6 Public Speaking Tips for the Young Professional

Published by Ryan Healy on January 15th, 2008 in Career Development | 17 Comments

Its been said that the number one fear in most people's minds is the fear of public speaking. Does this mean that people would rather die or become critically injured than speak to a group? I doubt it. But standing in front of a group of people alone and vulnerable is a scary thought for most of us.

I gave my first keynote speech a few months ago to a non-profit group in New Jersey. Truthfully, I was terrified. But there's nothing more exhilarating then facing your fears head on.

So I sucked it up and gave the speech. Now I absolutely love the rush of speaking to an audience. The dynamics of speaking to an older audience as a young professional are definitely different then speaking to a group of your peers, but the same rules hold true for almost any speech. Here are six things to consider before giving your next big speech.

Practice, Practice, Practice

In the infamous words of Allen Iverson, We're talking about practice, man! Public speaking, especially at the beginning is all about practice. The better you know your speech, the easier it is to deliver.

I literally practiced my first speech every day for a month before the conference. Just ask Ryan Paugh, he was so sick of hearing my speech that he wanted to ring my neck. I gave my speech to the window, I talked to the TV, and I spilled my guts to an empty law classroom.

Practicing a speech does not mean you need to memorize each word. Every day you practice, the speech will be a little different. Some days will be better than others, but by the end you will know what works and what doesn't.

Meet your audience

The single best thing you can do before a big speech is talk to the people who will be in your audience. If this means showing up early, do it! For one, you will probably make some great contacts. But more importantly, meeting your audience assures that there will be some familiar faces in the crowd when your mind begins to go blank.

Also, after talking with a few people, you will realize that they are genuinely interested in hearing you speak, and they are actually routing for you to do well. Everyone will want to talk to you after the speech, but it's up to you to initiate the conversation with them beforehand.

Ditch the killer opening line

Now that you practiced way too much and showed up early to meet your audience, its time take a few deep breaths and walk on stage. Everyone will tell you to hook your audience with a great one-liner. Don't do it.

I called up a well respected public speaker for some advice the week before my first speech. I asked him about the opening line. He said, "Listen, if you're not very funny, don't tell a joke. And if you don't have a great line that just comes to mind, forget about it. You will only look inauthentic if you try too hard."

So I walked up there with a big smile on my face and I said, "Hi. My name is Ryan Healy. Thanks for having me here today."

That's it. Short, sweet and to the point. If it's not in you, forget hooking the audience with a one-liner, hook them with the rest of your speech!

Use Visuals

Great public speakers don't use visuals. Great public speakers don't need visuals. Their content and delivery are amazing and visuals only take the audiences attention away from the speaker.

But odds are, you're not a great public speaker, so don't try to be a hero. Create a simple PowerPoint with key words and a lot of bullet points. Using a PowerPoint until you get completely comfortable speaking is more than acceptable. A visual will keep you in line and on topic and will allow your audience to follow along with you.

Tell Stories

Nothing connects you with an audience better than a good story. A personal story will humanize you and let your audience relate to you on a deeper level and an entertaining story will immediately hook your audience. My father has been giving speeches for over 30 years, and he still attends courses on the art of storytelling.

I've found that my best stories are about my childhood or about what my friends and peers are doing with their lives. But as long as it's interesting, you can literally tell a story about anything. Make it up if you have to!

Make fun of yourself

The best way to lighten up the mood is to make fun of yourself. If you stumble over your words or stutter, don't pretend it didn't happen. Go ahead and poke fun at yourself for trying to move your mouth faster than your brain is working.

If you're young and you're speaking to an older crowd, poke fun at your age. Chances are, the audience is a little skeptical about why a "kid" is lecturing them. Showing that you recognize the irony in the situation goes a long way in gaining the audiences respect and attention.

These are just six of many public speaking tips for young professionals. If anyone else has any tips or advice from their public speaking trials and tribulations feel free to share.