Public speaking tips that actually work

Before the speech

• Decide your one message first. Before you write anything, finish the line: I want them to remember that ______. Everything else supports it.
• Practice out loud, standing up. Saying it is completely different from reading it. Do it at least three times before the day.
• Learn your first thirty seconds cold. A confident start carries you past the worst of the nerves, so over-prepare the opening.
• Cut to notes, not a script. A few keywords on a card keep you honest and stop you reading in a flat voice.
• Time yourself. Speeches always run longer out loud than on paper. Know your real length so you are not cut off or rushing.
• Record one run on your phone. Watching it back is uncomfortable and honest. You will spot the mumble or the rush at once.

During the speech

• Start slower than feels natural. Nerves speed you up. What feels too slow to you sounds clear and calm to the room.
• Pause after your first sentence. That pause feels enormous to you and reads as confidence to everyone else.
• Look at people, not the ceiling. Find a few friendly faces in different parts of the room and speak to them in turn.
• Let silence do its job. A short pause after a big point lets it land, and it replaces the ums.
• Vary your voice. Speed up on the exciting bits, slow down on the important ones. A flat, even tone is what puts a room to sleep.
• If you lose your place, stop and look. Glance at your notes and carry on. Audiences barely notice a pause; they only notice panic.

After the speech

• Ask for one specific piece of feedback. Not was it good, but was my pace too fast, or could you hear me at the back. Specific questions get useful answers.
• Write down one thing to fix. Just one. Trying to fix everything at once fixes nothing. Carry that single thing into your next speech.
• Notice what went right. Students remember every stumble and forget the parts that worked. Name one thing you did well, on purpose.

The tip behind all the tips

Every item on this list gets easier with repetition in front of a real audience who can respond. That is the one thing a student cannot do alone at a desk. A small class gives you that audience every week, plus a coach who tells you the one thing to fix next. If you want to see what that looks like, our programs are built entirely around speaking time and feedback.

Common questions