to help you get used to public speaking. This can be particularly helpful if you have a fear of public speaking.

"When we teach public speaking, we start out with short and low-stakes speeches to help get students used to being in front of an audience. As the course progresses, we incorporate progressively longer and more intricate presentations," Ribarsky explains. "So, take advantage of any opportunity you might have to practice your presentation or generally just speaking in front of an audience. As our brains learn that we are not going to die being in front of an audience, we begin to build our confidence."

4 | Speak in one-liners.

Once you know what you need to be focusing on, you want to ensure you get your message across. To do so, Agresta recommends breaking your content up into phrases that will stick with your audience.

"Speaking in one-liners involves distilling complex information into simple, impactful, and 'punchy' statements that resonate with the audience," she says. "Experts use this technique to capture attention, convey key points, and leave a lasting impression by saying something that is memorable."

She continues, "For example, one of my go-to's and fan favorites that then developed in my TEDx talk is, 'Things don't take time; they take courage.'"

5 | Meet your audience where they are.

While the scarier aspect of public speaking is arguably having to  give  the speech or presentation, you also need to think about the content itself.

"Understanding what your audience needs to hear is crucial to developing a talk, panel discussion, or workshop that supports them," Randi Levin , transitional life strategist and founder of Randi Levin Coaching , says. "Always ask your organizer that very question: 'What does your group need to hear?'"

6 | Speak and breathe from your abdomen.

One surefire way to lose an audience is by mumbling or speaking so softly you can't be heard. If your venue provides a microphone, that can help, but you'll want to be sure that you can be heard even without that assistance.

To help with this, Ribarsky recommends breathing and speaking from your abdomen as opposed to your throat or nose.

"Lay on the floor and place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly. Take a breath—what moves more? Begin to focus on breathing from your belly—and begin to practice speaking from your belly," she advises.

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7 | Watch yourself.

Experts, of course, emphasize the need to practice public speaking. But before you get in front of even a small audience, consider watching yourself in the mirror.

"Not only does this help mimic eye contact (albeit with yourself), but you also get a better idea of what your face and body might be doing," Ribarsky notes.

Even better, however, is recording yourself so you can watch the footage back.

"We all have mini recording devices in our pockets nowadays, so take advantage of this great tool! I understand that it may be painful to watch the recording as we all generally dislike the sound of our own voice, but recordings often show us things we may not know we’re doing, such as swaying, fidgeting, saying 'um,' etc.," Ribarsky says.

On that note, remember to be kind to yourself!

"Self-compassion can help reduce self-criticism, recognize that mistakes are a natural part of learning, reduce performance nerves, validate and acknowledge our emotions without becoming overwhelmed by them (which is really beneficial in high-pressure speaking situations), and increase our motivation to grow in new ways," says Phoebe Jenkins , mental health and fitness coach at Headspace .

8 | Hydrate and cut back on caffeine.

In order to keep your volume and articulation where they need to be, you need to ensure that you're properly hydrated. While you can obviously up your water intake, you'll also want to cut back on anything that has too much caffeine.

"When we are dehydrated, we naturally get cottonmouth, which makes it even harder to articulate appropriately," Ribarsky explains. "This also means avoiding too much caffeine (which also can add to our nervous energy)."

RELATED: 7 Simple Steps to Boost Your Productivity Instantly .

9 | Seek feedback ahead of time.

When you're ready to move beyond your mirror practice and self-tapes, experts recommend getting in front of a group of people you trust and asking them to provide feedback.

"Mastery of public speaking requires deliberate, structured consistent practice coupled with constructive feedback from mentors, peers, or coaches," Onwuachu shares. "Embracing feedback as a catalyst for growth fosters continuous learning and development, ultimately leading to greater confidence and proficiency in public speaking."

According to Jenkins, these people can also provide support and encouragement while you're getting ready for any kind of public speaking event.

10 | Practice mindfulness.

Meditation and other mindfulness techniques are challenging for many of us, but experts—and data—show that it really can help with any sort of public speaking.

"Research has shown that mindfulness interventions can significantly reduce levels of anxiousness and stress , and researchers from Brown University specifically found that mindfulness helped participants reduce anticipatory stress before giving a speech and recover much faster from stress post-public speaking," Jenkins says.

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10 Public Speaking Tips I Learned After My TED Talk Master the art of public speaking to engage, captivate and leave a lasting impression on your audience.

By Arian Adeli Edited by Micah Zimmerman May 11, 2023

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Growing up, I was social and outgoing, but I was never fond of putting on a show, even in smaller settings. In my high school years, I hosted several online and offline events that improved my public speaking skills.

Shortly after moving to the Netherlands, I got a speaker slot at a TEDx event happening at the University of Groningen. Funny enough, I'm a first-year student at the university myself, so the pressure from age discrimination was definitely on. Plus, my family and friends were in the audience, making it infinitely harder.

I could not mess this up. After endless practice, I learned more from this singular experience than from all my past speeches combined.

Related: The Complete, 20-Step Guide to Ace Public Speaking

1. Don't overload your slides

Speakers often use their slides to drive attention away from themselves to ease the pressure. Don't do that. Visual aids make the talk more engaging, but people come to watch you, not your Canva slides.

You should only include what is necessary to make the audience follow what you're saying. Don't include sentences, use graphics to enhance the experience, make it visually appealing and do not write paragraphs!

2. The more is not the merrier

As a speaker, it's natural to want to include as much as possible in your talk to increase its value. However, this is a terrible mistake. With each section, imagine if you could only use one sentence to convey the point; focus on that and eliminate the rest.

When I began writing my talk, I structured it more like a lecture. I dedicated a few minutes to introductory topics that would fit my talk. However, I later realized that I would only get the audience's attention for a short while, so I should cut to the chase.

Related: 7 Public Speaking Fundamentals Entrepreneurs Must Master

3. Don't eat your words at the end of a sentence

The start of a sentence is arguably the hardest part. Raising your voice after a pause that felt like an eternity is no joke. However, we all know that you should start your sentences with a strong tone to engage the audience.

What many ignore is how they finish their sentences. I also used to confidently begin my sentences but get quieter as I progressed. Ending your sentences with a firm tone will make your talk considerably more memorable.

4. Power pause

I understand how long one-second pauses can feel on stage; however, maintaining a slow pace and pausing at the right moments can significantly enhance your talk.

Another speaker that night even had a habit of counting to five in her head before she begins her next sentence.

Retaining information while listening to someone is not easy, especially given the declining attention spans among younger generations. You must give your audience a chance to process your statements before you move on.

5. Talk about personal experiences

We live in a time where it is easier than ever to find information on any topic you desire. Your audience will not want to listen to you for 10 minutes to save them the hassle of a Google search. Base your talk on your personal experiences and provide a unique angle.

6. Perfect your body language

You may be the speaker, but your body language does the talking for you as a person. Learn the art of engaging your audience with gestures, movements and facial expressions.

For example, slouching, having crossed arms, negative facial expressions and avoiding eye contact can hurt the audience and lower your credibility in their eyes.

Related: How To Be Persuasive With Your Body Language

7. Avoid "umm's" and "uhh's".

Although this is a hard habit to break, avoid using "filler" words when you speak. Train yourself to be comfortable with pausing when necessary. It will make you appear more competent and comfortable, which makes it more likely for your audience to pay attention.

Related: How to Cut the 'Ums,' Uhs,' and 'Literallys' When Speaking

8. Don't memorize your talk, understand it

You shouldn't read off anything during your talk, even small flash cards. It lowers the quality of your talk. There is just a different feel when a speaker genuinely understands his talk and delivers it as if it's a regular conversation.

You have to structure your talk in a way where each sentence reminds you of the one after so that even if you were to talk without preparation, you would still follow the same order.

9. Be likable.

I don't mean to alarm you, but in my experience, audiences tend to be more alert to a speaker's flaws than their strengths. If you come across as boring or arrogant, the audience will likely discard your talk immediately, even if it's actually good.

Be humble, friendly and engaging. If the audience can relate to you, they will be far more inclined to listen to you.

10. Use strong statements

As much as you hate to face the fact as a speaker, people have narrow attention spans . They will probably not remember much of your talk. So, use strong statements that provide a takeaway from your talk, even if the supporting sentences aren't present.

For instance, I structured my TED talk around ten principles I implement daily to give myself direction. Even if people spent the duration of my talk on their phones, likely, they would still remember the one-liners I used for each principle.

Similarly, I concluded my talk with a story that led to a quote, "Life is good." The audience might not remember my story, but they will definitely remember how it ended!

Remember, a great speaker embraces imperfections and performs regardless. Practice, get comfortable and never lose sight of the purpose of your talk.

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Best-Selling Author, Entrepreneur and Investor

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Top 50 Public Speaking Hacks

by Lisa Evans | Sep 15, 2024

Here Are My Top 50 Hacks on Public Speaking 

Public speaking can be a daunting task, whether you’re addressing a small group or standing in front of a large audience. The fear of stumbling over words, losing your train of thought, or being judged can feel overwhelming. But like any skill, public speaking can be mastered with the right tools and techniques. In this post, I’ve compiled 50 practical hacks to help you boost your confidence, engage your audience, and deliver your message with impact. Whether you’re a seasoned speaker or a nervous beginner, these tips will empower you to own the stage and speak with authority.

Public Speaking Hacks on Managing Nervousness

• Breathe Deeply –  Practice deep breathing exercises to calm your nerves before stepping on stage. It reduces nervousness and helps you focus.
• Visualise Success – Picture yourself delivering a great speech. Visualisation can boost your confidence and set a positive mindset.
• Embrace the Nerves –  Acknowledge that nervousness is normal. Channel that energy into enthusiasm for your speech. More hacks here.
• Practice, Practice, Practice –  The more familiar you are with your material, the more comfortable you’ll feel. 
• Start with a Strong Opening – Plan an engaging first sentence or story to hook the audience and ease into the presentation.
• Ground Yourself Physically –  Feel the ground under your feet. This will help keep your mind present and calm.
• Use a Confidence Anchor –  Carry a small object, like a coin or bracelet, that reminds you of previous successes to boost confidence mid-presentation.
• Focus on the Message, Not Yourself –  Shift your attention from how you’re being perceived to delivering value through your message.
• Connect with Friendly Faces –  Identify supportive faces in the audience and focus on them to feel more comfortable as you speak.
• Arrive Early –  Familiarising yourself with the room, stage, and audience ahead of time reduces uncertainty and jitters.

Public Speaking Hacks on Building Confidence

• Know Your Audience – Understand who you’re speaking to as this helps confidence by making your message more relevant.
• Prepare Thoroughly – Confidence comes from preparation. Know your material inside and out.
• Use Power Poses – Adopt confident body language before speaking—stand tall, shoulders back.
• Warm Up Your Voice – Do vocal exercises to project clearly and feel more in control of your delivery.
• Start Small – Gain confidence by practising with smaller audiences before larger ones.
• Dress the Part – Wearing something that makes you feel good can instantly boost your confidence.
• Celebrate Small Wins – Acknowledge small successes after each speaking event to build momentum.
• Reframe Mistakes – See mistakes as opportunities for growth, not failure, to build resilience.
• Speak at a Steady Pace – Slowing down your speech conveys confidence and gives you time to think.
• Fake It Till You Make It – Act confident, even if you’re not feeling it—your body will follow your mind.

Public Speaking Hacks on Preparation and Practice

• Outline Key Points – Create a clear structure, focusing on 3-5 main points to keep it organised.
• Write It Out, Then Simplif y – Practice with bullet points to stay flexible and conversational.
• Practice Aloud – Rehearsing out loud helps you gauge pacing and identify any awkward phrasing.
• Time Yourself – Ensure your speech fits within the allotted time. Practice with a timer.
• Record Yourself – Record your practice sessions to hear your tone and spot areas for improvement.
• Get Feedback – Present to a friend and ask for constructive feedback on both content and delivery.
• Use Visual Aids Wisely – If using slides or props, practice integrating them smoothly into your presentation.
• Anticipate Questions – Prepare for potential questions by having concise responses ready.
• Rehearse with Pauses – Use pausing to emphasise points. It gives the audience time to absorb information.
• Rehearse Multiple Scenarios – Prepare for different situations, such as technical issues or audience interruptions, to build flexibility and confidence in handling the unexpected.

Public Speaking Hacks on Remembering Your Content

• Use a Story Framework – Stories are easier to remember than facts. Use narrative or personal anecdotes.
• Chunk Information – Break your content into smaller, memorable sections to make it easier to recall.
• Use Visual Cues – When using slides, make sure they trigger key points, helping you stay on track.
• Create a Mental Map – Visualise the flow of your speech, moving from one key idea to the next.
• Repeat Key Phrases – Use repetition to reinforce key points in your mind, making them easier to recall.
• Practice Without Notes – Once you know your content, rehearse without looking at notes to improve memory retention. More tips on practice here.
• Use Mnemonics – Develop simple memory aids or acronyms to help you recall sections of your talk.
• Connect Content to Emotions – Tie key ideas to emotions to make them more memorable.
• Practice Mind Mapping – Create a visual map of your speech, linking key concepts to form a mental picture.
• Familiarise, Don’t Memorise – Know your content well enough to speak freely about it.

Public Speaking Hacks on Delivery

• Vary Your Tone – Avoid monotone by changing pitch and volume to keep your audience engaged.
• Maintain Eye Contact – Connect with your audience with eye contact, rotating between different people in the room.
• Use Pauses for Impact – Pause to give your audience time to absorb what you’ve said.
• Move with Purpose – Walk or shift positions on stage deliberately to add energy, but avoid pacing aimlessly.
• Match Your Pace to the Content – Speak more slowly when making complex points, and faster for lighter, exciting moments.
• Smile When Appropriate – A warm smile can make you appear more approachable and confident.
• Minimise Fillers – Practice reducing filler words like “um” and “uh” to create a smoother delivery.
• Adapt to the Audience’s Reactions – Stay flexible and adjust your tone or pace based on audience feedback, like nods or facial expressions.
• Use Silence Strategically – Embrace moments of silence to build suspense or allow a point to resonate before moving on.
• Engage with Questions – Ask rhetorical or direct questions to involve your audience and make the delivery more interactive.

Mastering public speaking doesn’t happen overnight, but with the right techniques, anyone can become an engaging and confident speaker. By managing your nerves, building confidence, preparing effectively, and delivering with impact, you can transform your speeches into memorable experiences for your audience. From simple breathing exercises to engaging storytelling techniques, these hacks will not only make you a more polished speaker but also help you connect with your listeners on a deeper level.

The journey to becoming a great public speaker is ongoing, but these 50 hacks provide a solid foundation. Remember, public speaking is a skill you can continue to refine. 

About Lisa Evans

Lisa Evans helps professionals to craft compelling business stories and become exceptional speakers. Lisa is a certified speaker coach, TEDx speaker coach, four times author, NLP practitioner, graphic recorder and visual storyteller, and improvisational actor. 

She has coached thousands of leaders across a range of industries, including resources, banking, finance, engineering, retail and sales as well as not-for-profit and community associations. 

If you wish to take advantage of a complimentary session in order to chat about how you can become an exceptional and successful speaker with a stand-out brand, then use this  link  to book a time to chat. Download my new E-book How to Build Confidence and Overcome Nervousness.

I’m Lisa Evans and I help people transform their communication skills. I’m a professional speaker, business coach, certified public speaking trainer and coach, author, podcaster, radio show host and sketchnote artist.

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• Communication
• Professional Speaking
• Public Speaking Tips
• Storytelling

2. Warm-Up Right

Even the most practiced public speakers face some performance anxiety. The best way to beat nerves is to have a great warm-up routine. Before taking the stage — or even front and center at a meeting, psych yourself up with a little pre-performance ritual. Here are some ideas:

3. Use a Sparkline

How do you go from being a merely influential speaker to an inspirational one? The answer lies in one simple, but extremely universal, speech theory.

CEO and professional presentation designer  Nancy Duarte spent years studying rhetorical strategies to uncover what makes some speeches powerful while other fail to captivate audiences. What she discovered is that all great speakers, from Martin Luther King Jr. to Steve Jobs, all follow the same structure.

Here’s what the diagram is showing:

• Start by explaining “ what is. ” This is the problem, the process, the level of achievement, etc. that you want to change.
• Then explain “ what could be .” This is your goal for a better future. The best speakers paint the picture of the best possible future that their message can provide. In other words, if every audience member uses your tips and solutions, what will their life look like? What will their day look like? What will change for them?

Here are public speaking tips from a few master public speakers:

• President Franklin Roosevelt addressed Congress in 1941 with a powerful speech that promised: “Freedom from fear, which, translated into world terms, means a worldwide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor–anywhere in the world. That is no vision of a distant millennium. It is a definite basis for a kind of world attainable in our own time and generation… To that new order we oppose the greater conception–the moral order. A good society is able to face schemes of world domination and foreign revolutions alike without fear.”
• Steve Jobs promised audience members, “So, today, we’ve added to the Mac and the iPod. We’ve added Apple TV and now iPhone. And you know, the Mac is really the only one that you think of as a computer. Right? And so we’ve thought about this and we thought, you know, maybe our name should reflect this a little bit more than it does. So we’re announcing today we’re dropping the computer from our name, and from this day forward, we’re going to be known as Apple Inc., to reflect the product mix that we have today… The Mac in 1984 is an experience that those of us that were there will never forget. And I don’t think the world will forget it either. The iPod in 2001 changed everything about music, and we’re going to do it again with the iPhone in 2007.”
• I use this when I’m speaking about body language.  I might start by talking about the miscommunication issues that people struggle with and then explain how learning body language allows you to communicate more effectively. I’ll repeat this throughout my speech by noting specific things that people struggle with, followed by body language tactics that solve each of those problems.

When you’ve explained all of your points, end your speech by creating a clear vision of what the audience can expect if they follow your advice, invest in your company, implement your plan–whatever you tried to persuade them to do. Watch Nancy Duarte’s TEdxEast talk to learn more about her speech theory and what you can do to become inspirational.

4. Don’t Caveat, Apologize or Beg

A big mistake nervous speakers make is apologizing or couching their ideas. When we are feeling nervous, we say things such as ‘It’s just my opinion,’ or ‘I’m not really sure,’ or ‘I could be wrong, but.’ This is detrimental to your message!

First, be sure to research all of your points so you feel confident about the information you are sharing. Second, once you are sure of your content, practice your speech in front of friends. Every time a qualifier or caveat is added, friends should gently point it out and have you start over. The best speakers also know that not everyone is going to like them. In fact, some of the best speakers are controversial, and that’s a good thing! You want people to get riled up, get thinking and feel emotion. That means you are striking a chord!

5. Master Your Nonverbal Behavior

One of the most fascinating things about public speaking is that our nonverbal behavior communicates more than the words we say. When we studied hundreds of hours of TED talks , we were shocked to find that speakers got the same ratings whether viewers watched the talks on mute or with sound. Even more surprising was that people accurately could predict in the first seven seconds whether the talk would be successful. Crazy, right? Our research also found that public speaking tactics, such as  hand gestures , smiling and vocal variety are essential for captivating audiences. Some other important nonverbal speaking tips:

• Don’t self-block. When we get nervous, we tend to try minimizing the amount of space our body takes up. We also subconsciously try to barricade our body from the audience with crossed arms or a podium. I recommend holding a clicker or microphone. This might seem counterintuitive, but it forces you to uncross your arms and makes putting your hands in your pockets more difficult.
• Carry one bag. Nonverbal communication goes beyond the body into colors we wear, clothes and accessories. One set of research has found that people who carry more than one thing–such as a purse and a briefcase or a briefcase and a coat are perceived to be less organized and more forgetful. Before going into a meeting or event, be sure to consolidate your bags, leave coats and extra things in the car or give your coat to the receptionist to hang up so you do not have to carry it in with you.
• Avoid self-touch.  You want to avoid a few nervous body language cues when speaking. The most common nervous body language cues are self-touch gestures. Specifically, you want to avoid wringing your hands, cracking your knuckles, touching your face or hair or biting your lips. If you need to hold a clicker, that can anchor your hands.

Check out my TEDxLondon Talk where I explain some of the other nonverbal research:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cef35Fk7YD8

6. Channel Your Fear

Academic researchers hypothesize that this intense fear of public speaking comes from evolution. In the past, when humans were threatened by large predators, living as a group was a basic survival skill, and ostracism or separation of any kind certainly would mean death. This may have evolved into the fear of public speaking — and it makes sense. What situation embodies that kind of separation more than standing all alone in front of a room full of people? On a deep level, people are afraid their audience will reject them.

Our friends at Quantified Communications used their software analyzer to compare patterns of the best speakers. They found that the most confident speakers demonstrate 22.6 percent more passion than nervous speakers, meaning their delivery exhibits the kind of energy and engagement that indicates they’re really invested in their topic.

Another theory states that when we enter a state of social anxiety, which is common in public speaking, our ability to pick up on angry faces is heightened. In a 2009 study , psychologist Matthias Wieser measured participants’ brain responses to angry, happy and neutral images. In order to elicit anxiety, Wieser told some of the participants they would have to give a speech. The anxious participants were significantly more sensitive to the angry images than to happy or neutral ones, but the rest of the participants did not exhibit the same bias. It’s easy to see how this phenomenon becomes something of a vicious cycle in the context of public speaking. When we start out nervous, no matter how many people are smiling or nodding along, we’re apt to lock onto the one person who looks angry, which makes us even more nervous.

If you’re nervous about an upcoming speech, channel that nervous energy into demonstrating your passion for the topic at hand as you share your best insights with your audience. Nervousness and excitement are two sister emotions. When you feel your heart race,  reframe that as excitement .

Action Steps:

• Use hand gestures! One way to calm nervous hands is to give them purposeful movement. Here are my 20 favorite hand gestures for speakers and how you can use them. This will help you channel your nerves into excited and passionate gestures.
• Beat performance anxiety. If you have really severe anxiety, try my 7 steps to beat performance anxiety . This is a more systematic approach you can take to battle those nerves.

7. Know How to Work the Stage

Do you have stage presence? I have created a formula to learn how to work a stage like a pro and win the crowd. My big idea: Don’t pace, purposefully move. When we have adrenaline pumping through our bodies, we tend to pace the stage. It is a way of moving all of our nerves out of our bodies. Many speakers do this subconsciously and often have no idea the audience is being forced to watch them like a ball in a tennis match.

8. Master Stage Presence

Did you know that public speaking is actually a skill? Many people struggle with stage anxiety because they feel they ‘missed the memo’ on public speaking or they are lacking because they do not have a natural stage presence. Not true!

Stage presence and public speaking are skills you need to be taught—very few people have them naturally. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1T7VlHbM3A

Here are all the aspects of public speaking you can master.

• How to make a first impression with an audience
• How to have stage presence
• Powerful body language
• How to speak with a commanding voice
• What to do with your hands while speaking

For every speaking skill you add to your toolbox, the less speaking anxiety you will feel.

If you want help really diving into your presentation skills, be sure to sign-up for our course…

Master Your People Skills

• Create a Memorable Presence
• Communicate with Confidence
• Achieve Your Goals

Have a question about the presentation or People School? Email Science of People support .

9. Include the Audience

Another finding from Quantified Communication was around the audience. They discovered that the most confident speakers use 46.9 percent more inclusive language than nervous speakers, meaning they’re using collaborative words and personal pronouns to help the audience feel more involved in the message. This finding could indicate that the most confident speakers are community-oriented, and suggests that camaraderie-driven language can help nervous speakers build confidence by overcoming that evolutionary fear of ostracism.

Don’t speak at the audience, speak to the audience.

Can you create activities, facilitate Q/A sessions or do call-outs to the audience? I gave the most nerve-wracking speech of my life and decided to include the audience constantly. This calmed down my nerves and helped me connect to the crowd. See how I included them here:

10. Move People to their Feet

Oh, the Standing O. It’s coveted by speakers. It’s hoped for by audiences. It’s the ultimate reward for a speech well-given. Why is it that some speakers can move us so deeply that we stand to our feet in triumph? Emotion. Here is the number one mistake speakers make:

Thinking credible means being unemotional.

Many speakers who are trying to come across as professional and serious think they have to deliver direct, emotionless speeches. This is the problem with most of the least popular TED Talks. They are interesting, well-presented speeches that are stiff and boring! Having emotions, caring about your work and fusing energy into your talk does NOT make you less professional. It makes your professional message more palatable.

Emotions are the condiments of speeches.

Emotions add spice, flavor and personality to your talk, your stories and your ideas. Here are the most common emotions speakers can add to their talks. Do you have any stories that can embody these emotions?

• Vulnerability

How to Get a Standing Ovation: Public speaking teacher, Michael Port has a great tip for speakers in his course Heroic Public Speaking . He encourages speakers to think of an exercise or activity to do right before the end of a speech so that the audience members are already on their feet. For example, you can have everyone stand up and say their action step out loud or give high fives to the people next to them. Then say your final few lines. With people already standing it activates them AND they are already on their feet for a standing ovation.

11. Solve a Problem

Another amazing public speaking tip from Nancy Duarte is framing your speech around solving problems. She argues that all great speeches start with a problem we all recognize—this instantly taps into a common pain that we can relate to and want solved. It is the problem of ‘what is’ or what is happening right now that is wrong. This captures people’s attention. Then the speaker promises a solution to this problem—which alleviates worry and provides relief to the audience. This is the ‘what could be.’ The best speeches go between problems and solutions, taking the audience on an emotional journey.

Example : Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream Speech”:

• Problem: “America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds.’”
• Solution: “But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.”

Anyone can do this with large or small lectures. For example, I do this with body language in every presentation I give:

• Problem: “How many times have you walked into a party or networking event and instantly felt awkward or uncomfortable?”
• Solution: “The best way to combat your awkwardness is with a success routine.”
• Problem: “The hardest part about sales is building trust. You love your product, you love your brand, but you have no idea how to share this love with a potential client without coming across as spammy or aggressive.”
• Solution: “There is an incredibly easy way to fix this. They are called trust indicators.”

What problems and solutions can you solve?

12. Once Upon a Time

Have you heard the writing advice, “Show, Don’t Tell”? The same applies for speakers. Speakers can tell audiences the problems and solutions, but showing the problems in real life and the solutions in action requires stories. Stories are incredibly powerful because our brains eat them up! Research has found that as you tell a story, the listener’s brain activates as if they themselves were in the story! Not only does this capture people’s attention, but it also makes your points more memorable. Let me tell you a story about the importance of stories.

I love science and used to put as many studies and facts into my presentation as possible. My slide deck was filled with nifty charts and stunning graphs. At one speaking event, I showed up and their projector wasn’t working—I couldn’t show my slides. I basically had to wing it. I was so nervous and worried I almost canceled the event. I thought it was ridiculous to cancel an event just because my slides weren’t working, so I pulled it together and warned the organizers that it would probably be one of my worst presentations. Since I had no visuals to go off of, I had to explain the experiments as stories (without numbers) and rely on examples from real people I had taught instead of formal case studies. At the end of the speech, the audience rose to its feet and burst into applause. It was a small audience of about 25 people, but still I was floored! I got some of the best feedback from that speech that I ever had received. Why? I used stories to illustrate my points instead of dry facts and figures.

• Think of the three main problems in your speech. Now think of stories to demonstrate them.
• Think of the three main solutions in your speech. Now think of stories of people who used them.

13. Use an App

Technology can be an amazing tool for speakers. Tons of apps are available that can help you hone your craft. I reviewed 6 of my favorite apps you can use before your next event.

14. Take Rehearsal to a Whole New Level

A big mistake speakers make is failing to rehearse enough — and in the right way. If you want to give a presentation that is compelling enough to inspire audiences to listen to your call to action, you need to give yourself plenty of time to prepare, so when you step on stage you know your presentation inside and out. You can take your rehearsal to the next level by practicing in phases.

• Phase #1: Read your content aloud to yourself or with a trusted friend. Make adjustments until the structure of your content flows, sounds natural and conveys your message.
• Phase #2: Practice your movements, body language  and props. This is the step that most people forget to do; they have brilliant content but look awkward on stage because they’re too stiff, don’t know what to do with their hands or haven’t practiced with their props for presentations such as product demos.
• Phase #3: Hold at least one full dress rehearsal. Invite a couple of your friends or colleagues to watch you give your presentation wearing the outfit you plan to wear on the day of and practice as if it was your actual presentation.

This tip comes straight from our Steal the Show summary — review all 7 tips .

15. Adopt A Laughing Mindset

I am not going to tell you to put a bunch of jokes in your speech—although it would be great if you did. I know it is almost impossible to try coming up with jokes that don’t come naturally. So instead, I am going to ask you to consider a laughing mindset. We noticed that the best speakers, the ones who received standing ovations, had people smiling, and also mentally smiling, throughout a Talk, even when it was serious. What I mean by mentally smiling is the speaker set up inside jokes and a congeniality with the audience that felt like sitting with an old friend.

Watch Ken Robinson’s Ted Talk. He does an amazing job of keeping the laughing mindset. He does tell jokes, but he also gives you the feeling that you are an old friend and you are about to have a good time:

Here’s how you can create a laughing mindset:

• Create an inside joke. Stand-up comedians do this really well. I went to hear one stand-up comedian and he started off with, “Oh brother, you know what happened to me today?” Then he told an amusing, but not laugh-out-loud, story. Then he did it again. “Oh brother, you know what happened to me yesterday?” and continued with another story. By the end of the routine, he could just say, “Oh brother,” and the audience would laugh. He created his own inside joke with the audience—both funny and powerful.
• Act it out. Sometimes a well-placed eyebrow raise or an exasperated sigh can loosen up the audience to the laughing mindset. Think of some of your stories that you came up with in point #3. Can you act out any aspects of your stories? Did your kid give you a hard time about something? Can you mimic them? Did you stumble into a bar late one night? Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge. Try to punctuate your words with expressions of your points. This pulls the audience toward you.
• Smile to inspire. When you smile you cue the audience to relax and smile. As you will see below, smiling also helps your perceptions of intelligence.

16. Learn from the Best

Sometimes you need to watch an amazing speaker in action to get inspired. I love watching public speakers who really know how to work a room. I always learn something from them and pick up a few tidbits. I have put together a video analyzing my favorite public speakers and why they are so talented. Watch to see who I chose and why:

More Public Speaking Resources

Get even more public speaking tips with our related resources:

• 10 Presentation Ideas that will Radically Improve Your Presentation Skills
• 6 Public Speaking Apps to try Before Your Next Presentation
• How to Give Captivating Presentations
• My Top 5 Favorite Public Speakers
• How to Give an Awesome Toast
• How to Start a Speech: The Best (and worst) Speech Openers

Bonus: Pitch Like Shark Tank

Do you watch the TV show “Shark Tank”? We do! In fact, we did a research experiment analyzing all 495 pitches on “Shark Tank,” looking for patterns. If you plan to do a lot of pitching in your public speaking, then you must check out our 10 findings from our Shark Tank Study .

I can’t wait for you to share your message using these tips! Remember to practice them until they become your own. And most importantly, always speak from the heart and always tell the truth. It should go without saying, but these tactics only work when you are being authentic and honest. I have no doubt that you can use your ideas to change the world, you just have to deliver them in a way so people hear them!

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Communication

11 powerful public speaking tips to hook any audience.

You just got the great news. You were selected to give a key presentation at the upcoming executive meeting. Or it could be you were honored to be chosen to be a speaker at a conference later this year. Whatever the case may be, you know it’s time to make sure you know your public speaking tips. You are both excited for the opportunity yet also nervous to be presenting to a large audience. It’s an honor to be chosen, even if you are one of the 3 in 4 people who have glossophobia, otherwise known as the fear of public speaking.

Not to worry. Here we will discover some very powerful public speaking tips to hook any audience. Not only will you get past the presentation or speaking engagement, you’ll wow the audience. If you are really good, you’ll wow yourself too.

1. Utilize the 7 Elements of Public Speaking

Public speaking can be a daunting task and something that isn’t easy for many of us. If you want to improve on your public speaking skills, read on to learn the 7 elements of public speaking. This will lay the foundation to develop the powerful public speaking tips to hook any audience.

i. Know You Audience

Makes sense right? You have to know who your audience is and the reason they are listening to you. If your audience is the board of directors, you probably want to dress the part and speak in a more formal tone and ensure you highlight the most important points.

On the other hand, if you are speaking to an audience before kicking off a fundraising walk, you’ll be more casual in your tone but probably throw in some inspirational words to get everyone pumped up.

ii. Warm Up

This is pretty basic as well but worth mentioning. Do a few warm up exercises for your voice so you don’t sound like you have a frog in your throat. Make sure you drink some water before hand so you don’t feel like you have cotton in your mouth. You might try shaking out your body a bit or stretching to feel nice and limber when you take the stage.

iii. Manage Your Anxiety

Yes, you will most likely have some anxiety. That’s okay, accept that you will have it and figure out the best way to manage it.

When I know I am going to be nervous about something, I tell myself that’s okay. I’ve been nervous before and things tend to work out fine.

Whatever works for you, figure out the best way to manage your anxiety. You might even tell yourself that most people are nervous and anxious when speaking in public.

iv. Gain Personal Credibility

People are there to hear you speak for reason. You’ve got a short window of opportunity to show them that they are spending their time wisely.

Right after your introduction, jump in and share something with them so they understand quickly that you know what you are talking about. You want them to feel like they’ve made a wise decision by spending the time coming to listen to you. Show them.

v. Use Different Methods of Presentation

Depending on the situation, you’ll have to decide what the best presentation material will be.

If you are giving that pep rally speech, then maybe you don’t need anything except enthusiasm and wearing the t-shirt of the cause you are supporting.

If you are presenting to a group of C-Level executives about a potential million dollar purchase they are considering, you’re probably going to want some hard data and facts to show them why the purchase will benefit them. Powerpoint presentations are fine but remember, they aren’t the best use of presentation material for every occasion.

vi. Rehearse Perfectly

You know the saying “practice makes perfect” of course. This is very true in public speaking. I wrote another article How to Memorize a Speech The Smart Way which got great tips for learning how to give a speech. The bottom line is you want to rehearse your presentation until you feel very comfortable making the delivery.

vii. Storytelling

I saved what I consider the best part for last. As humans, we are wired to love a good story. Make sure you have a few to share with your audience.

Personal stories that are salient to the point of your speech are the absolute best. If you have stories from other people or sources, make sure you let the audience know where you got the story from. In any event, put in a good story or two. Your audience will love it.

2. Start Off a Speech in a Charming Way

The most critical parts of a speech are the introduction and the conclusion. Sure, the middle is important as well but to really deliver a powerful speech you want to start off with a bang. A way that is going to get your audience hooked initially and excited about what’s coming next. Here are some great ways to start off of a memorable speech to add to your public speaking tips bag of tricks.

Make a Shocking Statement

This is one surefire way to grab the attention of the audience in a hurry. Saying something like “1 out of every 2 people in this room will have another job in 2 years” will get everyone’s eyes on you right away. And it will get their minds wondering what do you mean by that statement. Which also means they will be hooked on the next things you have to say.

Tell a Story

This is one of my favorite ways to start a speech. An engaging story will hook your audience quickly.

Recently, I was speaking to a group of recent college graduates at the company I work for. I began the talk by telling them the story of how my truck wound up going backwards down the highway on the way to the presentation due to icy roads. That had everyone wondering how I was standing there and what my truck looked like.

Thank the Audience

This is pretty basic but certainly worth mentioning. Thanking the audience for taking the time to come to the presentation is a great way to get things going. This should be included no matter what other methods you utilize in your opening.

What’s in It for Them

Another great way to get people paying close attention is to tell them what they will get out of the speech or presentation. After all, that’s why most of these people showed up!

Getting a taste of what they will gain and or learn from your talk as well as how it will benefit them will get them ready for more.

Solve a Problem

Let the audience know a problem you are going to talk to them about solving that they can relate to.

If the audience is made of people who are there to learn how to live a healthier lifestyle, you can say something like “Who here has a difficult time creating a plan for a healthy lifestyle and sticking to it?”. Hands will shoot up all around the room. You can then tell them “I’m here to share with you a simple 5 step process to live a healthier lifestyle.”

3. Show Genuine Emotion

An audience will feel more connected to you if you show genuine emotion.

I recently attended a conference with 5,000 of my closest friends. One of the initial speakers was so full of enthusiasm and genuine passion and emotion for what she was presenting to us that we were all hooked on her every word. Her use of genuine emotion fully engaged the entire audience.

4. Tell the Audience Something They Don’t Know

Sharing something with the audience that makes them go “Wow, is that really true?” is a great way to get people hanging on your every word.

When you share something that most people haven’t thought about and work it into you speech in such a way that it gives a great launching pad for your next point, you are bound to make a great impression on your audience.

When you tell a group something like “most dogs actually understand most of what we are saying” and then show people why this is true, you will be remembered.

5. Make the Benefit About Them

Don’t think of a speech as a way to promote a product, service or yourself. Make it about how the people in the audience will benefit, and you will have made a huge new group of friends.

People don’t like to feel like they are getting sold. What they do like is someone sharing tips and tricks with them on how to improve their life or situation or get better in some way. This is a great way to get the audience aligned with you.

6. Slow Down

Many public speakers tend to rush their words. They get anxious or nervous or overly excited, and words tend to rush out a lot faster than they should.

To create a more powerful speech that will engage your audience deeper deliberately, slow down the words coming out of your mouth. This is really good to do when you are practicing your speech.

By slowing down, the audience can understand you better and you will get better buy in from them.

7. Be Interactive

Something I have noticed over and over in great speeches is how the speakers are interactive with the audience. This doesn’t mean you have to ask everyone to raise their hand every few minutes. That being said, don’t be shy about getting the audience to interact with you from time to time.

Take a quick poll. Ask them to say something to the person sitting next to them. A few simple interactive action items like that will go a long way.

8. Be Controversial

We talked about making a shocking statement when you start off your speech. This aligns with that same concept.

Making a shocking statement right off the bat will engage people into your speech quickly. You can also sprinkle in some controversial statements or stances throughout your talk to keep people engaged and hooked.

It doesn’t have to be completely off the wall either, more like facts and statistics that most people don’t know but make them think more and therefore, listen to you more intently.

9. Get Them Laughing

Another great way to keep an audience hooked is by having them laughing from time to time. Laughing makes us feel good, so this will certainly win you some followers.

You have to do this the right way. Don’t tell a lot of jokes, those can fall flat or in some cases offend people.

Funny things that happen during a story are great to share. One of the best ways to be humorous during a talk is to use self-deprecating humor . This shows you are self-confident and have character.

10. Use a Prop or Two

This is one of those things where a little bit will go a long way. That being said, it is certainly worth considering to incorporate a few props when appropriate into your speech. Use them in such a way that they will highlight a point.

I watched a presentation where a guy took out a cigarette and acted like he was going to light it. Of course the audience reacted. He then went on to tell people that three times as many people passed away from diabetes than lung cancer from smoking. He then proceeded to tell everyone that nobody would have been shocked if he’d taken out a candy bar. Good props, good point.

11. Tell the Audience How Good They Are

Everyone likes hearing that they are good at something or special in some way. A surefire way to get the audience engaged in your speech and listening is to tell them how good they are in some way. Make them feel good about themselves.

I was recently at a Talent Acquisition conference. One of the speakers did a great job of making everyone in the audience understand how wonderful they were for connecting talented people to jobs and careers they could make a difference at. And it’s true, that’s how I feel anyway. The cool thing was they pointed out a way to make everyone in the room feel great about themselves.

Bottom Line

By this point, you should feel fairly well armed to make a dazzling speech the next time the opportunity presents itself.

Remember, the majority of people are nervous when giving a public speech. Utilize the above public speaking tips to hook any audience at your next speech. Your confidence will increase greatly and the audience will be coming back for more.

More About Public Speaking

• How to Cope With Public Speaking
• How to Conquer Public Speaking Fears
• The Ultimate Public Speaking Tips to Hook and Impress Any Audience

Featured photo credit: Marcos Luiz Photograph via unsplash.com

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How To Practice Self-Advocacy in the Workplace (Go-to Guide)

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Prioritization — Using Your Time & Energy Effectively

Delegation — Leveraging Your Time & Resources

Your Guide to Effective Planning & Scheduling

The Ultimate Guide to Achieving Goals

How to Find Lasting Motivation

Complete Guide to Getting Back Your Energy

How to Have a Good Life Balance

Explore the time flow system.

About the Time Flow System

Key Philosophy I: Fluid Progress, Like Water

Key Philosophy II: Pragmatic Priorities

Key Philosophy III: Sustainable Momentum

Key Philosophy IV: Three Goal Focus

How the Time Flow System Works

5 Public Speaking Confidence Hacks

by AmondaRose Igoe | Oct 11, 2017 | Public Speaking Tips

I created Public Speaking Confidence Hacks that are super easy to use and might give you the edge when presenting to groups, organizations, team members or annual conferences.

Before we get to the 5 Public Speaking Confidence Hacks, you might be wondering what is a Hack?  By definition a Life  hack  (or life  hacking ) refers to any trick, shortcut, skill, or novelty method that increases productivity and efficiency, in all walks of life, according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_hack

Public Speaking Confidence Hack # 1

To outsmart presentation stress in seconds, use this handy-dandy public speaking confidence hack. It will show how to decrease your nerves super-fast and move out the anxious feelings when you’re feeling overwhelmed prior to presenting. All you need to do is reach for a comb. Place the comb near your arm and begin to apply light pressure. Rub the teeth of the comb up-and-down along the inside of your forearm for 60 seconds. Repeat on your other arm. You will stimulate energy points in your arm that release stress. As a result, you will have instant tension taming technique that you can do right before your presentation. As a matter of fact, you’ll feel better quicker and easier than you ever thought possible.

Public Speaking Confidence Hack # 2

Presentation fear and doubt can impact you, even when you’re excited about speaking.  And it can happen out of nowhere in the middle of your talk.  To avoid this public speaking challenge, keep a bottle of bubbles in your purse or bag. Right before your presentation in a private space, take out your bubbles, inhale and exhale as you blow some bubbles.  The bubbles mimics the deep breathing that’s been shown to lower levels of stress hormone cortisol by 50%.  The bubbles will remind you of your carefree childhood and allow you to present with more joy, ease and playfulness.  And you can even imagine your lack of public speaking confidence flying away and bursting into the air just like the bubbles do.

Public Speaking Confidence Hack # 3

To be faced with public speaking difficulties when presenting can really dampen your spirits and make speaking a really uncomfortable challenge.  To increase your public speaking confidence, begin by thinking of your favorite uplifting and fun childhood song.  It needs to be a song that helps you feel excited and happy.  It could be “If you are happy and you know it clap your hands” or “Shake your sillies out”.  Start singing the song in a private space.  Possibly in the stairwell if you are at a hotel or office building.  Get your arms moving, legs shifting and clap your hands to the sound of the beat. This fun and happy activity has been shown to improve a mood in minutes. It will ultimately help you step out of whatever emotional intensity you’re experiencing at that moment and give you a more positive perspective before you start speaking.

Public Speaking Confidence Hack # 4

Here is super quick way to overcome speaking stage fright or nerves. Before your presentation jot down an encouraging phrase such as “My audience is going to love me.” Or “I am a confident public speaker.” Put these positive words at the top of your presentation notes where you can see them anytime you need some encouragement.  Research has shown that people who read positive messages, like the examples above, are less stressed out than those who didn’t have a cheerful message in front of them.  The positive messages counter public speaking fear and the anxiety of feeling judged so you can deliver your speech with more confidence.

Public Speaking Confidence Hack # 5

What does nature and public speaking have in common?  There’s a really good reason to stop and watch a pretty bird feeder or a group of birds flying in the sky.  That simple activity has been shown to ease stress in difficult situations.  People who glimpsed at birds during the day were three times less likely to experience anxiety and 70% less likely to report high stress.  That’s because watching birds relaxes you, deepens your feeling of connection and makes sure you enjoy your public speaking presentation moments. 

Enjoy the Public Speaking Confidence Hacks! 

Give them a try and let me know how it goes!

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• Unclear Messaging that Undermines Your Speaking Success
• Lacks Compelling Presentation Content that Leaves Your Audience Wanting MORE
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Don’t Just Memorize Your Next Presentation — Know It Cold

by Sabina Nawaz

Summary .   

Knowing a script or presentation cold means taking the time to craft the words and sequence of what you plan to say, and then rehearsing them until you could recite them backwards if asked. It’s a more effective approach to public speaking than simple memorization or “winging it” because you plan not just the words but the actions and transitions between points, so it becomes one fluid motion for you, all the while allowing time for adjusting or improvising during the speech itself.

To learn your script cold, first, decide how you will craft your script, whether it’s noting key talking points or writing down every line and detail. Next, create natural sections and learn them individually, including transitions. Then, learn your script over time and rehearse. Finally, have a plan for forgetfulness, which can include acknowledging that you need to reference your notes.

The three judges beamed at me. Buoyed by their support, I anticipated winning this college elocution competition. I nailed the first verse of my chosen poem, but might as well have been under general anesthesia when trying to remember a single word of the second verse. Now the judges’ encouraging smiles only roiled my rising panic. Finally, the timer buzzed, ending my turn on stage and initiating a two-decade fear of memorization.

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This Is it: Your Ultimate Public Speaking Cheat Sheet

There’s a lot of advice out there about how to give a great talk . And—let’s face it—when you’re already panicked about public speaking , reading article after article can get a little intimidating.

Which is why we loved this infographic, which boils down all the essentials—from ways to make an impact on your audience to tips to prepare 24 hours before—into one quick, fun read.

Whether you’re giving a huge talk at a conference or presenting at your monthly staff meeting, consider this your ultimate cheat sheet.

Infographic courtesy of London Speaker Bureau . Photo of public speaker courtesy of Shutterstock .

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5 Science-Based Presentation Hacks to Captivate Any Audience

Your audience gets bored easily. create multisensory experiences to keep their attention.

Molecular biologist  John Medina  once told me, "The brain does not pay attention to boring things." The statement profoundly shaped my approach to communication skills . My mission is to give readers the tools they need to keep their audience from getting bored.

How to prevent boredom? Simply remember that we interpret the world through our five senses : sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. Study after study has found that people will remember information and recall it more accurately when more than one sense is stimulated. 

Here are a few presentation hacks to engage the five senses of your audience.

1. Use photos and videos.

Our senses work together. If you hear and see something, you're more likely to remember the information. In a presentation, add photos and images to complement your verbal message. Studies have shown that visuals and words are more powerful than words alone. For example, If I tell you something, you're likely to remember 10 percent of the content. If I add a photo, retention soars to 65 percent.

2. Animate your vocal delivery.

The brain gets bored easily if it hears one person speaking in a monotone. The simple fix is to rehearse your presentation out loud. Record it and listen to it. Add some animation to your voice by speeding up the tempo during some parts and slowing it down during others. Grow louder--and softer. Punch key words for emphasis. If you also include videos or invite other speakers to share the stage, that too will engage your audience's auditory sense. 

3. Give your audience something to touch.

I recently watched a CEO deliver a one-hour presentation introducing a new financial product. He had provided a handbook to the business professionals in the audience. About 10 times during the presentation, the CEO would reference a page in the book and encourage them to take notes and to stick post-it notes on the pages for later reference. The CEO was clever, using an age-old technique to keep his audience engaged. By stimulating their sense of touch, they were far more likely to pay attention for the entire presentation...which they did.

4. Engage their taste buds, if you can.

Taste and smell are the most difficult senses to engage in a presentation, but it is possible from time to time. For example, Bill Gates is a student of persuasion. He's constantly thinking about how to keep presentations interesting and exciting. Gates has done everything from letting mosquitoes loose in an auditorium at a TED talk to challenging television hosts to drink sewage water that had been sanitized and bottled for drinking.

During an appearance on The Tonight Show , Gates  brought two glasses  of water and placed them on Jimmy Fallon's desk. Gates said one was regular bottled water; the other was sewage sludge that had gone through a process that turned it into clean drinking water. Fallon literally fell out of his chair when Gates surprised him and revealed that both bottles were sewage water.

5. Trigger the strongest sense of all.

Smell is one of the strongest senses--hotels and spas have known this for years, which is why they design signature scents that waft through the property. But other than placing a scent machine at the back of the meeting room--which I haven't tried and wouldn't recommend--it's not always possible to stimulate the olfactory system. Although here's one way I figured out how to incorporate smell and touch.

When I'm invited to speak on communication and customer service, I bring a prop--Lush soaps. The soaps are pricey. My point is that consumers might be put off by the price, but once they're educated about the product, they are more likely to become loyal customers. I toss several bars to members of the audience as I discuss the topic. The smell is rather strong because the soap is fresh. Members of the audience have fun with it as they pass them around. They're even more excited when I tell them they can keep the bars for free.

The neuroscience on multi-sensory presentations is clear. When the brain builds two mental models of information--a verbal and visual--the mental connections it makes is much stronger. Add a third, fourth, or even fifth sense and you'll surely hit a home run. 

A refreshed look at leadership from the desk of CEO and chief content officer Stephanie Mehta

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PRESENTATION TIPS AND SPEAKING HACKS by Scott Hanselman

Want to be a better speaker.

Rob Conery and I have assembled this 90 minute video to help share the art of speaking with as wide an audience as possible.

Perhaps you've given speeches at work and are considering a local user group. Maybe you've spoken at code camps and want to go national or international. Or, perhaps you'd just like to be more comfortable talking to the folks at your office and presenting to the boss.

I feel that this documentary style video is a great introduction into the minds of a technical speaker with not only experience, but passion for the art.

Who is Scott Hanselman?

Scott is widely considered one of the best technical presenters speaking today. Scott has presented to over 350,000 developers worldwide over his 20 year career in software. He's presented internationally to crowds as small as 10 and as large as 25,000 people.

FREE 4 HOUR BONUS COURSE: Speaking Fundamentals!

Rob Conery and I have just released the sequel to The Art of Speaking ! It's Speaking Fundamentals and it's 4 hours of targeted training with the singular aim of making YOU a better technical public speaker! Both videos are included in your Pluralsight Subscription!

What will you learn?

In this video, Scott Hanselman is interviewed documentary-style by Pluralsight video host Rob Conery

Scott is asked to give a presentation on an unfamilar topic (in this case the programming language called CoffeeScript) and Rob's cameras roll while Scott conceives, plans, researches, and presents on the topic.

The entirety of Scott's thought process is captured from multiple angles in this professionally edited video. You'll not only learn while Scott learns, but you'll be walked through the thought process from conception to execution.

Watch NOW with a PluralSight Subscription!

Scott shares pragmatic and practical techniques throughout the video that you can apply to your own speechs, lectures and presentations.

The video free for you to watch as a subscriber to Pluralsight technical screencasts.

If you're interested in improving as a speaker or presenter, this video is your ticket to success.

Important points

You'll learn how to decide what to talk about and how long to talk about it. Every good presentation has an "arc" as you move through it. Where do you start, peak and end? That's the story arc.

When planning a presentation you'll want to take into consideration your audience, their biases, culture, language and size. Every presentation should be thoroughly planned and customized for the audience.

There are specific speaking techniques and human behaviors you can use and exploit when presenting. If you move, they watch you, if you stop, they look at the screen. You'll learn all the tricks from someone who uses them every day.

Your demos tell a story as well. Make sure your presentations make good use of the right demos that are clear, visible and compelling.

Additional Free Reading

If you're interested in learning more about how to give technical presentations, check out some of Scott's blog posts on these topics over the years.

• Free Podcast: Professional Technical Speaker Tips
• 11 Top Tips for a Successful Technical Presentation
• Tips for Preparing for a Technical Presentation
• How To: Convert a PowerPoint Presentation from 4:3 ratio to 16:9 without distorted or stretched images
• Technical Presentations: Be Prepared for Absolute Chaos

Testimonials

Great speaker and tremendously charismatic. His talks are informative, easy to comprehend and funny at the same time. Marius Schulz

I'm halfway through the Hanselman video from Tekpub and already have a page of notes of things I can improve. Love it! Rob Sullivan

Scott is amazing at breaking down complicated technical topics to simple, succinct, easy to grasp discussion. His enthusiasm and passion for developing software is really brought out in his discourses. Chris Schroll

Done presentation test-run. Used some of the Hanselman techniques from Tekpub. Very effective. Recommended! Edge via Twitter

Watching my first vid on tekpub: Hanselman's talk on presenting; that talk alone seems to be worth the value of the annual description's fee. Tom Janssens via Twitter

Wow, what an engaging speaker! I got excited just seeing how excited he was. Also, he can code in front of an audience which takes skill, practice and nerves. Jason Kendall

In the moments leading up to giving a presentation or speech, many people feel a surge of anxiety—heart-racing, hand-quaking, sick-to-their-stomach anxiety. Some of the work to fortify oneself against the fear of public speaking happens well in advance of the actual presentation or speech. But when the adrenaline and cortisol flood your body right before you take the “stage,” you need an additional, entirely different set of tactics. 

While there is a good bit of psychological advice available on this subject, most of us would readily agree that it’s difficult to control the mind with the mind. People like Amy Cuddy have explored the body-brain connection as a way to offset the anxiety posturally—check out her  TED talk  and her  book . (Though her research has received some criticism—which she responded to  here —a lot of my clients experience at least a placebo benefit from power posing.) 

Here are three quick and easy brain hacks to help you manage the fear in the moment

1 Step forward.  There’s no biological difference between the adrenaline released out of fear and adrenaline released out of excitement; in either case, the purpose of adrenaline is to enable movement. To dispel the adrenaline, many speakers exhibit unintentional movement (e.g. rocking, pacing back and forth). What’s fascinating, however, is that if you step  forward —toward the audience—your brain also releases dopamine. Dopamine is the “reward” neurotransmitter, so triggering that response increases the feeling of success (and has the added benefit that we’ll want to repeat that activity because of the reward response). In the virtual environment, lean forward.

2 Move your eyes.  If you’re familiar with  EMDR , this one will sound familiar. Side-to-side eye movement suppresses the amygdala—the part of the brain that plays a primary role in our emotional responses, such as fear. Moving your eyes from side-to-side for just 30 seconds can invoke this benefit. 

3 Use “physiological sighs.”  You’ve been told to take a deep breath to help with the stress, but this is a much more specific way to breathe to offset anxiety and induce calm. Stanford researcher Andrew Huberman explains how (and why!)  here . In short, it’s a double inhale through the nose, followed by a long exhale through the mouth. 

Try incorporating one or all of these tactics into your “pre-game routine” before your next pitch, presentation or speaking gig. It’ll add less than a minute to your prep and will reduce the stress dramatically. 

If you’d like to work on reducing your anxiety with some longer-term strategies, I’m  here to help . And if you’d like more information about the science behind these tips, just shoot me a note .

Why stories are the secret sauce to great presentations

You want to give a great presentation. One that knocks the socks off your audience, leaving them energized and you fulfilled. So you go on Google, buy a ‘how-to’ public speaking book, or even take the plunge and get a speech coach. You’ve done your research, got your tips and you’re told that if you […]

Why stories are the secret sauce to great presentations Read More »

4 Public-Speaking Tips from a Speech Writer and Three Seasoned Experts

  You can’t avoid it! Whether it’s a keynote, a baby dedication, a speech at a wedding, or giving feedback at work—you’re gonna have to give a speech!   Some people like the sound of their own voice; others shrivel up and want to hide. I don’t know which camp you fall into, but I

4 Public-Speaking Tips from a Speech Writer and Three Seasoned Experts Read More »

3 steps to banishing the fear of public speaking forever!

if you’re serious about getting in front of an audience and you want to build your confidence, then stop saying you are afraid of public speaking.

3 steps to banishing the fear of public speaking forever! Read More »

24 OF THE BEST Public Speaking books (For leaders and Entrepreneurs )

Reading as many of these books as you can, will help you deliver great presentations, create a healthy stream of income, and speak with confidence every time you are onstage

24 OF THE BEST Public Speaking books (For leaders and Entrepreneurs ) Read More »

4 Public Speaking Mistakes (you can’t afford to make)

You blew it, and you don’t even know it. Your audience does and they are too kind to tell you. So many speakers walk off stage feeling like they’ve done a good job because the audience smiled, when in reality The audience are excited about the fact the speech is over.   You don’t want

4 Public Speaking Mistakes (you can’t afford to make) Read More »

7 Little-Known Tips for Mind-Blowing Presentations

Nothing beats a good speech. As a speaker, it’s your greatest sales tool. This means you must nail every presentation. You’ve got to bring your “A” game every time. Not only do you have to put the hours in before a presentation, on the day of the presentation itself — when you’re faced with the reality that

7 Little-Known Tips for Mind-Blowing Presentations Read More »

5 awesome speech openers to start your speech with power

It’s seconds before your speech. Your heart is beating and you’re not sure if it’s fear or adrenalin. The announcer calls your name. Even though you’re prepared, and you like to speak, you feel nervous. You take the stage and the audience is waiting for you to speak. Then your mind goes blank. You are

5 awesome speech openers to start your speech with power Read More »

6 simple steps to Becoming a great Public Speaker

So, you want to improve as a speaker and you’re not sure how. Maybe you’ve done the basics — you’ve joined a Toastmasters club, read a few books, given a few speeches. But you’ve never seen an audience lean forward and listen while they hang on to your every word. After you speak, people may have said,

6 simple steps to Becoming a great Public Speaker Read More »

How to radically Improve your Public Speaking Skills

Being a better speaker is easier than you think. It’s not going to take you thousands of hours and it’s not going to cost you thousands of pounds It’s gonna take some effort But not as much as the gurus or speech coaches tell you. There is a long, hard and expensive route to being a

How to radically Improve your Public Speaking Skills Read More »

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