Here's how you can assess the delivery and presentation skills of public speakers.

From my secondary school days, I was specially known for my clarity in the debate team because I avoided mincing words, using pause fillers, and repeating myself. Today, I often hear people speak with lots of pause fillers, which exhausts listeners and diminishes clarity. Instead of filling time with unnecessary words, it's better to pause a little while you gather your thoughts. There is no rule that says you have to speak non-stop, a few seconds of silence is totally fine.

A clear and confident voice is the foundation of effective public speaking. As a seasoned educator, I've seen how a speaker's ability to articulate their words with clarity and conviction can captivate an audience and convey their message with impact.

The basic concept of communication is a process of conveying information (messages, ideas) from one party to another. Communication is carried out verbally or verbally which can be understood by both parties, thereby creating a communication situation "I'm OK - You're OK Too"

One of the amazing things have come to notice and realize as a seasoned public speaker is a speaker's ability to articulate and manage their words well to not only gain the attention of their audience but also tho captivate them to listen and learn. Your audience notice and can feel when your words holds clarity and confidence.

Everything you need to know to be a great public speaker was invented 2.300 years ago by Aristotle. In summary, you need to connect at three levels with your audience: LOGOS: your arguments are logical and make sense from the point of view of your audience ETHOS: you are credible, and this is influenced by your use of non-verbal communication, your clothing, your rhythm... PATHOS: you transmit emotion. emotion is what moves the world forward, and the key to touching someone's heart Check out Rhetoric for further insights, or drop me a message.

One thing you also take note of as a public speaker is your body language. You need to ask yourself questions like: what message is your body composure giving to your audience. When you speak those words with clarity and confidence, your actions and body movements must also follow suit

One thing I've found helpful, is to incorporate non verbal cues to compliment and reinforce the subject matter under microscope

I need notes when I speak. I practice and know my material. Age plays a part in needing notes. If you are going to use notes you can also use slides to stay on track. The use of body language and voice inflection enhances the impact of a slide or when you have read from your notes. I always read from my notes when I am siting a professional reference or a facts. I love Berne Browns example when she qualifies her point by saying “the research shows…” she usually walks to a point on the stage plants her stance and looks directly at the audience. There is slight pause in her voice and uses her whole body to gesture that this not her idea or team opinion. It is a sum of the research.

Stand grounded with feet below the hips. Feel strong keep your chest open with shoulders back and remain present with your head and heart.

The way one can assess the delivery and presentation skills of public speakers: Pay attention to their body language. Effective speakers use gestures, facial expressions, and posture to reinforce their message and engage the audience. Confident, open body language can enhance credibility and connection, while poor body language can distract or undermine the speaker's message. Observing these non-verbal cues provides valuable insight into their presentation effectiveness.

I use a simple 4 step formula. Engage with a story, mind blowing fact or interesting statistic. Inform - let them know why they should listen. Educate with your core knowledge Inspire with cal to action Always think…what do I want my audience to come away with.

Be passionate about what you are telling me. Use a personal anecdote to grab my attention. Then introduce your message. And finally, leave me with something to take away. Something I hadn't thought about before.

I’ll be honest. I give a lot presentations and I think there are three things that are critical to being the #1 ranked talk at an event: 1. You need a great slide deck. Don’t scrimp. Pay someone to design a custom deck template and send off your key slides for graphs, motion, and fancy effects. I personally have 1.5 times the number of slides to number of minutes. 2. Practice the speech over and over again. Get the mumbles, and the tough transitions out of your system. 3. Always have inspiration around you when you’re creating this. My favorite Ted Talks, the ones that knock you over, watch those and watch the format of them…taking inspiration from them can turn an average presentation into exceptional.

In my opening statements I always give my audience a preview of what i’m going to be speaking about. When i’m using points I always number each point and say what the point number I am using. Many speakers assume the audience can or are following each separate point. Thats not true. The same applies to page numbers in a workbook. Keep your audience where you are. Audiences are easily distracted. Don’t make them try to guess to keep up. They will lose interest or get bored.

Transitions are the key to great delivery and success. They’re like when you turn on your turn signal on your car so people know what you’re doing. That’s how obvious transitions need to be. What gets missed is it’s also where you should be connecting your points to your premise of your entire presentation. You can’t assume people will connect your points to it. You have to do it yourself and as clear and concise as possible. It allows you to build what’s known as a thruline. Thrulines are essential for keeping the premise and theme intact best done through transitions. This is why transitions are extremely important in your speaking and structure.

Eye contact. Eye contact. Eye contact. A clear message. You don't have to be funny. But clever use of humour helps to get the message across. And we want lots of anecdotes. Things that are personal to you.

An audience may not remember what you said but they will remember how you made them feel. Maya Angelou. Use point. Story. Point. It’s part of the Canfield methodology Jack Canfield teaches in his Train The Trainer course. Depending on your topic, delivering information, creating personal growth, inspiration or motivation your audience may be open to you or not. I start with why I can be trusted as a speaker. I engage them with why they are the right people to be there. I always interview people that will be part of the audience before i speak. I thank them for those interviews throughout my talk. I use this to bring up audience questions. Engagement is a strong motivator to keep the group engaged

I say, have fun with it, show your charisma, your personality and make the topic your own, let it resonates with you and express yourself openly, while being calm and exciting. It is the way to keep the audience engage and seated.

Assess this: does the speaker take time to summarize important points before moving on to the next idea? A great way to help compensate for a tendency to go too fast, is to add in regular recaps for each main point. It forces the speaker to slow down, the audience to pay attention, and creates an easier transition.

This is how one can assess the delivery and presentation skills of public speakers: Focus on their pacing and use of pauses. Effective pacing ensures the speech is neither too fast nor too slow, maintaining audience engagement. Well-timed pauses emphasize key points, allowing the audience to absorb information and adding dramatic effect. Together, these elements are crucial indicators of a speaker's ability to deliver a compelling and impactful presentation.

It is import to look at the audience and sometimes incorporate their reactions into what you are saying. That helps with connection. I have sometimes called out to someone in the audience if doing so was particularly relevant.

When I do a presentation I want to actually be enjoying the process. I think the internal calibration from the speaker sends vibes that are contagious. When I'm having fun it's easier for others to join in. Back in the day they use to plant clappers or laughers in an audience to get the party started I think that internal excitement to share helpful information with your listeners knowing that you are there for their upliftment and they chose to give you their time is a mutual respect that is visible on the faces of those you share your experience, strength and hope with ??

Current stats say audience attention span is about 10 seconds for video. For live audiences slightly longer. Use energizers to keep people engaged.

At this point the biggest tell is buy in. Do believe what you’re saying when you say it? Do they look enthusiastic or excited about what they’re saying or even to be there? If you’re not, people can tell. Through voice, facial expressions, movement, and attitude. If you don’t believe why should they?

A key element in this nuanced assessment is the energy flow between the speaker and the audience. Observing how the speaker maintains this exchange can transform a monologue into a dynamic interaction. Moreover, post-presentation interactions reveal a speaker's effectiveness. This includes their conduct during Q&A sessions, willingness to engage individually, and ability to continue conversations beyond the stage. These aspects offer insight into the speaker's communicative competence and rapport-building skills.

there are several key aspects to consider: 1. **Content**: Evaluate the speaker's message clarity, relevance, and organization. 2. **Verbal Delivery**: Consider the speaker's tone, pace, volume, and articulation. 3. **Nonverbal Communication**: Assess the speaker's body language, gestures, eye contact, and overall presence on stage. 4. **Engagement**: Evaluate how well the speaker connects with the audience. 5. **Visual Aids**: If the speaker uses visual aids like slides, assess their effectiveness in enhancing the presentation without overshadowing the speaker. 6. **Feedback**: Collect feedback from the audience to gauge their perception of the speaker's delivery and presentation.