Useful Tips for Professional Speakers

Dr. Gary Arnold's Book
How the Top 1% of Speakers and Coaches Do Internet Marketing
Paperback: ISBN:978-1-57867-041-3; eBook: ISBN:978-1-57867-043-7

Being a first-rate speaker takes preparation and knowhow. Because the professional speaking industry is both competitive and crowded, you will need to take the time to prepare yourself so that you can be at the top of your game. Use these tips to sharpen your skills and presentation.

1. Be prepared for your presentation before you step up to the podium. Practice, practice, practice. There is no substitute for being well prepared. Add being unprepared to a case of stage fright, and you have a recipe for disaster. Arrive early so that you have plenty of time to get set up and familiarize yourself with your surroundings.

2. Tell a story. People like to listen to stories they can relate to. A good story will grab the attention of your audience. It can also make it easy for them to understand the point you are trying to make. A story also helps your audience remember your key points. Humorous stories can re-engage an audience whose attention is drifting.

3. Don't be afraid of moments of silence. A lot of speakers get nervous and have a tendency to talk quickly, thus speeding through their presentation. If you slow down, and even pause momentarily at pivotal points in your talk, it helps the audience internalize what you are talking about. It also shows that you are being thoughtful as you deliver your talk.

4. Emphasize your key points. You can do this through the repetition of your keywords. This will help your audience remember what it is you want to stress in your presentation.

5. Make eye contact with your audience members. Make sure that, as you give your speech, you look around the room making eye contact with as many audience members as possible. Avoid looking down at your notes too often. Your audience wants to connect with you, and they want to feel that you are connecting with them.

6. Be expressive during your speech. Express emotion through your tone of voice and gestures.

7. Take into account the different life experiences of your audience. While there are some experiences that many of us share, it is important to gear your talk to a wide range of individuals. Knowing who your audience will be is a big help in preparing a talk that will appeal to a larger segment of the group.

8. Never think that you or your talk has to be perfect. Expert speakers can make mistakes too. But with that being said, you will tend to make fewer mistakes if you practice a lot. If you do make a mistake, admit it light-heartedly and with humor and move on. Don't let it get you flustered, this only increases the likelihood of more mistakes.

9. Know that it is normal to be nervous. If you find your fear of public speaking is a real hindrance take whatever steps are necessary to overcome your fear. There is a lot of information out there about how to do this. A little bit of nervousness can actually be used to your advantage if you channel the energy into making you a more energetic and enthusiastic speaker.

10. Accept feedback. You will never be able to improve as a speaker if you aren't willing to look at the feedback you receive. Take a look at you strengths and weaknesses. Don't be discouraged by negative feedback use it to make the necessary adjustments to your presentation and become a truly dynamic speaker.

11. Speak as often as possible. Take every opportunity to speak even if it means speaking for free in the beginning. The more you speak the better you will become, and the more you and your name will become known.

12. Learn from the experts. Take the time to watch very successful speakers. See what it is they are doing, and get inspired to enhance your own skills and presentations.

13. Join organizations for speakers. This is a great way to network and learn new strategies and techniques

14. Stay current in your niche. Read and learn all you can from reference materials, magazines, newspapers, the Internet and books. Audiences enjoy listening to speakers who are knowledgeable and can provide cutting edge, interesting information.