Great public speakers are a distinct breed. They aren’t perfect; in fact, some of them are severely flawed individuals. However, what follows is my subjective attempt to capture the important characteristics of a great speaker. What is it about them that makes them more persuasive? What methods do they use to persuade people to act? There is no particular order in which they are listed.

Confidence

When it comes to public speaking, self-assurance is essential (not the only key mind you). It’s only natural to be nervous when speaking in front of an audience. “There are only two types of speakers in the world,” Mark Twain once said. 1. 2. the nervous system They’re the Liars.”

Excitement

If you’re passionate about your subject, your enthusiasm will shine through any nerves you may have throughout your presentation. People who describe their worry as excitement, according to studies, are more comfortable speaking.

Authenticity

Be true to yourself. If you need to stray from your carefully prepared presentation, go ahead! You don’t want to remember your speech, even though you should practice it as much as possible. If you don’t speak it quite perfectly, memorizing a speech can cause you to stumble over a piece.

Passion

You must be passionate about your subject in order to truly communicate with others through speech. Your words will be useless if you don’t speak with enthusiasm. If you want your audience to be impacted by your presentation, you must show sincerity in your emotion when interacting with them.

You Should Be Yourself

On stage, you don’t have to pretend to be someone else; all you have to do is be yourself. Your audience may perceive your speech as insincere or calculated if you don’t act like yourself in front of the group, no matter how much you believe in your message or how well you’ve rehearsed.

Not memorizing, but practice

You should not memorize your speech in absolutes in order to ‘be yourself’ at a presentation. Practice your speech as much as possible, but be open to changing the language if necessary. This makes it easier to switch things up during the presentation if things don’t go as planned. Memorization might create an impediment between you and your listeners.

Speak in a normal tone of voice

Tones that look ‘artificial’ or ‘too flawless’ could break any connection you’ve created with your audience. You should aim to speak in a conversational tone in general. It’s fine if you say a few “ahhs” and “umms,” don’t worry about it.

Knowles Lunch Talks