If you’re trying to improve your public speaking skills, you should study the behaviors of other great speakers. Let’s look at seven traits of a great public speaker—developing these skills will help you begin to hone your craft.

Traits of a great public speaker

Confidence

Confidence is one of the most important characteristics of a public speaker. It’s hard to connect with your audience if you’re timid or overly nervous during your presentation. A certain amount of nervousness may be inevitable, but you need to develop strategies to deal with these feelings.

The best way to do that is with practice—if you know the material and spend time working on your speech, it will be easier to show up confidently. You can also show confidence by maintaining eye contact with your audience, moving around the stage, and using appropriate hand gestures.

Conciseness

Effective communicators know how to get their points across in a succinct way. They know how to speak clearly and avoid confusing their audience. This makes it easier for the audience to absorb and act on the information you share.

One way to be more concise is to break your presentation into smaller chunks of information. Avoid the urge to over-explain yourself, and restate your points using different words.

Ability to read the room

Excellent public speakers are good at reading the room and picking up on the audience's nonverbal cues. For instance, you notice if they seem bored or disengaged during your speech and can adjust your presentation accordingly.

Learning how to read the room takes time because you have to get out of your head first. Stay focused on the audience and the goal of your presentation. Over time, you’ll learn how to read your audience’s micro-expressions and understand how they're receiving the information.

Enthusiasm

People can tell when you’re excited about the topic you’re speaking on, and they can also tell when you’re just going through the motions. Enthusiasm is contagious, so if you’re excited about the information, it’s more likely to rub off onto your audience.

If speaking with enthusiasm doesn’t come naturally to you, this is another skill you can develop. Work on showing enthusiasm in your voice, body movements, and the pace with which you deliver the speech.

Self-awareness

You need to understand your strengths and weaknesses to be an effective speaker. Know what your best qualities are and how you can use these to enhance your presentation skills.

You should also know your weak points and look for ways to minimize them. Great speakers are always looking for ways to improve and make their presentations more engaging.

Authenticity

Authenticity is what allows your audience to connect with you during your speech. If your speech comes across as inauthentic, it will be harder for the audience to trust you and take your message seriously. Focus on being yourself and telling stories that are honest and vulnerable.

Adaptability

No matter how well you prepare for a speech, there’s always the potential that something could go wrong. Maybe your slide deck stops working halfway through your presentation, or you forget what you planned to say.

As a speaker, it’s essential to be adaptable and expect the unexpected. This attitude will allow you to stay calm, focus on the audience, and decide what you’re going to do next.

How to structure a compelling speech or presentation

While the delivery is the most important aspect of any speech or presentation, the content of your speech also matters. A well-structured speech is easy to follow and memorable—it captures the audience’s attention right from the start and presents key ideas in a way that makes sense.

Any speech or presentation has three main parts—the introduction, body, and conclusion. Your introduction should start with a hook that draws the listener in, like a question or story. The introduction also establishes the presentation’s purpose and explains what the audience will learn.

The body of your speech is where you lay out your core message in a logical way. Back up your ideas with supporting facts and stories, and look for ways to make abstract concepts more relatable. Your conclusion reinforces the primary message of your presentation and, hopefully, makes a lasting impression on your audience.

Overcoming stage fright and nervousness

If you’re new to public speaking, it’s normal to experience stage fright at first, but preparation and practice are the only real way to overcome your nervousness. Here are some strategies you can use to build up your confidence:

  • Be prepared: Preparation is one of the best ways to calm your nerves. When you know your material inside and out, you can’t help but feel more in control. Plus, if you lose your train of thought during your speech, it’ll make it easier to quickly get back on track.
  • Practice: Once you’ve outlined your presentation or written your speech, practice it several times before the big event. You can ask friends and family members to watch and give you feedback. And videotaping your presentation can help you identify ways you can improve.
  • Use visualization: Many public speakers use visualization to reduce their anxiety and improve their delivery during the presentation. Spend some time imagining your presentation going well and your audience reacting positively to your speech.
  • Start small: Finally, it’s okay to start with small, low-pressure speaking opportunities. Starting small allows you to gain experience and confidence so you can eventually work your way up to better opportunities.