I just got back from a business trip where my team was presenting some new strategies and other amazing tactics for a client that are relatively unimportant to this post. What stuck me was a member of the team who is extremely intelligent and very talented seemed completely nervous about his part of the presentation. He knew the numbers inside and out, is very versed in his discipline, and is a personable, out-going person.

It dawned on me that I, as a team leader, just expect my staff to be able to run a presentation without any hesitation. I expect that public speaking be a skill my team possesses. I expect that they will be comfortable enough to impart their expertise on an audience of any size. It dawned on me that I may be wrong and that error could make make or break a pitch. I now realize that my job as a team leader is to make sure they’re prepared enough to comfortably get through their sections and help us nail the presentation/land the client.

It got me thinking about how important public speaking is. When I worked in higher education, I must have conducted dozens of workshops on public speaking to student organizations, honor societies, The Future Business Leaders of America and other groups of students/staff willing to listen, but I wonder how much emphasis is actually being placed on the skill. And that is what it is… a skill. Something that with practice, will get better.

I know more and more students are given presentations to do in class, I know it makes it into syllabi, but how much time is actually spent teaching them HOW to speak in public vs. grading them on a skill they may not have learned yet?

Here are some basics:

Don’t Wing It: Anyone who every told you a story about how they had a big presentation that they didn’t prepare for and still nailed it is most likely lying to you. The truth is, your audience is savvier than you think. They know when the person speaking is prepared, knows what they are talking about and when they don’t. This leads me to my next point.

Practice, practice and more practice: Writing the speech, preparing the powerpoint, lesson plan or deck is not enough. You have to learn the cadence (when to speed up, slow down, etc.), know what to highlight (emphasize key elements you want them to focus on) and understand where you may need to increase your understanding of the topic. Without practice, you may speak too fast, too slow, rely too heavily on your notes, lose your place and use too many fillers.

Practice in front of someone: And by someone, I mean someone you trust to give you honest feedback. They will see the awkward things you do with your hands, hear your fillers, let you know if you are speaking too fast and provide feedback on your content. Don’t want to practice in front of someone? Use a mirror. It can be hilarious to see yourself try to give a speech, but trust me, nothing will make you change your style like seeing yourself fumble through an important presentation. Hell, take it one step further, pull your smartphone out of your pocket, prop it at eye-level, and record yourself. Then pop some popcorn and get ready to laugh at the comedy of your unrehearsed first go at it (trust me, it gets better).

Beyond the basics:

1- Be careful telling jokes… don’t alienate any member of your audience.

2- Watch out for fillers like:

• Umm
• But umm
• Like
• You know
• I don’t know
• Ahhh
• So
• and anything else that fills a gap where you’re not sure what to say next.

3- Use pauses to your advantage… keep them rapt with anticipation.

4- Make eye contact… Hard? Yes. Necessary? Yes.

5- Pay attention to what you’re doing with your hands… don’t make it awkward.

There’s a lot more beyond this; like the use of technology, note cards vs. no note cards, using the podium or walking freely, managing a hostile audience, making sure your speech is not too short or too long, and so on. There’s a reason why getting up in front of a group of strangers and speaking is the Number One Fear of Americans, but it does not have to be. Be prepared, practice, know your materials and watch out for the little awkward things that can distract your audience, and you’ll be fine.

Stephen Ostendorff (that’s me) is an accomplished public speaker who has delivered hundreds of pitches, presentations, classroom lectures and workshops for multiple agencies, colleges and organizations. Topics have included:

• Public Speaking
• Diversity
• Leadership
• Teamwork
• Marketing Strategies
• Commuter Student Relations
• Social Media
• Event Planning
• Time Management
• English Composition
• Study Skills
• And many others