Public Speaking Tips: Are You Neglecting Your Delivery?

We see it all the time in new speakers especially.  They stress themselves so much over the content of their speech that they forget the other equally important part – the delivery.

We get it, presenting a speech for the first, second or even third time is very intimidating.  You’ll have all eyes on you for that 7 minute period of time that seems to stretch to forever.  The worst thing that can happen to you is that you forget what you want to say.

WRONG!

The worst thing that can happen is that you remember everything you want to say but still deliver a below average speech because you’re so caught up on the content that you neglect how you’re going to deliver the content.

So you end up rooted to the same position, using very little hand gesture and body language, you speak in a monotonous voice and you avoid looking at the audience because you’re afraid that they might throw you off track.

A lot of people often forget that it doesn’t matter how good your content is.  If you fail to delivery it in a way that will have an impact, then you’re not going to make an impression on anyone.

And believe us when we say, it affects all areas of your life.

You may not be delivering a speech at your Toastmasters club, but what if you’re meeting your boss for a promotion and you speak in the same way?  Your achievements, track record and contributions to the company will be wasted if you don’t show up and deliver your pitch in a way that will convince your boss you’re the person for the job.

So how do you overcome this?

It all boils down to confidence and adequate preparation.

Don’t just focus on your content.

The next time you prepare for your speech, bear in mind that your speech is an entire package.  You are delivering a complete experience for your audience.  Whether it is just an audio version or a full blown IMAX experience, it’s all in your delivery.

This is where confidence comes in.  Are you confident that you are comfortable enough to deliver your speech in the way you rehearsed?  You may have to play a certain character to pull this off and we shared a little bit about this in a previous post.

The most important thing of all is of course to have confidence in your own ability.  Everybody has to start somewhere, but very few take the first step.  The fact that you are willing to put yourself out there speaks volumes about your conviction for self growth.

Confidence also enables you to relax.  When you’re relaxed you’ll find you’re able to move freely around the stage, have fun and actually enjoy the whole experience.  You’ll be present for every moment and this in turn will allow for more growth.

You also stop worrying about what other people’s opinion because when you're confident, you don't care and that is another weight off your shoulders.

So go on and give the performance of a life time!

If you would like to learn effective communication skills as well as learn leadership skills that you can put in practice immediately, join us for our bi-monthly meetings on every 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month.  Please refer to our Next Meeting page for information on our next meeting or contact us directly to see how we can help you achieve your goals.