3 Most Overlooked Ways to Grow as a Public Speaker

Unquestionably, the best way to grow as a public speaker is...to speak.

(You're welcome for the obvious insight.:)

That said, it's still staggering how many speakers say they want to get better - but they still don't take action.

If you call yourself a speaker but do?not?speak regularly, are you?truly?a speaker?

Or are you simply a big talker?

Speak as often as possible in front of as many right-for-you audiences as your schedule will hold.

You will see better audience responses the more 'at-bats' you get on stage.

So, how do you level up your game as a speaker between each opportunity?

Here are the three most overlooked practices I see speakers miss out on that will optimize your growth as a presenter.

01. Analyze your transcriptions.

Fair warning: This practice can reduce you to a sobbing mess in the corner, like that one time at band camp.

Get a video recording of your talk, transcribe it through a service like Rev.com, and ensure every single word and sound you made is transcribed with a time stamp.

You must get a hyper-accurate time stamp of your actual transcription.

Then, grab a pen and a set of highlighter, your favorite snack of choice, and read through your transcript with these five layers:

1. If you have a red or pink highlighter, mark all your filler words, such as "Uh," "Um," and "Er." Filler words could be using "So" to start many paragraphs (guilty as charged) or saying "Like" or "Ya know". Every speaker has at least one default filler word - every speaker. Find yours and mark it in red.
2. The next part is to read through your transcript from top to bottom in your mind without any breaks or pauses. Use your pen to make note of any weird transitions, clunky phrasing, or gaps in content flow.
3. After those first two passes, read your transcript aloud. Don't skip any words - just read your transcript precisely as you said it. Yes, it will be awkward. Yes, you will go, "Did I really say that?!" Read from beginning to end without any breaks.
4. Hit play on your video and read along with each word. Mark any parts in green that you felt landed well. This will help your transcript grow with you (#greentogrow) as a speaker.
5. Send your transcript through an AI analysis for a Flesch Reading Ease Score with the Hemingway app.

A Flesch Reading Ease Analysis assigns your content a perceived reading comprehension level relative to a specific school age/grade.

I recommend that speakers aim for a Flesch Reading Score of around 6.

That puts your content at about the average reading comprehension level of a sixth grader, the preferred reading comprehension level by the average Fortune 500 executive in the U.S.

It's not about your audiences' ability to comprehend more complex concepts - it's about how naturally your audience can process and transfer your concepts into their knowledge base.

If you want to grow as a speaker, analyze everything you said from the stage and adjust.

02. Review Your Audience Recording.

You know what you look like. You even know what you look like when you speak.

Do you know what your audience looks like when you speak?

For your next speaking opportunity, record your audience's facial expressions.

Your audio will still show up in the background.

Track your audience's collective expressions, reactions, and body language throughout your talk.

Follow along with your transcript and make note of any key observations:

• Did a joke fall flat? Punch it up or eliminate it.
• Did you see odd reactions when using a certain phrase or concept?
• Are there times when your audience is leaning in, hanging on every word, and eager for more? Those are opportunities to let the moment linger even more.

Your audience's reactions are a goldmine for learning what they love the most.

03. Stress-Test Your Talk for Tech Failures

Simulate failure in a protected environment.

Before you give your next talk, invest a few hours in creating real-life scenarios that often throw off even seasoned speakers:

• Setting 01: Tech difficulties mean you don't have a slidedeck. Practice your entire talk as if you don't have any slides.
• Setting 02: You're crunched for time. Set a timer and pretend you must give your 45-minute keynote in only 15 minutes. Where will you cut content? What content will you keep and why?
• Setting 03: No microphone. Give your entire talk as if you must project to a large room. Some speakers will say, "Never yell at your audience!" The reality is you will have mic issues, so would you rather stand there awkwardly for five minutes while some flustered tech guy, who's likely doing his best, fumbles to find a new mic, or instead, you project with a nice, strong voice during that time and let the moment still serve your audience?
• Setting 04: Noise machine. Have a friend, partner, or your child create random noises throughout your talk. The more random and unexpected, the better. This will help you absorb unexpected interruptions and distractions without losing focus.

Simulating 'at-bats' as a speaker with different stressful settings means you're stress-testing your talk content.

Are you focused, prepared, and confident enough as a speaker to handle a wide range of real "What if..." scenarios?

I'd much rather find out what throws me off in a simulated setting than on an actual stage.

Analyze your transcription, review your audience recordings, and simulate distractions, and you will significantly improve as a communicator.

What are some other practices you use to grow as a speaker?