What are the best practices for public speaking?

They tell young writers 'Write what you know.' Same with speaking. If you're not passionate about a certain topic, the audience can feel that. Find what you love to talk about and find your purpose as you navigate your speech.

How can you be sure you truly understand the purpose of your speech? One practical exercise that has greatly helped me over the last 25 years is this: try to formulate your message into a single sentence. This sentence is exclusively for you, serving as the core of your speech. It aids in clarifying the most important point you aim to convey. For instance, that sentence could be as follows: - Consider partnering with us because we're the top choice in the market. - Purchase my book, and you'll discover true happiness. - Have confidence in yourself; you're an exceptional individual. Etc. This exercise sharpens your focus and ensures your message remains on point.

Important to be well versed with the information being presented. Always be yourself. Truth and honesty will always prevail even when it doesn't seem so.

Feedback that I got from one of my employees when I speak in front of her staff is that I should slightly simplify my language because sometimes it sounds a bit too 'executive'. Pretty understandable, since it's the language style I most often need to use and although I understand the differences between audiences it seems that there is still some work to be done.

Knowing your Audience is a critical success factor for public speakers. It`s very important to know them, their backgrounds, ages, titles, levels of knowledge, their interests, needs and expectations. This will help you focus on what is important to them, and be able to connect with them. Imagine that you giving a speech about Why you should visit at least 5 countries by the time you’re 30, and the majority of the audience is over 30, or giving a speech about Starting a healthy life focusing on physical activities, but your audience was expecting to focus on nutrition and a healthy food lifestyle. Knowing your audience will help you select the right topics, tools, ways of communication, and expect their questions and even their feedback.

We can never truly know our audience; we usually have only basic information: * From which country they are? * What field of business do they represent? * The level of their expertise in the discussed subject. However, there are many other factors that can determine the success of our speech: * Values * Religious views * Social and financial status * Personal life circumstances Etc. That's why we need to be observant. For example: * How are people dressed? * What kind of religious symbols do they wear? * What kind of phones do they have? * What's their age? * Are they married or single? Etc. Understanding this information helps us tailor our speech to be engaging for all segments of our audience.

Knowing your audience is paramount for entrepreneurs looking to enhance their public speaking skills. Tailoring your message to your audience's interests, needs, and expectations not only engages them but also increases the likelihood of your message resonating and achieving your desired outcomes. Understanding your audience's demographics, values, and preferences allows you to craft a more compelling and persuasive narrative, ultimately strengthening your ability to convey your entrepreneurial vision and win support, whether it's from investors, customers, or partners.

Large group instruction in Pilates is physically and mentally challenging. I train up to 18 people at a time…while putting them on complex and potentially dangerous equipment. In addition, classes are usually open and you have no idea who will walk in. To control the crowd you must know the crowd. That means your ego is not your amigo! Number one mistake with new trainers: droning on about themselves . Do not discuss yourself unless it relates to the lesson and exercise. Quick jokes and comments are very good to loosen any crowd. However, there is no time to start talking about your life. Spend time with every student before, during and maybe after class. They need lots of support and it’s a must to communicate with each.

Practicing helps you with timing, smooth transitions, and better control of tools you may be using for your speech. As you practice, you may find ways to refine your speech for clarity and better impact. Rehearsing multiple times builds muscle memory which helps you to stay in control and avoid fillers in the final delivery!

Run and listen. This a trick I picked up from actors. Record your talk and go for a run (or walk). Listen to yourself on an endless loop and you will absorb the content in an organic way.

If possible, it’s best to speak conversationally, with few or no slides to distract the audience from engaging with you during the presentation. If slides are necessary, try not to use them as a crutch - keep text to three short bullets or less and use images to back-up your take home message.

Don't read your own slides. If you have some text that you feel it's important for your audience to know (a definition, for example, or a quote), ask them to read it silently, give them a few minutes, and then ask them to share with a partner or the audience what resonates with them.

These are all good tips, but the magic is HOW you apply them. Here are just a few examples: 1) Inviting feedback (like, "raise your hand if...") Raise your own arm WAY up in the air the way you want them to. Then they might raise their hands higher than their foreheads. 2) Asking questions Make them REALLY specific, clear and well-worded. When speakers ask questions and the audience stares blankly, it's usually because the question was vague. For some questions you can spoon-feed the expected answer: "right or wrong?" "yes or no?" to get faster feedback. 3)Vocal variety American and British English speakers use their voices to emphasize important words. We make them louder, longer, and use a higher pitch to show emphasis.

Always open up with a personal anecdote, no matter what the subject. I call it the trinity of public speaking: You. Audience. Topic. All three must connect to create maximum impact.

For me, engaging with the audience means connecting with them on an emotional level. How is this possible? * Start your speech with a real-life example that's slightly emotional and moving, but not overly so. * Make eye contact with people in the audience for 3-5 seconds. * Identify the most interested individuals and create the impression that you're speaking directly to them. * Ask questions and pause to allow the audience time to think. * Bring real-life examples to support your speech. The more practical your speech, the higher the chances that people will stay connected with you. These are just some fundamental ways to engage and maintain the interest of your audience.

We react to speaking anxiety in 4 different ways. 1) Biologically (shaking, sweating, racing heart) 2) Behaviorally (fidgeting, odd repetitive gestures, swaying or dancing around on stage) 3) Mentally (negative self talk) 4) Emotionally (poor self worth, negative emotions) You can't consciously control #1. It is a result of #2-4. Find out what triggers you (size of audience, certain person in room, lack of prep time, lack of practice, poor knowledge of content, etc). Then work towards mitigating that specific trigger (ie. put aside more time to practice or study the topic). Some things are easy to overcome, others will take years (and will possibly need the help of a therapist!). Over time, with each presentation, it will get easier.

By far, one of my favorite tips is to breathe when feeling nervous! It may sound cliche but it is still underrated and under-used. And the beauty of it is the pause that comes with it - a powerful tool in public speaking. Another great tip is - "It's not about you, it's about them (audience)." When you move your focus from yourself to your audience and give them value - you will feel at ease and more confident.

How I Manage My Nerves: Before speech: * Before starting my speech, I take a close look at the audience and try to understand who these people are. * Unless we're lawyers in a courtroom defending criminals, our audience is generally in a positive mindset, having come to listen to us. Remember about this. * While looking at them, I remind myself that I'm one of them. We are equals. On stage: * I use appropriate humour, share interesting stories, and ask questions. These techniques help both me and the audience relax. * Occasionally, if appropriate, I might humorously mention from the stage that I'm feeling a bit nervous. Try to "take it easy." You are a professional and have valuable information to share with these people! So, do it!

Taking some pauses in between I am very inspired of the speakers with some pauses in between speeches. Because, those pauses help me to see my self in relation to the issues of the speech. Help me contextualize the issue.

Include story-telling. Use emotions to connect with your audience. Make them a part of your presentation by making it relatable and engaging. In this age of information overload, storytellers stand apart, influence faster, and persuade better as numbers appeal to the brain (logic) and stories appeal to the heart (emotions).