How to Improve Public Speaking Skills in Business – 11 Proven Strategies
October 04, 2023
How do you get better at public speaking? What can you do to improve your public speaking? How to improve public speaking skills? What does it take to be a convincing public speaker?
Struggling with public speaking? You’re not alone. In this guide, we’ll break down 11 proven methods to help you speak confidently, engage audiences, and overcome stage fright.These are practical tips that you can apply immediately, based on our team’s 15 years of experience coaching business executives for better public speaking.
Meet the Author: Benjamin Ball
Ben is the founder of Benjamin Ball Associates and leads the presentation coaching and pitch deck creation teams. Formerly a corporate financier in the City of London, for 20+ years he’s helped businesses win with better pitches and presentations, particularly investor pitches. He is a regular speaker and a guest lecturer at Columbia Business School and UCL London. Follow Ben on LinkedIn or visit the contact page.
Why Public Speaking Skills Matter for Business Success
As a business executive, you should want to improve your public speaking skills. Public speaking is one of the essential leadership skills. Great presentation and public speaking skills will help your career and your business. You’ll find it easier to be recognised and to impress. You’ll make a better impression and it will be easier to get your ideas accepted.
Improving public speaking skills in business can open doors to career advancement and boost your confidence in meetings, job interviews, and presentations. A good presentation is not just about sharing information, it’s about making a lasting impact on the audience.
How Public Speaking Coaching Can Help You
Our public speaking coaches have put together these key ideas how to improve your public speaking. These will help you sound, look and feel more impressive.
This advice is based on 15+ years experience coaching executives to become better public speakers, whether for business talks, pitches or presentations. The good news is that it does not take long to develop great presentation skills.
While the advice we give each person is tailored, we’ve picked out some of the most common points how to improve public speaking to help you get started on the road to powerful, engaging and high impact business public speaking.
Whenever we analyse the public speaking of our clients, we break down what they say into three core categories: Messages; Structure & Delivery.
1. Powerful Messages & Content
A good speech will be built around clear simple messages. Effective speakers adapt to their audience, using language, examples, and perhaps humour, so that their message is both understood and remembered.
2. A Brain-Friendly Structure
A strong speech is well-structured, with a clear beginning, middle, and end, making it easy to follow. It also is has a strong language structure. Words are simple, sentences are short and pauses are many.
3. Confident Delivery
Good speakers use a natural yet authoritative tone, varying their voice to maintain interest. Body language, including eye contact and gestures, reinforces key points and builds connection.
Bad Public Speaking Examples to Learn From
Here is a typical example of bad public speaking. Let’s review why it fails. CONTENT – It’s not clear what the speaker is saying. It feels like a list of facts. STRUCTURE – There is no obvious structure. DELIVERY – No attempt to engage the audience.
If you want to be better at public speaking, get in touch. Learn about our intensive public speaking coaching that can turn you from a gibbering wreck to a confident speaker in just a few hours.
If you want a tips for improving your public speaking, then these 11 tips from our public speaking coaches will make a huge difference. You can improve you public speaking skills and make a real impact from your talks and presentations.
TL;DR – Top 11 Tips – How to Improve Public Speaking Skills
How to Improve Your Public Speaking – Top 10 Tips
Based on our experience at Benjamin Ball Associates, these are the top tips you need to improve public speaking skills.
1. Build your talk around one big idea
Too many talks are muddy. Speakers try to get across too many main points and therefore the talks are hard to deliver and hard to remember.
If you wan to create a powerful talk, find one big idea to underpin your talk. If that idea is big, bold and vivid, then your talk will be more memorable. Better still, if it’s something that you can keep returning to in your talk, you will hammer home your point.
To be a better speaker, you’ll make a lasting impression if you develop a single strong thesis that your talk will communicate. Effective communication means making it easy for your listeners to speak about your talk in the way you want.
2. Speak directly to your audience
A great talk should feel like a personal conversation. You should maintain your audience’s attention throughout. You’ll be a much better speaker if you talk to your listeners as if to a trusted friend or family member, even when talking to a large audience. That means adding a personal touch.
For example, see how these two approaches are different:
BEFORE: “The company is announcing a new policy this week that changes the way expenses are recorded and paid. The new process for recording expenses will be as follows…”
AFTER:“You’ll be pleased to hear we are changing our expenses system. We all know the old system was bad. Our new system is great. Here’s how you can record and claim your expenses more quickly and easily than before…”
Another strategy is to tailor your approach depending on the audience size. Speaking to a small group can feel more informal, while addressing a large audience requires more projection and presence. Practice helps in both scenarios, so set aside regular practice time to rehearse your content. This will give you the confidence to focus less on memorising every word and more on delivering a compelling message.
The most effective public speakers don’t just speak – instead, they speak directly to audience members.
3. Use a Powerful Structure
A bad talk is unstructured. It drifts from one idea to another and it is hard for the audience to follow. You should always follow a clear structure.
One of the best tips is to start with a clear structure. This means having a well-defined beginning, middle, and end, organise your important points. Have a structure that helps you stay on track, making it easier to keep the audience engaged and get your message across.
Each part of your structure has a purpose”
Your opening words connect you with your audience and grab their attention
You then lay out your main messages and the most important information
The main part of your talk then explores each of your main messages
You then recap your main messages
And finish with a resounding close.
This is a tried and tested talk structure that speakers have been using for thousands of years. It is guaranteed to work.
4. Decide how your audience feels, not just what they hear
When you are in front of a live audience, people will listen to what you say if they feel good about what you say. So, if you want to change their minds, start by agreeing with them. For example:
BEFORE: “Expenses claims must be submitted by the 15th of each month.”
AFTER: “We all like getting our money back fast, right? So now, with this new expenses system, we can get the money into your bank account guaranteed – so long as you get your expenses in by the 15th each month.”
Why Pick Benjamin Ball Associates for Your Public Speaking Coaching
At Benjamin Ball Associates, we’ve been coaching business people to improve their public speaking and business communication skills for over 15 years. Our coaching is fast and effective. We work with individuals and with companies, one-to-one and in groups. Call us today to learn more.
“I honestly thought it was the most valuable 3 hours I’ve spent with anyone in a long time.”
Everyone, I am sure, has told you not to read off your slides. We know that’s a bad public speaking mistake to avoid. But I want to take the advice further. I want you to never even narrate slides. Instead, speak to your audience and use your slides (if you have any) only as visual aids.
What does that mean? Try this:
BEFORE:“As you can see here, the new expenses system will start operating on the 16th June and will be rolled out to all our offices by the end of July”.
AFTER:“So, when does this new system start? For those of you in head office, it’s the 16th June. For the rest of us – it will be rolled out so that all have it by the end of July.”
6. Say something interesting every 10 words
It is easy to pad a talk. But great speakers do the opposite. They work hard to cut and edit until what’s left is only the interesting bits. If, as a result, their talks are short – that’s great. I remember at a dinner a famous TV CEO, giving the keynote speech, muttering to me under his breath as he stood up “See you in 8 minutes.”
When you use personal stories or personal anecdotes you can turn a presentation from dry to engaging. Your stories humanise your message and make it relatable for the audience. By sharing an experience from your daily life or a humorous insight you become a better public speaker by showing vulnerability and authenticity.
So: take a red pen and be ruthless. Make sure every 10 words there is something the audience will find interesting.
7. Use short phrases – pause, every 6-8 words
Don’t forget the power of a well-timed pause. When you use pause you give the audience time to digest important points and you create anticipation. This small technique is one of the easiest ways to make your message resonate.
But how many pauses and how long?
Two ideas:
Leave a pause roughly every 6-8 words
The bigger the audience, the longer your pauses need to be
Most people don’t pause either often enough or long enough. So, when you practise, record yourself and hear for yourself how much better you sound with lots of lengthy pauses. Learn how to use pauses in your talks.
8. Use personal pronouns
The more you use I – We – You – Our – Your, the better your talk will sound.
Just hear the difference:
BEFORE: “This policy is being launched to ensure better compliance and rapid payment.”
AFTER:“We are changing our policy so that you get paid faster, and so that we all use our system properly.”
9. Look at your audience
Never look at your slides.
Instead, always fix eye contact with one person for each phrase of your talk, then move on to someone else and do the same. It sounds simple, but it takes practice. Get this right and you’ll look – and feel – much more confident.
You can overcome stage fright and overcome your fear of public speaking with plenty of practice sessions in front of others. One of the best ways to improve your communication skills and overcome public speaking anxiety is to practise. And if you work with a public speaking coach, they can show you many ways to make a good impression so that you look and feel more confident.
Practising in front of a mirror is a great starting point to observe your non-verbal communication. Notice your facial expressions, gestures, and posture—they all play a part in how you are perceived. When you practise, pay attention to moments when you tend to rush or get nervous.
Taking a deep breath can help manage anxiety and steady your voice, especially when speaking to large audiences. If your heart rate increases, slow down and make eye contact with different members of the audience. This makes it feel more like a conversation, relaxes your, and helps establish a connection on a personal level.
Remember, preparation is key, but flexibility is also crucial—sometimes the best presentations adapt to the room and flow naturally rather than sticking rigidly to a script.
10. Smile
For some reason, most speakers look too serious when speaking. But research shows that smilers are seen as more professional and more competent. And those who smile sound better when speaking too – that’s all about the muscles in your face.
So, improve your public speaking skills by practising a natural smile so that you come across as professional as possible.
11. Show your passion
Public speaking should not look like a chore. You want the audience to see your enthusiasm because your excitement will become infectious. For example, research shows how passion is a key ingredient of success when pitching for investment. One question we regularly get asked is “How can I improve my voice for public speaking?” As well as pausing, you can show passion.
How do you show passion? There are a number of ways. It could be the excitement in your voice, the increased volume of your voice, the positive words you use, the shine in your face and your body language that supports everything you are saying.
That’s why, when you work with a public speaking coach to improve public speaking, you’ll practise your presentation with a camera so that we can analyse your performance in detail. This means we target our advice so that each person makes the impact they want to make.
As well as all the advice in this article, the best way of getting better at public speaking is to practise, and ideally practise with a public speaking coach.
The advantage of working with a coach is that you can get help with all aspects of your public speaking. This includes:
How you plan your talk
How to script your talk
How you use you voice
How you use body language
How you look and feel more confident.
A good public speaking coach will help you will all these aspects.
Best Ways to Practise Public Speaking
The best way to practise public speaking is to start small and build your skills gradually.
Rehearse in front of a mirror or record yourself to spot areas for improvement. Practise with friends, join a group like Toastmasters or get a public speaking coach to get constructive feedback in a supportive setting.
The hardest thing to get right is your content. Performance is important, but you’ll never perform well unless your content is strong. For this you might want to work with a public speaking coach.
Once you have the right content, work on clear speech, varied pacing, and engaging body language.
You should know your material well so you can speak naturally (rather than memorising word for word).
Finally, practise in the actual venue to get comfortable with the space.
Most importantly, keep practising—regular speaking opportunities will make you more comfortable and effective over time.
How to Improve Your Public Speaking For Ever
If you want to accelerate your journey to improve your public speaking skills, please get in touch.
With our intensive coaching and training, we’ll help you polish what you say, how you say it and how you feel about saying it. You’ll end up clear, confident and compelling.
Speak to Louise on +44 20 7018 0922 or email info@benjaminball.com to transform your speeches, pitches and presentations.
Why Choose Us: Transform your pitches and presentations with tailored coaching
We can help you present brilliantly.Thousands of people have benefitted from our tailored in-house coaching and advice – and we can help you too.
“I honestly thought it was the most valuable 3 hours I’ve spent with anyone in a long time.”
Mick May, CEO, Blue Sky
For 15+ years we’ve been the trusted choice for leading businesses and executives throughout the UK, Europe and the Middle East to improve corporate presentations through presentation coaching, public speaking training and expert advice on pitching to investors.
Some recent clients
Unlock your full potential and take your presentations to the next level with Benjamin Ball Associates.
Speak to Louise on +44 20 7018 0922 or email info@benjaminball.com to transform your speeches, pitches and presentations.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs) How to Improve Public Speaking
1. What are Common Mistakes in Public Speaking (And How to Avoid Them)
There are many common mistakes that people regularly make in public speaking, and you can learn from their mistakes. For example, using filler words, not pausing enough and bad body language. To avoid these mistakes, read our article on Top 10 public speaking mistakes.
3. What is The Role of Body Language in Effective Public Speaking
Non-verbal communication is important when speaking. The best speakers use deliberate moves, have good posture and look impressive in front of people. Read this guide to good body language for more insights.
4. How do you Engage Your Audience: Techniques to Keep Their Attention
When in front of an audience, it’s critical that your audience remains attentive. It’s the most important thing. Everything we have outlined above will help you achieve public speaking engagement. If you are still unsure what to do, then it’s time you called in one of our coaches to help you.
5. How do You Practise? Rehearsal Techniques for Public Speakers
Practice is the best way to improve public speaking. Practicing out loud will heklp you strengthen your messages and structure. Practice is also a great way to fix things like filler words, hand gestures, facial expressions as well as making you feel more confident and more prepared. Have a look at our article about how to practise a presentation. It is full of great tips that are equally valid for practising public speaking.
6. How Can I Handle Difficult Questions During a Public Presentation?
There are a range of techniques you can use for handling difficult questions that we cover in our coaching. You can read a great article about dealing with tough questions here.
7. Should I Use Humour in Public Speaking?
Humour is good. Our advice is that if you are comfortable with using humour and can pitch it at the right level, then yes. Use it. If you find it uncomfortable, then no.
8. How to I Improve My Public Speaking
The best thing you can do to improve public speaking skills is to work with a coach. In a few hours you can build skills that will last a lifetime. Call us today to discuss how we can help you become a powerful public speaker.
If you’d like to improve your public speaking, get in touch to learn more about our tailored public speaking coaching.
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