Few would argue that Warren Buffet has been pretty successful in his career. When business groups ask him the key to his success, he puts public speaking right at the top of the list, yet he had to overcome a deep fear of public speaking himself, taking courses to try to get over that fear. When he speaks to business students, he he tells them that mastering the art of public speaking is the single greatest skill to boost their careers.
With that in mind, we’ve lately spotted a variety of great articles on public speaking, so we are culling out a few that we liked and offering them as a tool kit
Our first resources come from Ragan.com – if you aren’t familiar with their resources, click the link to find more. They describe themselves on their site: “For more than three decades, Lawrence Ragan Communications, Inc., has been the leading publisher of corporate communications, public relations, and leadership development newsletters.” Their blog offers tips and pointers on various issues from PR and social media to HR Communications and public speaking.
- All presentations start with one thing: the speech. How to write—and deliver—better speeches offers 10 practical tips
- 6 ways to be funny in your speech – We love this article because it not only includes examples of how and when humor can be deployed in speeches, it also includes humor clips from communicators, including Reagan, John F Kennedy, Abbot & Costello and Mitt Romney.
- 20 ways to soothe your public speaking jitters
- Graceful ways to say ‘I don’t know’ during a presentation
- How to limit ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’ in your presentation – You may be expert in your topic, but if your speech is punctuated with a lof of verbal pauses and filler words, your presentation will be weakened and these verbal “tics” may convey uncertainty to your listeners.
And here are some great articles and resources from other sources:
- What to do with your hands when speaking in public – an illustrated and animated guide from Jena McGregor and Shelly Tan that appeared in the Washington Post awhile back, but is still and is one of our favorites.
- 20 Ways to Improve Your Presentation Skills – As a tech company founder and CEO< Larry Kim finds himself in front of audiences fairly frequently, but he admits that public speaking is not his forte. He shares tips for how he overcame that.
- 9 Public Speaking Tips for Your Next Business Presentation from Sharlyn Lauby who runs the HR Bartender blog, and who is frequently on the HR speaking circuit.
- Motivate your team: World class speaking tips – or how to make presentations, TED style. It includes links to noteworthy presentations.
- Six Minutes – a variety of resources, articles and how to’s on how to be a confident and effective speaker
Finally, all your practice, expert content and superb oratory can be lost if your visual aids are lacking. These two entertaining presentations talk about “Death by PowerPoint” and how to avoid such a fate.
Members of ESI EAP have access to an online training center that includes various training modules on improving communication skills, and creating and delivering effective presentations. Click to learn more about the full range of benefits and resources we offer to your employees and your managers.