The 25 Essential Presentation Skills for Public Speaking
Inspired by 25 Skills Every Man Should Know, I pondered a list of the 25 essential skills every public speaker should have. How did I do?
Every public speaker should be able to:
- Research a topic - Good speakers stick to what they know. Great speakers research what they need to convey their message.
- Focus - Help your audience grasp your message by focusing on your message. Stories, humour, or other “sidebars” should connect to the core idea. Anything that doesn’t needs to be edited out.
- Organize ideas logically - A well-organized presentation can be absorbed with minimal mental strain. Bridging is key.
- Employ quotations, facts, and statistics - Don’t include these for the sake of including them, but do use them appropriately to complement your ideas.
- Master metaphors - Metaphors enhance the understandability of the message in a way that direct language often can not.
- Tell a story - Everyone loves a story. Points wrapped up in a story are more memorable, too!
- Start strong and close stronger - The body of your presentation should be strong too, but your audience will remember your first and last words (if, indeed, they remember anything at all).
- Incorporate humour - Knowing when to use humour is essential. So is developing the comedic timing to deliver it with greatest effect.
- Vary vocal pace, tone, and volume - A monotone voice is like fingernails on the chalkboard.
- Punctuate words with gestures - Gestures should complement your words in harmony. Tell them how big the fish was, and show them with your arms.
- Utilize 3-dimensional space - Chaining yourself to the lectern limits the energy and passion you can exhibit. Lose the notes, and lose the chain.
- Complement words with visual aids - Visual aids should aid the message; they should not be the message. Read the Presentation Zen book and adopt the philosophy.
- Analyze the audience - Deliver the message they want (or need) to hear.
- Connect with the audience - Eye contact is only the first step. Aim to have the audience conclude “This speaker is just like me!” The sooner, the better.
- Interact with the audience - Ask questions (and care about the answers). Solicit volunteers. Make your presentation a dialogue.
- Conduct a Q&A session - Not every speaking opportunity affords a Q&A session, but understand how to lead one productively. Use the Q&A to solidify the impression that you are an expert, not (just) a speaker.
- Lead a discussion - Again, not every speaking opportunity affords time for a discussion, but know how to engage the audience productively.
- Obey time constraints - Maybe you have 2 minutes. Maybe you have 45. Either way, customize your presentation to fit the time allowed, and respect your audience by not going over time.
- Craft an introduction - Set the context and make sure the audience is ready to go, whether the introduction is for you or for someone else.
- Exhibit confidence and poise - These qualities are sometimes difficult for a speaker to attain, but easy for an audience to sense.
- Handle unexpected issues smoothly - Maybe the lights will go out. Maybe the projector is dead. Have a plan to handle every situation.
- Be coherent when speaking off the cuff - Impromptu speaking (before, after, or during a presentation) leaves a lasting impression too. Doing it well tells the audience that you are personable, and that you are an expert who knows their stuff beyond the slides and prepared speech.
- Seek and utilize feedback - Understand that no presentation or presenter (yes, even you!) is perfect. Aim for continuous improvement, and understand that the best way to improve is to solicit candid feedback from as many people as you can.
- Listen critically and analyze other speakers - Study the strengths and weakness of other speakers.
- Act and speak ethically - Since public speaking fears are so common, realize the tremendous power of influence that you hold. Use this power responsibly.
Which skills have I missed? Are all of those on the list essential?
Additional Skills for Professional Speakers
Note that I have not attempted to cover additional skills which professional speakers must have that relate to marketing, advertising, product development, and other aspects of running a professional speaking business. There are other resources which address these, such as:
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Comments for "The 25 Essential Presentation Skills for Public Speaking"
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Great points on speaking. All worth following!
Cheers
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Andrew, great list. I have enjoyed your blog and look forward to learning from you throughout 2008. I would add the skill of interacting with the crowd before your presentation. This allows the speaker to get a feel of the audience’s mood, learn some names, get some “in the moment” expectations of the program and generally put everyone at ease.
I would also add teaching others to speak and/or actively mentor another speaker. As you know, it is amazing how much you can improve your craft when you have the opportunity to teach someone else.
Thanks!
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Rhett: Thanks for the suggestions.
I agree that both practices you mention are highly valuable skills to hone, but let me ask you this: Which of the 25 skills above would you remove to make room for these? (It isn’t a trick question… it is just a matter of priorities.) Perhaps that means there are more than 25 essential skills for public speakers?
Re: teaching others and/or actively mentoring another speaker
Very, very true. I just published the first article in the Speech Analysis Series. Being able to analyze other speakers certainly helps teach/mentor them. -
I would say that the audience interaction piece could probably just be an add-on to number 15. Highlight that the interaction needs to start before the presentation.
I think the mentoring piece could be an add-on to number 24. The mentoring is really just a personal and specific method of doing number 24.
Again, great list!
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A lot of people underestimate the amount of work that is required in putting together a class or presentation. Kudos to all teachers and trainers out there! Nice article, and a good summary of points here, thanks for sharing.
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Great list, Andrew! This is my first time on your site… I’ll come back.
My only comment would be to “stay current.” This could probably be added to the description of a more specific speaking skill you’ve already listed, like “research your topic.” It’s important to be “in the know” with the particular group you are speaking to. It’s one thing to research, it’s another to know what new developments are taking place in the industry or organization you are speaking to.
Thanks again, Andrew. Looks like I’ll be spending a little bit of time on your site.
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Keith: Indeed! I have often heard comments like “Oh, you’re lucky. It’s so easy for you to speak in public…” On the contrary, anyone who appears effortless is likely working very hard behind the scenes.
Paul: “Staying current” is very important. Your audience can tell if you aren’t on top of your content, and you will lose credibility.
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These are 25 great tips and I think it can already serve as a good book outline. Simple but helpful guide to aspiring public speakers.
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hello,
thank you so much for sharing with us those fabulous tips that is actually will help a lot poeple who are in there first steps to master this skill.
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Hi, I am a motivation speaker to and for those with learning challenges. I have learned a few things that I was not aware of.
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#14 Connect with the audience
Connecting also allows you to know if the audience gets it or not.
One million dollar speaker putting on a seminar for 50 people noted she offended three in the audience by a comment she made. She quickly apologized and moved on. She would not have known this unless she had maintained a connection with the entire room of 50.
The Public Speaking Blog » Downsize For You? (From 250 To 50 Speaking Tips)
November 22nd, 2007
3:08 am
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