The 5 P’S Of Public Speaking

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, and to compel.”

If you’ve been asked to give a public speech, you’d know how nervousness and anxiety can get the best of you. Many of us dream of presenting so flawlessly that the audience erupts in a standing ovation but fear of forgetting a line or stumbling on stage can quickly dampen any excitement.

The good news is that, with thorough preparation and practice, you can overcome your nervousness and perform exceptionally well in public speaking.

Just the other day I was having a conversation with my colleague Alex about moving audiences with great speeches.

“I used to get so nervous when I was asked to give a speech”, said Alex.

“You recently gave a powerful speech at the conference. How did you manage to do that?” I asked him.

“It is very simple, a public speaking expert gave me 5p’s of public speaking and it has served me a long way in delivering speeches,” he said.

Pulling from years of public speaking experience, Alex identified the 5Ps of public speaking that you can take to dial down anxiety and stage frights.

1. Planning

Planning ahead allows you to stage and craft a presentation that is creatively engaging, entertaining, and informative. Creating such a presentation is completely possible but it just takes a little bit more planning. Your speech will be most effective if you plan your opening and closing statements and key transitions down to the last word.

For example, organize the speech logically with a beginning, middle, and end. Tell your audience what you’re going to tell them, tell it to them, and then summarize what you’ve told them.

2.  Preparation

Preparations involve knowing your audience, visualizing the surrounding on how the event will look like, then outlining the main topics you’ll focus on, practicing and having someone review your speech, and lastly anticipating questions and answers you are likely to be asked.

3. Passion

The power of passion in public speaking beats the physical mechanics of the speaker. The origin of a great speech is a strong desire to motivate or change something or someone. A person who has feelings of great intensity about a topic has a greater propensity to deliver a powerful message that connects with the listener.

Great orators like Barack Obama had a burning desire to deliver ideas and information that touched people’s lives. His speech left an important mark on the world’s narrative.

4. Practice

Practice is the answer to so many of the worries about poor presentations and the reason so many presentations are great. There’s a good reason that we say, “Practice makes perfect!” You simply cannot be a confident, compelling speaker without practice.

“To feel confident onstage, you need to know your material inside and out. You can also try practicing in front of friends who can simulate worst-case presentation scenarios and offer honest feedback,” Alex suggested.

Practice it plenty of times alone, using the resources you’ll rely on at the event, and, as you practice, tweak your words until they flow smoothly and easily. For instance, you can record yourself using your phone to perfect your speech.

5. Performance

Performance is about engagement with the audience, reacting to issues, and being real. These are valued more highly than being word perfect. Performance is the culmination of the other p’s of public speaking.

“Pay attention to your body language: stand up straight; take deep breaths, look people in the eye, and smile. Don’t lean on one leg or use gestures that feel unnatural,” he advised.

Also, positive thinking can make a huge difference to the success of a public speaking session, because it helps you feel more confident.

Conclusion

An understanding of the importance of each of the 5 p’s of public speaking will transform any piece from just being one of the many average presentations delivered to something of value that will have a lasting impact on the audience as evident with Alex.

Do you also want to perfect your public speaking presentation?

Yes! Join this public speaking training that will do the trick.