So here I have prepared a few of the tips I give to my clients when coaching, this isn’t everything but I am sure that with this advice you will take your speech to the next level.

Prepare

It sounds obvious this one but, it sometimes depends on how you prepare. Get friends or family to watch and listen to your performance. Make notes but don’t write your whole speech down, If you are lacking confidence then practice more. Your notes can be made up of whatever you want. You can put directions in there also like “Address Audience Left” and “Move Forward” etc. Don’t fall into the trap of just reading what the slide says.

Head Up

Keep your head up don’t find yourself reading your notes. Keeping your head up will help you maintain confidence, but don’t focus on one point look at the back of the room. Your notes are there to be glanced at don’t hide behind them.

Move

If you can,  don’t be frightened of using the whole stage and direct your speech to various members of the audience or areas. The number of people you see stood on a stage twitching because there is something in their brain telling them to move, but they are fighting it as they think they can’t. 

Breathe

Take your time, write your notes and sometimes write (Pause) in them this will allow you to deliver your speech at a more palatable speed. People sometimes rush because they either are worried they might be droning on or just want to get off the stage through nerves. The Stage is yours and everyone is there listening to you enjoy it.

Smile

When it’s needed, of course. I used to speak to people who heard me on the radio and they said they could tell I was smiling when I talked even though they couldn’t see me. If you are happy, your audience will be.

Loud

But don’t shout, your voice will sound a lot louder to you because you are the closest. It’s like singing use your diaphragm to produce your loudest voice. Aim to speak to the back of the room. This is the one that always, gets the younger performers. I find having to make noise in the back of the room while practicing to get them to increase the volume. It’s no good if your audience can’t hear you.

No Alcohol/Or anything Else

In moderation, it’s okay but Dutch courage only exists in the mind. People sometimes think that a couple of pints before a performance will settle the nerves. I have found now that I don’t drink until the end of the performance. I find the celebration is better at the end rather than using drinks to build up the courage. People don’t want to hear you slurring your words or appearing drunk on stage. Trust me I didn’t realize until I stopped drinking on stage.

Don’t Speak INTO the Microphone

So with this one, you might think what! But the mic is there to help you try and just use it as an amplifier that you can control. So many people I see talking on stage holding the Mic like they are drinking a bottle of pop. We want to see you, I tend to speak across the top of the mic If you watch some artists they will talk with the mic by their chest it looks more natural and it allows the audience to see your face. If you can have someone adjust the volume on the desk for you. If there are many speakers at an event, I will let the audio engineer know I can be quite loud so he might need to lower the level if he is not manning the desk lol. I have practiced with mic technique and if I can hear myself I can control the volume by moving the mic. If you can practice with a mic.

Smarten Yourself UP

Yes, this means to tuck your shirt in and pull your socks up, I see a lot of wedding speech videos where the speaker has just let themselves go and they look a mess. By looking smart you will show your audience you mean business and are not a joke. Stand out from the crowd and make the wedding video/photos look amazing. 

Enjoy It.

Even if you are nervous, enjoyment will lessen the nerves. If it is a ten-minute speech it’s your 10 minutes everyone is there for you and wants to listen. The more times you stand up in front of an audience, you will want it more. See my blog post about the feeling here.

So there you have it, never stop learning. I don’t perceive to know everything but I just want to pass on the skills I have picked up from some of the performances over my career so far.