Speaking is one of the most effective route to influence. Effectively utilizing speaking opportunities is a sure way to grow and climb the ladder of influence, however short the duration is. I have had people ask me “How Do I Become A Better Speaker?” In a 5-part series, I will show you how to enhance your presentation skill.

But first, there are 3 myths you need to burst about public speaking:

1. You don’t have to be highly famous or have millions of followers to be a speaker
2. You don’t have to possess a foreign accent to be an excellent Speaker
3. Nervousness is not a sign that you are not good enough to be a Public Speaker

To be a better Speaker than you are right now, you must have the desire to be one and you must practice continually to improve your game.
To have an accent is good, to speak clearly and effectively is better. That should be your aim.
There are 5 steps to improve your speaking prowess and I’ll start with the first one in this post.

PLANNING AND PREPARATION
Having a message is the first step in being able to stand before any audience to speak. Even a Stand-Up Comedian has something to say!
Having a message you are not comfortable with and that you do not have expertise in, is a great way to fry yourself before your audience. Your message is often an offshoot of your life experiences (either positive or negative) and can arise from your work experience, relationship, life experience, transferred knowledge etc.

Once you have the message selected, you need to have a plan or strategy on how you want to share your message. You need to put your message in a sequence that is easy to follow and understand by your audience. Have the end goal in mind before deciding the sequence; that way you are able to determine what part of the story is surplus to requirement and what part will help deliver the goal.

A message well delivered is similar to an oven-fresh meal delivered to your belly
Lace your message with ingredients such stories, anecdotes and jokes that are appropriate for your audience.
Your aim for a presentation most times is to teach applicable or actionable knowledge. Knowledge capable of causing a transformation when implemented. That is when a presentation is said to have hit the bull’s eye

As part of your preparation, you should anticipate possible questions and comments in advance and prepare responses in advance. That way you can be in charge of the presentation and not be caught off guard.

Being able to plan and prepare adequately before any presentation is vital to becoming an awesome Public Speaker. Which renowned Public Speaker comes to your mind as you read this? Someone you respect his/her delivery; know that such a person has developed competence in the art of planning and preparation.

In the continuing part of the series, I will show you how Practice is key in developing your skill.