fbpx

Peek Inside My Public Speaking Toolbox

Public Speaking Toolbox Trevor Ambrose

Every craftsmen knows, you’ll never get the job done unless you have the right tools. Let’s assume you have all the other necessary ingredients: knowledge of your topic, passion, commitment to your audience, a strong message, and solid preparation in terms of organizing your material.

What else do I need for my public speaking success? To reach the next level of powerful communication for more memorable speaking, your must have these tools for public speaking.

Here is a sneak peek inside my speaker’s toolbox collection of components I think are necessary to be an influential speaker. I consider each of them a valuable tool for going beyond the everyday and becoming exceptional in terms of speech performance.

Video camera.   You may hate seeing yourself on video; but you still need to make this powerful tool your friend. Seeing yourself the way others do. You’ll also find the before-and-after aspects of your performance to be a confidence-building endeavour! All top platinum speakers record themselves. But Trevor, I don’t have a video camera. Use your mobile phone or tablet. Look at your body language if run the risk of making them planned and mechanical. Use it instead to observe your facial expressions. Audiences gain a wealth of information from what your face and the expression in your eyes are showing. Learn whether your face is sufficiently expressive. If you’re stone-faced when you speak, start to bring facial expressiveness into the act. Learn to smile at certain points.

Audio recorder.   Use an app on your laptop mobile phone, or a digital voice recorder. Your voice is the most flexible tool you own for public speaking, and you need to make it a central part of your performance repertoire. Inexpressive voices not only makes audiences fall asleep; they also diminish the impact of important points, which should sound like they matter. In telephone conversations and phone conferences where visuals are absent, your voice is much more critical to your success as a speaker. So remove those visuals yourself and use a voice recorder to improve. This is really an important tool to use to help you with expression. I still do this frequently to hear if my passion and emotion can be felt with my voice.

Straight-backed chair.   Some of the important conversations and presentations you’ll be involved in will take place while you’re sitting. The elements of body language and non-verbal communication are not any less important in these situations. Practice sitting up straight, with your backside off the back of the chair. Place your hands on the table, one on each side of your notes or handouts (don’t place your hands in your lap or clasp them so that they form a barrier). Lean 5 degrees forward to show you’re interested in the discussion taking place. Learn not to shift around too much in your chair as this is shows you are uncertain of yourself.

Lectern.   It’s one of the two public speaking obstacles people stumble over. I call them The Devil’s Tools (the other is PowerPoint). A worthwhile piece of furniture for holding speaking notes or blocking your shaking legs, the lectern is, without doubt, a physical barrier. Come out from behind it occasionally if that’s possible, but at the least avoid grasping the edges with white knuckles. Most importantly, practice backing up a step and gesturing naturally. I sometimes practice in the office by standing behind my chair and placing my notes on the backside of the chair. A tip is to use stiff note cards that are A5 in size.

LCD projector.   You need to become familiar with two aspects of LCD projectors: the audio connection if you’re showing anything with sound and the cables involved for visual projection. (If you’re a Mac user, you’ll need adapters for a VGA or HDMI connection.) If you speak a lot, you should own your own projector in case your venue does not have one. And by all means, familiarize yourself with the “Magic B-button” when you’re using PowerPoint.

Hand-held microphone.   There may be times when a microphone is necessary, because of the size of the room, and you’ll be handed one just before you begin. That is, not every host organization will have a lectern microphone or lapel microphone. When I coach clients that needs to give speeches, we often practice using a hand-held microphone because that’s what will be provided at the reception. Get an inexpensive model for your toolbox and become comfortable using it. Tip: do a sound test prior to the audience arriving. Also make sure you keep the microphone in front of your mouth while you are speaking and turning. Practice with a microphone.

Water.   Your voice box and throat need to be adequately hydrated. If you have speech anxiety, your mouth will dry up like a desert. Get in the habit of sipping water in your practice sessions. You can even use water strategically! When you’re asked that bear of a question and your mind is screaming “How do I answer that,” take a sip of water, which will give you that precious few seconds of thinking time you need. Tip: do not use a bottle with a cap while you are speaking. Rather have a glass of water that is easier that opening a cap every time you want to take a sip.

Silence.   Yes, put this in your speaker’s toolbox. You can’t see it although you and everyone else can hear it, but it’s one of your most powerful speaking tools. You need to deploy it for three reasons in particular: (1) to allow the important thing you just said to be absorbed, (2) to build anticipation, and (3) and to keep you speed and pace at 130 words per minute. I’ll let all that sink in for a moment. Tip: Read an article out loud and focus to speak with punctuation. Purposely pause. Use you 2nd tool – audio recorder and listen if you actually pause long enough. Most people say it feels like a life time, but when you listen to yourself you will notice it is only 1 – 2 seconds and you sound better.

Master each tool on your journey to become a powerful public speaker.

Other related articles.
Trevors Tips n Tricks
we will email you free tips in the future
Trevor Ambrose
5.0
Based on 224 reviews
powered by Google
Roy Walley
Roy Walley
20:56 21 Nov 23
Boyd S
Boyd S
12:05 21 Nov 23
Best sales psychologist in the World!
Alex Portelli
Alex Portelli
03:26 17 Nov 23
Tony Ewing
Tony Ewing
21:00 15 Nov 23
Great Telesales training from Trevor!! Thank you!
Mohammad Burhan Al Rashid
Mohammad Burhan Al Rashid
05:29 01 Nov 23
Trevor is an exceptional public speaking trainer, and I can't recommend him enough. I have had the opportunity to attend his training and his expertise, guidance and practical techniques were invaluable in helping me overcome my fear of public speaking and significantly improving my communication skills.
Shaun Manne
Shaun Manne
04:41 27 Sep 23
Trevor, your Psychology of Sales online training was fantastic! Id give 10 stars if i could. You definetly did your homework on everyone that was involved and included everybody and their business on a personal level throughout the 4 hours. I would 100% recommend everyone do this course if you'd like an edge over the competition. Thanks for a great day. PS I forgot to ask how much the microphone was! 😉
The Butels
The Butels
22:30 11 Sep 23
I attended Trevor's Telesales training yesterday and was Very happy with the course. Trevor was very knowledgeable, extremely well spoken, did not lose the group for a minute and went out of his way to help everyone on the course. I would not hesitate to recommend Trevor to anyone.#epicpublicspeaker
Bendpro
Bendpro
05:17 17 Aug 23
Trevor Ambrose was the keynote speaker for our 2023 Bendpro Team Day. His insights on teamwork and adopting a “green mindset” & staying “above the line” were eye-opening. This has transformed the team’s perspective for the better. Trevor’s presentation was thought-provoking and relevant to our needs. His stories are relatable, meaningful, and really show you that you can achieve anything you set your mind to. He kept our team engaged both in the presentation and in the activities. His training is priceless and as a company we would use his services again. Thank you for inspiring us to become a stronger unit. We look forward to applying what we learned in our daily work.
Nadine Freitag
Nadine Freitag
23:45 30 May 23
BGL has worked with Trevor a few times over the years and we highly recommend his workshop and online training for groups or individuals.The feedback was very positive and he has helped our employees feel more confident with public speaking and presentations.Thanks Trevor!
Fergus Pocock
Fergus Pocock
22:43 10 Mar 23
It was great to have the opportunity to join Trevor for one of his training courses in Belfast today 2023/03/10, I can fully recommend his training programs.Many thanks Trevor, regards Fergus.
Michael Taylor
Michael Taylor
16:28 10 Mar 23
Great content. Really practical advice and content that we can bring directly into our business. Trevor delivers a fun and practical classroom. Highly recommended
Gillies
Gillies
11:35 22 Feb 23
Trevor, thanks so much for yesterday's session, I must admit I am always a little skeptical of training in sales, there are so many different opinions about various methods and theories but your content was different, it was a real breath of fresh air. Thanks again.
Antonio Alegre
Antonio Alegre
04:00 07 Feb 23
Thank you Trevor Ambrose for such a great session last week at Hidrive. We thoroughly enjoyed your Sales Psychology training. Fantastic tips and lots of fun...We all got a lot out of it. Thoroughly Recomended your work. Cheers Antonio
Paul Lombard
Paul Lombard
18:34 15 Oct 22
I thoroughly enjoyed the session and can see how relevant the skills Trevor explains are for business, as well as everyday life. There are some simple changes to implement immediately, but otherwise a concerted effort is necessary, with much to work on. Working on these skills will improve oneself immensely. Trevor is truly a master and has a very relatable demeanor. I definitely recommend Trevor's course for marketing and sales, and will jump at another opportunity to learn more from him!
W H
W H
10:30 16 Sep 22
Completed Psychology of Sales course with Trevor yesterday, still processing the volume of great content. Excellent presenter, very engaging and informative, highly recommend to anyone looking to enhance their business and/or personal development. Thank you Trevor!
Janelle Doberstein
Janelle Doberstein
21:22 11 Aug 22
Super training. Trevor you were so captivating and have so much knowledge. I loved every second and look forward to what your training will bring to our companies in the future, once we put in place what we have learnt.
Tyler Barnes
Tyler Barnes
12:16 10 Aug 22
Cracking sales coach! Worked with Trevor for four hours and he has hugely helped build up the confidence of the sales team at our business. Working on soft skills and the psychology of selling has been massively helpful for us as a company, I can see us coming back for more.
Joel
Joel
21:28 14 Jul 22
Trevor was a fantastic speaker and teacher. I learned more in 4 hours with him then I have in hours and days of training with others.He is very positive and interacts with the people listening by getting them to answer questions , or get them to actually to the activity , not just have everyone watch. Highly recommend. Would love to do more courses with Trevor.
Ken Fooks
Ken Fooks
09:14 12 Jun 22
The Psychology of Sales Course was very instructive, enlightening, I found it confirmed what I am experiencing in a Sales role ,Dealing with customers on a daily basis.I will certainly look forward to more excellent content from Trevor.Trevor is an inspiration to all ,understanding the needs and feelings of a Person in a Sales role.Many Thanks Trevor and Team.Ken - SCVA.
Oz Donk
Oz Donk
07:26 05 Apr 22
Trevor is a very inspirational trainer in sales, and well worth attending any of his classes, or getting him into your business if you can. It's certainly not just "head knowledge" with Trevor.
Cameron Cavey
Cameron Cavey
00:45 25 Mar 22
Trevor's course was well presented and taught me alot about structure and presentation.Well worth doing his courses
Victoria Houen
Victoria Houen
05:47 08 Mar 22
Excellent, simple and clear information.Loved it. Learned so much.So many spice jars in my rack now 😉☺️
Jethro Buchner
Jethro Buchner
14:25 23 Sep 21
Very engaging and so many golden nuggets to take away and implement.
Jennae Evans
Jennae Evans
22:04 04 Aug 21
absolutely amazing coaching! super motivational and interesting to hear some new tactics... thanks trevor!
See All Reviews
js_loader

Share This

Select your desired option below to share a direct link to this page.
Your friends or family will thank you later.