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Author:
Eric Feng

I recently posted a question to the world champion speakers of Toastmasters in our monthly phone conference. I asked them for some strategies that newbie speakers can adopt to identify their own speaking style. And they gave three. Thought I should share them with you.

1. Stage time, Stage time, Stage time!

It is difficult to have your own speaking style until you are comfortable in front of your audience. And the only way you can be comfortable is by getting as much stage time as possible. In fact 95% of your growth takes place when you are out with your audience. One excellent platform for you to get maximum speaking exposure is by joining the Toastmasters International. Visit their website and locate the nearest club to your home. It is worth it!

To ensure that every speech is milked for maximum learning opportunity, remember to employ the daily debrief technique that I shared with you a couple of days ago too!

2. Record your presentations and speeches

What better way to identify your speaking style than to watch yourself speak! See what works in your presentation. Take note of the things that you say or do that makes your audience laugh. Get your friends to look at the recording and tell you what they like or find unique. I still remember the first time I saw my own presentation on screen, it made me squirm. Not because it was bad but I was just not used to seeing myself in action! And I sounded really different. But as time goes, I start to notice my own speaking style. On top of that, I even found some bad habits that were shockingly glaring! For example my distracting hand gestures. And to my surprise, I clapped my hands when I make a point. And that was done unconsciously!

3. Get a coach

Well… that’s not a bad idea. But I would recommend you to focus on the first two strategies first coz getting a coach can be expensive.

Philadelphia Funniest Man - won the International Humor Contest at Division Level last year. Absolutely passionate about public speaking and he takes pride in writing articles that are of value to individuals who are seeking to find their voice in public speaking. You can read more about his articles here: Public Speaking for All

| Article Keywords: Professional Speaker

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Professional Speaker... Public Speaking: Stand Still One of the most common problems I see, even with experienced public speakers, is that they do not seem to be capable of standing still when they should. It is very distracting to try to listen to a public speaking presentation when someone is wandering and swaying around on stage. I have stated in previous articles that you should move at least three steps, in a particular direction, and for a purpose whenever you move on stage. Small to and fro movements during your speaking engagement are very distracting. As we move into a century that will likely include more distance / TV training, keeping still is even more critical when you are speaking in public. When you are on TV or video your movements are magnified. I got a good reminder lesson in keeping still while doing the weather and traffic report for a broadcast station in Orlando, Florida. I was all set to be my highly animated self. They put me at an anchor desk and turned me loose with a set script on the teleprompter. My normal performance looked absolutely ridiculous. In fact, it wasn't even close to being acceptable for the tight shot they used. I had to stay perfectly still with the exception of my head and eye movement and facial expressions. You can practice this at home with a simple video camera zoomed in to a tight close up shot. Either stand or sit and don't move your shoulders and arms at all. Talk to the camera and only allow movement from the neck up. To do an el cheapo simulation of a teleprompter, cellophane tape a script on to the bottom of the lens of the camcorder. Once you master this technique and can convey all your non-verbal information with only head and eye movement and facial expression, you can add small amounts of body, arm and shoulder movement as the video shot gets wider. ...