Communication Skills for Public Speakers

culled from:your-public-speaking.com

1. Storytelling

Story telling is the most important of all communication Skills. Take the time to learn and practice this ancient art of communication and your audience will understand your points much easier and faster. Effective storytelling is at the heart of public speaking. World renowned speakers are great storytellers. Start by mastering the elements of storytelling and including them in every speech to boost your speaking career.

2. Selling

Is persuasion the same as selling?
Are you aware that every presentation is selling something? It could be an idea, product, service, or simply selling your audience on the benefit of listening to your message. Great speakers are aware of this fact and understand the selling process fully. They comprehend how to use selling tools and techniques and integrate them successfully into their presentations. 

3. Process-driven

Great speakers do not build themselves up; they have developed a system or process in their executive public speaking that the audience can use to achieve victory in their lives. A process or system is what needs to be at the core of the message not the speakers own person or personality. The system or process should be clear and easy to use so that the audience can be successful using it.

4. Next Steps

Speakers who are remembered use the following communication skills, they propose a next step while writing a presentation, something the audience can do to change their situation. These steps will help them achieve their dreams. Without any concrete steps to take, your presentation might have been entertaining even funny and will be forgotten as soon as you step off the stage. Your whole presentations should be geared to culminate in this next step.

5. Anchor-driven

As a speaker you should be aware of “what’s loose is lost”. Theoretically talking about your points will not make them memorable and audiences forget what you said very fast. Use emotional triggers in your presentation speech to attach your points to the memory of your listeners. Use stories, analogies, acronyms, activities, videos, etc. to explain and illustrate your ideas clearly and glue them into their memory.

6. Begin with a Bang and Close with Power

The first 30 seconds of any speech or presentation are crucial and engaging speakers understand that how to build self confidence is to open with a bang. They grab the attention of the audience from the beginning and follow through until the end. They use the full power of these two very important communication skills. They also prepare a definite closing. They do not run out of time and just stop talking and stumble off the stage. The importance of public speaking culminates in a powerful closing

7. Succinct

A very important public speaking skills is to realize that to squeeze as much information as you can into your presentation can backfire. Your audience can only grasp and remember a limited amount of points. Make sure you do not squeeze them out by overloading them with too much stuff. There is an ideal ratio on time and content, you need to find that balance.

8. You-focused

Captivating speakers do understand that it is never about what they can give; it is always what the audience gets. That is why they pay close attention to how they formulate their sentences. Instead of saying,” I am happy to give you…..” They say, “You are getting….” Winning communication is about the listeners, not about the speaker.

9. Dynamic

It is not enough to write a great speech. To keep your audience on the edge of their seats you need to practice all oral presentation skills. You have to deliver your message in a dynamic manner. Let the audience enjoy themselves, forgetting time and space and at the same time internalize your carefully crafted and delivered points.

10. Involvement

Barriers to effective communication is talking at people; it will not give you good results. Try speaking with them. Get your audience involved into your thought patterns. Show them the possibilities and let them reflect on how they can achieve them. Give them a voice, ask questions, and expect them to react. You want to know if they understand, agree, find it difficult, and want to comment.

11. Staging

Well known speakers utilize any stage to show off their communication skills to their advantage and help their listeners. They are mastgers in how to make a presentation by useing any physical stage to perform their message. They also live in the modern world and use whatever means available today to promote public speaking courses and training online, thus giving access to as many people as possible to their teaching. For example even become a World Class Speaking Coach online, as I did.

12. Research/Assessment driven

It is not enough to just speak; it is important to speak so that your audience understands you. Effective public speaking starts with You knowing your listeners before you even open your mouth to speak. Begin using their language and their knowledge and take them to new heights. During your presentation you also have to be able to assess the mood, the energy and the interest level of your listeners; this is how to keep their interest.

Preparation

There is one more of the communication skills you absolutely need to hone, and that is preparation. None of the above mentioned skills will do you any good, if you are not ready to do the work and get organized, research, craft, rehearse, admit and correct mistakes.

The help of a professional coach can help you speed up your learning curve. I have a system that shows you how to start and then takes you through the steps fast and easy. I will support you in honing one skill; then another one.

Do not try to implement all the above communication skills at once, you will be overwhelmed and fail. Work at it bit by bit, get feedback and you will succeed. Get a free consultation of 15 minutes receive 3 tips to improve your unique style,