Public Speaking: Do’s and Don’ts to Help You Grow

Tips and stories from my successes and failures.

Throughout my time working in a college, I have represented the school at a number of events all over the U.S. These events span quite a range: airshows, college fairs, ministry fairs, school assemblies, college tours, and church engagements.

My wife and I presenting at a church on what it means to be a missionary. Photo Credit: Author

What most of these events have in common is some form of public speaking. I have talked with groups of 10 or less, presented for more than 200 people, and have even spoken for a prayer breakfast where many local officials from the city were present. These opportunities to speak in front of many people (most in incredibly varying age ranges) have taught me some of the definite dos and don’ts of public speaking.

To clear up, I do not speak to businessmen or women. The demographic I generally present to are pilots, students, church members, parents, and teachers. While these tips may not fit the bill for every demographic, you may find a hidden tool amongst some of my experiences.

Now, shall we?

DO

• Memorize your speech/presentation — Having notes in any form can be handy, but the tendency is to rely on them too much. You tell yourself, “If I don’t use my notes, my presentation will be faulty and I’ll miss key information. Also, it will probably just suck.” Speaking something verbatim is not engaging. People love it when you are able to speak confidently, looking at them, with your personality shining through. If you need to use notes, pair them down to just main points and make an effort to only glance at them when ABSOLUTELY necessary.
• Practice, practice, practice! — After you have memorized your piece, practice it multiple times. If it sounds different each time, but you have managed to keep the main points, WAY TO BE! Hearing your presentation out loud helps you find if there is anything awkward about your phrasing, and it can also bring up some great creativity as you intersperse your personality and personal stories throughout the presentation.
• Make your own PowerPoint — This is something I have only discovered in the last couple of years. You may have the opportunity to use a presentation someone else has engineered. BE WARNED! It is hard to get personable with a crowd when you are not intimately familiar with the presentation. I have taken the extra time to either create a new presentation from scratch (which can be VERY time-consuming), or I have taken the current presentation and gone through it with a fine-tooth comb, altering ANYTHING that doesn’t fit my style or personality while creating new slides with the ideas I have. The final product? A presentation I know every jot, tiddle, transition, and picture. This helps my speech flow smoother, and it allows me to relax more on stage because I don’t have to worry about how many clicks it takes to get a transition to work or run the risk of a random slid popping up that I missed.
• Let yourself be awkward or sound stupid at times — This tip may not be for everyone, but the demographic I have spoken to (students, parents, missionaries) more often than not prefer a personable presentation rather than one that is completely professional. Relating to people brings you into their world, and can give you credibility with them. Did you trip on stage? Laugh at yourself and let the audience laugh along! Can’t get a word or phrase out quite right? Give the mic to someone in the audience and let THEM pronounce it for you! This all comes down to building your improv skills and knowing your audience, which brings me to the last DO.

Teaching a flight class using some slapstick-style teaching. Photo Cred: Author

• Know your audience — As I’ve done the same presentation in many different venues, the audience has reacted differently each time. Therefore, I need to figure out what gets them going. Do they want more stories? Facts? Figures? Do the jokes I used last time not get the same response here? My presentation must be flexible so that I can get more audience participation. The more of that I can get, the better they engage in the content I am presenting. You can get to know your audience by asking a few questions at the beginning of your presentation: “What are some states/countries represented here?”, “How many of you like (some topic related to your presentation)?”, “What age ranges do we have represented here?” Based on the responses, evaluate: Is this audience-interactive? Do they like jokes/stories? What kind of energy do I need to bring here? Really, ask anything to prepare your audience for what you will be presenting, and that reveals to you what the climate of the room is.

High-schoolers from an aviation camp. Here I taught flight classes and broke down college options. Photo Credit: Charles Haley IV

DON’T

• Use phraseology you are not familiar with — Storytime…I was teaching a class, and the group seemed to like informal slapstick comedy. I obliged and was teaching the class as such. However, there was a phrase I had heard recently which I thought sounded fun, and it would go along well with the content I was teaching. However, I didn’t know what that phrase really meant. Spoiler alert: it was an innuendo. Long story short, I used it in class, and then was reported to my supervisor who explained to me that I can’t use innuendos in class. Completely innocent mistake, but one that I have learned from. Never use a phrase or word on the spot which you are not familiar with beforehand!
• Expect technology to work — Having a backup plan is a MUST especially when you use technology. One great backup is to have stories that relate to your content in your back pocket. I was teaching a class yet again, and the smartboard decided to quit. My presentation wasn’t visible, and the interactive activities I had planned to use the smartboard for were no longer viable. While I waited for IT to remedy the problem, we continued on with class using some stories I had in my back pocket to illustrate the concepts I was teaching. After 30 min, things were fixed and we continued on with class. If technology doesn’t work, don’t get flustered! It is an new opportunity to grow your improv skills and tell some good stories.
• Be dishonest — While you may be the presenter, you will not know everything! If you don’t know the answer to a question, DON’T MAKE SOMETHING UP. This will come back to bite you in the butt. If you don’t know, admit that! Write it down to find the answer later, or defer the question to someone present who would know.

Teaching a flight class at the aviation camp. Photo Credit: Charles Haley IV

• Lose your energy if the audience doesn’t have energy — As a public speaker, I thrive when the audience laughs, asks questions, or interacts with me. However, there have been times when, no matter what I do, my audience will not interact. This means I am carrying the presentation myself, still giving energetic, quality information, but realizing that having the audience participation will be like pulling teeth. I spoke to a group of 100 1st-11th graders (the age range though…), and they were the most interactive group I ever had spoken to. Questions galore, they roared with laughter at my jokes, and they were transfixed on the video clips I showed. Fast forward a week, I gave the same presentation (although tweaked a bit for the group) to 50 6th graders. They interacted, but much less. I had to pull answers out of them when I asked a question, a light chuckle came from a few individuals at my jokes, and I could tell they were getting bored at times. By the end of the presentation, I felt discouraged because the level of interaction wasn’t where I had expected based on the first group. However, before the 6th graders left, I had about 100 questions to field about my presentation from the students, they all wanted more information, and the teachers told me that all the students enjoyed it so much! You never know how you are resonating with some people. Don’t give up your energy even if it is like pulling teeth!

5th graders who were a part of the presentation for 1st-11th graders. Photo Credit: Author

There are many people who have public speaking strategies, and my tips may not resound with you. That’s ok! Learning to speak in public is daunting, and it is a personal journey as you figure out your style. If one or more of these tips helps you, great! If you feel these are complete trash for what you do, also great. Building your craft is about finding what does and doesn’t work. If I can be a small part of that, I have succeeded.

Unlike many people, I love to speak in public. It presents me with a challenge to get to know my audience and alter my presentation in minor ways so as to resonate best with every individual. I have had many terrible classes and presentations, and from those, I have built my craft. Don’t let your failures drive you to quit. Instead, use them to grow your skills and stretch you so that next time, you will be even better.

To sum up everything: Be real with people, get to know them, and be prepared.