If you fear public speaking, you are not alone. Studies have shown that it is a top fear for many people. Imagine overcoming those fears and delivering a speech as memorable as your favorite TED talk. Now, you can. Public Speaking 101 is the ultimate guide for businesswomen and female entrepreneurs who want to overcome this fear and deliver award-winning speeches.
Public Speaking 101 Table of Contents
Public speaking is essential for women who want to break barriers, lead authentically, and inspire change. It is also important for women who want to pitch ideas, land new clients, and empower other women. Public speaking 101 provides a framework for a great talk – one that inspires, influences, and empowers your audience. By mastering the elements of public speaking and exploiting some proven techniques, you can create an award-winning speech and then confidently deliver it.
7 Essential Elements of Public Speaking
When delivering a speech, you need to consider the elements of public speaking. By understanding these crucial components, you can prepare a speech that resonates with your audience, is appropriate, and is aligned with your purpose.
The Speaker
Who is the speaker: the person delivering the presentation or message
What you need to know as a speaker: You are responsible for delivering a message. While there might be a few constraints, how you deliver that message is up to you.
The Message
What is the message: The idea that is communicated.
What you need to know about your message: Your message should be structured so that it is clear and easy to follow.
The Audience
Who is the audience: Who the speaker addresses or talks to during their presentation.
What you need to know about your audience: Why are they listening to you, where are they from, and what are their demographics? These factors will influence how you present and what tools you use.
The Channel
What is the channel: The medium through which you present your message.
What to consider about your channel: Nowadays, there are many channels to deliver a message, like podcasts, webinars, and conferences. Consider how people will receive your message, whether they can pick up on poses or will only hear your voice and tonation.
The Context and Setting
What is the context: The immediate and broader context in which you will deliver your message.
Why you need to think about the context: The context is more than just the place where you deliver your message. It refers to that specific time and the broader context of people’s challenges and aspirations.
Timing
What is the timing: The time frame you are expected to deliver a speech.
What you need to know about timing: Do you have a time limit to adhere to? If not, the length of the message can depend on the complexity of your topic and your goals.
Feedback
What is feedback? Feedback is the response and information speakers receive from an audience during or after the speech.
What you need to know about feedback: Feedback is good; be open to it. Look for cues during your speech, like body language, moments of joy, and confusion: they can help you fine-tune your message.
Public Speaking 101: How to Prepare an Impactful Speech
After exploring the public speaking basics and understanding your context, you can start thinking about preparing an empowering speech.
A good talk or presentation should do more than just meet a desired criteria or purpose—it should inspire, empower, persuade, and influence others, no matter the subject. Even if you present a talk on recent business figures or propose new business strategies, there is always an opportunity to present meaningfully.
These 4 simple strategies will help you prepare a speech that is packed with value, fosters connection, and inspires action.
1. Come Back to Your Why
Simon Sinek, a powerful presenter and TED talker, says the biggest tip for presenting is to begin by asking yourself: Why are you here?
He encourages us to adopt a “givers mentality,” where we try to give value to our audience and aim to inspire others. Don’t think about what you can get from a conference or how many leads you may acquire from talking on a podcast; think about what you can give – this will make your talk much more compelling, and your audience will reward you by giving their undivided attention, one of the most important currencies in today’s era. Plus, people will remember valuable talks, trust the speaker, and be more prepared to act afterward.
Creating value can be easy. If you share your journey, remember to highlight the lessons learned and how these points can help others. Similarly, if you are promoting a product, don’t talk about the product – talk about the value it can provide. Think about your value and purpose in every written word.
2. Use Story-telling Techniques
Humans respond to stories because they build intrigue and foster connections. Stories are also perfect for starting presentations as they can pique curiosity and build trust. A good story can illustrate your point in a meaningful and interesting way, but remember to keep it concise and, above all else, relevant.
When using stories, don’t be afraid to be vulnerable and reflect on the most challenging parts of your career or project – these moments are often the most interesting and relatable. Being vulnerable is not a weakness but a strength, especially in public speaking, as it builds trust and fosters connection.
3. Refine Your Message
There is nothing wrong with a long speech if it is well structured. But if it starts to sound long-winded and repetitive, you may want to rethink your speech.
Simple and coherent messages can help inspire understanding and interaction and effectively convey a message. When refining your speech, focus on the introduction and the conclusion, these two important pieces can glue your speech together and act as a guide for the rest of your talk.
4. The Ending is Just as Important as The Introduction
Everyone pays attention to the introduction, but the conclusion does not get the same hype. Imagine that you have prepared a story to build intrigue, and then toward the end, you lose momentum, end your message arbitrarily, and people quickly forget about your talk. Don’t let this fatal mistake happen to you.
Every conclusion should reinforce a paramount point that will make your speech memorable and purpose-driven.
There are multiple ways for you to conclude confidently and make your speech memorable. In the end, include a quote, create an accurate analogy, link your conclusion to the introduction, or answer thoughtfully posed questions from your introduction.
Public Speaking 101: How to Deliver an Inspiring Speech
Your speech has now been written and includes essential elements like powerful stories, a strong introduction, and a conclusion with a clear focus on your message and mission. Now, you need to deliver it. These four tips can help you present yourself professionally and articulate your well-thought-out message.
1. Use Power Poses
Power poses are effective because they influence our hormones, such as testosterone, and reduce cortisol, the stress hormone. Power poses can also influence body composition, making us feel more confident and ready to tackle our biggest fear – like public speaking. Not only are power poses good tools for the speaker, but the audience can pick up on visual clues, so be conscious of non-verbal communication.
A lack of confidence is a challenge for female entrepreneurs. Power poses offer more than just a temporary boost of powerful hormones – they are confidence-building exercises that can help you develop and foster this essential skill.
Here are power poses that you can try before or during your presentations:
- The Peter Pan: place both hands on your hips with your feet apart and your head held high.
- Smile: This simple gesture can boost your mood, help you connect with your audience, and build trust.
- The performer: Stretch your arms out and place your hands in a V above your head like a runner crossing the finish line.
Recommended Reading: 15 Effective Confidence-building Exercises for Women
2. Create a Positive Mindset
Your mindset is arguably the most important factor when giving a speech. Instead of dreading your speech, see it as a moment to make an impact and inspire others. If you feel nervous just before you deliver a talk, there are some tricks you can use to settle the nerves and instill confidence in yourself.
Visualization techniques can help us rewire our brains and influence our behavior. Popular advice has told us to imagine the audience in their underwear to downplay the situation and settle our hyperactive nerves. We have a more powerful suggestion—imagine getting a standing ovation after your presentation or the audience clapping and cheering. The second image can help you visualize and work toward success.
Positive affirmations can also rewire your brain and influence your behavior. Here is an affirmation you could try: I believe wholeheartedly in my mission, and I want to share it.
For more affirmations, try our 20 Affirmations for Female Entrepreneurs.
3. When in Doubt, Pause.
When speaking, use pauses and pace in all the right places. Don’t be afraid to pause meaningfully; this can help the audience reflect on a point and let it sink in.
Pausing can also help you regain control after a shaky moment, pick up on the audience’s response, or regain posture. It can also help create suspense, add unexpected moments, and instill rhythm into your talk – don’t underestimate the simple yet powerful practice of pausing.
4. Practice Makes Perfect
Rehearse your speech diligently. The more you practice, the more confident you will feel, the less you will rely on notes, and the more comfortable you will feel when you deliver your message.
Practice in front of a mirror, record yourself on a tripod and rewatch the video to refine your story, tone, and message. Some AI tools can help you communicate better and practice techniques, especially for platforms like video.
Conclusion: Your Ideas Are Worth Spreading
You now know the secret to effortlessly preparing and delivering an empowering speech appropriate for your audience. Whether you’re co-hosting a podcast, presenting at a formal conference, or giving an internal presentation on business development strategies, these are universal strategies and tips for women. Public speaking 101 will help you master the elements of public speaking, set the stage for success, prepare a valuable speech, and then deliver your speech with confidence and clarity.
Remember, public speaking should not be daunting – it should be seen as an opportunity to share a powerful message or spread ideas. Your ideas matter; we can’t wait for businesswomen and female entrepreneurs to take the stage, spread their ideas, be bold, and inspire action.