Written by: Meta Groselj, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Whether you are delivering a pitch, presenting a proposal, or speaking at a conference, your ability to captivate your audience and convey your message with clarity and confidence is an invaluable soft skill for anyone working at success in today's dynamic business world. In this article, I will cover the essential components of public speaking you need to become the martial artist of impact, presence, and charisma upon any upcoming speaking opportunity.
Understand your audience
One of the fundamental aspects of delivering a successful presentation is understanding your audience. A deep understanding of your audience provides you with the ability to present as well as persuade. If you're pitching or want to influence a decision by the end of your talk, then a deep dive into the needs and wants, the pains and gains, problems and desired results – this is a must. In my 10 years of experience coaching public speaking, I have noticed people tend to start with “I” way too soon. "I" will talk about x y z… "I" want to present this great new product or service… A skillful presenter will always start the talk by addressing the audience first. Establish common ground. Talk about their needs and wants, and by talk, I mean have a two-way conversation with them using rhetorical or closed-ended questions, yes or no, hand raises, etc. Adapting your intro in a way that advances the problem of others before your own, will enhance engagement and make your message more relatable. Remember, your audience is seeking value for themselves, and you must be there to give value to them. You are there for them too.
Structure your presentation
A well-structured presentation is like a compelling story that unfolds logically and it keeps the audience engaged from start to finish. As a speaker, you are leading the thought process of your audience and to do this effectively, make sure there are as few digressions away from the main point as possible. The best way to unfold the story is to think “Now that they know this part – what would they want to know next?” I call these the silent questions of the audience. Silent questions are there to help them understand and relate to your content. The better you get at answering the right silent question at the right time, the more engagement and attention you can expect from your audience.The way to check if your content is structured right is to make sure each slide answers a specific question and if they follow logically, then you know you've nailed it.
Stories before your deck
Content is king, and storytelling is your kingdom! Keep in mind that your audience is looking forward to having a conversation with you, not your slides! Content on your slides only re-directs attention to the slides, while attention must be on you. I believe that speaking is about building rapport and trust with people who you might soon be in business with. They will come to you because they resonate with your stories and you as a human being. Becoming a masterful storyteller is therefore a must. Any visuals such as slides, infographics, or videos that complement your stories (or data reshaped into stories) should be simple, visually appealing, and easy to read at a glance, enhancing rather than distracting from your message. Remember, visual aids should support your narrative, not replace it.
Internalize your presentation
If there is one thing speakers fear the most it is anxiety that starts to build up hours or minutes before your pitch. Blackout. What if you forget what you want to say? Our fight or flight stress response is the culprit of making you think it's best to run away but bear with me, your content is not on your slides. It’s not your deck people are interested in. It is the years of experience and insight you bring with you to the stage. Your specialty and uniqueness, your point of view, and your explanation of things you know and can recite at any given point in time, no slides needed. Instead of hoping to learn your text by heart, you need to practice internalizing the flow. The best speakers write their scripts but then deliver the content free of the constraints of word-by-word declamation. It’s a bit like you are improvising a well-prepared scripted play. The best type of practice focuses you on moving from scene to scene until the entire play unfolds. You internalize each scene in a way that allows you to speak about your content from the heart and mind of your role. I have a couple of videos about internalization techniques you are welcome to watch to find out more about this really important speaking strategy.
Engage your audience
It’s not a talk, it’s a conversation. The famous words that a lot of public speaking coaches and professionals live by. Myself included. Always encourage interaction by asking questions, seeking opinions, or involving the audience in activities relevant to your topic. This not only maintains interest but also makes your presentation more memorable and impactful. Once you master techniques that allow you to engage your audiences, you will become much more relaxed and comfortable giving talks or presenting as it will remove the spotlight from you onto the entire room. Once you see your audiences merely as people willing and able to partake in a conversation about something you also love to talk about, it relieves you of the pressure of thinking you have to be the smartest person in the room when it comes to your thing. You don’t. You just have to lead the discussion. Once you master this component of public speaking, you are on the fast track to becoming a pro as the best speakers are not those who speak like TV presenters or radio hosts. The best speakers engage people, they focus on you and inspire your thinking, feeling and doing! The best speakers just know how to lift up the room!
Verbal & non-verbal communication mastery
Verbal delivery involves tone, pace, and clarity of speech. Your voice must be modulated using the astonishing power of change in vocal dynamics. The best way to keep your audience at the edge of their seats is to dynamically change pace, keep your sentences short, enunciate words and pause intentionally, as this will allow people to follow and reflect on your message. If you want them to remember you, you must allow them to create memories and memories are created when you allow for pause. As for non-verbal communication, your body language must convey congruence and confidence best administered by symmetricity. Keep your weight evenly distributed on both legs. Move purposefully, and make purposeful hand gestures that hold attention on your points. Rapid movement and fidgeting will lower your status, still composure will elevate it. Eye contact plays a significant role too, so make sure you establish eye contact with various audience members, and make it last just a tad longer than what is considered normal. Gentle but prolonged eye contact is the most expressive sign of courage and confidence.
Practice, practice, and then more practice
The key to confident public speaking lies in thorough preparation and practice. This is where working with a coach is better than working alone because it's all about feedback. Feedback helps you refine both your content and your delivery. Making sure your audience interprets your message correctly is key. If there are discrepancies between what you meant to say and what was understood, then you need to adapt. This is the one thing you don’t want to leave up to chance. Remember, people come from different backgrounds and cultures, age groups, and gender groups, not to mention different levels of knowledge. Working with a coach will help you powerfully utilize the 20 min you have available to make an impact on the right people in the audience, the ones you most need to win over. Practice also entails anticipation of potential questions, objections, obstacles, excuses, and other challenges your prospects might consider during your talk, and you can figure out ways to address or overcome them during your presentation.
Conclusion
In conclusion, mastering presentation skills requires a combination of understanding self, understanding audiences, and understanding content. Understanding self stands for the non-verbal and verbal messages you are sending out into the world. A deep understanding of people is vital as everywhere you go, everywhere you are, audiences are looking and listening. Lastly, understanding your content is all about knowing what message you want to share with the world and why. I bet you agree with me that these three things are what we need a lifetime to figure out as they are forever changing, growing, developing, and perfecting. This is why it is smart to invest in public speaking skills as soon as possible in your career. I wish you the best of discipline, persistence, and consistency along your path of public speaking mastery. If you need my help, you know where to find me.
Meta Groselj, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Meta Groselj is an expert Public Speaking & Inner Influence coach helping people profit by using their voice. Her clients are leaders & experts who want to overcome imposter syndrome anxiety to develop that inner power and confident presence to master any spotlight of business and life. She is also a master Storyteller & Art of Persuasion specialist, helping entrepreneurs and founders create impactfull decision-making presentations that "sell" from the stage and generate measurable business results. She calls her clients Future Voices as she is on a mission to shape up the voices of leaders changing the world.
