Great speakers are great because they’re never satisfied. They are constantly seeking new ways to improve on the art of public speaking.
How do you transform an already good public speaker into a showstopper? The seven techniques listed below will help you make the leap from being merely a good public speaker to a positively great one.
Talk like a thought leader. Good speakers have strong messages about their product, service, or brand. Great speakers are thought leaders who teach their audiences something about the industry, often things they didn’t know.
Tell personal stories. Good speakers tell stories; great speakers tell personal ones.
Show more pictures and use less text. The average PowerPoint slide has 40 words. In a great presentation, you won’t see 40 words in the first 10 slides. Great presenters tell a story and use the slides to complement the story.
Use an animated voice. Great speakers vary the pitch, tone, pace, and volume of their verbal delivery. They’re not afraid to use dramatic pauses.
Pay attention to your body language. Great speakers watch themselves on video and pay careful attention to their body language. They make strong eye contact. When appropriate they use hand gestures to reinforce their messages.
Share the stage. Great speakers rarely put on a one-person show. They share the stage with employees, partners, and colleagues.
Practice a lot, lot more. Great speakers rehearse for their big moment and they do it many, many times. It is recommended that you put in at least 10 hours of time rehearsing your presentations from start to finish.
To read the entire article, please visit www.forbes.com.