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Tips for Public Speaking

December 6th, 2023 (11 months ago) • 3 minutes

I recently gave a talk at my company about my past initiatives and I realized that there are still tons of things that I can improve on for public speaking.

Here are some tips that I've learned from my experience:

  1. Practice Silence Instead of Buffering Output

    Nothing is often better than making hesitant sounds like "uhm", "ah", "like". This is something uncomfortable for most of us since we always feel like we need to fill the void, but truth to be told, audiences actually perceive that silence as deliberation and intelligence.

  2. Strong Voice

    People remember a lot about how you present your content. Pick a voice and stick to it.

  3. Good Posture

    Maintain eye contact with 3 parts of the crowd: left, center, right. Pick 3 people in each section as your 'best friends' and rotate eye contact between them when speaking. Think of them as the people who truly came to listen to your presentation and convince them.

  4. Don't Hide Behind the Podium

    I have a tendency to hide behind the podium when I'm nervous. What I realized is that this makes you appear introverted (not to say it's bad). Speak from a point where people can see your whole body!

  5. No Hands in the Pocket and No Fidgeting

    Stand firm and convey your points. Gesture as needed, if you don't know what to do, having your hands in front of you works just as well.

  6. Memorization Versus Having a Strong Outline

    Memorization is not really great because it makes you sound like a robot and you will stumble for words when you can't remember their exact order. I find that having a strong outline and knowing the key points of your speech is much better.

  7. Pictures > Text

    Humans are visual creatures. Prefer more pictures and key points with verbal explanations. This also helps to ensure that you are not reading from the slides but explaining them.

  8. Wear Formal Clothes

    As software engineers, we are used to wearing casual clothes to work. However, wearing formal clothes can help you to feel more confident and professional. This self-perception is the psychological boost that you need to be in more control of your body.