Public speaking dos and don’ts

Speaking in public can be a daunting experience for us all.

Whether presenting to an audience of 10 people or 1000, it can be easy to let nerves get the better of you in the build-up and more often than not this will negatively impact the delivery of your speech.

If the thought of speaking to a room full of people does fill you with dread, ensuring that you spend time planning your talk will help to ease your nerves.

From speaking slowly to avoiding the use of filler words, we’ve put together a handy guide looking at the key dos and don’ts of public speaking.

DO ensure you are well prepared

As the famous Benjamin Franklin saying goes: 'By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.'

It is easy to look at confident speakers and envy their ability to speak in public without showing any nerves, but the reality is that they will have done a great deal of preparation and practice to get to that point.

Each presentation is different and you need to consider a variety of factors such as the subject matter, length of the talk, venue, and your audience.

If you attempt to take short-cuts in your preparation you can be sure it will show when you take to the stage.

DO be clear on the purpose of your talk

A survey from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in 2016 uncovered that 79% of business leaders believe an organisation’s purpose is central to business success.

This still rings true today with successful companies all possessing a clear and unwavering purpose, something that should also be applied to public speaking.

The first thing for spokespeople to consider is what message they are looking to get across to their audience.

Each aspect of the talk should be designed to focus on that message and ensure that your purpose helps you to stand out from the crowd.

DO be enthusiastic

Your body language says a lot about you when presenting and can often be the difference between an engaging presentation and one that fails to grasp the audience’s attention.

While some presentations will require a formal tone to be struck, that should never be misinterpreted as a reason not to connect with your listeners or show your enthusiasm for the topic at hand.

It’s important to be passionate – if you have a monotone voice or appear in any way distracted, how are you going to engage your audience and retain their attention?

DO speak slowly

You are likely to be given a certain time slot for your presentation, particularly when speaking at conferences or events, so it’s always worth timing yourself when preparing to ensure you don’t overrun.

The last thing that you want to do is have to rush through your deck because of time constraints as this will make it difficult for your audience to follow.

It is important to consider that audience members at international events may not speak your language fluently, so it’s vital that you maintain a steady speed throughout so they’re able to take everything in and don’t switch off.

DON’T be late

This may seem obvious but being late to any speaking engagement is unacceptable. Of course, there can be things outside of your control such as transport issues that are unavoidable, but in general you should aim to give yourself at least half an hour to prepare at the venue.

Rushing to arrive in time may leave you feeling stressed or unprepared and that will show once you begin your speech.

Even for virtual events, you should block out a period of time in your diary prior to the engagement to ensure your mindset is right.

DON’T use filler words

This can be difficult to master but trying to eliminate the use of words such as ‘umm’ and ‘errr’ can help to give your speech more of a conversational flow.

Instead, you should try to practice taking a breath and pausing while thinking of the next sentence in your head.

Similarly, be sure to clearly define any terms or acronyms that your audience may not be familiar with. Remember, you will be the expert on a topic but that doesn’t mean that your audience are aware of specific industry language.

DON’T read from your slides

If you are asked to create slides alongside your presentation then they should be used as an accompaniment rather than the main focus and ideally image-focused rather than text.

The audience can become distracted with too much information on the slides. Strong visuals rather than large streams of text will ensure you keep their attention and that your words make an impact.

Having some cue cards to refer to is generally considered good practice, but you should try to keep eye contact with your audience and hiding behind your slides will make that more difficult.

It is worth informing listeners that you will email a copy of your slides to all after your presentation, which will allow them to focus on the topic at hand rather than worrying about scribbling down notes.

DON’T make offensive comments or jokes

Adding an element of humour to your speech can often be a good way to engage with your audience, but you must be careful not to marginalise certain groups.

Something that may have got a laugh at the family dinner table may not be amusing to people with different beliefs on a certain topic and you should always put yourself in the shoes of those listening to you.

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It is important to remember that anyone presented with an opportunity to speak in public will be there on merit having shown an expertise or knowledge on a topic that may interest others.

As with elite sport, those that put in the extra hours of practice and prepare meticulously will often perform best when it comes to the main event.

It is often the same issues that arise when presentations go awry, but by following these tips you will give yourself the best chance of success.