Everyone can be a good public speaker. Even Steve Jobs was supremely nervous at one of his first television interviews. In this episode, Toni Gargan goes through her top ten tips to ensure that you are an amazing public speaker. From getting out of your own way, following a system for your speech and enjoying the journey, Toni give you the best top tips to improve your public speaking. If you have a big speech coming up, or would like to improve your public speaking today this is the podcast for you.

Key Takeaways

Some of the best speeches in history have come from the most unlikely of people. If you think you can do it then you able to do it. You have to change your mindset and get out of your own way. Anything is possible if you get out of your own way. Even Steve Jobs was supremely nervous in his first live television interview but then skip forward to 2017, he is a polished public speaker. This is due to practice. These are top ten tips for improving your public speaking?

Speak about something that you are passionate about. Something that you are an expert on. Your journey, your knowledge, or your life experiences whatever it is. It doesn't matter what you speak about only that you know it well and that you are confident in it.

Know why you're doing it. It's really important that you have a purpose for your speech. Maybe it’s a requirement, maybe you have to sell something new, or a Facebook live video. You should ask yourself two questions: What is the purpose of my speech? and What value will I add to my audience? If you nail both of these things then you can’t go wrong.

Follow a system for your speech. We use the pentagon model here. This includes six questions with differing percentages: 1) What is it that you are talking of? (5%) 2) Why? (30% of your speech) 3) Why that subject matter, and what benefits there are to the audience? 4) How (40%) this is the biggest section, the information bit but make sure it’s entertaining and intriguing. 5) What if? (15%) around the fears, concerns and how to overcome concerns as to why people should listen to you. 6) When? Is it a specific date of the speech or a future date.

Know your audience. Focus your speech to those that will be listening. Even if the content is the same for your speech it needs to be angled to your audience. It needs to be fit for purpose for your audience, making it fun, entertaining almost a game.

 

• Practice, Prepare and Practice again. Have key points that you want to cover noted down. Prepare alone, in front of your peers, and in front of friends. Maybe even record yourself, to identify what you can do better, or what you do well.

 

Start with the end in mind. Visualise how confident you will be, what the audience reaction will be at the end of the speech, the nodding of heads, engagement with your workshops. The previous five in the list are about the leg-work but it’s really important to visualise your success to be successful.

 

• Create the connection. Make your story connect with your audience. You could be one of many speeches that your audience has heard all day. You need to stand out and make the audience connect with you. You need that connection for them to buy into the information and/or product or service. Your focus is on adding value to the audience.

 

Record Your Live Speeches. When you give the speech to a live environment, it is making sure it’s recorded. You can identify what has been successful and where you can improve as well as the audience's reactions. Even just an audio version. It’s important to note what worked really well.

Write down at the end of each speech what worked, and what you would change afterwards. At the earliest opportunity when it is fresh in your mind as to what worked well and can be improved on. You can forget very quickly later in the day if you don’t write them down straight away.

Enjoy it. Enjoy your speech, don’t focus on just getting through it, make sure you enjoy the connection with the audience, and focus on the benefits to the audience.

Best Moments
‘Absolutely anyone can be a public speaker.’
‘You set your own limits.’

‘No-one is born  natural born speakers, they all practice.’

‘What you talk about doesn’t matter as your confidence’

‘It's important that you have a purpose to your speech,’

‘Audience members will ask what’s in it for me?’

‘Focus your speech on your audience, the benefits to them.’

‘Practice, prepare and practice again.’

‘Think about your net-time to practice; driving in the car.’
‘People buy into people.’

‘Your friends and family will either go really positive or hyper-negative.’

‘Practice in private to present in public.’

‘The objective for each speech is to be better than the last one.’

‘Make small incremental changes, every time you practice a speech.’
‘If you enjoy it then your audience will enjoy it even more.’

‘The best speakers show confidence, charisma and a connection with the audience.’

Valuable Resources

• Steve Jobs 1978 Speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eb9YTXmPolo.
• Steve Jobs Stanford Speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc.
• Steve Jobs 2007 iPhone presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hUIxyE2Ns8.  

ABOUT THE HOST

Toni Gargan is a Double World Record-holding Public Speaker, Mentor, Entrepreneur, and Professional Property Investor. She acts as the Director at Owen Oliver Property, a family-run property investment company helping others gain passive income through investing.

Aside from building her amazing property portfolio, she’s also a full-time mentor for property investors through Progress Property and Unlimited Success. Toni has since then discovered her true passion – helping others by training and mentoring through public speaking.

She now hosts her own show, Presenting, Pitching & Public Speaking Podcast, which aims to help you be confident, improve your speaking & communication skills and present better for you, your team, and your business.

CONTACT METHOD

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toni-gargan-627b0a100  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonigargan?lang=en