How anyone (yes, even you!) can learn to public speak

Do you know someone who sparkles on stage or at the front of the room; someone who finds just the right words and never seems the slightest bit nervous? Maybe you are one of these dazzling unicorn people - lucky you! 

The reality is, however, that the vast majority of us are not. Or at least, not yet. A 2023 YouGov survey identified that 57% of women have some anxiety around public speaking and 39% of men. And yet speaking in front of an audience is a common part of so many jobs or traditional settings, like team meetings, or telling a story to a group at a party. 

One common reaction when we don’t feel comfortable public speaking is to disassociate it from our core identity: “I’m not someone who can do that” or “I’ll never be a public speaker”. But there are very few things in life that don’t take a bit of learning and practice, so why would we expect public speaking to be any different?

Here are six top tips to ease you into your new skill.

Establish your why 

What would it mean to you to be a confident public speaker, both in your personal life or professional life? Would it unlock certain doors for progression, or help you feel more relaxed and confident in group settings? Visualise the rewards, and it will make it easier to stick with your goal when some inevitable discomfort creeps in. 

Embrace a growth mindset

Repeat after me: public speaking skills are not something you’re born with. You absolutely have the tools you need to learn, practice and flourish. But like with any skill, practice is the only way to make this happen. You’re going to have to push past some nerves and get stuck in. 

Find a safe space

Practice doesn’t mean going straight in at the deep end. Start small by practising a short story in front of a friend or family member (excruciating, yes; but useful). Even this will start getting those nervous sensations flowing, so it’s a great exercise in gradually building up your tolerance. There are also brilliant communities set up for people looking to learn and practise public speaking. Look up your local Toastmasters group, online or in person. Everyone is in the same boat, and you’ve got nothing to lose if your first attempt isn’t perfect. And, spoiler alert: it won't be!

Make it meaningful

Set yourself a milestone that you really care about, like a wedding speech for a loved one, or an important presentation to secure a dream project. While you don’t want your early practice runs to be so high stakes, this target will mean you stay motivated and accountable to keep progressing. 

Time to prepare

While it often looks like confident speakers leap onto the stage and speak off the cuff, this is usually a carefully cultivated performance. It’s far more likely that they are carefully prepared (whether that’s through years of experience, or meticulous planning). “TED Talks” by Chris Anderson is a fantastic book with practical ways to prepare what you’ll say and what sort of notes you might want to use. Just remember, anyone you see on the TED stage has been extensively rehearsed, critiqued and coached to deliver that slick speech you end up seeing on YouTube - so set yourself up for success, and put the time in to prepare too. 

The final countdown

We can put so much thought into the speech itself that we forget about what comes immediately before or after. Nobody wants to be racing into that presentation from another stressful meeting, or jumping up to give the wedding speech worrying that they’ve got food in their teeth. Plan in some space immediately beforehand to steady yourself. That might be time alone to breathe, stretch and do a last run-through, or a relaxed chat with a trusted friend to get warmed up.

Do the same afterwards to burn off the last of that nervous energy, holding time for a quick walk around the block or taking a few breaths to re-centre yourself. And remember to celebrate your achievement too before you head straight into the next thing - you did it!