Public speaking and presentations

OPENING (45 seconds):

1. Greet: 'Good morning everyone.'

2. Hook: ask a question, share a surprising fact, or tell a 20-second story.

3. Introduce yourself: 'My name is X, I work in Y.'

4. Outline: 'Today I will cover three things: A, B, and C.'

MIDDLE (most of the time):

Each point: state it, explain it, give an example, transition to the next.

CLOSING (45 seconds):

1. Summarise: 'To recap, we covered A, B, C.'

2. Call to action OR final thought.

3. Thank: 'Thank you for your time.'

4. Invite questions: 'I'm happy to take any questions.'

SLOW DOWN. Most learners speak too fast when nervous. Aim for 130 to 150 words per minute. Slower than you think feels natural.

PAUSE. After important sentences. Pauses give the audience time to process. Pauses also make you look confident.

VARY YOUR PITCH. A monotone voice puts people to sleep. Go up at the end of questions, down at the end of statements.

SMILE. Even a tiny smile changes the energy in the room. It also calms your nerves.

BREATHE. Take a deep breath before starting. Take small breaths between sentences.

1. Pause after the question. (Shows you are thinking.)

2. Restate the question if it was unclear: 'So your question is whether X...'

3. If you do not know the answer: 'That is a great question. I would need to look into that. Can I get back to you?'

4. If a question is hostile: stay calm. 'I see your point. Let me address it.'

5. Never lie or make up an answer. Honesty wins respect.

Engaging: 'How many of you have ever...?' 'Imagine for a moment that...'

Signposting: 'Moving on...', 'Let me give an example...', 'As I mentioned earlier...'

Emphasising: 'The most important thing is...', 'If you remember only one thing, remember this...'

Closing: 'In summary...', 'To wrap up...', 'My final thought is...'

Q&A: 'Great question.', 'Let me address that.', 'That's something I'd love to discuss further offline.'