I often hear people talking about improving their public speaking skills. Of course, part of that is because I’m a Toastmaster, and public speaking lies near and dear to a Toastmaster’s heart. But what does it really mean? In my mind, the word “public” indicates that it is about something anybody could come and listen to. There might be a fee included, but the aim is the general public.

I don’t believe that is true for most of us. I would say that we target most of our presentations and speeches  at very private and closed audiences. I’m thinking, colleagues at work, your manager or your (hopefully) future employer. None of that qualifies as public speaking in my book, and it is most definitively not a conference keynote speech. As a matter of fact it shouldn’t be. Each presentation and each speech have specific goals in mind, and reaching that target audience is one of those goals.

Does that mean that we can’t learn from the great keynote speakers? Of course we can learn from them! Anybody who is a skilled keynote speaker must be a skilled communicator. And that is what all presentations and speeches are about. Communication. To get your message across to your audience.

Each setting and each situation has its own unique approach, but there are some time-tested techniques that will make your message clearer in the mind of your audience. That is why I always attempt to learn from the best. Would you like to join me in becoming a better communicator?