How can you develop public speaking skills in others?

Becoming a proficient public speaker involves mastering various elements like content, speaking pace, expressions, audience engagement, and body language. It can't be done overnight and requires a lot of practice, patience, and right guidance. As a beginner: ?? Practice speaking in front of the mirror ?? Practice making eye contact with yourself ?? Analyze the areas where you can improve: voice modulation/speed/words... ?? Slowly include some friends/family in your audience and ask them for feedback ?? Reach out to people and ask for suggestions, if you feel stuck somewhere

I advise upcoming speakers to record their presentations and themselves speaking. Cellphone cameras and a tripod are a speaker's best friend. No one can critique a speaker's performance better than themselves. The recordings can also be shared with those who can offer constructive feedback. Plus, the footage can be used to create a live action demo reel.

I believe building a safe space for learners is so important. Anyone who wishes to learn public speaking wants to overcome one of the biggest fears people have - to be in the spotlight! A supportive, encouraging, and learning space helps. A coach needs to be very observant of the areas of improvement of the learner - are they forgetting their lines, are they using their body to their advantage, are they playing with their tone to keep the audience engaged, are they using different elements like engaging questions, humor, story-telling, etc. in their delivery?

Focus on tailored Coaching to assess strengths and weaknesses: Recognise that each individual has their unique strengths and areas for improvement. Tailor your coaching approach to address specific needs and goals, fostering personalized growth.

To develop someone’s public speaking skills, start by identifying their strengths and weaknesses. Encourage them to perform a self-assessment or conduct a structured evaluation together. This will help you understand their current abilities and areas that need improvement. Tips: Strengths: Recognize and reinforce their existing strengths in speaking, such as good storytelling or a confident presence. Weaknesses: Identify specific weaknesses like nervousness, lack of clarity, or poor body language.

Use a standardized evaluation tool with clear metrics and provide the tool to the presenter prior to the date of their actual presentation. This gives the presenter clear expectations to work towards as they practice delivering their content. Also have them consider the idea of an imaginary situation where they are the audience member for someone else who was delivering the same content. What feedback would they have if someone else was delivering this presentation? Ask them to share 3 specific examples of strengths and weaknesses. Next consider how to modify the presentation from that feedback to ensure an engaging presentation with a clear message and key takeaways.

Feedback Culture: Encourage a supportive environment where constructive feedback is given and received openly. Constructive criticism helps speakers identify areas of improvement and build their self-assurance. So offering timely and valuable feedback to your learner after their public speaking engagement is akin to nurturing a seedling??. Let’s consider an example:Just as rain is essential but can be overwhelming in excess, your feedback should be well-balanced.

Constructive feedback is crucial for improvement. After observing their speeches or presentations, offer feedback that is specific, actionable, and positive. Tips: Be specific: Address particular aspects like vocal tone, posture, or content organization. Use the “sandwich” method: Start with a positive comment, provide constructive criticism, and end with another positive comment to maintain motivation.

Always start with what they did great, this makes them more receptive to feedback and builds confidence. Follow with being specific with what can be improved: content, delivery, engagement, and non-verbal. Focus on the skill instead of the person - "If you practice deep breathing, it will help you steady your voice" is much better than "You sound so nervous!" The goal is not just to point out what went wrong, but to provide guidance on how to make it right. If their eye contact was lacking, suggest techniques or exercises to improve it. Most important is to stay empathetic and not overwhelm the learner.

Here are some key ingredients of constructive feedback: ? specific to parameters e.g. behaviour, approach, attitude etc. ? should focus both on strengths as well as areas of improvement ? incorporate some actionables ? last yet not the least - the good old sandwich ?? method always works!

Practice, practice, practice. The only way to get better and develop a skill is to practice it. Encourage them to practice speaking out loud whether alone or in small groups. The more you practice the more comfortable you’ll be speaking in front of crowds.

Force a yawn before you go speak. It relaxes you and your mouth muscles. It was literally one of the best pieces of advice I ever received in public speaking.

Practice is key to mastering any skill. Encourage them to practice speaking regularly, both in front of others and alone. Tips: Set goals: Establish specific goals for their practice sessions, such as improving voice modulation or reducing filler words. Record sessions: Recording speeches allows for self-assessment and improvement tracking.

Instead of trying to remember word for word, organize your speech or presentation into a natural flow of segmented parts 3-6. Remember the big idea of each category. Then remember the evidence or supporting examples of your big idea. Then remember the connective tissue that brings each big idea together such as opening and closing quotes, lines, data etc. This creates a natural flow of content curation in your mind, while logically thinking about your content, boosting confidence as you would question if the flow does not fit and you will make adjustments and corrections until it does. This also helps you to be less on script and speak more naturally and only need key words or opening statements on a slide.

Can't be overstated. The most important part, period. They need to practice in front of a camera so they (and you) can watch it back. And if they have a chance to practice in front of other people, even better. Get off-script as soon as they can, then they can just mutter the talk to themselves all the time. Over, and over, and over, and...

One thing I share with people who ask me for advice on public speaking is that I still get nervous and anxious in spite of decades of experience. I try to be honest about simply being human and so it’s okay and normal to feel that way, especially with little to no experience. But practice has taught me strategies to speak in spite of my anxiety, such as focussing on the value I want to share with others (rather than worry I might say something stupid), and reminding myself that no one knows what I had planned, so there are no mistakes other than what I admit through fumbling and trying to backtrack. Instead, I breathe, speak slower, allowing myself to collect my thoughts (while many may speed up trying to get things over and done with).

This is the most desired part for any learner - tips, and resources to facilitate continuous improvement. My top tip for any public speaking learner is - to make it a conversation! The more you engage your audience the more they'll stay hooked with you. Also, I suggest they watch interviews and speeches of great personalities and celebrities and learn to decode their speeches - it's a fun way to learn!

Partnership is a key to success in many domains. Public speakers with solid networks look out for each other and recommend each other to appropriate clients.

It is very important to find your own voices but it is equally important to learn speaking methods that complement your voice. Study various types of speakers, preachers, CEO's, poets, presidents etc. Study environment, props, staging, lighting, LED screens etc. Study audience i.e. virtual, in-person, study behavior i.e. mannerisms, projection, facial expressions, standing, sitting. Then begin to study methodology such as antithesis, thesis, opening, storytelling, lecturing, historical context, contemporary context, call to actions, demonstrations the close etc. Studying how others speak and various methods has helped me shape speakers to become storytellers all over the country, in churches to colleges.

Provide valuable resources and tips to enhance their public speaking abilities. Offer books, online courses, or articles on public speaking techniques. Tips: Recommend books like “Talk Like TED” by Carmine Gallo or online courses on platforms like Coursera or LinkedIn Learning. Share articles or videos featuring successful public speakers for inspiration.

Someone once told me that holding a "superman" or "superwoman" stance (standing while having hands on hips) for two minutes before a presentation is helpful in building confidence and performance. The mind works in mysterious and powerful ways, why not give it a good two minute try?

Remember, developing public speaking skills goes beyond simply addressing an audience. It involves instilling confidence and empowering individuals to express their ideas with authenticity. Engage in Toastmasters public speaking group, which will boost your confidence, and you will receive constructive feedback as well from the well known public speakers.

We should always encourage others when it comes to public speaking. This can be done by offering workshops and providing feedback.

Confidence plays a significant role in effective public speaking. Encourage and motivate them throughout their journey. Tips: Offer positive reinforcement: Celebrate their successes, no matter how small, to boost their confidence. Remind them that even experienced speakers once had to overcome nervousness.

Continuously support their growth as a public speaker. Offer guidance, mentorship, and opportunities for them to practice and showcase their skills. Tips: Provide opportunities to speak in different settings, such as workshops, meetings, or social events. Encourage them to join public speaking clubs like Toastmasters to further refine their skills and network with others.

Recording my public speaking events is a sure fire way for me to stop public speaking! While it’s a great way to create content for a reel, if public speaking is one’s profession, for the rest of us who speak to groups of employees or stakeholders in a project, it’s probably more effective to focus on the material, on how people might respond, and on how we might guide those responses towards consensus. When it comes to mentoring a new public speaker, depending on their domain or expertise, I’d recommend having fun with the skill so they can build memories and experiences, saving advanced skills for later. Nothing like having too much in the head to worry about to ruin the experience. Best to focus on having fun, so they continue.

It is also important to understand that you can't grow public speaking ability (or anything else) in others. They must grow it in themselves. Your role is to facilitate that growth, and you must start by understanding if that is the growth they are truly interested in.