One of the most common pieces of advice you'll hear for public speaking is: just practice, practice, practice. You'll get better!This advice is spread so much because it kind of works. Yes, by simply going out and speaking in public, you can get better at public speaking.But there are several problems with that.You can actually develop bad habits—practice makes … [Read more...]
The Secrets to Winning the World Championship of Public Speaking (16 tips)
Armed with a large spreadsheet, videos of Toastmasters International Finalists, and an overwhelming sense of curiosity, I set out to learn what sets the champions apart.I watched 10 champion speeches and 5 speeches that placed second or third. I manually recorded everything about them in a spreadsheet: aspects like how many laughs they received, what style of speaker they … [Read more...]
How to Sound Smarter When You Speak: Eliminate Filler Words
One of the most common problems new public speakers have is the use of filler words. Words like "um", "uh", "alright", "you know" and "so" are commonly used when the speaker is trying to think of the next thing to say.If you fix this problem, you'll instantly look smarter.Film yourself giving a speech, then write down any unnecessary word that you repeatedly say. (You … [Read more...]
This TED talk about nothing shows why good speaking is important
Every once in a while, it's good to be reminded just how much persuasion lies in the delivery of a speech. That is, after all, the point of this website. This TED talk does just that.A good speaker can talk about any topic and make it interesting to the audience. The effective use of vocal tonality, humor, pacing, and hundreds of other variables is what leads to a strong … [Read more...]
Using video to practice public speaking
Many public speakers will find themselves continually dwelling in mediocrity because they're not willing to practice public speaking enough. Or, when they do practice, they don't do it right. One of the best ways to get better at speaking is to video yourself giving a speech.You tend to like yourself just fine until you see a video of yourself speaking. It is often a pretty … [Read more...]