Throughout your professional and personal life, you will encounter situations inviting (or requiring) you to speak in front of a group. Whether you view public speaking as terrifying or an opportunity to shine, we all have the capacity to become more successful and persuasive public speakers.
There are a tremendous amount of resources available providing advice on what to do and to avoid in regards to public speaking. As with most things in life, there is not a one-fits-all approach to developing communications skills. The goal of this page – and the Communications Studio – is to provide advice, guidance, and resources for identifying opportunities for you to further develop your own public speaking skills, style, and voice.
The Basics
Adapted from Marjorie North’s “10 Tips for Improving Your Public Speaking Skills”, Harvard Division of of Continuing Education
1. Nervousness Is Normal. Practice and Prepare!
All people feel some physiological reactions like pounding hearts and trembling hands. Do not associate these feelings with the sense that you will perform poorly or make a fool of yourself. Some nerves are good. The adrenaline rush that makes you sweat also makes you more alert and ready to give your best performance.
The best way to overcome anxiety is to prepare, prepare, and prepare some more. Take the time to go over your notes several times. Once you have become comfortable with the material, practice — a lot. Videotape yourself, or get a friend to critique your performance.
2. Know Your Audience. Your Speech Is About Them, Not You.
Before you begin to craft your message, consider who the message is intended for. Learn as much about your listeners as you can. This will help you determine your choice of words, level of information, organization pattern, and motivational statement.
3. Organize Your Material in the Most Effective Manner to Attain Your Purpose.
Create the framework for your speech. Write down the topic, general purpose, specific purpose, central idea, and main points. Make sure to grab the audience’s attention in the first 30 seconds.
4. Watch for Feedback and Adapt to It.
Keep the focus on the audience. Gauge their reactions, adjust your message, and stay flexible. Delivering a canned speech will guarantee that you lose the attention of or confuse even the most devoted listeners.
5. Let Your Personality Come Through.
Be yourself, don’t become a talking head — in any type of communication. You will establish better credibility if your personality shines through, and your audience will trust what you have to say if they can see you as a real person.
6. Use Humor, Tell Stories, and Use Effective Language.
Inject a funny anecdote in your presentation, and you will certainly grab your audience’s attention. Audiences generally like a personal touch in a speech. A story can provide that.
7. Don’t Read Unless You Have to. Work from an Outline.
Reading from a script or slide fractures the interpersonal connection. By maintaining eye contact with the audience, you keep the focus on yourself and your message. A brief outline can serve to jog your memory and keep you on task.
8. Use Your Voice and Hands Effectively.
Nonverbal communication carries most of the message. Good delivery does not call attention to itself, but instead conveys the speaker’s ideas clearly and without distraction. Stand with good, open posture- feet shoulder-width apart, shoulders pushed down and back, arms to your sides, and not crossed in front of you. By doing so, you appear more inviting to your audience. Don’t hide behind the podium. Most of the time, a podium will make you seem smaller and removed from your audience.
9. Grab Attention at the Beginning, and Close with a Dynamic End.
Do you enjoy hearing a speech start with “Today I’m going to talk to you about X”? Most people don’t. Instead, use a startling statistic, an interesting anecdote, or concise quotation. Conclude your speech with a summary and a strong statement that your audience is sure to remember.
10. Use Audiovisual Aids Wisely.
Too many can break the direct connection to the audience, so use them sparingly. They should enhance or clarify your content, or capture and maintain your audience’s attention.
NOTE: Practice Does Not Make Perfect
Good communication is never perfect, and nobody expects you to be perfect. However, putting in enough time to prepare will help you deliver a better speech. You may not be able to shake your nerves entirely, but you can learn to minimize them.
Check out this video featuring Duke alum Dr. Ariana Eily on tips to give effective online presentations! Timestamps are in the description.
Developing your skills
The best way to hone your public speaking skills is to practice. It is important not only to rehearse before a big presentation, but also to continually practice and refine how you practice. Below are a few different techniques that you can employ to develop your skills.
1. Practice in front of a mirror
A common tip, practicing your presentation while standing in front of a mirror is a great way to begin. Use this method to identify your posture, movement, and eye contact.
2. Practice in front of a group
Your time at the Nicholas School is an excellent opportunity to develop your public speaking skills. Take advantage of having fellow classmates with the same presentation assignment and a substantial community sharing your interests. Refine your presenting skills and elicit constructive feedback from your peers. You can also book a consultation with one of the Communication Studio’s consultants to practice and get feedback on your presentation.
3. Watch presenters
Actively watch presenters: professors, guest speakers, TEDTalks, your peers. Identify one thing that you can work on the next time you give a presentation. Questions to consider: What you like about their presentation style? What do you find distracting? Is there a particular habit you share with the presenter?
4. Videotape yourself and watch it
Arguably the most awkward and most beneficial strategies for developing your public speaking skills, videotape yourself practicing a presentation and then watch it. It will open your eyes to how an audience (may) perceive you. You’ll likely notice habitats, nervous tendencies, and areas of your speech that you are not as confident in. Just remember – you are your own biggest critic, so make sure to identify the positives too.
Check out this TED Talk on public speaking!
Further Resources
10 Tips for Improving Your Public Speaking Skills, Marjorie North, Harvard Division of of Continuing Education https://professional.dce.harvard.edu/blog/10-tips-for-improving-your-public-speaking-skills
How can you use public speaking to raise awareness about environmental issues, LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/advice/3/how-can-you-use-public-speaking-raise-awareness
Top 10 Environmental Speakers 2021, AAE, https://www.allamericanspeakers.com/blog/top-10-environmental-speakers-for-earth-day-2021/
10 Resources to Improve Your Public Speaking Skills, Heather Kerrigan https://www.govloop.com/community/blog/10-resources-to-improve-your-public-speaking-skills/