Public Speaking Skills for Top Speakers

My latest obsession is public speaking. I don't know what hit me, but I found myself making excuses to speak in front of people. Like photographing people, I started because I was afraid of it, and I just overcame that fear by doing it (repeatedly) until I fell in love with the act and couldn't stop. Public speaking is similar. I've extracted some useful tips from "Podium Strategies for 28 Public Speaking Experts." These are general tips from the speaker. I'll cover specific techniques in a later blog post.

".. Put aside your lack of confidence and send a message that is more important than your feelings and sensitivities. It's about recognizing that you're giving a speech to help someone." ", George Foreman

"The most important thing you can do is put yourself in other people's minds and hearts. I think about what they really need, not what I want to talk about. Whatever the size of the team, whether it's five or 5,000 people, you have to at least try to imagine what everyone's purpose is." , motivational speaker and life coach Tony Robbins

"If you believe in something, you can talk about it. . When I talk to people, I think of one thing: How can I help that person? ..." , 92-year-old fitness guru Jack LaLanne

"John F. Kennedy said, 'You should not speak unless you wish to change the world. 'While that sounds a bit overblown to me, you shouldn't be making public speeches unless you want something to happen." , communications consultant Tom Peters

"Minimize the data. We have a rule of three: don't tell them more than three things. I speak at nurseries; . I force myself to do it because it really forces me to calm down and think about the basic message and how I can convey it as simply as possible." Dr. Allen Hershkowitz

"Slow down, especially at the beginning of your speech. A pause will get your audience's attention." ", Bob Kerrey

"Don't be afraid to work 'off the books' (without written speeches). . On a scrap of paper, I wrote down key words that I knew would trigger a story or theme that would get the ball rolling. . If you have enthusiasm and excitement, if you're there to show your humanity, that's when the audience starts to warm up." , Richard LaGravenese

"The lowest common denominator is people who have a negative attitude or can't concentrate. If I can attract that person, everyone else will fall like dominoes." Eileen Gruwell

"I'm trying to talk to everyone individually. Eye contact is crucial. I move from west to east, making contact with people for a second or two. If someone doesn't seem to be involved, I'll keep coming back and hopefully get in touch with them." , Pastor Kieran Harrington

"The night before the presentation, I review my notes right before bed. ... Help your brain absorb the material." , Sally Koslow

"For years, I presented like everyone else, like wearing clothes that didn't fit. It's more helpful to do things my own way." Second City President Tom Yorton.

"If you're the type who feels intimidated or intimidated by speaking in large groups, it doesn't hurt to talk to a few people in the audience before you start speaking." Kate White, Editor-in-Chief of Cosmopolitan

"Use [Microsoft] PowerPoint presentations as support rather than documentation. Too often, the presenter tries to fit the entire story into a slide show, and the result is just a massive graphical data dump that neither tells nor helps the story... . One, two or three words with images. It captures the essence of the story, whereas a news reader provides the details." , Jerry Weissman, founder of Power Presentations

"Connect a unifying theme to a powerful, inspiring story that will be memorable enough long after the lights dim and the microphones turn off." , former independent White House counsel Ken Starr

"Praise the audience. Every invitation to speak is a compliment and an honor ", Robert H. Schuller, Ph.D

"Use interesting and familiar everyday observations to make a point. . At this point, I had the audience nodding and laughing - the pressure was off. Now I can start teaching them all the smart, understated ways to build initial credibility in the minds of consumers." ", John Palumbo

"No matter how serious the speech is, you can't take yourself too seriously. Self-deprecation is always part of my speech. It helps the audience know that we're all in the same boat ", Marty Markowitz

"Say the same thing in different ways, especially if you're trying to sell something. . It will leave a mark that people will remember." , Judge Maria Lopez

"I just want people to relax from the beginning. You want your audience to settle down... It's not necessarily fun, but it gets people out of the doldrums they might be in." "By Steve Levy