Daniel is a 20-year-old psychology student from Kent who has done public speaking all around the UK including London, Birmingham, Manchester and Dublin. He has spoken at numerous events and has developed a public speaking platform called Chronos Kairos to expose young people to different pathways they can pursue to encourage them to discover their gifts and talents.
Because Daniel is an experienced speaker, Worth of Mouth interviewed him to find out the best way to deliver a speech so you can too become a great orator.
Tip 1 – Before speaking:
Daniel likes to prepare before public speaking events by grounding himself by making sure his mindset is steady. He says it is natural to feel nervous before speaking and you will always feel anxious though the best way to overcome this feeling is to neglect any doubts and tune this anxiety into excitement. Positivity will make you thrive.
Furthermore, all the emotions you are feeling; nobody can see them – many people don’t even realise that you are nervous!
“It is important when delivering a speech to think about what the audience want to hear rather than what you want to say.” Daniel said. What he means by this is to make whatever you are saying make it relatable so people can feel what you are saying.
Public speaking is a service and you must deliver content that is relevant to your audience otherwise you have not fulfilled the task. When you are speaking you are speaking about something more than just yourself.
Nevertheless sometimes it is not about what you say, it is how you say it. Daniel suggests when planning a speech only design the frame, not the whole structure. “Only have speaking points for what you want to say, or you may risk your speech coming across unauthentic. You do not want to sound like you are reading a script.” Public speaking requires room for improvisation, and it is imperative to be mindful of your audience’s reaction and adapt accordingly.
Tip 2 – During speaking:
Daniel’s advice is to not be afraid to take pauses. “Pauses are actually more powerful than speaking because when people hear silence, they listen.”
Taking a few seconds to think and reflect on what you said is only going to enhance your speech. Pacing yourself whilst you speak will allow the audience to hear every word. Don’t rush.
One of the best points that Daniel said if you ever forget your words is to ask the audience a question. Many people forget when they are doing a speech it is to interact with their audience and the best way to do that is to do this directly. Audience participation will help you bounce off of their answer and get back on track whilst still seeming confident and in control.
Tip – 3 After speaking:
Daniel told us that after you speak you will never feel fully satisfied with the outcome because you always think you could have done better. You may have forgotten a point or stumbled over a word but for the audience this is the first time they have seen it so if most of it went well, it probably did! Do not beat yourself by trying to rehearse the perfect speech, what matters more is the impact that it has had.
Whenever Daniel speaks he avoids worrying about how well he has spoken and focuses on feeling grateful that he had the opportunity to share his story, knowing that no one’s story is more or less greater than his.
Additional Tip! – When Vlogging:
Daniel says its harder to speak to a camera than a live audience because there is no one to bounce off. It is hard to know if the video recorded is impactful or not until after is it released whereas with an audience in front of you, you can engage with them and adapt yourself so you are more likely able to give an effective speech
Daniel has worked with Samuel Fashaskin who has also been interviewed by Worth of Mouth and says sometimes it is the person behind the camera that is more important than the camera. It is important to have someone you trust to record you and you are comfortable around so when you are recording it flows better and they are able to give you direction.
Follow Daniel and his success through his Instagram @danielagboola_
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