{"id":29008,"date":"2023-02-14T11:52:50","date_gmt":"2023-02-14T11:52:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/?post_type=resource&p=29008"},"modified":"2023-02-14T11:52:50","modified_gmt":"2023-02-14T11:52:50","slug":"10-public-speaking-hacks-use-right-now","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/www.hooplaimpro.com\/resource\/10-public-speaking-hacks-use-right-now","title":{"rendered":"10 public speaking hacks to use right now"},"content":{"rendered":"

Public speaking is one of the most sought-after employability skills in the modern working world (CBI, 2019). <\/span>Yet, studies have shown that public speaking is one of the most commonly held fears.<\/b>\u00a0According to one survey in the United States, the fear of public speaking came ahead of the fear of death!<\/span><\/p>\n

As the comic Jerry Seinfeld says,\u00a0<\/span>\u201cThis means that to the average person if you go to a funeral, you\u2019re better off in the casket than giving the eulogy!\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Everyone<\/span><\/i> has nerves when it comes to public speaking. Your confident colleague giving a marketing report, your line manager at a networking event, even your CEO delivering a keynote address at a conference.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When we stand up to speak to an audience, we feel the pressure of the spotlight. We fear standing out from the crowd and looking stupid. We fear the risk of social rejection if we make a mistake.<\/span><\/p>\n

These irrational fears limit our sense of self-worth and hold us back from our true potential. They supress our true feelings and make us worry about supposed inadequacies.<\/span><\/p>\n

But this doesn\u2019t mean that we can\u2019t overcome them.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

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How?<\/span> Don\u2019t focus on being perfect, focus on learning.<\/b><\/p>\n

Here, we\u2019ve taken 15 years of combined experience at Hoopla and distilled it into 10 practical ways to improve your public speaking skills. Follow us through the theory behind great public speaking, with practical exercises and ways to apply your learning in your workplace.<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Adopt a <\/span>different mindset<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Choose one <\/span>central idea<\/b> to communicate<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Give your presentation a clear <\/span>structure<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Use <\/span>creative techniques<\/b> to bring your talk to life<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Prepare<\/b> in advance<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Manage your <\/span>body language<\/b><\/li>\n
  7. Use the full range of your <\/span>voice<\/b><\/li>\n
  8. Show <\/span>empathy<\/b> for your audience<\/span><\/li>\n
  9. Be <\/span>authentic<\/b><\/li>\n
  10. Have fun!<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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    1. Adopt a different mindset<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      If we want to be more confident when we speak in public, we need to reframe our attitude to both the craft of public speaking itself, and also to our audience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Let\u2019s begin with how we see public speaking itself. According to the seminal work of psychologist Caroline Dweck, when it comes to learning any new skill we can either have a \u2018fixed mindset\u2019 or a \u2018growth mindset.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

      Dweck\u2019s theory arose out of her desire to solve the puzzle that, while some students in school are able to overcome challenges, other students are flattened by them. After studying the behaviour of thousands of children, Dweck coined the terms \u2018fixed mindset\u2019 and \u2018growth mindset\u2019 to explain what happens. Her studies showed that students who thought talent was given at birth and was unchangeable (a fixed mindset) saw failures as a judgement of their innate ability. However, students who saw their talent as changeable with hard work (a growth mindset) viewed their failures simply as a judgement of where they were <\/span>now<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      What\u2019s more, whereas students with a fixed mindset were likely to avoid situations where their lack of talent might \u2018be exposed\u2019, students with a growth mindset were likely to seek learning opportunities outside of their comfort zone. After all, they had nothing to hide. Failure didn\u2019t mean that <\/span>they<\/span><\/i> were a failure, it just meant they were \u2018not yet\u2019 a success.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Having a growth mindset allows us to have a much more positive, relaxed and realistic view of our public speaking. We don\u2019t worry so much about our first attempts at public speaking, as we know we\u2019re only just starting out and that we\u2019re going to improve and get better. By changing our mental state, we can change how we react in a situation, accepting any mistakes we may make along the way as part of a personal learning curve.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Secondly, if we want to be more confident when we speak in public we should also change our mindset <\/span>towards the audience<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      As speaker and best-selling author, Seth Godin writes on his blog, \u2018The members of the audience are interested in themselves. The audience wants to know what they can use, what they can learn, or at the very least, how they can be entertained\u2019. Godin\u2019s point is: <\/span>the topic of the talk isn’t you, the topic of the talk is the audience.<\/span><\/i> Specifically, how they can use your experience and knowledge to achieve their objectives. By thinking like this we become less self-absorbed. If you realise you are in service of your audience and focus on the value you are giving them (your message), this allows you to manage any nerves you might have.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Exercise 1<\/b><\/p>\n

      If you get nervous next time you are public speaking, reframe it as a learning opportunity. Remember the goal isn\u2019t to be perfect, it is to communicate, and they aren\u2019t the same thing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

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      1. Choose one central idea to communicate<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        When preparing the content of your talk you need to focus on the destination: what you want the audience to <\/span>think<\/b>, <\/span>feel<\/b> and <\/span>do<\/b> at the end of it.<\/span><\/p>\n

        We need to make sure that our talk has one clear idea at its core. There needs to be a fundamental reason why we\u2019re getting up in front of other people and talking to them.<\/span><\/p>\n

        Try asking yourself these questions:<\/span><\/p>\n