10 Tips For Professional Speakers

Put your best foot forward every time! One of the reasons that many people fear taking the
podium is because they are afraid of being the focal point of everyone's attention and they don't
want to make a fool of themselves. There are several things you can do to "fool-proof" your
speaking event so that you present well every single time!
1. Take the time to prepare well for your presentation. Preparation enhances your
confidence and it's also an opportunity to refine any weak areas in your presentation.
2. Begin and end your presentation on time. Arriving late to your presentation is simply
unprofessional; not to mention that it won't win you any points with your crowd. Also speaking
over time shows your audience that you don't value their time.
3. Know your audience. The only way you can really relate your audience is if you know who
they are. Profile your audience. Are they male or female? What income bracket are they in?
Why would they attend your presentation?
4. Dress appropriately for your audience. Not all speaking engagements require a business
suit! There are many places where business casual attire has become the norm. Before your
audience even hears your message, they are already sizing you up and this is impacting
whether or not they are hearing what you have to say!
5. Have a backup plan for visual aids used in your presentation. You've selected to use
visual aids because you thought they would be helpful in getting your message across. What
happens when laptops fail or the room cannot accommodate presentation equipment? Create a
plan on how you would handle a situation like that.
6. Tone down information overload. Yes, you can overload your audience with too much
information and if you're not careful, you'll lose them. They'll mentally check out. As a speaker,
How To Become A Successful Public Speaker
© Wings Of Success Page 9 of 9
you'll want to present enough information that hooks them into getting more information from
you!
7. Don't use inappropriate humor. Humor can be a tricky thing working for you or against
you. You will really have to know your audience in order to use jokes or humor appropriately.
8. Vary your speech tones. The monotonous speaker will lose their audience within the first
15 minutes. It's okay to be animated during your presentation and in fact, doing so will transmit
flair and passion that keeps people engaged in your message.
9. Relate your topic back to your audience. Basically, stop talking about yourself! Your
audience might want to hear a testimony or two, but mostly, they'll want to hear about them and
how your presentation can help them!
10. Solidify your message. Support your ideas with data and evidence and build a solid case
for your viewpoints. You can use statistics, testimonies, demonstrations, pictures and more!
Your presentation can be fool proof if you take the time to minimize mistakes. By going through
these key points, you can assure yourself that you are well prepared for any challenge that
might come your way and you will experience the success you've always dreamed of!