Be A Better Speaker

I had the privilege of hosting TEDxMelbourne on Friday. The theme was “The Stuff of Dreams” and we had 19 speakers presenting to 1,400 Dream Makers in the audience. By all accounts, it was a fantastic day.

For many people, performing on the TED or TEDx stage is a speaking goal. Quite a few people ask what should they do to be a better speaker to get there.

Just so you know, it’s NOT picturing the audience in their underwear – 1,400 people in their finest lace, boxers or super white cottontails would be quite distracting!

For me, there is ONE THING that will make the biggest difference.

While mind maps, watching videos of yourself, watching videos of others (including other TED talks), rehearsing in front of a mirror, performing tongue twisters, not moving at all, moving more, having longer pauses, being funnier, being more serious, interacting with the audience, and visualising are all valid ways to improve your performance there is ONE THING that will have the most impact.

That ONE THING is of course, speak more.

Take every opportunity to present. Whether it is at your local sports club awards night, a Rotary club (they always need speakers) or volunteering to present at a work meeting, presenting more makes you better. The more you present, the more comfortable you are on stage. Yes there are other techniques to fine tune what you are doing, but getting up there and doing it is the most important thing.

If you speak more, you can’t help but be a better speaker.

BUT WARWICK I WANT TO KNOW MORE!! 

Tune in to RRPFM this Friday at 11am Melbourne time for the award winning Taking Care of Business show where I will be guest host. 
I will be talking to Zerafina Zara from Forte Presence and Russell Pearson from Crimson Fox on what else you can do to be a better speaker.
Email me any questions you have and we will incorporate it into the show!