With so many books, tips and tricks out there about public speaking, why are so many speakers still missing the mark? Below are five critical elements that are often overlooked that will help elevate your upcoming speech or presentation to the next level.

Don’t SHOUT - resonate!

We’ve all heard of ‘projecting’ our voice, but this idea often leads to people pushing too hard, straining their voices and shouting. It’s incredible in a time when we have decent microphones just how many speakers, especially those who are trying to show their passion, end up shouting instead of resonating and using the true power of their voice! Think how you react when someone shouts at you. Sure, it gets your attention for a moment, beyond that though it tends to be very uncomfortable to listen to. Shouting takes away our authority, it says we don’t think people want to hear what we have to say. Look at any great speaker in recent history, despite often using primitive sound systems, Martin Luther King, Churchill, JFK..take your pick, they all have one thing in common - not one of them is shouting.

Leave spaces - in the right places!

The power of the pause in speaking is great. It commands attention. It builds anticipation. It says I am confident, considered and strong. However pauses need to mean something. They are the space in which our audience takes in what we are saying. So. Just. Pausing. After. Every. Word… just doesn’t work! You pause to allow people to engage. You pause to enable your listeners to consider, to imagine, to dream. You pause to make way for your message entering into their minds and becoming their own. Once your message becomes theirs, that’s a big win. That’s the point your audience begins to act upon it, share it, live it. Empty pauses often equal empty messages. The pause has power, use it wisely!

Warm up - or get left in the cold

Seem a bit ‘arty’, the idea of warming up? A bit theatrical? There’s a reason all those great actors with big speeches warm up before they go on stage. Firstly, our voice is actually a physical thing that is affected by our thoughts and emotions. Trying to do a key note speech without warming up (especially if its first thing or if we have hectic schedules) is like trying to lift a 50lb weight without having prepared. It just doesn’t work well! Warming up prepares your voice physically, relaxes tense muscles (improving resonance), limbers up the larynx (creating a greater range of pitch) and wakes up our articulators (making for clearer speech). Secondly, having a warm up routine has the potential to put us in that all important ‘zone’. It quietens our mind, focuses the adrenaline and relaxes our breathing allowing clarity of thought. The speaker who leaves out the warm up is usually looking at a 2 star review at best.

I’m here - now give me a reason to listen

It doesn’t entirely matter whether someone is in your audience because they have to be or because they have chosen to be - none of them will listen if they don’t have a reason to. It’s a bonus if someone has signed up for your talk, but you still have no idea what they expect and they probably haven’t considered what they might have to gain. Now its over to you. It is your job, as the speaker to guide your audience through. Begin with the reason that you are the one delivering this message - are you an expert, a representative or a fellow explorer looking to discover more about the topic on which you speak? Next up, let them know what they will get from spending their time and energy in the space. Now you need to take them on a journey in which you face challenges, examine the evidence, look for solutions and reach some kind of resolution - even if that leads to a bigger question. Finally ensure they take away what you promised in pocket sized way that they will be able to convey to others. They’ve listened, now its time for them to do the talking!

Prepare - not to speak, but to be heard

Often what people are thinking about when they are preparing, is themselves. How they will look, how they will sound, what its going to mean for them if they mess up. I’ve got news - it isn’t (all) about you! It isn’t even just about them. It is about inviting people in to share in the vision, understand how things work, question where it fits and - ultimately - take it away with them. Every speech needs to be a conversation. Preferably one that gets shared and repeated. People don’t like being preached to, even less so sold to. Speeches that work belong as much to the audience who are listening as the person delivering it. Your audience becomes part of it. The next speech or presentation you make, fine, choose your outfit well, decide what you need to get out of it, but from there on in turn it around and imagine what’s going to allow people to truly engage!

If these ideas interest you or might be of value to yourself and your colleagues, please do share and comment. If you’d like to learn how to put them into practice the professional voice programme and workplace workshops might be of interest too!