How to become a dynamic speaker

How to become a dynamic speaker can be difficult. I​f you have a crippling fear of public speaking, don’t worry: you’re not alone. In fact, it’s one of the most widespread fears out there, ranking as the most common phobia in the world. For many people the fear of public speaking is actually stronger than the fear of death!

Unfortunately, for many people, this can close off a lot of career opportunities. Being a dynamic speaker is a hugely valuable skill set, and it can open a lot of doors for you. There are very few careers that can’t be given a boost by developing your public speaking skills. From giving presentations to small groups to starting a side hustle as a lecturer, being a dynamic speaker can completely alter the trajectory of your career.

F​ortunately, anybody can become a dynamic speaker. With a few tips and tricks, and some practice, you can easily improve your speaking skills. Here’s how to become a dynamic speaker:

How To Become A Dynamic Speaker

I​t may seem like the best public speakers are just gifted with a special talent, but the truth is that public speaking is a skillset that can be developed and honed just like any other. Here are the best tips on how to become a dynamic speaker:

Prepare

I​f you want to be a dynamic speaker, one of the most important things to do is to prepare. You know how all of your favorite speakers make their presentations seem so effortless and natural? That’s preparation. Well-prepared speakers can seem like they’re just winging it, but when a speaker is actually winging it, their presentation is terrible.

C​omedians are a great example of this. The best comedians put together a show that’s effortlessly entertaining, feels fresh, and that seems like it comes straight from the heart. Those comedians spent countless hours preparing that show, rehearsing the jokes, and obsessing over the wording and the timing.

T​he amount of preparation you put into your speech or presentation determines the quality of your speaking. This is at the core of how to be a dynamic speaker- prepare, prepare, prepare. In fact, it’s meticulous preparation that allows dynamic speakers to be dynamic. Because they know their presentation backward and forward, they can edit on the fly if they need to, and they can throw in a joke here and there.

Here’s how to prepare your speech to be a dynamic speaker:

• Know your audience. Who’s listening? Why are they listening? What are they there to hear? You’re going to have a hard time keeping people interested in what you’re saying if you aren’t aware of what the audience wants to hear.
• Know your message. You’d be shocked at how many people put together presentations that are painstakingly researched and rehearsed, and never bother to actually figure out what their message is. Lost of people can get up on a stage and talk for an hour without ever actually saying anything. Figure out 3-4 main points you want people to remember, and eliminate anything in your speech that doesn’t support those points.
• Write a throughline. A throughline is one sentence, around 14 words long, that can summarize your entire talk. One of the best ways to be a dynamic speaker, and give speeches that people actually remember, is to use a throughline. It focuses your presentation and ensures that there’s a clear, easy to remember message. The trick is that you actually say the throughline in your speech, sometimes more than once.
• Rehearse. Practice your speech relentlessly. Time it, so you’ll know if your speaking too fast or you haven’t written enough material. Practice it until you no longer need to look at your notes or outlines, and then practice some more. Nothing is going to give you more confidence when you stand up to speak than this kind of practice.

Humor

W​e can’t tell you how to be a dynamic speaker without mentioning humor. That’s because it’s difficult to become a dynamic speaker without using humor. That said, a lot of people, in an attempt to be a dynamic speaker, overuse or misuse humor, and it kills their presentation.

So, here are some tips on how to use humor to become a dynamic speaker:

• Make sure your jokes connect to the topic. Telling random jokes isn’t going to help you here. A lot of people make this mistake when they aren’t used to public speaking, and they open their presentation with a bunch of jokes that have nothing to do with their topic. It’s a clear signal that they’re nervous and are trying to break the ice and settle themselves down, and audiences know it.
• Less is more. The other common mistake people make is using far too much humor. It’s definitely fun to get people to laugh, and it feels good when you’ve got an audience that’s laughing with you the whole time. The thing is, if you use too much humor, the humor is all that people will remember, and your message will be forgotten. Using too much humor is a prime example of how not to become a dynamic speaker.
• Remember where you are. Don’t tell dirty or inappropriate jokes in a business setting. Keep it clean and inoffensive. Nobody likes the guy telling jokes that make everyone uncomfortable.
• Don’t make fun of the audience. You can make fun of yourself, and you can make fun of situations. You cannot make fun of the audience. You’ll only alienate them, and that’s not how to be a dynamic speaker.

Use Your Voice

O​ne of the most important skills you can develop to become a dynamic speaker is using your voice properly. The worst thing you could do is stand up in front of a crowd and speak is a monotone the whole time. No one is going to pay attention to that.

Here are the best tips for using your voice to become a dynamic speaker:

• Learn to project. Your voice should be loud and clear, and nobody should have any trouble hearing every word you say. But you also can’t yell the whole time. Obviously, if the audience is big enough, you’ll have a microphone, but even then you’ll need to be able to project your voice to properly use it. Projecting your voice increases the volume of your voice without yelling. It will take some practice, but it’s a necessary step if you want to become a dynamic speaker.
• No filler. Never, ever, say “uh” or “um.” Every word out of your mouth should be relevant to your topic. If you need a second to remember what you planned to say next, just pause- silence isn’t a bad thing, your audience will actually appreciate it. It give thems space to process what’s already been said and helps improve the overall flow of your presentation. Plus, these pauses are never last as long as you think they do.
• Modulate your voice. Speak louder when you want to emphasize a point. Speak quieter when you want to really draw the audience in. Do the same with your tempo- some parts of your speech will work better with a fast tempo, and others should be slower. Dynamic speakers will develop an instinct for these things over time, but while you’re still learning how to be a dynamic speaker you’re going to need to put a lot of thought into it.
• Speak slowly. One of the best pieces of advice on how to become a dynamic speaker is to slow down. Speak so slow it feels almost unnaturally slow. When you’re nervous, you speak quickly. When you speak quickly, people can’t understand you. To become a dynamic speaker, slow yourself down- if you’re nervous, speak so slow it feels unnatural. If you do, it’s likely you actually be speaking a normal pace, and it will only feel slow to you.

Eye Contact

T​his one often comes as a surprise, but one of the keys to becoming a dynamic speaker is maintaining eye contact with your audience. This doesn’t mean staring intently into people’s eyes- rather, as you look around your audience, you should be looking into everyone’s eyes.

T​his is a way for you to show respect to your audience- which will make them want to listen to you- and it’s also a way to hold their attention. People are naturally more interested in what you have to say when you make eye contact with them. It’s one of the little things that many people ignore, but which can really help you to become a dynamic speaker.

Pick A Style While Speaking

O​ne of the best ways to become a dynamic speaker quickly is to pick a particular style for your speaking, and stick to it. There are several styles you can use to become a dynamic speaker:

Emotional

This probably doesn’t mean what you think it means. We aren’t talking about you getting choked up or teary-eyed while you speak- although there are definitely times when that’s effective. Instead, we’re talking about appealing to people’s feelings and using that to keep them engaged and focused as you talk. This is easier with some topics than with others, but it can be applied to any topic effectively.

T​he key is to create a bit of an emotional roller coaster, going from negative to positive and back again. An easy way to do this is to find stories about people which relate to your topic. Before you tell yourself there are no stories like that about your topic, remember that this is what marketers do all the time- every ad you see plays on your emotions. If an ad agency can figure out how to connect to people’s feelings when talking about paper towels, you can do it with whatever you’re talking about.

J​ust be sure your talk ends on a positive note. After you’ve taken your audience on a big emotional journey, you want to be sure they leave happy and inspired, not sad and depressed.

Energetic

This is especially useful if your topic might seem a bit dull to others. To be clear, we’re not suggesting you should be forcing a high energy level throughout your talk- nobody likes it when speakers do that. It’s clearly artificial, and very offputting. Instead, you’re going to modulate your energy level throughout the talk, varying from slightly less energetic than normal to slightly more.

I​t’s that little bit of difference that keeps people interested. You’ll primarily express this through your voice, so it’s good to practice your voice modulation, including both volume and tempo. However, your body language also matters, too. Try rehearsing your talk in front of a full-length mirror so you can easily see the differences in your body language and present yourself as more or less energetic.

T​his is actually a fairly subtle way of becoming a dynamic speaker, and it can take a bit of time to really master it. Once you do, though, you’ve got a very powerful tool at your disposal that can help you to be a more dynamic speaker in virtually any subject.

Make it a performance to be dynamic

It’s not for everybody, but if you have the ability to make your speech a true performance with entertainment value, go for it. This includes things like adding music, poetry, and high-end visual media or performance art. It’s really only suitable to those who are already talented in some of those areas, and it requires a LOT of preparation. It’s a great way to be a dynamic speaker, but it’s not for everyone and it’s certainly not necessary.

Humor

We’ve already mentioned humor as a good way to become a dynamic speaker. Some people are able to adopts this as their primary speaking style, incorporating much more humor into their talk without sacrificing their message. This can be tricky to pull off, but when done well it’s remarkably effective.

Conclusion on how to become a dynamic speaker

L​earning how to be a dynamic speaker gives you an impressive skillset that can really take you places. Potential employers like having someone around who can really hold an audience’s attention, and there really are very few businesses that don’t need someone to give a good presentation from time to time.

W​hat’s more, once you become a dynamic speaker, you’ve got a whole new marketable skill that can help you branch out in ways you never thought possible. The skills you develop as a dynamic speaker can be applied to any topic, so once you’ve become a dynamic speaker you aren’t limited to whatever your current career is.

P​lenty of people who’ve become dynamic speakers actually left their original job and now do public speaking, in the form of lectures or motivational talks, full-time. They tend to make a lot more money that way, while also having a much more flexible schedule.

A​s long as you remember and use the tips we’ve given you in this article, you’ll become a dynamic speaker in no time. We’ve given you a lot of information, so we recommend referencing this article throughout your speech preparation so you don’t forget any of these vital tips on how to become a dynamic speaker.