When it comes to public speaking, the 3 P’s are essential: prepare, practice and present. Many will say that your delivery is the most important aspect of your presentation; and certainly the most creative, most inspiring and/or most exciting words will not achieve their goal if your expression skills are weak. However, to say that one aspect of public speaking is more important than another would be a mistake.
Good public speaking skills include solid preparation, the first step of which is to define your purpose. What is your reason for speaking? Are you there to inform or to persuade? Whatever your purpose, build your presentation or speech around your goal.
Research and outline your text by dividing it into main points or, as I refer to them, blocks of information. This is more important than you think. If you can learn to focus your material into large blocks of information, it will be easier for you to plan your material, practice it, and then deliver it.
Once you have your outline, start practicing out loud. Even if you haven’t finished creating your entire piece, start saying your words out loud and listen to how it flows. In doing so, you may change some of the material you’ve already thought of and discover other material or anecdotes you want to include.
Don’t underestimate the value of rehearsing your outline even before it’s finished. Practicing your material is one of the most underrated and overlooked aspects of public speaking, and yet without practice, your chances of success are less likely. Your audience is not interested in hearing you ‘practice’ on stage. Just as athletes, actors, musicians, and singers rehearse daily, so should the speaker.
When you practice, don’t just review your words. Imagine that you are speaking to an audience as you speak. When I work with clients privately, I fill the room with large stuffed animals so my clients have an audience to recognize as they look around the room.
Your final step is to present your speech or presentation to your ‘live’ audience. If you’ve done your homework and created a strong informative or persuasive talk, if you’ve faithfully gone over your material so you know it ‘inside and out’, your presentation will be much easier and the chance of success much greater. Talk to your audience with passion and enthusiasm as if you were having a conversation in your living room and your audience will thank you.
The fear of public speaking makes the task of public speaking much more difficult than it should be. You will find that solid preparation and serious practice will make your presentation much better, much easier, and much more dynamic.