5 Engaging Public Speaking Tips from Today's Most Influential Female Speakers

Public speaking is a great way to spread your message and expertise with the world. But, the principle of it - going onstage in front of a room full of strangers - can be quite daunting, and rightfully so. In fact, The Book of Lists ranked “speaking in front of a group” as number one on the list of the 14 worst human fears. 

While the reasons that speaking can be daunting are different from each person, a common concern is how to keep the audience engaged in what you have to say, because nothing is worse than peering out at a crowd of glazed-over eyes and stifled yawns. 

A surefire way to stop stage fright is by engaging the audience throughout the speech. An engaged audience is likely to give a speaker a gust of newfound confidence, both for their current talk and any consequential talks. There are a number of ways to revamp your speech to ensure that the audience gets engaged quickly, and remains engaged throughout the duration of the talk. Today’s most influential female speakers share their tips for capturing the audience’s attention from start to finish.

1. Waste no time in engaging the audience with humor or vulnerability. Whereas many speakers opt to talk about their successes or teach the audience, the best way to establish trust with an audience is to open with vulnerability, humor… or a bit of both. Laughter loosens up a crowd, and sharing a vulnerable story puts the speaker on heart level with the audience. As Adam Grant wrote in an opinion piece for Knowledge@Wharton, the people who make the best impressions aren’t aiming to impress others. They’re focused on connecting with others.  

Professional speaker Haley Hoffman Smith has spoken at places such as Harvard and TEDx, and always opens with the same story that touches on both humor and vulnerability. "I've found that, when approaching an audience, it can take a bit to establish a relationship with them,” Hoffman Smith reflected. “So, I begin all of my talks with a hilarious, high-energy story about a past speaking engagement gone wrong, that ultimately led to the creation of my false lash company. Jaws drop, everyone laughs, and most importantly: everyone gets to know me quickly, so they're invested from the start in what else I have to say.”  

2. Employ the “sandwich method” when constructing your talk. It’s a popular statistic that stories are 22 times more memorable than facts, as quoted by Quantified Communications. But, many struggle with knowing how to balance stories with a talk’s main thesis. 

Jess Ekstrom is the founder of Headbands of Hope and spoke at 57 events last year alone. The advice she shares in her speaking course, the Mic Drop Workshop, posits the “sandwich method” as a strategy for engaging the audience while also delivering a message. 

“In order for people to absorb information or believe it could be them, they have to be able to identify with the speaker and relate to them. Your bread is your message, your meat is the supporting story, then hit them with the message again to top off your point,” she says.

3. Be vivid and deliberate in how you say your most powerful points. If you’re rushing through your memorized content, it will be challenging for the audience to fully absorb all of what you’re saying. Instead, be deliberate about how you choose to say each important point in your presentation. Slowing down and emphasizing certain words will make the points more powerful to the audience. 

We can take a note from the playbook of Oprah Winfrey for this tip: when she accepted the Cecil B. deMille Award at the 75th Golden Globes, she captured audiences all across America with not only her beautifully written speech, but how she spoke it. 

“Each of us in this room are celebrated because of the stories that we tell, and this year we became the story,” she stated with gravity, emphasizing the words “celebrated” and “we.” The way she navigates every bold sentence in the speech is with a careful deliberation; a performance rather than the way we speak in conversation. It encourages the audience to pay deeper attention, taking in what she most wants to be heard. Practice your most powerful sentences and points within your speech, and experiment with different, slower ways of saying them for enhanced emphasis.

4. Include the audience in the conversation. In a Forbes article, contributor Kristi Hedges shared research that “91% of listeners at business presentations admitted to daydreaming.” To make sure that the audience is engaged and focused on what you’re saying rather than their daydreams, creating opportunities for audience participation is a must. 

Speaker Laureen Flynn said, “Most people want to participate and be heard, so interpose a question or common that elicits answering emotion or a reaction from the audience. That way, it feels more like an exchange than a lecture.” The best speakers ensure that a talk is educating and engaging an audience, rather than just talking at them. 

5. Don’t be afraid to be yourself! Finally, a common mistake many speakers make is forgetting to show their true personalities because they take their talks too seriously. Being onstage can be scary, but the audience is there to hear what you have to say and to get to know you. The mother of holistic medicine Dr. Gladys T. McGarey is now 98 years old and continues to speak year round. A couple of years ago, she was scheduled to give a keynote, and took a tumble on the way onto the stage.  

“As I was being introduced, I began walking with help to the stage. I let go of my escort’s arm and began climbing the steps. My foot caught and I went sprawling across the stage,” she shared in a conversation. “I wasn’t really hurt, so I got to my feet and stood at the podium to give my talk. I realized my audience looked a bit traumatized so I sought to reassure them.  My opening remarks were, ‘I’m such a drama queen!’ The audience immediately stood and gave me a standing ovation with belly laughter.” 

She shared this final public speaking tip for the ultimate engagement: “Make sure you take your authentic self to the podium and not some romanticized impersonation of yourself. Remember, you have been invited to speak because they want you there. They want to hear what you have to say. You are the expert.” 

You have something important to say - heed these tips, get out there, and share your powerful message with your sure-to-be engaged audience.