Public Speaking Tips for Professionals

For professionals wishing to polish their performance and affectively communicate with their audience, here are a few preparation tips, for the board room and beyond:

1) Warm-Up Before Your Performance

• Take a few minutes before you enter the room to get in touch with your breath, body, and voice, so you can reliably perform in the moment:

  • Take three deep breaths & exhale on an extended “TSsss” sound.

  • Mentally release any tension from head to toe (jaw, forehead, tongue, shoulders, knees).

  • Vocalize high and low in your vocal register, exploring the comfortable range of your voice.

2) Focus on the Feeling

• Remind yourself of the impact you want to have on your audience. Make the time together about what you can do for them, and how you want them to feel.

• How do you feel about the content of your own presentation? How can you make it more interesting for yourself? How can you add a sense of urgency to this presentation?

3) Make It Personal

• How might you explain this content to a friend or family member? Can you put your presentation into words that a lay person might understand?

• For any abstract terms, envision clearly in your mind an image for that thing. When you imagine a specific image, the mirror neurons in your audience will light up, and cause your listeners to also visualize your content.

Feel free to send a note below if you have any questions or if you’d like support in preparing for your presentations.

Warmly,

Alexandra