Public Speaking

Improve your public speaking skills and captivate your audience.

Know your Audience

• Remember you are speaking for them and not for you

• Ensure it is easily understandable

• Customise and make it relevant for your target audience

• Conduct informal surveys with similar audiences to understand their needs

  
  

Quality over Quantity

• Get the most important points across; less can be more

• Fit in attention grabbers (e.g., relevant personal anecdotes or funny stories)

• Identify several key themes of your presentation

• Craft a compelling journey through the sharing

  
  

Practice and Get Feedback

• Practicing can help you feel more prepared and comfortable with the material

• Helps you get used to the rhythm and speed of your presentation

• Ask for feedback from a trusted person and be receptive to making changes

  
  

Verbal and Non Verbal Communication

Body language and verbal quality influence what and how we communicate. Some signs that communicate unease:

• Poor standing or sitting posture

• Poor eye contact (e.g., looking at the ground or into the air)

• Fidgeting and unusual hand movements

• Unconscious repetition of certain phrases

• Inconsistent tone and speed

• Poor volume control

  
  

Breathe and Stay Calm

• Take deep breaths

• Breathe using your belly

• Focus on keeping your breathing steady

• Concentrate on the air flowing in and out of your body

  
  

Familiarise with the Environment

• Get to know the presentation space better

• As more presentations move online, this will also apply to online environments (e.g., checking the audio and camera quality)

• Being familiar with space can help you prepare and ease the nerves

Click here to download guide

Written by: Lin Yuan | Designed by: Chia Miao Ting | Edited by: Jonathan Kuek