Three Great Public Speaking Tips

I've had a post on public speaking sitting in my draft file for a while. But my friend and colleague Trevor Bron - one of the most accomplished public speakers I have ever known - tweeted out three tips on public speaking that were so good I decided to just rip him off. They are below.

Tip #2 is often overlooked but really important. The masters never even glance at or quote from their PowerPoint or KeyNote decks - the hacks read from them verbatim (and if you are a hack, I say that with all due affection because it's something you can change immediately!). A related piece of advice is that slides should have very spare content. Seth Godin advocates no more than one word or image per slide. While that may be extreme, it's better than a slide so dense with words your viewers need their reading glasses.

You should follow Trevor on Twitter at @TrevorBron and you should take his advice to heart no matter how often you have to speak and no matter the size or nature of your audience!

Tip #1: Learn everything you can about your audience in advance. Their average age, ethnicity, education, how they will be dressed.

Tip #2: Only use PowerPoint or KeyNote slides you never have to read, refer, or look at. They should be a visual aid, not a distraction.

Tip #3: Seek to know everything about your environment before you speak, including room size, brightness, microphone type, loudness.

image credit: suzannegaudetbenefit