3 Public Speaking Tips I Learned From Watching The Best on Stage

Politicians and business leaders know that public speaking is about more than just your words. It's about your entire public persona. A television producer once drilled home to me the three laws of public speaking:

1. People hear only half of what you say
2. They pay more attention to what you look like
3. And they pay most attention to how you made them feel

For some people reading this, that may be hard to hear. We all want to believe that when you get on stage, your audience is hanging on every word. But they’re not. So you need to use every tool possible to captivate your listeners.

Connecting with your audience is first and foremost about great content. Great content encompasses the three laws above. It needs to be intelligent, look great and elicit emotions in your listeners. Below are the 3 ways you can do this:

1. Clothing means a lot.

When Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton engaged in their three presidential debates, much was made about what they wore. No surprise. Both chose power colors–red, blue, white. Patriotic. Whenever I want to stand out and feel confident, I wear red. The greatest public speakers all have a “look” that you remember. Some come naturally. Who can not notice the tall, Romanesque stature of Tony Robbins? Or what about the black turtleneck of the late Steve Jobs? Think about Warren Buffett and his Coke bottle glasses. Building a signature look that audiences see repeatedly can be a source of comfort.

And speaking of image, Kerry Trainor, the former CEO of Vimeo, does what a lot of CEOs do—he keeps to a pretty standard outfit that speaks to his brand but also saves him time. Watch him talk about it here at the 20-second mark in our video about "time-saving" tricks:

2. Thank your audience.

Tell your audience how grateful you are to be there. Let them know genuinely what a privilege it is to stand in front of them. It seems like a simple formality, but it's very important. Don't let this formality become an afterthought—the “thank you” at the beginning of a speech is a moment to connect with your audience and tee them up for the talk to come.

3. Tension is good.

The best speakers defy conventional thought. They introduce new thinking to common subjects. They create tension with the audience, but in a respectful way. Whenever you can engage your audience in a silent debate–ie you present a view that not everyone can agree on–this elicits opinions and therefore, emotions. That’s memorable. I know I’m watching a great speaker whenever he or she prompts me to agree or disagree–I have a silent conversation with myself over what this person is saying, which means I’m engaged.

LinkedIn readers, what are your go-to public speaking tips? Let me know in the comments below.

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