At Ethos3, we share a lot of great advice for public speakers. Hopefully you have perused some of our other articles and reaped the benefits of our collection of tips for presenters. If so, the tips below might surprise you as they are somewhat unusual compared to our other suggestions for speakers. These tips however have the potential to be just as effective as they are unusual, so consider embracing these techniques even if they are somewhat unexpected.
1. Admit you’re not perfect.
Many of our tips in other blog posts are designed to help you accomplish the goal of being a perfect – or almost perfect – public speaker. In reality though, we all know perfection is unattainable, so we should acknowledge that fact, and embrace our imperfections.
To be clear, I am not suggesting that we all stop trying to develop our public speaking skills, however I am suggesting that we stop worrying about every little mistake we make.
According to Um by Michael Erard, most people make one mistake for every 10 words they speak. Erard explains, If people say an average of 15,000 words each day, that’s about 1,500 verbal blunders a day.
According to that logic, even if you are a communication expert, you are likely still making many mistakes every time you speak, so why not just roll with it?
When you accept your imperfections, you become prepared to handle bumps in the road with grace and a sense of humor – two qualities that will make you more likable when in front of an audience.
2. Be kind to yourself.
While giving yourself a pep talk might not be unusual advice for public speakers, I would like to add a twist to this traditional technique. When you are standing in front of the mirror, pumping yourself up for your next big presentation, try using your name, instead of the “I” pronoun.
Research published this year suggests that talking to yourself and using the word “I” could stress you out instead of bringing on waves of self-love and acceptance, according to the NPR article, Why Saying Is Believing — The Science Of Self-Talk. Leading researcher, psychologist Ethan Kross of the University of Michigan, suggests that you will be kinder, more rational, and less emotional if you use your name when you talk to yourself.
So if you want to calm yourself down and build up your confidence before you take the stage, use your name when giving yourself a pep talk.
3. Lean on technology.
For speakers struggling with their speaking volume and speed, I would like to suggest smart glasses with the Rhema system installed. According to the article Wearable technology can help with public speaking by The University of Rochester:
Smart glasses with Rhema installed can record a speaker, transmit the audio to a server to automatically analyze the volume and speaking rate, and then present the data to the speaker in real time. This feedback allows a speaker to adjust the volume and speaking rate or continue as before.
While the Rhema system is not mainstream yet, you could consider being an early adopter of the new technology, and be on the cutting edge of public speaking as well as innovation.
Conclusion: If you want to be a great public speaker, embrace your imperfections, be kind to yourself, and try new technology designed to assist you during presentations. If you follow at least the first two tips, you will be on the road to great success as a speaker.
