How can you model successful public speakers?

I often suggest observing your public speaking icons as a powerful learning tool. Notice their voice modulation, body language, and facial cues - these elements form the heart of impactful communication. The manner in which they handle their pace, volume, and pauses can turn an ordinary speech into a riveting one. How they incorporate humor, emotions, and rhetorical devices is a lesson in audience engagement. Their skillful handling of questions or challenges reflects their quick-thinking and adaptability. Soak in their speeches multiple times to appreciate the art of their delivery. After all, watching a maestro at work is an education in itself, and it can significantly elevate your own public speaking game!

One of the reasons I livestream weekly is because it gives me a chance to be intentional about speaking, storytelling, creating a journey for the audience and keeping it within a time frame! It's great to watch others as a way to model them. And you also need to be intentional about creating space to practice....whether that's in front of a mirror or in front of a camera lens!

I'm a big believer in blocking time on your calendar to study different kinds of speakers. e.g. When I was getting started, I would book 15 minutes while eating lunch to watch a new TEDx talk. In the context of modelling, I advise others to create a list of strengths and weaknesses of different kinds of speakers they're studying. This gives us more clarity on what they're doing well vs. what they can improve. Then, a point on what's ONE technique this speaker is doing well that I feel is missing in my approach? Reflecting on that will help us focus.

Repeatedly, it feels like everyone cites "authenticity" as the most compelling part of speakers (and individuals, in general). Develop your own style earlier on, don't wait to adapt your role models' behaviors to your own until the end. You'll be far more comfortable and dynamic if you are more natural from the onset. Also, always remember that speakers at conferences have a common way of presenting, but that doesn't mean they're any more effective at communication than say your pastor at church or stylist at the hair salon. Passion and persuasion take many forms, when it comes to effective public speaking.

I’ve advanced my communication skills the most by learning from speakers who are willing to share what went wrong, not just what went right. Speakers who are willing to share their weaknesses, their failures and give us the safe space to ask them: - Why things went wrong - Provide uplevel suggestions Watching speakers on the screen is great, but learning needs to move beyond that, otherwise we miss out on the opportunity to understand the "science" behind a specific public speaking technique before we put that technique into action. Rather than modelling the things we like about other speakers, it's so important to understand what they're doing and why - that way we can add our own unique personality to a speaking technique.

It's also helpful to watch speakers who are not so polished and professional. For example, there are speakers who speak too fast, don't make eye contact, move around the stage without purpose, have a monotonous voice. The list goes on. Then ask yourself if you do any of these. better still, record yourself and note any habits you may not have been aware of. In other words, you can adopt the habits of really great speakers, but make sure the foundation of your speaking is solid.

Without a doubt, content and delivery are key ingredients to nailing a public speech, but familiarizing and controlling the logistics are tremendously important too. Even if your content is an A+, and your typical delivery is an A+, but your anticipated logistics do not match the actual logistics you could be in big trouble. For instance, if you were expecting a podium with a wired microphone, but when you show up there's no podium and a wireless microphone, guess what your 8.5x11 sheets of paper in a binder are useless. Or you prepared for a 15 minute speech for a sit down audience, but when you get there everyone is standing up. Or your microphone goes out during your intro. So, be prepared & do a thorough logistics check!