The 25 Public Speaking Skills Every Speaker Must Have
by Andrew Dlugan
Oct 31st, 2007
Inspired by 25 Skills Every Man Should Know, I pondered a
list of the 25 essential skills every public speaker should have. How did I do?
Every public speaker should be able to:
1 1.
Research a topic – Good speakers stick to what
they know. Great speakers research what they need to convey their message.
2 2.
Focus – Help your audience grasp your message by
focusing on your message. Stories, humour, or other “sidebars” should connect
to the core idea. Anything that doesn’t needs to be edited out.
33.
Organize ideas logically – A well-organized
presentation can be absorbed with minimal mental strain. Bridging is key.
44.
Employ quotations, facts, and statistics – Don’t
include these for the sake of including them, but do use them appropriately to
complement your ideas.
55.
Master metaphors – Metaphors enhance the
understandability of the message in a way that direct language often can not.
66.
Tell a story – Everyone loves a story. Points
wrapped up in a story are more memorable, too!
77.
Start strong and close stronger – The body of
your presentation should be strong too, but your audience will remember your
first and last words (if, indeed, they remember anything at all).
88.
Incorporate humour – Knowing when to use humour
is essential. So is developing the comedic timing to deliver it with greatest
effect.
99.
Vary vocal pace, tone, and volume – A monotone
voice is like fingernails on the chalkboard.
110.
Punctuate words with gestures – Gestures should
complement your words in harmony. Tell them how big the fish was, and show them
with your arms.
111.
Utilize 3-dimensional space – Chaining yourself
to the lectern limits the energy and passion you can exhibit. Lose the notes,
and lose the chain.
112.
Complement words with visual aids – Visual aids
should aid the message; they should not be the message. Read slide:ology or the
Presentation Zen book and adopt the techniques.
113.
Analyze the audience – Deliver the message they
want (or need) to hear.
114.
Connect with the audience – Eye contact is only
the first step. Aim to have the audience conclude “This speaker is just like
me!” The sooner, the better.
115.
Interact with the audience – Ask questions (and
care about the answers). Solicit volunteers. Make your presentation a dialogue.
116.
Conduct a Q&A session – Not every speaking
opportunity affords a Q&A session, but understand how to lead one
productively. Use the Q&A to solidify the impression that you are an
expert, not (just) a speaker.
117.
Lead a discussion – Again, not every speaking
opportunity affords time for a discussion, but know how to engage the audience
productively.
118.
Obey time constraints – Maybe you have 2
minutes. Maybe you have 45. Either way, customize your presentation to fit the
time allowed, and respect your audience by not going over time.
119.
Craft an introduction – Set the context and make
sure the audience is ready to go, whether the introduction is for you or for
someone else.
220.
Exhibit confidence and poise – These qualities
are sometimes difficult for a speaker to attain, but easy for an audience to
sense.
221.
Handle unexpected issues smoothly – Maybe the
lights will go out. Maybe the projector is dead. Have a plan to handle every
situation.
222.
Be coherent when speaking off the cuff –
Impromptu speaking (before, after, or during a presentation) leaves a lasting
impression too. Doing it well tells the audience that you are personable, and
that you are an expert who knows their stuff beyond the slides and prepared
speech.
223.
Seek and utilize feedback – Understand that no
presentation or presenter (yes, even you!) is perfect. Aim for continuous
improvement, and understand that the best way to improve is to solicit candid
feedback from as many people as you can.
224.
Listen critically and analyze other speakers –
Study the strengths and weakness of other speakers.
225.
Act and speak ethically – Since public speaking
fears are so common, realize the tremendous power of influence that you hold.
Use this power responsibly.
Which skills have I missed? Are all of those on the list
essential?
Source: http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/25-skills-every-public-speaker-should-have/
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