5 Advanced Tips For More Confident Public Speaking

Leaders who can confidently speak in front of an audience have numerous advantages. Confident speakers are more likely to influence and persuade others, inspire their teams, and build credibility and trust with stakeholders.  

Despite our early practice with public speaking (technical conferences, oral comprehensive exams, and dissertation defenses), many technical experts like us struggle to convey a compelling message to those who aren’t our technical peers. 

I’ve been developing my speaking skills my entire career, from joining a Toastmasters Club at my first job to working with speaking coaches for my recent TEDx talk. 

In this newsletter, I’ll share some personal tactics that have helped me go from a nervous graduate student struggling to get through her first poster session to a professional speaker and coach who is paid not only to deliver talks to a wide range of audiences but also to help executives craft and deliver their investor pitches and board presentations.

1. Mindmap Your Presentation

Mind mapping is a visual technique used to organize and represent information in a hierarchical and interconnected manner.  Mind maps utilize keywords, images, colors, and symbols to represent ideas, making them easy to understand and remember. They can be created on paper or using digital tools and software, allowing for flexibility and customization based on individual preferences.

The mind mapping technique offers several benefits for speakers.

1. Visualization.  Mind mapping helps speakers visualize their ideas and the connections between them in a clear and organized manner. This visual representation can aid in structuring speeches and presentations effectively.

2. Organization. Mind maps provide a structured framework for organizing thoughts and concepts. Speakers can use them to outline the main points of their speech, ensuring coherence and logical flow.

3. Memory Aid. Creating a mind map reinforces memory retention as it engages both visual and spatial memory. Speakers can recall their ideas more easily during presentations, reducing the need for extensive notes or reliance on slides.

4. Creativity Enhancement.  Mind mapping encourages creative thinking by allowing speakers to freely brainstorm and generate ideas. It enables them to explore different perspectives and make unique connections between concepts.

I mindmap every presentation I deliver.

I find it enhances my creativity and helps me remember the key concepts of my presentation. 

This newsletter was adapted from a talk I gave at the Spark CleanTech Accelerator. Below is the mind map I made for that presentation.

2. Plan Your Breathing

I hold my breath when I get nervous.

As a result, I can gasp for air during a presentation, if I’m not careful. I’ve mostly managed this issue by taking a few steps across the room when I feel like I need to breathe. That short pause allows me to take a breath and make eye contact with a different audience segment. 

Then, came the TED stage where speakers must stay on the Big Red Dot.

The first time I rehearsed on the dot, it was an abysmal failure. I was doubly nervous about being on the stage AND being unable to rely on my usual crutch. I kept running out of breath. 

Then, my speaking coach suggested that I plan my breaths. He instructed me to review my speech and indicate where I might want to breathe. 

“I promise it won’t be weird,” he said, “Everyone has to breathe.”

Those of you who play a wind instrument probably already know this. When I mentioned it to my kids (Seth, 16yr, clarinet and Sophia, 14yr baritone), they both said, “Well duh! Of course, you have to schedule your breathing. We write it on our sheet music.”

However, this was a revelation to me.

I made notes on my speech for when I could take a breath, and it worked!

I don’t know if I ended up breathing when I indicated it on my notes. I think the benefit may have been more the mindset shift of recognizing I could pause and breathe whenever I needed it. 

3. Prepare For Your Q&A

The single biggest mistake I see when I sit in board meetings and investor pitch meetings is presenters who don’t adequately prepare for the Q&A. 

Speakers have great slides, they deliver the presentation well, and then they ruin everything during the Q&A.

At least one of three things happens:

1. They immediately demonstrate they don’t understand whatever business jargon they decided to include to shed the “too technical” label. 
2. They go way too deep into technical details. 
3. They can’t regulate their emotions.  Either they appear annoyed that anyone would dare to question them or they appear terrified. 

None of those things leave your audience with a lot of confidence in you.

Luckily, it is very easy to fix. Build a question bank and practice your answers.

A question bank is a running list of questions that you prepare answers for in advance. 

You can gather your questions in several different ways: 

• Start paying attention to questions you get when you talk about your ideas. 
• Designate someone to write down questions you get during your presentations. That is a tip I learned from my thesis advisor. He always took notes on questions his students got during their presentations and oral exams. We went over the answers later.
• Use your favorite AI tool to generate questions from various points of view. 

The key is to prepare your answers and practice your delivery in the same way you do for your presentation. 

I once prepared to speak at a meeting with a high-profile executive. My question bank had 75 questions!

You can watch the full video of my explanation of how to master the Q&A here.

4. Identify And Mitigate Your Distracting Behaviors

Effective communication is not just about what you say but also how you present yourself. Certain distracting behaviors can undermine a speaker’s effectiveness. We’ve all witnessed presentations where the speaker had some distracting behavior. Maybe they overused filler words (uh, you know, right?), paced too much, fidgeted, looked down at their feet, or talked too softly or too loudly.  

Here are three actions you can take to identify your distracting behaviors and take steps to minimize them.

1. Start becoming aware of behaviors in others. Pay attention to other speakers. Note any distracting behaviors. Indicate what they are doing and the impact that it has on your ability to connect with them and their message.  Awareness is key.
2. Ask for feedback. Ask a colleague or trusted friend to pay attention to you and give you feedback. This is best done in advance and with instructions to look for specific behaviors. Don’t  just ask, “How was it?”
3. Assess yourself. The number one tool I recommend to improve public speaking skills is to video yourself and watch the video.  I know! I, too, cringed at the idea the first time I was instructed to do this. It can be hard to watch yourself. It will get easier. (Hint: start by watching yourself with the sound off and just look at your body language)

Once you’ve identified your distracting behaviors, it’s time to put a plan in place to address them. 

Here is a great summary of how to mitigate distracting behaviors from MIT’s Communications Lab. 

Speakers can enhance their effectiveness by being aware of these distracting behaviors and actively working to minimize or eliminate them. Regular practice, feedback, and self-reflection are valuable tools for improvement.

5. Establish A Pre-Speaking Ritual

A “pre-speaking” ritual can be a powerful tool to help build confidence before facing an audience. Rituals provide a sense of structure and routine, helping to calm nerves and create a focused mindset. Engaging in a pre-speaking ritual allows for mental preparation. It provides a designated time for individuals to mentally rehearse key points, visualize success, and cultivate a positive mindset.

Common Components of a Pre-speaking Ritual.

Here are several ways in which a pre-speaking ritual can contribute to building confidence:

Physical Warm-Up: Including physical warm-up exercises in a pre-speaking ritual can help release tension and nervous energy. Stretching or deep-breathing exercises can relax the body and promote a more confident physical presence.

Positive Affirmations: Incorporating positive affirmations into a pre-speaking ritual can boost confidence. Affirmations can be statements of self-assurance and success that help shift the mindset towards a more positive and confident outlook.

Visualization Techniques: Visualization is a powerful tool to enhance confidence. During the pre-speaking ritual, individuals can visualize themselves speaking confidently, the audience reacting positively, and the overall success of the presentation.

Dressing for Success: Choosing a specific outfit or grooming routine as part of the pre-speaking ritual can contribute to a sense of professionalism and confidence.

My Pre-Speaking Ritual

Here are the 5 steps to my pre-speaking ritual.

Time	Task
The night before	Visualize success
30 minutes before	Say affirmation
10 minutes before	Chew gum
2 minutes before	Spit out gum
1 minute before	Take 3 deep breaths and smile

Here is a little bit more detail about each step.

• Visualize success. I visualize where I’ll be and how I’ll feel. I try to at least see the space I’ll be in before a big presentation. If I can’t make that happen, I’ll use my best guess for my visualization.
• Say affirmation. I have a specific affirmation that I say. I learned this affirmation from my sales coach, Nikki Rausch. It has become a valuable tool for me. You are welcome to borrow it.

Each statement of this affirmation has a purpose:

1. I’m glad I’m here, puts me in the mindset of gratitude. How lucky I am to be able to talk to my audience. 
2. I’m glad you’re here, puts me in a mindset of purpose. My goal is to help people. As we discussed above, connecting with your purpose allows your authenticity to shine through. Briefly reminding myself of that is important.
3. I know what I know. This is probably the most impactful statement in my affirmation. It reminds me that I don’t have to know everything. But nobody has lived my life, had the experiences that I’ve had, met the people I’ve met, and done the things that I’ve done. When I remind myself of that, I can feel confident. 
4. I care about you, reminds me that I’m there to serve my audience. That mindset is especially helpful during Q&A. Asking questions can be hard for people, so I always want to be gracious and make sure the person asking is glad they did.  

• Chew gum. I learned this from my TEDx coach. 

“Here, have some gum”, he said, handing me a few sticks.  “It will help you relax and keep your mouth from getting dry. Just remember to spit it out before you take the stage”. 

It worked, and now I do it all the time and I recommend it to others.

There is a bit of research behind this strategy. You can read it here. Or, you could just try it. 

• Spit out the gum. This is obvious but sometimes with nerves, it is easy to forget. So I make a point to remind myself.
• 3 deep breaths and smile. The deep breaths help me make sure I am not holding my breath.

Ultimately, the key to an effective pre-speaking ritual is to create a personalized routine that addresses individual needs and preferences. Consistently practicing this ritual before speaking engagements can significantly contribute to building confidence over time.

TL;DR

Confident speaking is an important leadership skill. Even though technical experts like us have the opportunity to practice early in our careers, it can still be a challenge. I’ve been working on my own speaking skills for over two decades. I have found that mind mapping, practicing with video to identify and mitigate distracting behaviors, preparing not just the delivery but also the Q&A, and developing a pre-speaking ritual have helped me to become a better speaker. I’m confident that these tactics will help you too. 

Which one are you going to try first?