You don’t have to be a “natural” talker to be good at public speaking. Often it is the shy silent types who turn out to be the powerhouse presenters.
I regularly work with shy or taciturn people who are inclined to silence and avoid public speaking and unnecessary conversation – but not because they are scared of it. They come to me because they want to maintain their natural style and ensure their message is effective. Let’s face it – in our society there are times when you must speak up and out, especially in your career and if you want to stay in it. Communication is one of the most highly prized people skills.
I define “public speaking” as “whenever you have a conversation with anyone other than yourself, you are, “public speaking.” So, face to face, phone, verbose or taciturn, whenever you speak with someone you are in fact, speaking in public. We all benefit from improving our people skills, no matter your personal communication style. You can either watch this short video or continue reading below, my 4 speaking tips for the naturally taciturn:
1. Short & Sweet
Accept that your honed message is good enough. People do appreciate short and sweet as a breath of fresh air to the endless drivel of fluffy verbiage. Listen to feedback to find out if listeners want more from you and if so, put the next 3 tips into action…
2. Great Structure
To ensure you have spoken effectively and not missed any vital links between points, use a talk structure which acts as a foundation for your whole message. I use the structure of: Problem, Impact, Solution and Action.
3. Invite Questions
Always invite questions at the end or throughout a longer presentation to ensure you have satisfied your listeners need to know:
- “I’d be happy to take questions now; are there any?”
- “Would you like more detail on any aspect?”
- “Is anything not clear?”
Actually, answering questions is a great way for the naturally taciturn and those who prefer speaking off the cuff, to speak in public without preparing a ginormous presentation. It can also be a delight for the audience as they get the exact answers they want, rather than having to sift through detail.
4. Gestures & Props
A simple way to dramatically increase impact and effectiveness is to use gestures and props during your presentation. This requires forethought but the rewards are great.
Gestures – use your whole body, hands and face to speak for you. If you talk about moving to the centre of a room, then physically move to the centre. If you describe something as “amazing”, show ‘amazing” with your whole body.
Props – a “prop” is a physical item that accompanies and enhances your talk. It includes powerpoint projections, music, products and stuff like boa feathers. Even if your talk is about a new Procedure Manual, take it along and wave it around. Audiences love to learn through seeing, touching and doing as well as hearing. The more interactive and practical, the more interesting and effective your presentations. Props also act as a memory prompt rather than having to rely on notes.
You will speak with greater ease and authority and when you use less words and create more action. Why not show a naturally taciturn or shy speaker this article if you know they have something that needs to be heard?
