Have you ever been scheduled to give a speech, talk, or presentation that didn’t go as well as you’d hoped? Perhaps you were jet lagged, sleep deprived or just not in “the zone” to deliver at your best? We’ve all been there.
Here’s the good news: you can shape your delivery with simple, reliable techniques that work in any setting and circumstance – regardless of how you are feeling that day and whom you are speaking to.
Public Speaking – Purpose And Setting
Start with focusing on why you are speaking (purpose) and who you are speaking to (setting). This will help you focus your thoughts on the audience and what you are there to accomplish with your speech.
The clearer you are on your purpose and setting, the less likely you will be distracted by intrusive or self-defeating thoughts. Simplicity is important here.
Define what you want and why. Why is it important that the audience hears what you have to say in this time and place? What can you give the audience?
If you are struggling to find your purpose, or to connect with the theme of your speech, instead of forcing it or being discouraged, ask yourself why. See where this question leads and investigate the feelings you are having about the speech and the setting.
In addition, consider your relationship with the audience. You need to go from judging the situation to assessing it.
A speaker’s purpose may come from a deeply personal place. Often, there are many purposes driving a speech. The clearer you are with yourself regarding your personal and professional objectives, the better your content and delivery will serve your aims.
Structure And Storytelling
Your speech is in itself a kind of story. Humans are born storytellers. We are hardwired to share experience and information, and to connect with each other using stories. Stories help the audience connect with the speaker.
You are taking the audience on a journey experientially, not just intellectually, from the speech’s beginning through to the end. Stories reflect life and how we perceive it. They distil experiences very quickly and colourfully. Stories pull the audience in. They make your content more relatable and memorable.
If your speech has some element of storytelling in it, focus on details. Details bring the audience to you. Remind yourself you are inviting them into experience the story with you – not to talk at them.
Set the time, place, weather, physical surroundings and actions. Have these details clearly thought out during the development of your content. Your automatic recall will enliven your delivery.
Tone, Pace & Delivery
Choose a tone that matches your content and setting. In other words, the way you deliver great news to your co-workers at a quarterly meeting which could be upbeat, spirited or appreciative, which is vastly different then your tone if you are delivering an opening argument in a courtroom to a judge, which may be sombre, weighty or authoritative.
Once you have thoroughly focused your mind, focus your body. Fast pacing is usually the result of an adrenaline rush or nerves. Breathe slowly and keep your delivery slower than you think it should be. This will allow you to focus on your message, the specific details of your story and to breathe during pauses. It is essential to pause.
The best places to add pauses to your delivery are before and after key messages. The audience needs time to process what you are saying and you need to conserve your energy and breathe. Let there be brief moments of silence. The audience will interpret this as confidence and status regardless of how you are feeling.
Authenticity
Never pressure yourself to speak like or sound like someone else. The most compelling speakers always show up authentically. You might need to re-energize, find your purpose and ground yourself in the reason for being there to speak, but you will never need to pretend to be something you are not. Audiences crave a speaker that is authentic.
By focusing on what you want the audience to take away from your talk, communicating important details and matching your physicality – pacing, tone and pausing to your content you are much more likely to walk off stage feeling invigorated. And you will leave the audience with something they will remember long after you stop speaking.
Bio
Lisa Wentz has spent the past decade dedicating her life to helping professional and amateur public speakers overcome blocks, develop their voices and craft their delivery. Her background includes extensive study in psychology and ten years of professional acting training and live performance. Lisa is the author of the new book: “Grace Under Pressure: A masterclass in public speaking”.
She moved to London, UK, to earn a master’s degree in Voice and Speech Studies at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Lisa lives in the California where she regularly coaches executives and managers from Fortune 500 companies and the non-profit sector.
