Ask HN: What are ways to improve public speaking? - xcoding
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pmdulaney
You will reach your audience best if your tone communicates competence and
humility in equal measure.

If you've ever been an athlete you know how much energy you receive from the
spectators. The same is true of public speaking, though it doesn't seem like
it at first. Even after a few times out you will discover that the audience
makes your mind sharper and your talk better. That's why rehearsing your talk
to a friend by way of practice often backfires -- that one person can't
replicate the energy of a full audience. That's why I do a mental rehearsal
rather than speaking it out loud.

Let your enthusiasm be contagious, but don't adopt a gee-whiz "Isn't this
amazing" TED talk persona.

Don't aim for JFK gravitas unless you're speaking at a funeral or maybe your
daughter's wedding. Watch Pete Buttigieg speak in the Democratic debates. He
is overall an excellent speaker and a master of tone.

Be sure to totally master your intro; that will give you confidence and get
your audience on board. Remember, they WANT you to succeed because it is
almost as painful to listen to a floundering speaker as it is to be a
floundering speaker.

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downerending
I benefited from a public speaking course in college, and I've heard that
ToastMasters is great.

Somewhat surprisingly, I discovered in that course that it's far easier to
talk about something I know and care very little about. Not sure what to make
of that.

