Secrets Of A Public Speaking Coach: 'Don't Waste Your Audience's Time' | HuffPost Life

'Be real and sincere and it’s very hard to go wrong.' 📚

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Life editor at HuffPost UK

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When doing presentations at work, employees usually fall into two camps: those that thrive off the adrenaline and pull off a great performance on the spot; and those that spend days worrying about speaking, and hate every moment. Whatever your experience, everyone could do with a refresher on how to keep people engaged when you’re presenting.

Enter Vince Stevenson, the founder of the College of Public Speaking. As one of the UK’s leading speech coaches, Stevenson has worked with leaders across politics and also runs classes to help people overcome their anxiety of public speaking. We asked him to share five secrets to help nail a presentation.

1. Be Yourself And Connect With Your Audience

Stevenson said that as a speaker, he always talks to people with respect, humility and empathy. “Be real and sincere and it’s very hard to go wrong,” he says. “This is much easier than most people think. There’s nothing wrong with techniques (there are many rhetorical devices to create first-class speeches) but initially, focus on creating a strong rapport with your audience.

“I always tell my classes that I am a ‘recovering speaker’. My first professional speech 35 years ago was a shocker. My knees were shaking and my heart was pounding. Add to that profuse sweating, I was having the full panic attack. This gets students laughing and smiling. Effectively, I am empathising with them. I know what it’s like and I’m there to help, not to judge.”

2. Remember: Time Is People’s Most Precious Asset

One thing Stevenson is pretty clear about when it comes to presentations is: Don’t waste people’s time. Think of what they will get out of your talk. Stevenson says he finds out what his audience’s “pain” is and aims to offer solutions to that problem, fast.

“Focus on their game changers,” he says. “What value can you offer them straight away? What can they adopt, adapt and utilise by 5pm? Why would they give up their time to come and listen to you? There has to be something in it for them. People are driven by self-interest.”

3. Plan, Prepare And Practise

When you’re talking about topics that can be objectively proven, like maths, physics and chemistry, you need to know your material, says Stevenson. When you’re talking about subjective issues like life, relationships, family, politics, economics or literature, talk from your perspective and opinion.

“Qualify what you’re saying by telling the audience that this is your subjective opinion and we can agree to disagree,” he adds. “Whatever, your point of view, speak with enthusiasm, conviction and sincerity.”

4. Substance Far Outweighs Technique

Engaging your audience is, of course, important, but the actual information you deliver far outweighs technique. Be prepared to share your knowledge and experience along with your personality and creativity: “Authenticity builds trust,” adds Stevenson.

“If you don’t care about what you’re doing, or if you’re just going through the motions for the money, savvy audiences will spot this very quickly.”

5. Enjoy Yourself

“You have an audience which is a great privilege,” says Stevenson. “The audience will reflect your energy. Be upbeat, can-do and optimistic.

“I recently saw a speaker talking about cancer which sounds pretty down... However, her speech was uplifting because it gave sufferers and families hope for the future. The prognosis for some illnesses is looking encouraging.”

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Before You Go

Ten Ways To Find Common Ground At Work

Look for similarities(01 of10)

According to Blumberg, we tend to be attracted to people socially who are similar to ourselves, so the key is to put that to use in a social situation.

Ask questions to determine where there is common ground (where you went to school, what your interests are, where you grew up, etc.). "Any similarity you can find immediately creates an 'us and them' situation - it gives you something to bond over." Of course, you can also do that over the work you're doing, but Blumberg says that's a risky approach because then your friendship is just centred on work topics and little else. (credit:vgajic via Getty Images)

Keep it positive(02 of10)

It can be tempting to form a friendship that focuses on your boss's bad breath and terrible managerial skills, or to bond over the horrors of your workplace. Don't, advises Dr. Blumberg. Keep it positive when initiating the friendship.

And once you've befriended your colleagues, try to not to let all of your neuroses hang out. "Be consistent and predictable," Blumberg suggests. People who are neurotic struggle to maintain friendships because their moods are so up and down, so aim for a place of emotional stability. (credit:Sam Edwards via Getty Images)

Start a conversation(03 of10)

It sounds ridiculously simple and obvious, but if you want to break the ice with a colleague, show some interest.

"It is not difficult to start a conversation," explains business communications consultant Carole Spiers. "Just being interested in another person and asking an open question will usually do the trick. Ask someone 'How are you?' and wait long enough for an answer. People often ask this question and then are halfway down the street when the person starts to talk!" Just taking an interest in someone else goes a long way towards establishing the basis for friendly workplace relations.

This is a concept that esteemed writer and self-improvement guru Dale Carnegie (author of How to Win Friends and Influence People, among many others) advocates: spend some time focusing on the other person and find out about their hobbies and interests. (credit:vgajic via Getty Images)

Do something nice for them(04 of10)

According to Blumberg, the principle of reciprocity is a key one to remember when befriending a co-worker: if you make the first move and give them something first (a cup of coffee, lunch from the canteen), the other person is likely to want to give back to you. It really works - just think of every marketing campaign you've ever fallen for that started with a freebie. (credit:ALYUSHIN via Getty Images)

Turn up to work more often(05 of10)

The current digiconomy offers plenty of perks for employees: flextime, working from home, digital nomadism and all that other good stuff that lets you put some more focus on life instead of just work. One small issue: it's not very good for helping you build and sustain work relationships if you're out of the office multiple days a week. So, if you want to develop successful work relationships, go and work in the office more.

Blumberg explains that up until the 1980s, the workplace was one of the main places where you'd meet most of your friends (you'd also meet through old friends and family members). Nowadays, social media has changed all of that: Gen Y tend to meet a majority of their friends through social media, online. The result? Person-to-person, real-life friendships are diminishing, as is friendship quality. Research by Robin Dunbar, head of the Social and Evolutionary Neuroscience Research Group in the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford published in the journal Royal Society Open Science in 2016 found that focusing too much on online friendships can diminish true friendships, with one survey group stating that they only considered 28% of their Facebook friends to be real friends. (credit:AntonioGuillem via Getty Images)

Take it slow(06 of10)

Another crucial tip when cementing workplace friendships? Don't rush the process - Blumberg says that work scenario friendships take longer to get off the ground than ordinary social ones do. And if you're going to be stuck in the same building as that other person for weeks/months/years, you want to make sure you don't end up in a social situation that you're desperate to extract yourself from.

Blumberg says you should channel psychologist Dr. Robert Cialdini's advice when it comes to taking it slow. Some things to remember? Don’t appear desperate. Don’t force it. Let the friendship develop from slow and easy conversation. And be culturally aware - in the UK, it's unusual to invite people for lunch or dinner right off the bat. (credit:filadendron via Getty Images)

Do your research(07 of10)

While you employ the same set of social skills to making friends outside of the office as you do within the workplace (finding common interests, etc.), there are a few key differences. In an office environment you need to think about perception much more: is it appropriate for you to try too desperately to ingratiate yourself with the boss or with someone much more junior than you?

One of the key differences between making friends at work versus outside of the office is that work is more structured and formal and you aren’t in charge of your work relationship in the same way you would be with someone outside of work. At work, you don't control whether somebody is your junior or senior, or if they're in a different department, but those factors will play a role in how the friendship plays out. (credit:Kelvin Murray via Getty Images)

Respect their privacy(08 of10)

Sure, you want to put yourself out there to get to know your co-workers. But you don't want to be a nosy snoop who is digging too deep into everybody else's business.

"If there is a sensitive topic then keep away from it, says Spiers. "Not everyone wants to talk about their personal life so be tactful when speaking to the person. If someone closes a door on a conversation, then don't be like a dog with a bone, let it go. You need to respect their privacy." (credit:Geber86 via Getty Images)

Avoid confrontation(09 of10)

Sometimes, we just don't get along with another colleague no matter how much we want to. In those cases, don't confront the issue unless you're forced to, advises Blumberg. He recommends avoiding the situation - letting our flight take over instead of our instinct to fight. If the person pursues you and a confrontation is imminent, take the situation to HR (not their manager directly). Finally, if that fails, then you do need to alert their manager and confront the situation.

Spiers suggests trying to get to know the person by introducing topics outside of work to open them up, like asking how they spent their weekend or offering to help them with their work project before things get heated. Or, ask for their expertise with something and be sure to thank them afterwards.

"If there is a specific topic getting in the way of you connecting with the other person, then maybe suggest a cup of coffee for a chat and a catch-up. Ask: 'I was wondering if you could help me?'" Spiers says. (credit:PeopleImages via Getty Images)

Remember it's worth the investment(10 of10)

You might feel shy, or have a busy social life with friends outside of work (or a demanding family life) that means you can't be bothered to devote the time to getting to know your colleagues. But remember, it's worth the effort that you put in, and can make your entire office experience that much better. Especially if you need a second opinion, some advice on dealing with a client or help with a big report.

"People work well when they are happy and feel that they are part of a community," explains Spiers. "People like to feel valued and recognised and these are the keys to unlocking potential, gaining loyalty and commitment." (credit:Tom Merton via Getty Images)

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