Toastmasters world champions of public speaking share best tips

By Ernesto Verdugo • Great Tips • 1 Dec 2017

Being a great public speaker requires much more than confidence.

It’s about connecting to audience members on a personal level and leaving them with a satisfying message they can act on.

Here are seven techniques most talented speakers around the globe all agreed help them win their competitions.

Determine your message and let it define your presentation.

Hettiarachchi said a common mistake beginners make is basing their presentation around a topic rather than a message.

Think of your message as a thesis statement, and make it as clear and concise as possible.

For example, when Tay was crafting his speech last year, he said he initially went into it wanting to tell an amusing story. “That really got my speech message very diluted and disconnected,” he said.

His mentor told him he needed to start from the beginning and determine his message before writing another word. He settled on: “We are all our own worst bullies, and the best way to deal with that is by fully acknowledging the presence of negative thoughts in our mind rather than fighting or ignoring them.” Tay said that the elements of an engaging speech flowed more naturally after he clarified this.

As Vasudevan told us, when developing a presentation, you should have every line you say pass the test, “Does this further my message?”

Focus on adding value to your audience.

Vasudevan explained that ahead of a presentation, there’s an obvious question that easy to overlook: “Why should the audience members even listen to you?”

Whether you’re giving a speech or showing PowerPoint slides to your colleagues, you should empathize with your audience. Determine what you can teach them and cut anything that could appear self-indulgent or redundant.

As Vasudevan said, your speech is not about your ego; it’s about your message. Make sure that message is worth listening to.

Speak as if you are having a conversation.

Vasudevan said that for nearly the entirety of his winning speech, “I’m looking at someone and talking to them. It’s a huge audience, but I keep picking some random person who’s interested in listening to me and I look at the person.”

He said that when you are in front of a large audience, you may need to add some drama to your gestures and delivery, but you should still speak as if you were talking to a friend across the table from you. It’s about establishing a genuine connection with the audience.

As Hettiarachchi told us, “A speech should be conversational, not theatrical.” Continue reading here.

5 tips for impressive Public Speaking – Speak with confidence