Talking in Front of a Crowd is Less Scary than you Think

This a myth I'd like to debunk: either you are born with public speaking skills or you are condemned to live a life of presentation anxiety.

However, as a crowd-phobic myself, I refuse to think that being able to talk in front of a considerable group of people with confidence can't be learned.

TL;DR:

1. Move around the scenario. Make use of the space.
2. Forget everything you know about body language.
3. Take ownership of your noticeable weaknesses.
4. Leverage examples, comparisons, and storytelling as much as possible.
5. Interact with the audience.

After a certificate in public speaking, years of casual nerd research in body language, being the ex of a stand-up comedian (if that finally could be any useful), and analysis of dozens of professional bullshitters, I'm ready to share with you my top insights.

Tip #1: MOVEMENT!

People get bored when you stand still like a vegetable. This is why moving smoothly across the stage helps to keep the audience engaged (ICOR, Instituto de Oratoria).

You'll notice how their eyes start following you wherever you move.

Here are 3 different examples:

Pro tips:

• Make use of the space: Get familiar with the stage. Avoid moving too fast or giving the audience your back.
• Be purposeful: Your movement on the stage needs to be subtle, you can follow a "Z" or an "N" pattern, similar to the image above.
• Match movement to content: Get closer to the audience when making bold or important statements. For reflective or emotional parts, take a pause and step back to create a sense of intimacy.

Tip #2: Body language

Forget those body language tips from the 70s where you had to show your palms to demonstrate sincerity or fake your smile until your eyes crinkle (Vanessa Van Edwards, the Science of People).

It feels cringe (Isabella Marinelli, 2024).

Instead, identify and enhance your natural cues.

For example, if you have significant facial expressions, leverage them. If you laugh easily, do not hide it. Embracing your unique cues will make you appear authentic. In a world of robots, authentic humans stand out.

Pro tips:

• Hand gestures should be visible, open, and expansive: Match them when using keywords like...1. Exposing counterexamples (on one hand, on the other). 2. Expressing numerical sequences (in the first place, in the second, in the third) or (four reasons why, three types of something, two months).

Tip #3: Own your weaknesses

English is not your first language? Say it. Do you talk extremely fast? Talk about it. Did you just fall while you were walking over there? Make a joke about it. Self-irony works wonders.

Why? People notice your weaknesses. When you call them out, listeners start empathizing with you.

#4: Illustrate with examples

Ensure you're constantly making comparisons and giving references your audience can relate to.

People can get easily disconnected from a speech full of complex jargon and dedicate their attention to something more appealing, like replying to a WhatsApp message from their lover.

Pro tips:

• Quantitative: If the total value of a specific industry equals 5 trillion dollars, you might explain that this is more than the size of the United Kingdom's economy.
• Qualitative: If you're telling the story about the time a dog chomped on your leg, mention how evil those huge brown eyes seemed since the first moment they saw you. Like, you could swear they were sizing you up, thinking, 'Yep, that's the leg I'm going for today!".

#5: Leverage the audience

The fear of public speaking, like all of our fears, begins when our focus is on the worst possible outcome.

Do you notice someone nodding while you talk? Focus your attention on that friendly face to reassure yourself. It's a powerful hack!

If you notice someone yawning, don't panic. Perhaps that person didn't sleep well. Think of the best possible scenario.

Our minds tend to assume the worst. Trick your mind into thinking the best; use your thoughts strategically to boost your confidence.

Pro tips:

• If they’re wearing name tags, address them directly. For example, I can see John agreeing over there.
• Once you’ve built rapport with the public (it can be cringe otherwise!), get them to raise their hands if they feel a statement resonates with them.

Final thoughts

I hope that you can improve your presentation skills following these pieces of advice. I'm certain that you can ease your path to becoming a better speaker with these tips: I have seen them work for others and for me in the past.

BTW, if you found this article useful, DM me so I can send you the most used storytelling framework in advertising, you can use it in your presentations ;)

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You've read until the end. You rock!

I appreciate that. Gracias.

Isa :)