by Gilda Bonanno LLC
Public speaking is a skill, which like any
skill, can be learned and improved. Wherever
you are in your skill development, from novice to very skilled, you want to
keep moving forward and continue to develop your public speaking skills.
Here are four actions you can take to ensure you continue to make progress:
1. FOCUS
You can’t work on ten areas of improvement at
once, so select the one or two elements that you’re going to work on. Pick the areas that will yield the most
return and where you’ll see the most improvement in your presentation. Find ways to practice them and focus on them
during your presentations.
For example, if you want to work on crafting a message that’s clear and relevant to your audience, then each time you give a presentation, write the message at the top of your notes. Make sure you state it in the introduction and the conclusion, and then follow up with people afterwards to see if they understood the message.
2. OBSERVE OTHERS
Listen and be attuned to others’ presentations:
what works for them and what doesn’t work?
By observing other presenters, often you can
learn about what works from an audience’s point of view more effectively than
if you just thought about it yourself.
Be careful while observing, however, not to copy somebody else’s presentation style completely. You have your own unique style and you want to develop that.
3. GIVE YOURSELF FEEDBACK AFTER EACH PRESENTATION
After each presentation, take the time to reflect
on it. If you recorded yourself (while
video is best, audio alone also can be helpful), review the recording. Write down the date, the presentation, the
number of people in the audience and what happened. Start off with what went well. For example, you were well-prepared or you
handled difficult questions with ease.
Then think about what you could improve for next time, particularly in light of the areas you’re trying to focus on. Be specific and non-judgmental. For example, you need to practice your transitions between slides so you use fewer pause words like “um” and “ah.”
4. GET SPECIFIC FEEDBACK FROM OTHERS
Select someone to give you feedback who is
capable of being specific. You don’t
want to hear, “Oh, you did great!” because that’s not helpful. You need to know
what specifically was “great” about your presentation. For example, “You
handled those questions confidently. You were able to say ‘I don’t know the
answer,’ without stumbling.”
You also need someone who is capable of giving you constructive, specific criticism. If the feedback is, “Well, you didn’t sound confident,” you need to ask, “What did I do or say that didn’t appear confident?” You will only be able to improve if you understand specifically what you did, for example, your voice was shaking or you stared at your notes rather than looking at the audience.
Use every opportunity you have to take action
to improve your public speaking skills.
Like with any skill, the more you practice and get feedback about your
public speaking, the more you will improve.
And of course, working with an experienced coach can provide you expert
feedback and accelerate your progress.
© Gilda Bonanno LLC - Gilda Bonanno serves as a trusted advisor to executives and entrepreneurs to transform their communication, presentation and leadership skills. She has worked with companies on 4 continents, from Chicago to Shanghai and Rio to Rome. The instructional videos on her YouTube channel have received over 2 million views and her e-newsletter has reached subscribers in over 45 countries since 2008. For other articles or to receive Gilda's e-newsletter, visit www.gildabonanno.com