Public Speaking Tips

I've had some experience at public speaking - I've been subject of my own documentary, appeared on live television and been interviewed on live radio but I still get nervous when I have to do it. A certain amount of nerves is healthy, but how do we channel these nerves?

The key to public speaking is to know exactly what you're going to say - when I say 'exactly', I mean you need to know your subject extremely well so that if you need to change it up or react to the environment in any way it allows for this, and then return to the thread of speech instead of veering off topic or forgetting the thread.

I had the pleasure of hosting my own networking event for the local businesses in my home town. It was an extremely enjoyable evening and received some fantastic feedback.

Having never done anything like this before it was easy to be just another networking event but I felt it was important to be slightly different. My focus was on being a little more relaxed and not actually doing the 60-second introductions which eats into much of allotted time available. I had two guest speakers who spoke about really interesting and topical subjects on local issues and then just let everyone mingle.

My advice is to be absolutely focused on preparation. Letting people know what other businesses are going to be in attendance really helps. I set up an event and posted every few days who had registered and what their business is, tagging in the people and business. Nearer to the event day, say, a few days beforehand, messaging them with a final attendance sheet, what to expect and the order of events.

It was very satisfying seeing how everyone enjoyed themselves. It was a really positive and successful event and I have been asked to hold these events regularly.