When you became a manager, you assumed a responsibility for which you might have had little or no training: the art of public speaking. It’s a skill needed to lead meetings, make business presentations, pitch ideas, deliver speeches or teach in workshops. Some managers find it painful; it’s foreign territory. Even those who aren’t intimidated by public speaking want to know they’re doing it well.
So, let me share some tips for you. The tips are drawn from my background as a broadcast journalist and Poynter faculty member, and from the coaching I have done for folks ranging from aspiring TV news anchors to nervous newspaper editors. Here we go:
1. Command comes from comfort. Sitting or standing ramrod straight, with your movements constricted, makes you look tense and timid. Next time you’re having a good conversation with a friend, stop and look at your posture. You’re relaxed, your movements are unstudied, your gestures are spontaneous. You make eye contact while making important points and break eye contact easily and naturally, mid-conversation. If you have an itch on your nose, you scratch it without hesitation. Great public speakers replicate that comfort. They treat the audience as a friend. We’re here together; all’s well.
2. Deliver thoughts, not just words. Speakers appear awkward when they seem to be just trying to get the words out in the order they were written, rather than grouping them into coherent phrases or thoughts. Ask yourself, what’s this speech, presentation or conversation really about? What’s the overarching theme? What thoughts do you want to emphasize and which of the many words you have before you really express that message best? If you’re working from a written document, don’t just underline words you want to emphasize. Underline phrases as well.
3. Pace, don’t race. The object of your talk is not to get through it fast and error-free. The object is to connect with the listener on every important point you wish to make. Some thoughts are best delivered briskly, others slowly. When you begin delivering thoughts instead of just words, you recognize that varying the tempo comes naturally. To practice this, select a favorite book, then get the “book on tape” version. Read along to hear how a gifted speaker varies the pacing.
4. Pause for a cause. Pauses are very powerful. They lead the audience to pay closer attention to what will come next. Nervous public speakers often think of pauses as deadly — evidence that they are out of control, ideas or energy. But properly placed pauses are wonderful. Think of the late radio broadcaster Paul Harvey. He would pause before the most important words in each sentence, causing listeners to hang on his words. Don’t fear pauses; plan to use them wisely.
5. Volume is not emphasis. Amateur speakers often default to raising their voices when they want to emphasize a point. But there are many more tools you can use for emphasis: the pause, lowering your voice, drawing out a word or thought, repetition and, sometimes, raised volume. Know why you are using each tool.
6. Know how you will finish. This is a secret I teach to reporters who want to be better at live, on-the-scene reporting. Think about how you want to end your report. You’ll have more confidence — like a runner who can see the finish line — if you have a plan for how you’ll wrap up. It will keep you from flailing, repeating yourself, or saying “Well, that’s it.” Instead, your presentation will finish with impact.
OK — you’ve read my advice. Now, let’s put it to the test. I will use today’s podcast, “What Great Bosses Know about Public Speaking,” to demonstrate the tips in action.
Poynter’s “What Great Bosses Know” podcast is sponsored by The City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. Poynter’s leadership and management expert Jill Geisler shares practical information that’s valuable for bosses in newsrooms and everywhere.
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