Mark Cohen, Metlife, on How to Become a Better Public Speaker

Public speaking can be intimidating for many people, but regardless of your industry and position, it’ll be something you have to do at some point in your life. If you’re in any kind of management role, you need to be comfortable speaking to a group of people of varying size at any given time. Even entry-level workers may need to make a presentation to a group or work on a project with coworkers and then present it to management or other colleagues. Improving your public speaking skills is beneficial no matter where you work; you never know when it’ll be useful.

Practice ahead of time

The best way to improve your public speaking is through practice. If you know you have a speaking engagement coming up, plan out what you’ll say beforehand and then actually practice the speech. A phrase on paper may not translate as well when spoken; record yourself as you do the speech and play it back to look for any awkwardness, fillers, or other issues you can improve.

Engage your listeners

If you want your speech or presentation to be successful, you need to engage your audience. Tell interesting stories and find ways to relate to them. Let your passion shine through as you speak and show your listeners why they should care about what you’re saying.

Work on body language

Your words might be great and your voice strong, but if you present yourself as closed off and uncomfortable, it’ll be difficult for people to follow what you’re saying. You want to hold a strong stance and keep your arms and legs uncrossed. Standing up straight and keeping an open posture helps your voice project; you’ll feel and sound confident.

Utilize pauses

Far too many people make the mistake of attempting to fill the time in their speaking where they’d usually pause. The last mistake you should make while speaking publicly is using fillers such as “like,” “uhm,” or “yeah.” Instead, simply pause as you think through your next point and what you’re going to say. That pause adds greater impact to what you’re saying and makes you seem professional.

Limit visual aids

Some people think that using visual aids enhances their speech or presentation. A visual aid can be useful, but it’s important to make sure that you do not rely on it too much or put all your information there. You want to have some key points or helpful visuals, but avoid relying on a slideshow with everything you’ll say on it; you’ll end up just reading from the slides and no one wants to listen to that.

Keep it simple

While you’re speaking, keep your message simple. If you’re talking for more than a couple of minutes, it can be difficult to pay attention that entire time. Avoid getting too technical with what you’re saying and remember who your audience is. Working through points and then summarizing them at the end can be helpful.

About the Author

Mark Cohen is a financial professional who has previously worked at BCG Securities and Metlife. Mark has extensive experience working as a financial advisor and enjoys being able to help others successfully manage their personal finances. He feels that working in finance provides a challenging environment where there are constant developments and changes. Mark Cohen has enjoyed great success in his career and achieved much at the various companies he's worked at, including building a talented team of investors, being recognized in the top one percent of financial advisors in the country, and being recognized in the top 20 of advisors throughout the country.