Six Essential Public Speaking Tips to Boost Your Confidence and Engage Any Audience | Ep. 386

• Tiffany opens by acknowledging she used to be extremely shy and still is in one-on-one settings, but gains energy in front of crowds. She emphasizes that public speaking is a critical skill for professionals and entrepreneurs alike.

I used to be very, very, very, very shy. I still am more on an individual one-on-one basis. But when I get in front of a crowd, I just get this new breath of energy.

• Before going on stage or a call, Tiffany performs power poses such as the starfish or hands-on-hips stance to physically take up space and build confidence. She then opens every presentation with an easy interaction or question.

I do power poses... You pose your body in different ways to make you take up space.

• For large crowds she uses show-of-hands questions; for small groups she invites verbal answers. The goal is a light, easy prompt that immediately captures attention without requiring deep thought.

• Tiffany reminds listeners that the audience wouldn't be there if they didn't believe you were worth listening to. She also notes that only you know your script, so minor mistakes are rarely noticed.

You are the expert on that because they wouldn't be there wanting to hear from you if they didn't think you were worth listening to.

• If a correction is needed, simply say "I misspoke" and move on without losing credibility.

• Instead of trying to connect with an entire crowd, Tiffany scans the room in the first few minutes and identifies 1-2 engaged listeners who are nodding or smiling. She directs most eye contact to these people to create a one-on-one atmosphere.

I might scan the crowd in the first few minutes. And if I see people looking at me, nodding their head... I'll start looking at those people.

• Tiffany advises against wordy slides. She uses minimal text plus visuals, video, or audio. She also incorporates focused stories and examples to make messages memorable while avoiding tangents.

Keep it simple... I have maybe a couple of words just to remind me what I want to say. And then I'll have pictures.

• Tiffany explicitly tells every audience that the session is interactive. She uses questions, jokes, polls, and stories and constantly reads the room to adjust pacing and emphasis based on audience energy.

I always say this is an interactive presentation. So I want to make sure that you all are engaged just as much as I am.

• Tiffany reviews her slides for flow but avoids full scripts or over-rehearsal that leads to robotic delivery. She leaves room to pivot based on audience feedback and encourages recording yourself or practicing with a trusted friend if more rehearsal is desired.

Practice doesn't make perfect, but it makes you prepared.

• Tiffany credits her first job at CVS for helping her overcome shyness through daily customer interactions. She closes with a Ralph Waldo Emerson quote and encourages listeners to try at least one tip in their next presentation.

All the great speakers were bad speakers at first. – Ralph Waldo Emerson