You think of public speaking as being all about the big, bright lights stage. In reality, it’s about just sharing your thoughts or vision in a way that people can grasp. It’s not about dramatic presentation. It’s about being able to clearly, calmly communicate your thoughts. People tend to respect an idea if it’s outlined in a calm, composed manner. They don’t respond to yelling or rushing, but to honesty, clarity and confidence that you know what you’re talking about.
Most speech anxiety does not stem from what to say. It comes from worries about managing all those ideas in the moment and under scrutiny. Thoughts swirl, words trail off, authority is lost. Confident communicators overcome this. They narrow their content to a few critical ideas that can be expressed comfortably. They use the pause rather than um and ah, they use eye contact rather than quick eye darts at the podium notes, and they use a slower measured tone that let the message sink in. In this way, they channel nervousness into an energy that enhances the communication.
What’s often neglected in the realm of public speaking is the physical component. Our bodies send messages from the moment we step up to the podium. Standing with our feet planted firmly on the ground, shoulders rolled back, and hands moving purposefully give off a sense of confidence and vulnerability. These signs show our audience that we are safe and capable. Yet fidgeting or holding ourselves tight will separate us from our audience regardless of how good our message is. The goal is to have your verbal and non-verbal messaging match, so that everything is in alignment and you don’t feel like you are trying too hard.
What makes a speech even more powerful is when there is a story. Information helps to educate but a story helps to tie that information into a format that is memorable and relatable. A story can explain a complicated concept without reducing it to simplistic terms. It allows the audience to connect on a personal level. When someone tells a story they don’t embellish. They choose pieces of information to help illustrate a point or draw your attention to it. When you walk away from a speech, remembering it, it isn’t because it was sensational. It is because it connected to something inside of you.
So the thing is, public speaking has nothing to do with ‘owning a room’. It’s about leaving your audience in a better state than when you started speaking — maybe they’re more informed, inspired or reflective as a result of your words. It takes practice, and it takes being kind to your audience. It even takes time to get better. The confidence comes from managing your nerves, not from the absence of them. When you shift from ‘speaking as show’ to ‘speaking as a gift’, you’ll feel a weight lift off your shoulders and you’ll begin to sound like yourself. In this way, your voice is powerful because it has intent, not volume.