How To Master Public Speaking

How to Master Public Speaking

I used to feel sick at even the thought of it. But overcoming it was essential to obtain my PhD and become a CEO.

Here are 11 tricks that will help you master speaking in front of a crowd.

Control your breath

Speaking in front of people jacks up your adrenaline. For me it has never gone away.

But controlling your breath helps keep your heart rate in check.

I use box-breathing (5 secs in, 5s hold, 5s out, 5s hold) before every presentation.

Rehearsals

Go through your presentation until you know it off by heart.

When I know the sequence of the slides and the core idea of every slide, I feel at ease.

Having your own slides ‘surprise’ you is a sure way to get nervous.

Practice

Sure practice runs in front of people is best, but what if you can’t?

Two hacks for me are putting a picture of a crowd on my TV screen and pretending I am there .

And filming myself. Even if I don’t want to watch it, knowing the camera is rolling helps make it feel real.

The Slides

Make your slides super clean with as few points on it as possible.

I have suffered ‘death by powerpoint’ many times. That is when there is so much writing on the slides, it crushes you.

Also I reveal one bullet point at a time. Helps you center and the audience listens better.

Graphs and Stories

Use visuals whenever possible.

I find it way easier to explain a graph and show what is happening on it than just words or figures.

If no visuals, you stories, painting a picture in their mind.

Your audience will thank you too.

Pen & Paper

Having sth to write on is key. Capture questions, comments, etc. Makes it easier to answer in sequence + makes you look really organised.

Weird habit of mine: I use a pencil and if I get nervous I press hard on it to distract me from being nervous...

Audience

If you get super nervous, try and have someone in the crowd that has got your back. A friendly face is a great anchor for your monkey brain.

Experiment if you want people to ask questions during or after the presentation. I like building in Q&A slides throughout.

Work Out

Schedule a hard workout, long run, etc in the morning before the presentation.

Why?

A) Knowing that you have done the hardest thing that day already helps ease the mind

B) When you have exercised, your fright or flight response is lower, i.e. less nervous

Clothes

Wear sth that does not show sweat.

I always wear sth light as I get warm when presenting.

Don’t underdress for your audience, but wearing a suit at university is often overkill. Being comfortable in your clothes helps a lot.

Connect with your audience

Starting your presentation off with sth personal is a good idea.

It helps you ease into speaking in front of people and they connect with you on a personal level.

But don’t force a joke. If you are not funny leave it.

Be comfortable being uncomfortable

Public speaking is nerve-wrecking. Your heart rate will go up. You will sweat more. Your voice will sound off to start with.

But knowing this and accepting it will help you stay calm. Then, once you are going, you will forget your nervousness.

Twitter Spaces

Speaking in Spaces can be equally scary. Maybe like me, you are not a native-speaker, that can cause additional nervousness.

Control your breath and have pen & paper ready to structure your contribution.

Summary

• Breath Control

• Know Your Slides

• Rehearse in front of real or fake crowd

• Minimal Text

• Use Visuals + Stories

• Have pen & paper to hand

• Work out before

• Pick the right outfit

• Be comfortable being uncomfortable