5 aspects that public speaking consultants cover

by Jaques Montegolifier Chartered Accountant

Public speaking a sought-after skill, especially if you want to be an executive, author, salesperson, trainer, or any other public-facing professional. You need to get comfortable with public speaking first. Today, public speaking phobia takes over as the top phobia than death. If you are someone who would rather curl up and simply die than speak in front of the crowd, then you definitely need a public speaking consultant.

Such professionals hone your communication skills and turn your weakness into a strength. Most of the public speaking consultant offer services for free. The facilities that consultants specialize in are:

•    Teaching by example
•    E-courses in only six weeks
•    Downloadable audio lessons
•    Free public speaking tips
•    Speech training through blogs
•    Six-minute portals that include powerpoint, delivery techniques, and speech writing

• A few consultants also use TED Talks examples to demonstrate public speaking

The aspects that public speaking consultants cover are:

1)    Resonate with the audience: Public speaking is not only about you delivering a PowerPoint presentation on the stage. It also involves making the audience care about the things you talk about. Clear communication is crucial, irrespective of the type of work you do. Understanding why people care about what you say presents you the key message of the speech. It also helps at the executive level. The executive speech coach enables you to understand the subject of an email or the presentation you pitch to the clients.

2)    Practice. Practice. Practice: How will you understand your tonality, expressions, body language, and length of the speech if you do not practice as well as videotape it? Smile. Breathe. And do not apologize. You could miss a slide, drop a point, or trip on a cable wire while walking on stage. The objective is to continue speaking. The audience prefers real speakers, not a perfectionist. Inhale, exhale, smile, and continue talking.

3)    Overcoming anxiety: Stage fright is a real concern nowadays. Your hands begin to sweat, or you may freeze in panic. Take a sip of water, pause a little, and repeat your key message. The world will not come to an end if you do this. The audience is unaware of the next slide you are to present. This is another reason you should not be over reliable on presentations. Consider it as a base and time your speech. Know which slide marks the 5, 10, and 15 minutes of your speech. This way, you can reduce your fear and make people stay or stop networking.

4)    Language: If you are not a native English speaker, it is an advantage for you. Since you lack words, the sentences will be shorter, clearer, and more specific. The message reaches to the audience quickly this way.

5)    Active listener: Every public speaking consultant should possess the skill of listening and provide constructive feedback to aspiring speakers. Pour love to the speaker. Maintain eye contact, nod your head, smile, and if possible, share feedback and opinions with the speaker. Tell them what could have gone right. The more kind, positive, and constructive you are, the more the aspirants will appreciate and remember the attention you showed.