from conference rooms to cookouts: how to practice public speaking

A: Lunch-and-learns, fellowship groups, book clubs, and cookouts are this type of opportunity to improve your presentation skills.

Q: What are “low-stakes environments”?

Last week, towards the end of an immersive, full day workshop, we were in the middle of a lesson about speaking with confidence. As the third step of our plan-create-deliver roadmap for a stellar presentation, it’s the part of communicating effectively with data that can feel the most daunting, and also the one many folks are least eager to practice.

Getting comfortable delivering any one specific talk, I was telling the group, is easier with some intentional practice. 

• For instance, it’s helpful to verbalize what you plan to cover while reviewing your full slide deck in thumbnail format. 

• Then, when you have an idea of your main talking points, focus in by going through one slide at a time to find the flow and key phrases within each one. 

• Finally, deliver your talk with the laptop fully closed, as you gain more and more familiarity and mastery of your material. (This doesn’t mean memorizing every word you’ll say; just be comfortable that you’ve got a strong knowledge on the order and themes you’ll deliver from start to finish.)

It was at this point that one of our workshop attendees—let’s call him Lee—said, “That’s great for ONE presentation. But how do we get more comfortable with ANY presentation? How do we build our skills, and our confidence, in public speaking more generally?” 

“Ah,” I replied. “Like anything else, public speaking gets easier the more we do it. But the idea of public speaking causes so much anxiety for so many people that we tend not to look for chances to do it. That’s why we suggest finding low-stakes environments in which to practice.”

“OK,” said Lee, “but what are these low-stakes environments? It never feels like anything at work is low-stakes.”

And boy, isn’t that the truth? Sometimes it can feel like everything is a fifteen-alarm fire with the future of the entire company hanging in the balance. But the good news is that low-stakes environments for speaking in public are all around us.

Low-stakes environments are hiding in plain sight

Here’s your author preparing to host a trivia night on July 4th (hence the red, white, and blue outfit).

Personally, I am a fan of pub trivia. (Or any trivia, really.) Every year I take the Jeopardy! contestant test, I play in LearnedLeague, and over the past year, I’ve started hosting trivia nights in a few places in and around my hometown of Saint Paul, Minnesota. 

It turns out that running a pub trivia game is an excellent example of a low-stakes environment in which to practice public speaking! You have questions and answers provided for you, people are there to play the game so they’re excited, attentive, and upbeat, and all you have to do is hold a microphone and help them have a good time for 90 minutes or so.

Nobody’s going to lose a client or make a million-dollar mistake as a result of your hosting. For me, it’s a perfect low-stakes way to stay sharp, comfortable, and confident in front of a crowd. 

Low stakes environments like this are all around us. They most often come from combining a personal interest with a small, supportive crowd. If trivia hosting isn’t your thing, how about these options?

• Fellowship groups at your place of worship—you could lead a discussion, offer a reading, or just speak up during a group conversation. These are natural, low-pressure spaces to practice talking about meaningful topics.

• Volunteering at libraries, schools, or senior centers—anyone can handle reading to kids, right? You could give that a shot, or help run an event (might we suggest Daphne’s Data Detectives?), or share some of your other experiences. Not only do you get practice, you’ll often be doing so in front of small, grateful groups.

• Joining a book club—A built-in audience! You get to speak regularly on a shared topic, with folks who are interested, supportive, and happy to hear your take. This can be fun even if (especially if) everyone flat-out hated the book.

• Cookouts or parties—Telling a story to a friend at a backyard BBQ? That counts. Any time you’re speaking to a group—no matter the setting—you’re building comfort. And, it gives you a better window into your own storytelling style. What feels natural? How do you use your voice, your body, or your audience in the telling? These are great things to find out as you develop your professional speaking voice.

• Lunch-and-learns at work—Sharing your expertise with coworkers is a great way to get reps in. It’s low-risk and helps you build your voice in a familiar environment, and can bridge the gap from personal-public speaking to professional-public speaking.

If only I had known…

Remember, fellow introverts—here are a few things I wish I’d known back when I was anxious and nervous about public speaking:

• Ask yourself honestly: is the anxiety coming from the act of speaking, or from fear of the unknown? For most of us, it’s the latter. The more chances you take to speak in front of people, the more normal it’ll feel—and the more in control you’ll be. If you prepare, you’ll feel more confident.

• Follow the old coach’s rule: “Practice how you’ll play.” Stand up when you practice if you’ll be standing when you present. Check out the room ahead of time. Give yourself a few minutes to settle in. And try on the clothes you plan to wear—just to make sure they still fit. (Mine seem to keep shrinking...)

• Everyone in the room wants you to succeed. They’re already on your side and genuinely want to hear what you have to say. Repay that goodwill by sharing what you know, with the care and clarity it deserves.

Allow me to close with a lyric from a song I first encountered on the psychedelic children’s program “Yo Gabba Gabba,” featuring the artist “I’m From Barcelona:”

Just because it’s different, doesn’t mean it’s scary
Just because it’s different, doesn’t mean you have to be afraid
Just because it’s different, doesn’t mean it’s scary
New things in life can be great
Try new things

So go ahead, Lee (and everyone)—say yes to that lunch-and-learn, offer to lead your book club next time, or test your mic skills at trivia night. The more chances you take to speak in low-stakes settings, the more natural it’ll feel when the stakes are higher. Turns out, confidence isn't something you're born with—it's something you build, one small, unscary step at a time.