You want to advance your career. What’s the best way to develop your public speaking skills? (2024)

Last updated on Mar 6, 2024

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1

Know your purpose

2

Practice and rehearse

3

Manage your nerves

4

Engage your audience

Be the first to add your personal experience

5

Use visuals wisely

Be the first to add your personal experience

6

Seek feedback and improvement

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7

Here’s what else to consider

Public speaking is a valuable skill that can boost your career prospects, confidence, and influence. However, many people struggle with fear, anxiety, or lack of experience when it comes to speaking in front of an audience. Fortunately, there are some effective ways to develop your public speaking skills and overcome your challenges. Here are six tips to help you become a better speaker and communicator.

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  • You want to advance your career. What’s the best way to develop your public speaking skills? (3) 3

You want to advance your career. What’s the best way to develop your public speaking skills? (4) You want to advance your career. What’s the best way to develop your public speaking skills? (5) You want to advance your career. What’s the best way to develop your public speaking skills? (6)

1 Know your purpose

Before you prepare your speech or presentation, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and how you want to impact your listeners. What is the main message you want to convey? What action do you want them to take? How do you want them to feel? Having a clear purpose will help you structure your content, choose your tone, and tailor your delivery to your audience.

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    Ich habe selbst Rednerevents besucht. Am Ende finde ich aber die Bücher von Michael Rossier am wertvollsten, Frank Asmus folgen und sich die besten Redner (die auch von der Art und Weise des Redens dem eigenen Naturell nicht ganz widersprechen) zuhören und analysieren. Und Autofahren lernt man nur durch Auto fahren, also mit reden ist es nicht anders. Nutze jede Gelegenheit in Meetings, bei privaten Feiern etc, ein paar Sätze ans die Audience zu richten ;-)

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  • Carolin Tusch IT-Projektmanagement @ Leadec | Teamplayer und immer interessiert an neuen Tech-Trends | New Work
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    Wenn ich eine Rede oder Präsentation vorbereite, gehe ich wie folgt vor: Als erstes erstelle ich eine grobe Agenda und notiere zu jedem Agenda-Punkt mindestens 5 Stichwörter. So erstelle ich im Endeffekt eine Mindmap, bei der später auch Verbindungen markiert werden können (um z.B. Übergänge zu gestalten). Dann transferiere ich die Stichpunkte auf Folien und brainstorme, welche Formen, Schaubilder oder Bilder zum Inhalt passen. Die Wort-Bild-Sprache erleichtert das Verständnis der Zuhörer und ist daher nicht zu vernachlässigen. Anschließend führe ich eine kurze Stakeholder Definition durch und notiere mir die Kernaussagen, die für diese wichtig sind. Dieser Schritt hilft, die Präsentation "durch Endanwender Perspektive" zu betrachten.

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2 Practice and rehearse

One of the best ways to improve your public speaking skills is to practice and rehearse as much as possible. This will help you polish your content, refine your language, and master your timing. You can practice in front of a mirror, a recorder, a friend, or a mentor. You can also join a public speaking club or group, such as Toastmasters, where you can get feedback and support from other speakers.

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  • Carolin Tusch IT-Projektmanagement @ Leadec | Teamplayer und immer interessiert an neuen Tech-Trends | New Work
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    Nachdem die Präsentation steht, fängt das Üben an. Ich schreibe mir den Text detailliert auf und gehe diesen mind. 10x durch, bis meine Aussprache flüssig ist. Anschließend übe ich die Präsentation mit der Stoppuhr, da ich während dem Vortragen keinesfalls unter Zeitdruck geraten will und weder eine Unterbrechung noch zu schnelles Reden produzieren möchte. Nach ca. 5 Durchgängen passt dann alles und ich widme mich den "flexiblen Faktoren": Fragen oder Einwände. Daher scanne ich meine Präsentation im Vorhinein, um zu prüfen an welchen Stellen ich mit Fragen oder Einwänden rechnen muss, kann oder sollte. Dadurch kann ich in der Präsentation spontaner reagieren und weniger schnell von solchen Faktoren "überrumpelt" werden.

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    Practice does make perfect and expands the comfort zone when initially it is very daunting. I found it helped me to attend some personal development public speaking training with 'techniques' that pushed my comfort zones but felt safe to try in the group and now is far less scary"

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3 Manage your nerves

It is normal to feel nervous before or during a public speaking event. However, you can manage your nerves by using some relaxation techniques, such as breathing deeply, visualizing a positive outcome, or listening to calming music. You can also reduce your anxiety by being prepared, arriving early, and familiarizing yourself with the venue and the equipment. Remember that your audience is not there to judge you, but to learn from you and connect with you.

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  • Carolin Tusch IT-Projektmanagement @ Leadec | Teamplayer und immer interessiert an neuen Tech-Trends | New Work
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    Kurz vor der Präsentation ereilt mich das "Lampenfieber". Daher führe ich eine militärische Atemtechnik durch, die den Puls beruhigt. Außerdem mache ich mir bewusst, dass die Nervosität mir dabei hilft, genügend Fokus und Energie für die Präsentation aufzubringen. Meistens übe ich meine Präsentation, sofern es mein Zeitplan zulässt, bis kurz vor Beginn der echten Präsentation. Dadurch werde ich zum Einen abgelenkt, nur auf den Beginn zu warten und zum Anderen verschaffe ich mir so selbst mehr Sicherheit. Mir ist außerdem klar, dass die Aufregung mit dem ersten Satz meiner Präsentation rapide abnimmt.Sich bewusst zu machen, dass Lampenfieber nichts Schlechtes sein muss, hat mir auch sehr geholfen damit umzugehen.

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    As a Mindset Coach managing nerves is part of this. It's normal to be nervous putting yourself out in public, sharing your ideas and being on view - visible even if that is the point! Feel more confident knowing your stuff - content, free speaking on something you know, responding to the crowd. recognise you are doing this and choosing it and you will be seen but not necessarily 'judged' especially for being 'bad'. people have chosen to be there to hear what you have to say and if you get it a little 'wrong' then that's just human of you and people will engage with a person and support you

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4 Engage your audience

A good speaker knows how to engage the audience and keep their attention throughout the speech or presentation. You can do this by using stories, anecdotes, humor, questions, or polls. You can also use gestures, eye contact, and vocal variety to express your emotions and enthusiasm. Moreover, you can adapt your content and delivery to the audience's needs, interests, and feedback. For example, you can use examples that are relevant to them, or adjust your pace and tone according to their reactions.

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5 Use visuals wisely

Visual aids can enhance your public speaking by adding clarity, interest, and credibility to your content. However, you need to use them wisely and avoid relying on them too much. You should only use visuals that support your main points, and that are simple, clear, and relevant. You should also avoid reading from your slides or notes, and instead use them as cues or reminders. Your visuals should complement your speech, not distract from it.

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6 Seek feedback and improvement

Finally, you can develop your public speaking skills by seeking feedback and improvement. You can ask for constructive criticism from your audience, your peers, your mentors, or yourself. You can also watch or listen to recordings of your speeches or presentations, and identify your strengths and weaknesses. You can then set specific goals and action plans to improve your areas of improvement. You can also learn from other speakers, by watching or attending their events, and analyzing their techniques and strategies.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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    Public Speaking Tips:As an online public speaking coach, here are a few effective tips that work well for my coaching clients:1. First, it is important to choose a specific goal.*Example: Within 6 weeks from today, say to yourself that you will be giving two speeches "every" week.2. It is also important to know what you want to achieve from giving speeches. *Example: I want to acquire 3 to 6 new customers "each" week, by giving speeches.3. It is also essential to know how to set-up speaking engagements, at the right kinds of groups. *Here, it is very important to "focus" on which people will be interested in your speech topic.4. You can also learn good ways to become a confident speaker. - Edward Martin - Online Public Speaking Coach.

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