What I’ve learnt from public speaking
This year I gave myself a goal of doing three talks, not only did I smash my goal but I also took part in podcasts, panel events and even co-hosted an event. I am still early in my speaking journey but here are some things I have learnt from public speaking this year.
Just say yes!
In general, I have a bit of a tendency to overthink things, although it can be helpful when problem-solving, but when it comes to achieving things it can be a bit of a blocker. When I got contacted for my first speaking engagement, I just said yes straight away, I didn’t allow my brain to fill with doubts. Knowing myself, once I said yes, I wouldn’t pull out and let people down. Saying yes allowed me to get multiple speaking events this year and helped me to refine my speaking skills.
Keep it simple
The best presentations are the ones that keep it simple. Using slides that are simple and not full of information keeps the focus on you and what you are saying. Think about the colours you are using as they may not be visible when presenting. Be careful with using animated gifs and looping videos as it can be disorientating for the audience. When putting together your narrative, also try and keep that simple. Don't try to be too smart or have too many threads as it can be hard for the audience to follow.
Nobody knows your content apart from you
Remember that the audience doesn’t know what you are going to present. This means that the only person who knows what is coming next is you. So try not to get flustered if things don’t go as you planned, as the audience has no idea what is coming, so the only person who knows it’s a mistake is yourself.
Watch and learn
One of the quickest ways I learned how to improve my speaking was to watch others. I like to sit at the back of a conference so you can see what the audience sees. Watching other presentations helped me to understand what makes a good presentation. I took the elements of what made them good and incorporated them into my presentations.
I hope these learnings help. Public speaking can be challenging, it means being vulnerable and putting your ideas out in public which can be daunting for people. The best way to get better at public speaking and increase your confidence is to practise and take as many speaking opportunities as possible. It doesn’t have to be on a big stage; it can be at a company all-hands or at a design meeting; presenting more and getting feedback from trusted peers helps to refine your skill.
