Public Speaking: Useful Tips for Improving Your Speeches

Many people have a fear of public speaking. And only very few really enjoy standing and speaking in front of a potentially critical audience.

Add the extra challenge of doing this in a foreign language and it’s not surprising that the thought of public speaking can cause high levels of stress.

Yet, the ability to speak well in front of different audiences is a key business competence.

In this article, we look not at formal work presentations, but at the difficult short speeches that you may have to make, for example, for team building, to say farewell when someone leaves the company (or when you do) or to accept an award.

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General Advice

There are some generic skills that are required, no matter what type of speech you are giving. Here are five key tips for improving your performance.

1. Say just three things

Although most people are nervous before (or while) giving a speech, it can help to concentrate on just three key points that you want to make.

To remind yourself of these points, write three keywords on a piece of paper that you keep in your hand.

These could be three qualities that define the type of team you want, or three stories about a person who is leaving. Knowing these three key points can help you to control your nerves.

2. Rehearse and rehearse

The great masters of martial arts demand that students practise moves thousands of times in order to build the unconscious competence required for high levels of performance. With public speaking, we should also rehearse many times (at least 20).

The aim of rehearsing is not memorization, but to achieve fluency. And as you rehearse, you should notice that you can be equally effective when using different words or when improvising. You can now relax and look forward to the speech.

3. Connect to key values

Many workplace presentations are about “selling” something: a product, idea or solution. Speeches offer the chance to slow down, be more authentic and connect to others in a more meaningful way.

For example, when someone organizes an event that goes well, you can recognize their contribution:

Last but not least, a big thank you to Carole for all her efforts to make this team event such a success. Teamwork is all about commitment and Carole’s commitment to making this happen has been fantastic.

4. Use real stories

Good speeches generally include great stories, such as anecdotes that recount an experience. These can be funny or sad and relate to success or failure. But the best stories are insightful and personal, yet also universal.

They are a way to highlight and celebrate a common human experience. As you won’t have time to tell many stories during a speech, choose a good one, keep it short and rehearse it before the event:

One story I always remember about Frank, and which says so much about him as a person, is when he and I…

5. Finish strongly

Good speeches need to finish well. This requires the ability to manage one’s timing, to slow down, to pause, to add weight and focus to specific words, and to bring everything to a meaningful conclusion.

One strategy is to direct the final moments to a round of applause for another person, which leads to a natural emotional finale:

So, to finish, can we all give Peter a round of applause for…

Alternatively, you can repeat a “thank you” as a way to create impact in the final seconds:

So, thank you again for the gift. I really appreciate it. Thank you.

Tips for Specific Speeches

In addition to the general advice above, here are some key tips for managing important specific speeches.

1. The team-building speech

Regular meetings with teams, perhaps over a meal, provide leaders with a moment to say a few words to celebrate the past and inspire future performance.

Include these elements if they are appropriate to the situation.

Say thank you. Show recognition of and respect for team members, many of whom will feel overworked and underappreciated.

Celebrate team success. Talk about what was achieved, for the company, the department and team.

Celebrate individual achievements. Make some serious points about what people have done well. You can use humour to comment on failure:

So, Sally, great job over the year. Perhaps one thing to work on is punctuality. I remember Sally missing the Berlin flight and arriving two days late for a meeting [laughter].

Finish with a serious but confident call to action. This can motivate people:

Next year, the financial climate will be very difficult. But we have clear targets. We have a great team of people and I look forward to achieving success with you all. Thank you.

2. Saying farewell to someone

Here are some ideas to help you to create a positive farewell speech for someone who is leaving.

Say thank you. Review the person’s time of service and comment on some specific successes. For example, did the person help to win key customers, introduce an innovation, etc.?

Celebrate positive qualities. These may be of a professional or more personal nature:

John has always been a true professional in his approach to customers. On a personal note, I have always appreciated John’s openness and optimism.

You can support your comments with an anecdote:

I suppose the one story I will always remember about John – and this shows his eternal optimism – was when he locked himself out of his car in the middle of winter and…

Comment on the loss. When talented people move on, they often leave a gap that is difficult to fill:

John’s knowledge of Asia is immense and we will struggle to replace that quickly. We need to build on the great work John has done. But it will be difficult. We will miss you, John.

Close positively. Such speeches often end with the handing over of a gift and a round of applause. Here is an example of how you can do this:

So, John, as an expression of our appreciation, I would like to present you with this small gift. And we wish you all the best for the future.

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3. Your leaving speech

The following tips will help you to create a positive farewell speech when you leave an organization.

Reflect positively. Work experiences can be a mixture of good and bad, and it may not be easy to be wholly positive if you fall victim to a redundancy process.

But the final speech is not the moment to talk about grievances. So try to be fair and positive in your comments:

I would like to start with a thank you to Axcom. The past five years have given me a lot and enabled me to… Also, a big thank you to Alan and the team.

Talk about the future. It is often appropriate to say a few words about your plans:

As you know, I am moving on to a new role in… I’m excited about this because… But I will miss…

Express positive hopes. You can talk about your hopes for those remaining in the organization, and even about your successor, if there is one:

I really wish you all the very best in the future. I think Sam here will do a far better job than I ever did [laughter], and take the team forward in a positive way.

Express thanks. A quick and simple closing, possibly finishing with a toast, can be very effective:

So, thank you again, and here’s to you all.

4. The acceptance speech

Sometimes, we need to say a few words when receiving an award, either personally or for our team or organization. Here are a few tips.

Say that it matters. It is important to make clear that the award is important to you and that you really do appreciate the recognition:

I would like to start by saying a big thank you for this award. It really means a lot to me.

Recognize others. We seldom achieve success alone. Take time to thank others:

There are a few people I need to thank, without whom we/I could not have…

Recognize the wider context. It is not all about you. Take a few moments to share your sense of the relevance of the award to your organization:

I think this award is important as recognition of how our company is trying to…

Express thanks and disappear. Don’t go on for too long. Keep it short and sweet. Finish with a quick thank you and disappear.

Case study: The Speeches

Read through the following case studies. Think about your answers to the questions and then compare your thoughts with the comments in the next box.

Case 1: A colleague is leaving

Frank works in Munich for a global engineering company. He makes a short speech in the office because Pete, an American member of Frank’s team, is moving to become the manager of a new factory in Malaysia as part of a restructuring.

I just want to take a few minutes to thank Pete and to wish him well in his new role in Malaysia. I think we all have very mixed feelings. On the one hand, we wish Pete well with his promotion. On the other hand, we will miss him and his expertise a lot here in the office.
On a personal note, I have really enjoyed working with Pete. It has been hard at times. Pete can be very direct and to the point. But I have always enjoyed our discussions and debates, and they have always been productive. So, everyone, can you join me in a toast to Pete, and to his future success.

What to think about?

How do you think Pete reacted to the speech? Why?
What advice would you give Frank for future speeches? Why?

Case 2: The acceptance speech

Michael is accepting an award for the best use of technology in learning at a conference in London. This follows the development by his team of a new learning app for his company, Hamburg Insurance. Members of his team and senior management, whom Michael consulted before his speech, are also present.

I am very proud to accept this award for Hamburg Insurance. Thank you very much. Hamburg is a great company to work for and this award underlines the commitment that we make to our staff, and to learning, and, of course, to our customers, whom we strive to support. Thank you very much again.

What to think about?

How do you think Michael’s team and the audience reacted? Why?
What advice would you give Michael for future speeches? Why?

Case Study: Feedback

The following comments are provided as food for thought. Different interpretations and advice are, of course, possible.

Case 1: A colleague is leaving

Pete was extremely angry after the speech by Frank. He did not like being called “very direct and to the point”, which he felt was offensive. He thought it was unacceptable for a leader to be so critical in a public context.

Frank – whose words would be acceptable to many people in his company – underestimated the offense he might cause. He thought that a strategy of being honest and yet appreciative of diversity would be considered good practice.

Frank needs to learn that it is important to clarify in advance messages that you intend to deliver in public, even if you do not feel that this is necessary. Had Frank talked to Pete in advance, he could have avoided the problem.

Case 2: The acceptance speech

Michael had discussed both with his team and senior management the idea to keep his acceptance speech very short and to focus on corporate messages at such a high-profile event, where he might be quoted by the media.

His team understood the need for a high level of formality, without the usual messages of individual appreciation.

In general, the other people at the event thought that Michael’s acceptance speech was highly professional. Michael showed best practice by consulting key people in advance.

It might be worth discussing with him the need to be flexible for different occasions, so that he doesn’t always leave out the personal messages.

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A Few Words of Warning

Although much of the advice in this article sounds as if it is universal and will work in all situations, we need to be careful. We know that working across cultures and with different personalities always creates the risk that our messages might become lost or distorted.

For example, in some cultures (such as Japan) it is not appropriate to praise individual team members.

For key speeches, check what you want to say, and how you plan to say it, with a colleague or friend. This will help you to see ways in which your speech might be misunderstood or inappropriate – and will be an invaluable investment.

And now, get ready for your speech…

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