Like any kind of advanced communication skill, the art of giving effective presentations is not inborn; it requires deliberate practice. An excellent way to learn more about delivering effective presentations is to follow a systematic process.
OBSERVE OTHERS
Study their strategies and reflect on their effectiveness
Select and practice strategies that will work for you; reflect and get feedback from others.
Step 1: Observation
You can learn a lot simply by observing how successful public speakers work the room and engage their audience. How do they use their voice to make it work as a tool of communication? How do they deploy tone, pausing, pacing, and projection? What do they do with their hands? How do they make use of the physical space around them? Take note of how speakers physically operate, either in person or on media: identify what they do, make note of what you feel works well and what doesn’t, then put what you’ve learned into practice.
As a student, you might start by observing your professors. Aim to identify what makes one professor a great lecturer and another less engaging. Pay attention to how they pace their talk to draw you in and create emphasis. Reflect on what they do to convey a sense of enthusiasm for what they’re talking about—or how they fail to do so. You can learn what to avoid—a dull monotonous tone, for example—as well as what elements to adopt in your own presentations.
Exercises
Whether observing your favorite professor, watching your favorite podcaster, or viewing the videos linked below, turn your observations into an active learning experience. Create a list of what the speakers do well. The goal is to create a toolkit of practical tips, approaches, and ideas for building confidence, developing your own public speaking style, and engaging your audience.
Here are a few videos you may find helpful:
Really achieving your childhood dreams by Randy Pausch,[1] computer scientist (Carnegie Mellon).
How to Speak So That People Want to Listen by Julian Treasure[2]
Why I Live in Mortal Dread of Public Speaking by Megan Washington[3]
Step 2: Study and Reflect
Learning from experts who lay out a set of simple techniques is a confidence builder because it shows that great speakers are made, not born. There are no mysteries, just specific, applicable strategies that anyone can adopt to establish rapport with an audience and make a meaningful impact.
Here are some additional online resources:
Toastmasters 5 tips for public speaking (YouTube)
10 Most Common Rookie Mistakes in Public Speaking – Terry Gault (Prezi Blog)
How to Sound Smart in your TED Talk − Will Stephen (TED)
How I Overcame my Fear of Public Speaking − Danish Dhamani (TED)
Step 3: Practice, and Assess Your Progress
Now that you have identified strategies that you find effective and think might work for you, try putting them into practice by doing a practice presentation. Afterwards, either by engaging in self-reflection, or by asking for feedback from your audience, consider how well these strategies worked for you and whether you need to further hone, adapt, or change the way you used them.
- R. Pausch, “Really achieving your childhood dreams, Sept. 18, 2007 Youtube [Online]: Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo ↵
- https://www.ted.com/talks/julian_treasure_how_to_speak_so_that_people_want_to_listen?referrer=playlist-before_public_speaking#t-579054 ↵
- https://www.ted.com/talks/megan_washington_why_i_live_in_mortal_dread_of_public_speaking?referrer=playlist-before_public_speaking ↵
