3 Steps to Becoming a Better Public Speaker

Does public speaking give you anxiety? Do you feel that it can be challenging to engage your audience? Speaking in front of crowds, big or small, can be nerve-wracking. We give you the three main steps to crushing your next presentation!

1.    Have a strong open

A speaker has under a minute to capture their audience. Try employing tactics like using a powerful quote, stating a shocking statistic, or asking a thought-provoking question. A quote can be an easy way to overcome a struggle with starting your speech or presentation. If using a quote, be sure that it doesn't seem to cliche, make it relevant. A shocking statistic can get listeners to tune in as they will want to hear how you elaborate on the statistic. Make sure that you use storytelling techniques (we will get into that in the next section). Finally, asking a thought-provoking "what if" type of question engages the audience's minds and gets them to tap into their emotions.

Having a strong open is essential to capturing your audience. Some tactics will work better for different people depending on your personality, so try a few out.See what feels good to you and what makes you feel confident.

2.    Utilize storytelling to engage your audience

Facts tell stories sell. If you learn anything from this post, we hope it is that storytelling is the best way to engage your audience. When telling a story, make it personal where relevant. Create suspense and try to transport your audience into the world of the story. Stories stick in the audience's minds much longer than facts on top of facts.

3.    Do not be a hostage to your slides

We have all been to a presentation like this. There are lots of words on the slides with a few pictures. The speaker basically reads slides to an audience rather than giving a presentation. No one wants to be like that, but it can happen to the best of us. When creating your presentation, it is better to have more pictures than words on the slides. This way, you are less likely to become hostage to your slides. If you need to improvise, improvise. Answer audience questions. Have fun with it! Trust us, you'd rather slip up once or twice with an engaged audience than read through your slides perfectly with no one listening.

Let's review:

Public speaking can be scary. With these few necessary steps, you will crush your next presentation: start with a strong open, engage your audience throughout with storytelling, and make sure you aren't being a hostage to your slides.

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