How to speak in public | Psyche Guides

Most of us feel anxious while speaking publicly due to the fear of seeming like an idiot to so many people. In this case, our focus is on ourselves, not on the audience.

As Aristotle’s masterpiece Art Of Rhetoric proves, the Greeks had their entire focus on the audience, which according to them is the beginning and end of public speaking.

Before speaking, take into account the following:

1. Age, gender and race of the audience.
2. The number of people listening to you.
3. Their reason for coming and their expectations.
4. The kind of occasion for which the speech is happening.

Shifting your focus towards the needs, expectations and issues of the audience, rather than your own, is key to a speech that connects with the listeners.

We need to find our purpose before we start to write our speech, deciding if we want to entertain, inform, inspire or persuade the audience.

Our talk has to be relevant, engaging and purposeful, and we may find that some of the interesting, funny or even meaningful stuff can be discarded without losing out on the main message.

People listen for their own wellbeing, not for others. They are focussed on their own happiness, most of the time. In his celebrated book Art Of Rhetoric, Aristotle lists out a few things that the audience cares about, regardless of what your topic is: their own health, family, happiness, status or wealth.

We need to speak for the audience’s benefit, even if our topic is global warming, tax policies, or rocket science.

• We normally do not practise before leading a Zoom Meeting or a presentation.
• We need to practise in front of the mirror even though it feels awkward, as it will help us sound authentic on the stage.
• Memorizing every word is not a great idea as it sounds robotic, but do ensure that we have memorized the introduction and the conclusion.
• Time Your speech and tweak it as it is rehearsed, improvising on gestures and intonations.