11. Join a public speaking organisation. There are some great organisations (like Toastmasters) who get like-minded people together and help them develop their public speaking skills and careers.
12. Don't be impatient. If public speaking is something you might want to do long term, don't be impatient. Spend adequate time learning, watching, researching, practising, and developing before you rent your first ten thousand-seat auditorium. Be ambitious, realistic, and patient.
13. Know your audience. Research the company, organisation, or group that you're speaking to. What kind of group are they? Will there be thirty or three hundred in the audience? Are they corporates, truck drivers, predominantly male or female, kids, or students? Have they been presented to before? Talk to the organiser (the person who gave you the gig) to get some insight into your audience.
14. Use audio-visual aids when appropriate and relevant. The occasional well-placed video or slide can be a valuable addition to a presentation and can provide you with a nice opportunity to re-group, collect your thoughts, and take a look at your crowd. This concept is not to be confused with the mindlessly-boring presenter who feels compelled to base his entire presentation around a series of slides, photographs, charts, and statistical tables - all highlighted with his laser pointer gizmo.
If I see you doing that, I'll hurt you.
15. Don't rush your material. Don't talk too fast. Don't try and present too much information and don't have too many slides (if you are doing a power-point presentation). Not too long ago I sat in a presentation where the speaker had over forty slides for a forty-minute presentation. It was a disaster and it hurt my brain.
16. Have a great finish. Leave them inspired, challenged, excited, curious, and impressed.
There you have it: Craig's mini-seminar on public speaking. I hope you found it interesting and valuable.
Article comments
1 - Mike
Good stuff Craig, I found it very helpfull and informative.
Thanks,