10 public speaking techniques that turn an ordinary speech into a great one

Editor-in-Chief of the electronic library of non-fiction book reviews KnigiKratko.ru.

The appearance of the company's leader, his leadership qualities and sales skills determine the success of the enterprise. This is known to PR specialists who write speeches for managers, think over their appearance, teach them how to speak in public and how to place accents correctly. However, even the best PR specialist will not be able to independently turn an ordinary person into a bright personality, a hero of public speeches.

The book by James Humes, a famous writer and former speechwriter for five American presidents, reveals some of the secrets of oratory and creating charisma. Having mastered the techniques offered by the author, you will gain confidence and learn how to easily and successfully cope with public speaking.

First phrase

All successful speakers place great importance on the first sentence of their speech. It must be powerful and definitely evoke a positive response from the audience.

The first phrase is, in TV terminology, the “prime time” of your speech. At this moment, the audience is at its maximum size: every person in the room wants to look at you and find out what kind of bird you are. In just a few seconds, the screening of listeners can begin: someone will continue the conversation with a neighbor, someone will bury their head in their phone, and someone will even fall asleep. However, everyone without exception will listen to the first phrase.

How to deal with anxiety

Often, even after long training and rehearsals, a person feels strong excitement before going on stage. Meditation techniques will help you cope with it. One of the techniques for dealing with fear is “conscious breathing.” To do this, you need to take deep breaths and exhales, while holding your breath for a few seconds. All attention is focused only on your breathing. Doing this exercise for 5 minutes helps you relax and relieve internal tension.

Effective ways to combat anxiety are positive attitudes, acceptance and recognition of your fear, and light physical activity before a performance. It is important not to overuse strong sedatives and tranquilizers, which can have the opposite effect and ruin the performance.

The process of mastering public speaking requires effort and time. Before you learn public speaking on your own, you need to eliminate problems with diction and increase your vocabulary. If you do not deviate from your intended goal, train and improve your speech, this skill will definitely come to any person.

Author: Olga Vasilyeva. Photo: Instagram, Infastar, YouTube. If you are the author of one of the photos and do not agree with its publication, contact the administration and we will correct the error.

the main idea

Before you even sit down to write your speech, you must determine its main idea. This key point that you want to convey to the audience should be concise, capacious, “fit in a matchbox.”

Stop, look and make a plan: first, highlight the key ideas, and then you can supplement and clarify them with real-life examples or quotes.

As Churchill said, a good speech is like a symphony: it can be performed at three different tempos, but it must maintain the main melody.

There are two ways to improve your public speaking skills and master the secrets of the art.

These are the ones most often cited as recommendations for beginners:

• Sign up for rhetoric courses, training, or a theater group;
• Learn on your own.

Rhetoric lessons are a great way to quickly and under the supervision of professional teachers make your speech correct, loud and beautiful. However, if at the moment you do not have extra finances, resources or free time to attend lessons, you can learn eloquence on your own. The main thing in this matter is regular practice and enthusiasm. You can try different techniques for beginning speakers, read a textbook, a self-instruction book on public speaking and rhetoric, watch thematic video lessons on the Internet to achieve your goal. Most famous speakers achieve success in front of listeners or audiences by honing their skills over the years.

Quotes

There are several rules, the observance of which will give strength to the citation. First, the quote should be close to you. Never cite statements from an author who is unfamiliar to you, uninteresting, or whom you do not like to quote. Secondly, the name of the author should be known to the audience, and the quote itself should be short.

You must also learn how to create an environment for quoting. Many successful speakers use similar techniques: before quoting, they pause and put on glasses, or with a serious look they read a quote from a card or, for example, a sheet of newspaper.

If you want to make a special impression with a quote, write it down on a small card, take it out of your wallet during your speech, and read the statement.

Top 10 public speaking courses

First, let's look at the best public speaking courses, trainings, and seminars from trusted online schools and renowned teachers.

Online public speaking course from the “The King’s Speech” school

The online public speaking course is suitable for anyone whose activities are in one way or another related to public speaking. Among the school's students are company executives, business coaches, actors, and bloggers. The program consists of 15 video lessons of 15–20 minutes each, 5 webinars of 60 minutes each, homework and work with a team (in the Premium plan).

In 30 days you:

• deliver a beautiful speech;
• practice your diction;
• learn techniques of psychological influence;
• get rid of the fear of public speaking.

The course is taught by 4 teachers with experience in this field from 9 to 19 years.

Advantages:

1. The King's Speech School is a Forbes magazine award winner.
2. Among the school's students there are famous actors and businessmen.
3. The school's teachers are employees of the country's leading theater institutes.

You can choose one of two tariffs: “Economy” or “Premium”. The first one costs 7,900 rubles. and includes video lessons and homework. The second option will cost you 9,900 rubles. Also included are webinars, feedback from teachers, and teamwork with other participants.

“Oratory” from MBAcity

The Oratory course will be of particular interest to psychologists, coaches and business trainers. After completing it, you will receive a state-recognized professional retraining diploma, which will enhance your resume and increase the number of potential clients.

In a programme:

• psychological preparation for public speaking;
• methods of dealing with stress before a performance;
• secrets of successful performance;
• body language;
• ways of conducting business negotiations.

The program is deep and rich. The total duration of training is 250 academic hours.

More than 100 cool lessons, tests and exercises for brain development

Start developing

Advantages:

1. An educational institution with a state license to conduct educational activities.
2. Experienced teaching staff.
3. The first lesson is free.

The cost of training is 12,500 rubles.

“Speaker Online” from the Moscow School of Speakers

In the online Orator course, you will learn the secrets of public speaking that other schools will not tell you about. Namely:

• how to deal with difficult audiences;
• how to develop improvisation skills;
• how to increase the energy of speech;
• How to negotiate using the Harvard method.

How the training works:

1. You pay for participation and get access to your personal account on the website.
2. Take 9 lessons with a total duration of 4 hours and complete practical tasks.
3. The coach checks your homework and gives detailed recommendations on how you can develop your strengths.

The host is ex-producer of Comedy Club and Autoradio, public speaking coach with five years of experience, singer and philanthropist Evgeny Zhagaltaev.

The cost of participation is 9,750 rubles.

“Formula for public speaking” from Radislav Gandapas

The formula for public speaking is a course from the President of the CIS Speakers Association, TV presenter Radislav Gandapas. In a month, you will learn to speak in public without fear and anxiety, and also improve your communication skills. The program is suitable for anyone who is ready to get out of their comfort zone and seriously work on themselves.

In a programme:

• preparing for a performance;
• structuring the material and filling it with meaning;
• control over the state of the body and voice in the process;
• analysis and feedback;
• important nuances that form the impression of you as a speaker.

The course is divided into 5 modules, each of which contains several video lessons of 20 minutes. After each lesson you will have homework, which will take from 15 to 60 minutes to complete. All tasks are checked by a team of curators.

Rates:

1. “Standard” – 3,500 rub. Video lessons with tasks, certificate, access for 4 weeks.
2. “Business” – 6,500 rub. Video lessons with tasks, certificate, private chat for participants, forever access.

Online public speaking courses from Oleg Kot

Online public speaking courses are the brainchild of singer, presenter, announcer and composer Oleg Kot. He will help you learn to speak beautifully and convincingly, get rid of tension and speech spasms.

The program consists of the following blocks:

• breathing control;
• freeing the voice;
• removing clamps;
• articulation;
• facial gymnastics;
• intonation.

The course will not only give you correct speech, but will also help you develop self-confidence.

Advantages:

1. A teacher with extensive speaking experience.
2. Skype consultations.
3. Individual approach.

There are 2 tariffs to choose from: for 5,500 and 12,000 rubles. The first includes one consultation via Skype, the second includes full support throughout the entire training.

“Oratory skills and effective communications. Best” from Udemy

Oratory skills and effective communications. The best is an extensive and in-depth course from personal growth coach Dmitry Nikonov. 163 video lectures with a total duration of 16.5 hours await you. The course is suitable for teenagers and adults, regardless of their type of activity.

After training you:

• you can easily convince people of your point of view;
• get rid of the fear of speaking;
• discover your gift of eloquence;
• learn to recognize manipulation and not succumb to it;
• Get the tools for independent development in this area.

Advantages:

1. Low price.
2. Book as a gift.
3. Access forever.
4. Possibility to return money if you are not satisfied with the result.
5. All lectures are also available in text and audio format.

Cost: $9.99.

“Image of voice and speech” from Yulia Zadornaya

Voice and Speech Image – a course that will teach you how to sound beautiful. Its author, Yulia Zadornaya, is a professional television and radio presenter with 20 years of experience. She will share with you the secrets of a bewitching voice and beautiful, clear speech.

In a programme:

• setting a beautiful voice timbre;
• correct breathing;
• secrets of audience management;
• working with the camera;
• acting techniques.

Yulia is also a certified NLP practitioner and uses neurolinguistic programming techniques in teaching.

Advantages:

1. Teacher with rich experience.
2. Opportunity to view the results of previous students in a “before and after” format.
3. Individual support (on some tariffs).

There are three training options to choose from: for 2,900, 9,900 and 14,900 rubles. The first consists of 15 video lessons for self-learning. The second consists of 20 video lessons with homework, feedback, and 2 online sessions with a teacher. The third option, in addition to the above, includes 35 additional audio and video files and 1 additional online session.

“Fearless Orator” by Albert Shatrov

Fearless Speaker is a course aimed at overcoming the fear of public speaking and developing confident speech. Its author is a professional psychotherapist and neuropsychologist. He will teach you quick techniques that will help you cope with anxiety just before an audience.

You will learn:

• what causes fear of public speaking;
• what techniques for getting rid of fear can be harmful;
• how to transform your fear into a positive attitude;
• How to gain confidence in the success of your performance.

Advantages:

1. Certificate confirming completion of training.
2. 100% cashback for payment for other educational products at Albert Shatrov’s school.
3. Inexpensive.

The course consists of 7 lessons and costs 490 rubles.

"Oratory. Practical Guide: 8 Key Skills” from Ivan Gladyr

Oratory Course. Practical Guide: 8 Key Skills aims to develop students' 8 skills of being a successful speaker. Its big advantage is learning to perform not only in front of a live audience, but also to work in front of a camera. It will be very useful for video bloggers and online school teachers.

You will learn:

• prepare for the performance and develop the right attitude;
• maintain the attention and interest of the audience;
• answer questions, including uncomfortable ones;
• supplement speech with beautiful and appropriate gestures;
• interact correctly with the video camera.

The program consists of 52 lessons, which you will have access to forever. It ends with a final exam, after which you will successfully pass a certificate with the school's seal and a recommendation on LinkedIn.

Cost – $99.

“Speak to Win” from the project “I Said!”

Intensive Speak to Win was created by Tatyana Kuznetsova, Associate Professor of the Department of Russian Language and Speech Culture. It is universal and suitable for everyone: students, managers, stage workers, bloggers. Consists of 17 lessons during which you will learn:

• how to start a performance beautifully and uniquely;
• how to get rid of tension before a performance;
• what is the speaker matrix;
• what techniques will help keep the audience's attention;
• how to answer awkward questions.

You can choose one of three tariffs:

1. For 2,250 rubles. – online lessons, consultation with Tatyana Kuznetsova.
2. For 3,350 rub. – options from the previous tariff + 2 coaching sessions with the author, certificate.
3. For 8,000 rubles. – options from the previous tariff + support from Tatyana Kuznetsova in a personal chat.

Wit

Surely you have been advised many times to add a joke or anecdote to your presentation. There is some truth in this advice, but do not forget that a joke for the sake of a joke only insults the listener.

There is no need to start your speech with an anecdote that is not related to the situation (“It seems that it is customary to start a speech with an anecdote, so here it is. Somehow a man comes to see a psychiatrist...”). It's best to sneak in your funny story mid-speech to lighten the mood.

The author of the book advises using the rule of the three R's to test a joke or wit: the joke must be realistic, relevant and told (not read).

Reading

Reading a speech from a sheet of paper with your eyes downcast does not, to put it mildly, excite the audience. What should we do then? Is it really necessary to memorize a half-hour long speech? Not at all. You need to learn to read correctly.

The first rule of reading a speech: never say words while your eyes are looking at the paper.

Use the SOS technique: look - stop - say.

For training, take any text. Lower your eyes and take a mental picture of a few words. Then raise your head and stop. Then, looking at any object at the other end of the room, tell what you remember. And so on: look at the text, stop, speak.

Kinds

Oratory can be divided into several types. They all have something in common, but differ from each other in the behavior of the lecturer, his focus on results and the characteristics of interaction:

1. Socio-political speech. Involves a long speech by the speaker. His voice must be loud to cover a large amount of area. Policy issues related to social interaction are covered.
2. Judicial speech. The speeches of the prosecutor, judge, and lawyer contain the necessary information. Words must be pronounced clearly, with tangible pressure. Judicial speech involves the use of a business style. There is no place for display of emotions and excessive gestures.
3. Social and household. It is pronounced at an ordinary level and does not differ in scale. It happens when a person considers it necessary to prove something to his interlocutor.

1. Church speech. Characterized by monotony and great concentration. From the outside, it seems that the person is overly concentrated on pronouncing every word. Examples: confession, sermon.

READ What to talk about with a guy to get his attention: topics for conversation

Speaker techniques

It is known that Churchill recorded his speeches like poetry, dividing them into separate phrases and writing each on a separate line. To make your speech sound even more convincing, use this technique.

Use rhyme and internal consonance in a phrase to give the sound of your speech poetic impact (for example, Churchill's phrase “We must follow the principles of HUMANISM, not bureaucracy”).

It’s very easy to come up with rhymes, just remember the most common ones: -na (war, silence, needed), -ta (darkness, emptiness, dream), -ch (sword, speech, flow, meetings), -oses / wasps (roses , threats, tears, questions), -anie, -yes, -on, -tion, -ism and so on. Practice these simple rhymes to create sonorous phrases.

But remember: the rhymed phrase should be the same for the entire speech; there is no need to turn your speech into a poem.

And so that the rhyme does not go to waste, express the key idea of ​​​​the speech in this phrase.

Oratory in life

The ability to speak in front of an audience will come in handy. This gives strength, confidence and healthy optimism. It becomes possible to see further prospects for actions and feel the result in advance. Public speaking improves the quality of life. A person opens up to new impressions and always finds the right words to explain his own position to his interlocutor.

Regular performances build character and help you concentrate on the main thing, without being distracted by possible trifles. The ability to communicate coherently in life is worth a lot. Most people get confused if they have to talk about something they have no idea about. Only a person trained for success attracts positive changes in life.

READ If a man says “my girl” and uses other nicknames, what does that mean?