Public Speaking

Speaking in front of a group of strangers can be a daunting task but is something that Officers must do, they have to be able to stand up a speak with clarity and confidence. For some this comes naturally but it might not be so natural for others. This page contains a mixture of videos and advice to help you develop your public speaking skills.

For inspiration towards the bottom of this page are some great speeches that we would recommend to watch and study to improve your public speaking.

To improve your public speaking skills you must practices. In his youth Winston Churchill practiced his public speaking by reciting famous speeches in front of a mirror. After 80 years his speeches are still known throughout the world, if he practised in front of a mirror why don't you?

1. Know your audience.

Ask your self why AOSB are asking you to stand up and speak - what is it that they are looking for?

2. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse.

Nothing becomes muscle memory unless you practise relentlessly. Rehearse giving short talks to family, friends or the dog!

3. Practise with distractions.

Once you know the content, add a little bit of distraction to test how well prepared you really are. Turn on the TV or rehearse where there is other background noise. Anything that adds a little more challenge.

4. Practise in front of a mirror.

Practising in front of a mirror is a good way to learn the proper amount of body motion, hand usage and facial expressions. Alternatively use your phone to record yourself so you can play back and look for ways to improve.

5. Take every opportunity to speak.

The only way to get better at anything is to do it all the time. Rehearsing is good, but nothing compares to actually getting up in front of an audience and doing it for real.

6. Practise body language and movement.

Remember, communication is much more about tone and body language than the words we say. The words of course matter, but emphasis comes with movement and body language. Develop your body language, use pauses and vary your pitch, rhythm and sentence length so you make impact.

7. Slow down.

Nothing shows nerves more than racing through your presentation. If you want to impact the audience in a meaningful way, make sure they actually hear what you are saying.

8. Make eye contact.

This one is very important, and it doesn't matter how big the audience is. Make eye contact with as many people as possible. It makes the audience members feel like you are speaking directly to them.

9. Know your material.

Identify a number a key areas from your CV that you may be asked to speak about because of interest level or their obscurity. Practise talking about these areas as there is a strong chance one of these may come up; have a number of key facts that you can call upon and be prepared to take questions from the audience. The questions you get may be directly or indirectly related to the subject matter at hand so know your subject well.

10. Take pauses.

Similar to slowing things down, make a point to take pauses. It can have a great impact on emphasizing key points and emotionally connecting to the audience. However, do not over do this as you only have a short time to speak.

14. Practice tone and projection.

Don't just eek your way through a speech using the same tone and volume. Tone and projection add a layer of entertainment and help keep the audience fully engaged from start to finish. These too must be practiced religiously.

15. Use humour and emotion.

It doesn't matter what you are talking about, there is always a place for a little emotion or humor, or both. Remember - the audience may not remember everything you said, but they will remember how you made them feel.

Examples of Great Speech's

Watch these greate speach's and think about what makes it a good speach.