Skip to content
Asian Leader HubPeer recognition and leadership discourse for Asia-Pacific executives

Public speaking tips for executives and founders

Public speaking tips come down to three things: one clear idea, a simple structure and enough rehearsal. Most executives and founders already know their subject. What they lack is a plan for the room. This guide gives you a plan you can use for a board update, a conference talk or an investor pitch.

Start with one idea

Before you write a slide, finish this sentence: "After this talk, I want the audience to understand that..." If you need two sentences, you have two talks.

Chris Anderson, the curator of TED, wrote a guide to public speaking in 2016. Its message is that short, well-built talks can spread knowledge and win people over. It also says there is no set formula, and that the goal is the talk only you can give. So pick the one idea that matters to your listeners, not the one that makes you look clever.

Then cut. A talk that tries to cover everything leaves people with nothing. Ask of each point: does it help the one idea? If not, drop it.

Sources: TED, TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking, book page (ted.com/read); Harvard Business Review, "How to Give a Killer Presentation," Chris Anderson, June 2013 (hbr.org).

Use a simple structure

People follow a talk that has a clear shape. Here is a four-part shape that works for most business talks:

  • Open with a short story, a number or a problem your listeners share. Keep it under one minute.
  • State your main idea in one plain sentence.
  • Give two or three reasons or examples. Keep it to three at most, so each one gets room.
  • Close with the one action you want the audience to take.

For an investor pitch, the same shape fits. Open with the problem. Say what you do in one sentence. Show your proof, such as customers, revenue or a working product. End with a clear ask: how much you are raising and what it will do.

Tell your listeners what is coming at the start, and repeat your main idea at the end. It feels repetitive to you. It feels clear to them.

Rehearse in three rounds

Most people rehearse too little, or only in their head. Try this plan over the week before your talk.

  • Round one: say it out loud with your notes. Time it. Mark the parts that drag.
  • Round two: say it standing up, with your slides, and no notes for the opening and closing.
  • Round three: give it to one or two trusted colleagues. Ask them to tell you the main idea back. If they cannot, your talk is not clear yet.

Always rehearse out loud. Your mouth needs the practice, not just your mind. If you can, rehearse in the room or on the same video platform you will use. Set a time limit that is a little shorter than your slot, because talks almost always run long.

Sources: Harvard Business Review, "How to Give a Killer Presentation," Chris Anderson, June 2013 (hbr.org); Toastmasters International, About page (toastmasters.org).

Make your slides help, not compete

Your slides are not your script. If the audience reads a slide, they stop listening to you. Use one idea per slide and as few words as you can. Use large type, so that someone at the back can read it.

Show pictures, charts or one big number instead of paragraphs. If a chart has many lines, highlight the one that matters. Keep your notes in your head or on a small card, not on the slide.

Many business talks are now given on video calls. Look at the camera when you make your key points, keep your face and shoulders in frame, and check your sound before you start.

Manage nerves and build the habit

Nearly everyone feels nervous before a talk. That is normal. The aim is not to remove the feeling but to use it. Three small habits help:

  • Arrive early and stand in the space. A familiar room feels safer.
  • Slow down. Take a breath before your first line and pause between points. A pause sounds confident, not weak.
  • Know your first minute by heart. Once you are moving, the rest comes easier.

Speaking is a skill, and skills grow with practice. Toastmasters International, founded in 1924, is one well-known group where members practise speaking and get feedback from peers. You do not have to join a club. You can ask a colleague to watch one short talk each month and tell you one thing to keep and one to change.

After each talk, write down what worked. Next time, keep that and change one thing. In a year, you will be a different speaker.

Sources: Toastmasters International, About page (toastmasters.org).

Sources

  • TED, TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking, book page: ted.com/read/ted-talks-the-official-ted-guide-to-public-speaking
  • Chris Anderson, "How to Give a Killer Presentation," Harvard Business Review, June 2013: hbr.org/2013/06/how-to-give-a-killer-presentation
  • Toastmasters International, About: toastmasters.org/about