The Five Components Of (Effective) Public Speaking
1. Voice
Velvety. Nasal. Warm. Grating. What does your voice sound like? We can all instantly think of people whose speaking voice is interesting, captivating, charming. And people we can't stand to listen to. Why? The quality of their voice - and how they use it. Do they mumble, um-um-uuhhh, or bombard us with 10,000 words per minute? Or do they speak confidently, yet animatedly - like they're having a conversation with us?
The good news is: everyone can learn some core vocal techniques. You can massively improve your speaking by learning how to warm up your voice, expand your comfortable speaking (and singing!) range, breathing properly, and using the right aspects of your voice at the right time. You'll still not be everyone's cup of tea, because subjective preferences are what they are...but you will manage to win way more people over.
2. Body Language
Say 'I love this' - but with a frown. How convincing does it look? Exactly. Your body speaks MILES about you. How you stand or sit, what you do with your face, shoulders, hands, legs. How much of it you do, and when. All of these tell a story - whether you're aware of it, or not. And when it contradicts what's coming out of your mouth, it's especially bad. But, as with everything else on this list: it can be learned!
You can learn the dos and don'ts of body language, how to stay aware of what your body is doing in front of an audience, and how expressive you are. Don't forget that nonverbal communication trumps your words, most of the time. It's just how we're wired - if your body says one thing and your mouth another, most of us will believe your body. It is what it is (*shrugs*).
3. Improvisation
The ability to think on your feet. Because you won't always have complete control of what you'll say. Sure, for a TED talk you can have your script memorized. But if it's a press conference? A business presentation that involves a Q&A at the end? An interview? You will be getting unforeseen factors thrown into the mix. And you'll need to adapt on the spot.
A lot of people think creativity is something you either have, or not. But that's not true - yes, some of us naturally have more than others. And yet we can all expand on that. You can absolutely learn how to unleash your creativity and be more in tune with your impulses. Like...by attending some improv comedy workshops 😉
And by drilling down the core techniques I mentioned above (voice, body language). 'Cause the more they become second nature, the less you'll feel like you're 'multitasking'. You'll free up mental bandwidth that allows for more creativity.
4. Delivery
You've heard this before - HOW you say it is more important than WHAT you say. Now, caveat: I don't buy these 'studies' that show that 80%+ of communication is nonverbal. A percentage is damn hard to prove. Plus, these studies (and, funnily enough, 'studies' that tried to disprove that assertion!) used some pretty unrealistic situations. Like...trying to communicate with people without using words. I doubt you'll be playing charades at your presentation.
Either way, the saying is 'actions speak louder than words' and not vice versa. Likely, for a reason! So while it might not be 80% or 90% or whatever, it is more than 50% in most contexts. There are different delivery aspects: tone of voice, body language, how you move around the stage. Cadence, rhythm, volume. How many or few pauses you make. Two people could say the exact same thing, and have a completely different impact. You've seen this at work already: someone floats an idea, gets shot down...only to have the exact same idea applauded when it comes from someone else!
Master the HOW you say it, and (the right) people will listen.
5. Storytelling
It's the new, chart-topping buzzword, isn't it? Everyone's going on and on about 'storytelling'. And while I don't agree with all the fast-and-loose definitions people give (like...'everything is storytelling'), I do think it's a powerful tool. The narrative we're in absolutely shapes how believable X or Y is. This is psychology: anything from cherry-picking to confirmation bias, to the halo effect - they all rely on a 'story' people have bought. Like…
'this is an attractive person --> this must be a happy person --> happy people don't need to lie and deceive --> I bet they're telling the truth'.
We are always telling a story - whether we actively try to, or not. If I look at your LinkedIn profile and your picture looks like you 10 years and 20 kilos ago...that tells a story: That you either lack self-awareness and therefore possibly can't be trusted to make sane decisions. Or that you underestimate other people, and think they won't notice the discrepancy! So it's highly useful to actively tell stories, instead of letting people invent their own ('cause in the absence of input from us, that's what they'll do - we like filling in the blanks). Using facts your audience needs, and weaving them into a story, makes it more likely they'll remember and emotionally connect with it.
So next time you want to make a point, try using a clear example (like the one about the profile pic I just told!). Clear examples stick, abstract theories don't.