Speeches: The Golden Rules
- Victoria Hogg
- Oct 23
- 3 min read
Well hey there, friends. |
You’re looking gorgeous today, did you know that? And you smell great, just sayin’. 😊 If you’re feeling stressed about a pitch or speech you’re giving soon, there’s a few simple techniques that can help get you to a place of calm, curiosity and connection - which happen to be just three of our ‘Sail the Seven C’s’ module. This is a simple, effective and science-backed set of practices to get you where you want to be with your presentations. Giving a presentation can be overwhelming. It’s so much easier when you chunk your speech into smaller steps - reminding us of the old adage: “How do you eat an elephant?” “One bite at a time”. If you’d like a 1-2-1 with us to discuss further how we can help you, please get in touch. We want you to succeed! |
The Golden Rules of Public Speaking
TRY IT OUT: 💘 Our weekly tip or trick - from applied improv to you.
Say What It Is… aka Point & Name
Try this alone or in a group to throw yourself into a less ‘judgey’, more creative, divergent-thinking headspace.
1. Walk around and point at real objects in your space, saying out loud what they are: eg. “wooden chair” “striped curtains” “ceiling tiles” “blue vase” “metal door handle” etc. Simple! (45s-1m).
2. Same - but say nothing for the first object. When pointing at the second object, say the first one you pointed at. You’ll always be one object behind (Less simple! Give yourself permission to reset if it gets messy). (45s-1m).
3. Walk around for the third time and when you point at an object, say anything that it isn’t. “A block of cheddar cheese!” “A map of Paraguay!” “My conscience!”. Fun! (1m-90s).
What to reflect on: Did you slow down? Which round was easiest? Did you get into a themed list on the third round?
Run this activity if you need to ‘get out of your head’ / be creative.
“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any” Alice Walker, Pulitzer-prize winning author
Something internal…
👹 Know Your Inner Gremlins
Common problem: You start from a place of fear – imposter syndrome, perfectionism, or “I’m not that kind of speaker.”
Golden rule: Get curious, not critical. Applied improv invites presence beats perfection. Acknowledge your fear, name it and keep going anyway.
Try this: Before your next presentation: say one word aloud that describes how you're feeling. Then exaggerate it with ridiculous physical gestures, going larger each time. Hopefully you'll laugh and it’ll help you to loosen up.
Something authentic…
🎤 Authenticity Over Authority
Common problem: You slip into “presenter voice” – over-rehearsed, robotic, and distant.
Golden rule: Let them meet the real you. Audiences connect more deeply with vulnerability than perfection. Improv helps you drop the mask and speak human-to-human.
Try this: Before you speak, ask: “How would I explain this to a friend over coffee?” Start there.
“Your body communicates before your mouth opens” Patti Wood, body language expert
Something agile…
🎭 Rehearse AND Leave Room to Play
Common problem: You over-prepare and sound stiff or you under-prepare and ramble.
Golden rule: Rehearse with flexibility. Applied improvisation teaches you to hold a shape, not a script.
Practise enough to trust your flow – then let the moment breathe. Magic often lives in the unexpected.
Try this: Rehearse your presentation using an improvised theme or two. What if your talk was a love letter? A weather report? You’ll doubtless uncover phrasing that pops.
Best of luck! Let us know how it goes!
Vic (and Paul)
