Even the confident amongst us can feel anxious when asked to do public speaking. Perhaps you have to give a presentation to your team, or put forward your point of view during a meeting. Whatever the situation, it is possible to develop your skills and confidence and master public speaking. Anthony Garvey, Toastmasters International 2023 UK Public Speaking Champion, has easy to implement tips to help you present well.
PA Life’s Spring 2025 Issue features Anthony’s excellent article amongst other expert topics that give insights and advice to EAs, PAS and other executive support professionals.
Visualise a successful outcome – a first step to mastering public speaking
Imagine the audience reacting positively, see them smiling and nodding encouragingly and run that image through your head a few times before you begin to speak. If it is a live presentation, turn up at the venue early and greet people as they come in. During your presentation, ok for the positive faces who are wishing you well as you are speaking.
Record your conversation
Use your phone and record one of your practice sessions. Watch it back and check your content, your body language and your eye contact. If there are elements you need to improve on, change them.
If you are presenting online, practice in front of a mirror. Facial reactions are really important on the small screen, so keep your expressions in check. Record the actual session too, so you can review it afterwards. And remember, the more you practice, the better you get!
Donโt forget to pause
Take the time to pause when you say something really important in your presentation. And look around the room to ensure the audience is getting the message. Ask yourself what single sentence you would like the attendees to take away and remember from your presentation and make sure you focus on getting it across effectively. Repetition is good here.
Volunteering to speak paves the way to mastering public speaking
Take every opportunity you can to practice and improve your public speaking and presenting skills. Volunteer to chair meetings, sit on committees, and speak up at work. Whether you enjoy speaking in public or not, the way to improve it is to do more of it.
Prepare for questions
If you are going to answer questions, then anticipate what the questions might be and prepare some good answers, and practice and refine the answers with a trusted colleague.
About Toastmasters International
Toastmasters International is a not-for-profit organisation that has provided communication and leadership skills since 1924 through a worldwide network of clubs. There are more than 400 clubs and 10,000 members in the UK and Ireland. Members follow a structured educational programme to gain skills and confidence in public and impromptu speaking, chairing meetings and time management. To find your nearest Toastmasters club, visit toastmasters.org
