While the advice we give each person is tailored, we’ve picked out some of the most common tips which will help you get started on the road to powerful, engaging and high impact public speaking.
Too many talks are muddy.
They try to get across too many ideas and therefore are hard to deliver and hard to remember. 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.
A great talk should feel like a personal conversation. 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…”
Don’t just speak – instead, speak directly to people.
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.”
Everyone, I am sure, has told you not to read off your slides. We know that’s bad. 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) 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.”
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 one famous TV CEO, giving the keynote speech, muttering to me under his breath as he stood up “See you in 8 minutes.”
So: take a red pen to what you are saying and make sure every 10 words there is something the audience will find interesting.
The Pause. I am sure you have been told how important the pause is when speaking in public.
But how many pauses and how long?
Two ideas.
Leave a pause roughly every 6-8 words – and 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 sounds with lots of lengthy pauses.
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.”
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.
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, practise a natural smile so that you come across as professional as possible.
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.
How do you show passion? There are a number of ways. It could be the excitement in 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 we usually do our coaching with a camera so that we can analyse performances in detail. This means we target our advice so that each person makes the impact they want to make.
While these tips will definitely help you become a better public speaker, they are just the start.
If you want to accelerate your journey to improve your public speaking skills, please get in touch.
We’d be happy to show you how our intensive coaching can transform the impact you make.
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.
Call us today to find how we can help youFundraising presentations are hard work. You're bombarded with challenging questions from investors, worn out by long days, and struggling to...
Read More
Investment decision-making is not totally rational. Are you using all the tools at your disposal to create and deliver persuasive...
Read More
Do your public speaking skills inspire, motivate and influence others? They should. Many leaders are nervous of public speaking. Some...
Read More
A great investor pitch book is at the heart of successful fundraising. You use it to capture the essence of...
Read More
Better Body Language We all know that body language is important in business. But how important? And does is really...
Read More
How can you be seen as a top 1% fund by investors? At SuperReturn Emerging Markets in Amsterdam, experienced LPs...
Read More
A great elevator pitch is an essential part of your toolkit Last month I chaired the Quickfire Showcase at Berlin’s...
Read More
You must prepare for media interviews The excruciating Newsnight interview with Treasury Minister Chloe Smith this summer is one example of...
Read More
These days, we are writing more than ever. That means it’s harder than ever to grab attention. Your readers have...
Read More
When an investor questions how you calculated your Private Equity fund's performance, how do you react? If an investor asks...
Read More
How do you choose a public speaking coach? When selecting a public speaking coach or presentation trainer, you want to work...
Read More
How To Use Powerful Language For Leadership Communications Great leaders use Power Language. It adds interest and colour to...
Read More
So What? is probably your most important question. When you put your talk or presentation together, how do you decide what...
Read More
What do LPs want from private equity funds at first investor meetings? That's the question I put to the panel...
Read More
What do investors really want? Six tips We wrote this piece with our Private Equity clients in mind. But there...
Read More
Do you want to give high impact talks and presentations? Do you want to engage your audience? And do you want...
Read More
How to tell a great business story Leaders use storytelling so that audiences listen, remember and act on what they...
Read More
How do you make your investment pitch more memorable? It's a real challenge these days. Investors have more opportunities than...
Read More
Your leadership talks need to be persuasive As a leader, every talk or presentation you give is an exercise in persuasion....
Read More
A well-crafted private equity pitch book can make the difference between securing a first meeting with investors and getting a...
Read More
How to be a Compelling Communicator
How to Stand Out with Investors
Contact our
Client Services Director
Louise Angus
+44 (0)20 7018 0922