On Being a Better Speaker

What’s the Latest Development?

Michael Hyatt has been speaking publicly for 30 years, but a recent communicators’ workshop made a big impression on him. “I came away with numerous action items. However, the one that had the single biggest immediate impact was this: Before you give a speech, practice it out loud, on your feet, as though you were in front of a live audience. I know, that probably doesn’t sound too revolutionary. But for some reason, I had unconsciously come to the conclusion that I didn’t need to do this. Boy, was I wrong.”

What’s the Big Idea?

Here are the seven steps he took away to make his practice effective:
Create a solid, easy-to-remember outline; find a relatively private location; set a timer with your assigned time; stand up and give your speech out loud; work on your facial expressions and gestures (Hyatt found his face wasn’t always communicating what his heart intended); practice pauses, inflections, and vocal dynamics; and nail your closing.