As a woman who loves presentations, I want to share helpful public speaking advice to my fellow female presenters. I watch speakers like Michelle Obama, Malala Yousafzai, and Rachel Maddow and examine their style. Then I boil down what makes their speeches successful. Here is what I found to be the most helpful public speaking advice for women in any career field.
Public Speaking Advice for Women Who Love Presenting
Be Impactful
- Make your voice carry throughout your presentation. Women tend to speak in higher tones than men, so our voices are more likely to drown out.
- Practice keeping your volume the same from when you started the sentence to when you end it. Don’t let the final word of your sentence trail off.
- Play with your pitch. You should enunciate powerful words and speak with inflection. This will help you avoid sounding monotonous and make your speech lively.
Be Bold
- Don’t hold back your own thoughts and feelings. Speak openly about the topic, no matter how controversial it may be. You are given this presentation time for a reason.
- Don’t say sorry. We women tend to over apologize, even when we have done nothing wrong. If “I’m sorry” if one of your go to phrases, practice replacing it with “Let me say this…” or by directly asking a question.
- Command the stage. While you are speaking, remember to use the space around you. Walking and hand gestures liven up presentations and energize audiences.
Be Yourself
- Infuse your presentation with your personality. Your presentation time is your time to shine, so make sure the audience gets to know you while you’re on stage.
- Show emotions. It’s okay to laugh, tear up or react to the experience. This will create a genuine connection with your audience.
- Tell a personal story. The best presentations include stories that involve real-life situations the speaker has gone through.
There are many other women presenters to admire and study, and tons of presentation tips on the Ethos3 blog. But these pointers have been the most helpful for me in my experience. I hope this public speaking advice serves as a reminder that women are powerful and have important messages to share. On that note, go out there and own your presentation!
Related Blogs:
Public Speaking Tips for Women
Top 10 Communication Tips for Women
Sorry, Not Sorry – Why Women Need to Stop Apologizing for Everything
