Strategies for Effective Public Speaking as a Consultant

Public speaking is the 2nd most common fear in the world... Only behind death. Think about that. People would rather face snakes, sharks, and even their own mortality before getting on stage in front of a crowd. And yet… public speaking is one of THE most valuable skills you can develop for your career, your confidence, and your ability to inspire others. Here are 4 tips I use to simplify public speaking: 1️⃣ Prep with bullets, not a script - Start by outlining 3-5 main points you must cover. Think of them as road signs guiding you through the talk. - Under each point, jot down 2–3 supporting bullets (a story, a stat, or an example). - Rehearse flowing between the bullets... not word for word, but concept to concept. - Practice enough times so you can explain each point naturally, even if phrased differently every time. 👉 The goal isn’t perfect recall... it’s confidence in your structure so you can speak with flexibility, not rigidity. 2️⃣ Record → Review → Refine - Open Zoom, start a solo meeting, and hit record. - Deliver a 3-5 minute version of your talk. - Watch it back with a pen in hand. Circle filler words like "um" and "like." Note your pacing... are you rushing? Are you monotone? 👉 Treat it like watching game film... you’re not critiquing you, you’re refining your performance. 3️⃣ Progressive exposure (small room → bigger room) Step 1: Share your talk with one trusted friend. Step 2: Deliver the same talk to 3–5 colleagues. Step 3: Volunteer to lead a short update in a team meeting. Step 4: Say yes to a small group presentation. Each step deliberately stretches your comfort zone, but in a controlled way. By the time you’re on a stage, your brain has learned: “I’ve done this before.” 4️⃣ Pull your audience in Public speaking isn’t just giving a speech. It’s building a conversation. A few ways to do it: - Ask simple questions: “How many of you have felt ___ before?” A show of hands immediately creates engagement. - Use audience examples: Call out a relevant situation they know well... “For the marketers in the room, you’ll recognize this pattern…” - Tell a story, then pause: Give them space to reflect. Silence is powerful... it lets the audience lean in. - Acknowledge their reactions: Smile when they laugh, nod when they respond. It reminds them you’re there with them, not just speaking at them. 👉 Connection turns a one-way presentation into an experience people remember. 💡 Bonus Tip: Join Toastmasters International. It’s a nationally renowned public speaking program with local chapters in every city. I was a member for 4 years, and it completely changed me... from someone terrified of a crowd… to one who is confident on that stage. Public speaking isn’t about perfection. It’s about connection. And the crazy part? The very thing you fear could become the skill that unlocks your biggest opportunities. 🔥 Your turn... what’s the single tactic that’s helped you most in overcoming the fear of public speaking?

I never set out to be a public speaker but somewhere along the way it became a big part of my work. In that time, I've found a four-part framework that is effective for teaching in a memorable way. I call it the four S's. Most public talks start with some version of “It’s great to be here.” That’s exactly when people start checking out. If you want to speak in a way that actually sticks, try this instead. 1. Surprise Start strong. Say something unexpected, provocative, or even a little weird. The brain is wired to notice novelty—don’t waste the first 30 seconds on pleasantries. 2. Story Once you’ve got their attention, don’t give them a thesis—give them a tale. People think in narrative. Stories are how we’ve made sense of the world for thousands of years. 3. Stats Now that they’re leaning in, show them the receipts. Back your claims with data, studies, or vivid real-world examples. Credibility matters—but only after curiosity. 4. “So what?” Inspiration is nice, but application is better. End with a clear, compelling takeaway that answers the question: What should I do with this information today? Hope this framework helps a bit the next time you're asked to get in front of a crowd!

I don’t consider myself to be a speaker so much as a learning facilitator. I really appreciate a well crafted presentation where you can tell how much the person has prepared to serve their audience. Here are some of my lessons I’ve learned along the way to becoming a more effective public speaker that might not seem as obvious. 1. Storytelling - the AUDIENCE is the protagonist of the story (not you). A good story isn’t just about being “entertaining” or “charming”. Winning over an audience isn’t about making them think “gosh, he’s really great.” It’s about being able to serve their needs by providing insight into their journey that they might’ve missed on their own. The best compliment a person can give me after is “you really made me think.” 2. Don’t worry about the people who are ignoring you. It can really derail you to start focusing on why a person isn’t paying attention, or why they’re not laughing at your jokes, or why they seem upset. You have NO idea what’s going on in their heads. Move past it, and find the people who are engaging and stick to them! You don’t need 100% of the audience to engage. You need the engaged members of the audience to get 100%. 3. The master storytellers do most of their work in the editing room. Cut slides, cut words, cut superfluous stories, and cut, cut, cut until you have distilled the most essential parts of your story. It takes COURAGE to purposefully not connect all the dots but rather give enough context so your audience can connect the dots. (They’re part of the story, this way.) 4. Ruffle a few feathers. We worry so much about being likeable that we end up playing it too safe to ever hope to be remembered. Attack ideas but never people. Challenge ingrained thinking by putting the audience in the position of the potential change maker. 5. Humor is a secret weapon. It can bring people back in when you’re sidetracked. Self-deprecating humor can help build rapport or trust. It relaxes people just enough to keep their interest. But remember you’re not just there to entertain. Jokes have to drive the bigger point. Study comedy - in particular the rules of improv. There are basic comedic structures (just google them). Don’t repeat tired old, stale jokes the entire industry uses. Use relevant and appropriate humor to drive the story forward. Even if you don’t plan on being on stage or in front of your industry’s peers, you are likely presenting to people in some way pretty frequently. A microphone isn’t about amplifying your voice. A microphone is about helping your audience to better hear. A lot people won’t get what I mean by that, but I’ll tell you what. That epiphany TRANSFORMED the way I approach speaking gigs, content writing, leading meetings, and much of my communication mindset. 🎤 💜