Four Steps To Sharpen Your Public-

Speaking Skills
Carmine Gallo
Senior Contributor
Leadership Strategy

Step 1. Define specific goals.

Ericsson said setting specific goals is the key to improving at any skill. For example,
‘Getting better at golf’ is a vague ambition. ‘Shaving five strokes off my handicap’
is specific. Making twenty 3-foot putts in a row before I end my practice is even
more specific.

In public speaking, establish a specific goal for your practice. For example, today
you’re going to get through the first five minutes of your presentation without
looking at your notes. And you won’t stop practicing until you nail it.

Step 2. Focus practice time.

The way you organize your practice makes a difference, according to Ericsson.

Schedule your presentation rehearsal with as much commitment as you would put in
for an important meeting. If your energy is highest in the morning, set aside
uninterrupted time before noon to run through your presentation. Make it a
priority.

Step 3. Seek feedback.

When I wrote the first book on how Apple co-founder Steve Jobs delivered
presentations, I devoted an entire chapter on his rehearsal strategy. Jobs

practiced his iconic product keynote presentations dozens of times, weeks ahead
of the launch.

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Here’s the key. Jobs always performed in front of a small audience of executives
or partners. He delivered a section of the presentation, pause, lower his voice, and
ask for specific feedback on every slide and every line.

Step 4. Step out of your comfort zone.

"If you never push yourself beyond your comfort zone, you will never improve,”
Ericsson wrote.

Most people who say they’re not ‘good at public speaking’ simply don’t do it enough.
And they might not put in the hours required to excel at the craft because fear
holds them back.

Step out of your comfort zone. It’s okay to start with baby steps. Practice your
presentation in front of your

dog (Don’t laugh. Bestselling author Tim Ferriss did it). Step it up in the next
practice by asking a friend or peer to watch your presentation. Next step, take it
to small group, followed by a larger one.

Ericsson said deliberate practice wasn’t always supposed to be enjoyable. If

practice doesn’t stretch you and make you uncomfortable, it’s not going to help you
improve.

To get better at any skill, repetition alone isn’t the solution. Deliberate, focused
practice with feedback is the key to getting from where you are today to where
you want to be.

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