public speaking skills

Sneaky or Nasty Little Voice vs. Reality: The Bout in Your Brain

by Jezra on August 17, 2022

I spend a lot of time thinking about the “Nasty Little Voice” (NLV) that feeds self-judging throughts to my clients (and me). And recently, it occurred to me that: Your NLV doesn’t have to sound nasty. It can actually sound quite reasonable, which, in my view, is just plain SNEAKY. And… Your NLV and SLV Read More

Just Talk to the People!

by Jezra on April 28, 2022

It’s Not as Complicated as You Think About a year ago, I decided to create an e-learning course (the kind that you buy, download, and then take at your own pace) on public speaking. [NOTE: I’m still working hard on the course, though I’ve given up trying to predict when it will be finished. :-))] Read More

Public Speaking Strengths and Skills? You’ve Already Got Them!

by Jezra on March 31, 2022

That’s right: You’ve already got the strengths and skills you need to be a good, or even great, public speaker! That’s because “public speaking” is more—much more—than giving a formal presentation from a stage. You’ve been doing it your whole life. We Build Public Speaking Strengths and Skills Every Day It’s also “public speaking” when Read More

Wake Up to Public Speaking

by Jezra on March 16, 2022

It’s spring-like in New York these days, and the entire world seems to be waking up. This past week, I hung out at a jazz club, had dinner in a fancy restaurant, and went to a birthday gathering with 18 people, many of them strangers. None of that would be worth noting if it was Read More

“Don’t Look Up”: How to Talk about the End of the World

by Jezra on January 5, 2022

NOTE: If you plan to see Don’t Look Up on Netflix, but haven’t done it yet…stop reading now, before the spoilers begin, and come back after you’ve watched the final credits! A Film about How We Communicate Since you’ve seen the movie, you know that (a) Kate Dibiasky has discovered a new comet that (b) Read More

How Do You Do Public Speaking Practice?

The Rule of 3

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Practice your key message. This is the central idea that your audience will remember. Practice it backwards, forwards, upside down, and in your sleep. If you don't truly know the main point of your presentation, how will your audience be certain they know it?

Practice transitions. How will you carry one point into the next? And if you're using PowerPoint, how will you transition one slide into the next? Flat transitions ("Here you see... This slide shows you... Here you can tell that...") sap your audience's energy and leave them adrift. Instead, carry them forward and build momentum with transitions that continue the previous slides point. ("Now, we've said X, but it's also true that... [click to new slide]... Y makes a big difference. Or: "Once you understand the importance of practice... [click to new slide]... it's a lot easier to master the basics.")

Practice your opening and close. Your opening should be confidently delivered, to set your audience at ease. Your close should feel like a "big finish," so they know they've heard something important. Both those goals are much easier to reach if you've practiced your content and can focus on delivery.

Practice any stories in your presentation (and don't stint on the drama!). Few of us can tell a great story the first, or even the tenth time we try. Your stories deserve to be well-considered (what do you take out? what do you emphasize?) and well-shaped (with a beginning, middle, and end that are all about equal in length and weight); and only practice will guarantee that your stories are clear, concise, and satisfying.

Your Practicing Take-Aways

Out loud

In small, random sections

Conversationally

Scattered throughout your day

While having fun!

In 25 years of speaker coaching, I've helped my individual speaker coaching clients develop their strengths and skills to become authentic and effective communicators. Along the way, I've developed tips for everything from small talk to speaking up in meetings, from managing fear to making an impact. And now, I've shared it all in 100 Top Public Speaking Tips: The Book. This beautifully designed PDF booklet is searchable, clickable, and categorized, so that you can find what you need, instantly.