Ask HN: What are the best resources to improve public speaking skill?
13 comments
Look into Toastmasters. It is a successful community that is specifically designed so you improve this skill.
I'll give a good example about how toastmasters helped me, I hope it encourages those who are very afraid of public speaking.
I have always been a very strong public speaker (loud, booming voice, native English speaker) and decided to do toastmasters to get better at talking about very technical things - I have ADD so I tend to fall over myself a lot when explaining things. I have had a very stressful last few months (organised a marketing conference, moved house, organised two gigs that didn't work out so well) and I was asked to present at a meetup a few days before the conference.
I felt really dizzy in the afternoon of giving the talk and thought a drink or two would settle me (the meetup was at a pub.) Turns out it didn't and 3 slides in I became very disorientated. I decided to professionally stop the talk and ask the MC if the next speaker could go first as I needed to get some air. I came back half an hour later and performed the talk.
The reason I was able to handle this so professionally was 100% due to Toastmasters. So many people in my club were not native English speakers who had very stressful reactions to public speaking. Every single person given a task would always show the upmost respect for those who struggled and act in a supportive manner, so when I had a rough time I knew how to act appropriately.
I have always been a very strong public speaker (loud, booming voice, native English speaker) and decided to do toastmasters to get better at talking about very technical things - I have ADD so I tend to fall over myself a lot when explaining things. I have had a very stressful last few months (organised a marketing conference, moved house, organised two gigs that didn't work out so well) and I was asked to present at a meetup a few days before the conference.
I felt really dizzy in the afternoon of giving the talk and thought a drink or two would settle me (the meetup was at a pub.) Turns out it didn't and 3 slides in I became very disorientated. I decided to professionally stop the talk and ask the MC if the next speaker could go first as I needed to get some air. I came back half an hour later and performed the talk.
The reason I was able to handle this so professionally was 100% due to Toastmasters. So many people in my club were not native English speakers who had very stressful reactions to public speaking. Every single person given a task would always show the upmost respect for those who struggled and act in a supportive manner, so when I had a rough time I knew how to act appropriately.
Agreed. I am a member of a club for 2 years in Shanghai, and corporate club coach to help grow a Fortune 500 club stronger. I have seen extraordinary transformations in individuals; often within 1 year. I joke it is a club for all us introverts to get together, support each other, and find our voice. Regrettably I was always too busy or didn't prioritize this craft in my 20s (now 49). It is one of the best, cheapest, most efficient ways to upgrade your career skills bar none.
A lot of people have good input here already, so I'll offer a more "organic" response.
Keep it simple- to improve your public speaking skill, there are 2 main ways. #1, do more public speaking! #2: listen more.
Obviously, the more you do something with a mindset of growth, you usually get better at it. However, if you want to get really good, study other talks/events/conferences etc. Pick ones that are extraordinary, and study their talk- listen and watch.
What's the flow? How do they link ideas? How do they keep the audience engaged? How does the audience react to what they say and do?
I recently had the opportunity to speak to a friend who is an amazing speaker. He told me about how he would prepare his talks, how he would time himself and practice over and over. He would link ideas in his mind, and lay it out strategically.
One thing he said stood out- he watched the response of the audience. When he would study other talks, and people would say "hmm", he would write down what the speaker said. He trained himself to become an amazing listener- to hear what was said, as well as what wasn't said, but still communicated.
If you wanna get better at public speaking, do it more. If you want to be an amazing public speaker, listen more.
Keep it simple- to improve your public speaking skill, there are 2 main ways. #1, do more public speaking! #2: listen more.
Obviously, the more you do something with a mindset of growth, you usually get better at it. However, if you want to get really good, study other talks/events/conferences etc. Pick ones that are extraordinary, and study their talk- listen and watch.
What's the flow? How do they link ideas? How do they keep the audience engaged? How does the audience react to what they say and do?
I recently had the opportunity to speak to a friend who is an amazing speaker. He told me about how he would prepare his talks, how he would time himself and practice over and over. He would link ideas in his mind, and lay it out strategically.
One thing he said stood out- he watched the response of the audience. When he would study other talks, and people would say "hmm", he would write down what the speaker said. He trained himself to become an amazing listener- to hear what was said, as well as what wasn't said, but still communicated.
If you wanna get better at public speaking, do it more. If you want to be an amazing public speaker, listen more.
I just spoke at a dev conference for the first time last weekend. Here's what I found, in addition to randomly checking out Youtube videos:
- https://speaking.io/ - https://www.pluralsight.com/courses/hanselman-speaking -> Mr. Scott is really good, I like his talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FS1mnISoG7U.
I think you have to just keep on practicing actually speaking, like even in front of a mirror, I didn't do this enough (I practiced, but in front of my machine). Also just look at a few people in the audience, think of it like you're chatting with 1 person 100 times/5 people 20 times as opposed to chatting 100 people.
- https://speaking.io/ - https://www.pluralsight.com/courses/hanselman-speaking -> Mr. Scott is really good, I like his talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FS1mnISoG7U.
I think you have to just keep on practicing actually speaking, like even in front of a mirror, I didn't do this enough (I practiced, but in front of my machine). Also just look at a few people in the audience, think of it like you're chatting with 1 person 100 times/5 people 20 times as opposed to chatting 100 people.
The best resource for improving your public speaking is to find events that are looking for speakers and to volunteer. The only way to improve your public speaking is to do more of it.
Totally agree with this.
A couple of other things I’ve found help me in case they help you:
- public speaking is a skill, not a talent. You can learn to be good at it with practice.
- if you are the type of person that gets nervous, you may never completely cure that, but you will learn to get through it. Many good public speakers still feel a little anxiety before speaking.
- if you have a bad presentation, don’t stress too much. The key is to not let too much time go by after a bad performance, get back out there.
I personally dread public speaking, but I have to do it regularly enough that I continuously have to work at it. I like to memorize the first few lines of any talk. Once I get a few sentences in everything falls into place. I just need to get through the first 90 seconds before my nerves pass. And it only improved through live action.
A couple of other things I’ve found help me in case they help you:
- public speaking is a skill, not a talent. You can learn to be good at it with practice.
- if you are the type of person that gets nervous, you may never completely cure that, but you will learn to get through it. Many good public speakers still feel a little anxiety before speaking.
- if you have a bad presentation, don’t stress too much. The key is to not let too much time go by after a bad performance, get back out there.
I personally dread public speaking, but I have to do it regularly enough that I continuously have to work at it. I like to memorize the first few lines of any talk. Once I get a few sentences in everything falls into place. I just need to get through the first 90 seconds before my nerves pass. And it only improved through live action.
The other suggestions provide great starting places for public speaking. Toastmasters and the like are very good. (Personally I took several college speaking classes, but I have a number of friends who attended toastmasters)
I will add a different idea: Improv Acting classes.
Toastmasters and speech classes gets you comfortable in front of an audience and how to prepare for various forms of presentational public speaking.
Improv gets you comfortable with FAILING in front of people AND recovering from that failure. You learn to think on your feet and keep going. I believe I went from a competent public speaker to a much more engaging speaker due to Improv.
I will add a different idea: Improv Acting classes.
Toastmasters and speech classes gets you comfortable in front of an audience and how to prepare for various forms of presentational public speaking.
Improv gets you comfortable with FAILING in front of people AND recovering from that failure. You learn to think on your feet and keep going. I believe I went from a competent public speaker to a much more engaging speaker due to Improv.
I like Andrew Ng's short article (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140320175655-176238488-lear...) about this topic. Recommends taking short videos of elements of your speech and then watching them, tweaking, and repeating.
You need audience feedback. So the Andrew Ng's solution to film yourself is half good. If you know great public speakers (friends, colleagues, your boss, etc.), ask for feedback when you train, pull them in, ask them to come and judge you.
a mirror :)