What are some effective techniques for developing a clear and concise speaking style?
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Clear and concise speaking is a valuable skill that can help you communicate your ideas effectively and persuasively. Whether you are giving a presentation, a speech, a podcast, or a video, you want to avoid confusing, boring, or overwhelming your audience with unnecessary or unclear words. In this article, you will learn some effective techniques for developing a clear and concise speaking style that will make your message stand out and resonate with your listeners.
Before you start speaking, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and who you are speaking to. Your purpose and audience will guide your choice of words, tone, structure, and examples. For example, if you are speaking to inform, you might use more facts and data than if you are speaking to inspire. If you are speaking to a technical audience, you might use more jargon and acronyms than if you are speaking to a general audience. Knowing your purpose and audience will help you tailor your message and avoid irrelevant or inappropriate content.
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Philip Wilkerson III, M.Ed
Higher Education Professional | Podcast Creator (Positive Philter)| Career Development Enthusiast | Writer| Passionate About Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | Public Speaker| Proud GMU 💚💛 and JMU 💜💛 Alum
I have a note on my phone with my “go to” stories. When I think of a story or topic, I write it down with a few bullets to support that story. When it is time to craft a formal speech I refer to my list of “go to” stories and work on the timing of that story based on the audience I am talking to and the time I have allotted to the speaking engagement. My style has developed over time with practice and repetition.
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Nelly Miles
Director of Public & Governmental Affairs at Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI)
Wrap your message around 3 to 5 main points & use personal stories/examples to supplement the main points. The audience is interested in learning & connection. Emphasizing key messages allows your audience to easily digest information.
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Maria Malik
Corporate Speaking Coach for Introverted Leaders | Communicate More Effectively With Your Team | Excel at Impromptu Speaking | Deliver Impactful Presentations | Book Free Consultation ⬇️
Your pace is one of the most important things when you are trying to speak clearly and concisely. Control your pace and you will control your message.
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Once you have a clear purpose and audience, you need to plan and organize your content in a logical and coherent way. You can use an outline, a mind map, a script, or any other tool that helps you structure your ideas. A good structure will help you avoid rambling, repeating, or skipping important points. A typical structure for a clear and concise speech consists of three parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. In the introduction, you should capture the attention of your audience, state your main idea, and preview your main points. In the body, you should develop your main points with supporting evidence, examples, or stories. In the conclusion, you should summarize your main points, restate your main idea, and end with a call to action or a memorable statement.
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Scott Conwell, FAIA, FCSI, LEED AP
Architect | Influencer | Champion of good design and qualified labor. My feed contains inspiration and education on tile, stone, masonry, and terrazzo on behalf of BAC craftworkers and contractors.
I try to put myself in the place of the audience when it comes to organizing and delivering content. Audiences appreciate a roadmap: they want to know here the speaker is taking them, what's the general route, and when will they will arrive at the conclusion. Yes, content is key, but how it's organized and delivered impacts audience experience even more.
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James Prince
Strategic Partnerships @ Borrowell
The model my grandfather, an OG Advert sales guy (think Madmen), taught me that always works: 1) tell them what you are going to tell them (agenda, overview etc) 2) tell them (deliver the content based on the agenda) 3) tell them what you told them (do a summation based on the important points)
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Nathan ⚔ Hill
Tilted Bench | Villains
Find what makes you a more engaging speaker. I struggle to convert a written script to compelling speech. I find myself reading and feeling disengaged from the audience. On the other hand, when it's a subject I know well, an outline gives me structure and protects me from chasing rabbits down their holes. It guides me through the essential points allowing me to naturally explain them as I go.
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One of the most important techniques for clear and concise speaking is to use simple and precise language that your audience can easily understand and remember. You should avoid using complex or unfamiliar words, long or convoluted sentences, filler words, vague or abstract terms, or unnecessary modifiers. Instead, you should use words that are common and familiar, sentences that are short and direct, pauses or transitions instead of filler words, concrete and specific terms, and strong and active verbs. For example, instead of saying "The utilization of this methodology resulted in a significant enhancement of the performance indicators", you could say "This method improved the results".
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Rachel Madryga, MCM, MUD, MARCH
Diversity & STEM Program Manager| GPCP|Empowering Diversity in STEM | Building Bridges for Inclusive Innovation| Triple Masters| Data Driven & Community Focused| Educator | Forever Learner| DEIA Champion | Public Service
Story telling and being relatable can help convey a message and build trust with the audience. Moments of eye contact can also be enhanced with appropriate hand gestures, movement.
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Craig Griffin
Founder and Consultant at Griffin Group
100% yes to simple and precise content and delivery. As a massive fan of the KISS Principle - Keep it Short and Simple, this makes for the best way of sharing knowledge and information and providing value to people.
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Andrew Poje, OLY
Olympian | Keynote Speaker | Professional Executive Coach & Consultant
There are many effective techniques for developing a clear and concise speaking style. No matter the pathway you choose, your best ally will be repetition. Confidence creates clarity, and through repetition, you gain confidence. The repetition also shines a light on convoluted sentences. You gain valuable feedback if you need to repeat or clarify your thoughts often. This allows the opportunity for you to alter your language and come up with more effective and efficient word pathways for your needs.
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Another technique for clear and concise speaking is to emphasize key points and messages that you want your audience to remember and act on. You can use various methods to highlight your key points and messages, such as repetition, signposting, vocal variety, gestures, visual aids, or stories. For example, you can repeat your main idea or your main points at the beginning and the end of your speech, use words like "first", "second", "finally" to signal the structure of your speech, use changes in pitch, volume, speed, or tone to emphasize important words or phrases, use gestures to reinforce or illustrate your points, use slides, charts, images, or videos to support or clarify your points, or use stories to make your points more engaging and memorable.
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Rebecca Loto
🚀 Business Strategy | Mentoring | Workshops | 🏠 Property Investor | 🎤 Co-Host Cornwall PIG (Professional Investment Group) | 💙 Ocean lover
The most important part of a speaking gig is actually to not talk! The power of pausing after asking a question or making a big statement is hugely powerful.
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Dakotah Torres
Help Desk Analyst | Aspiring BDR @ RE:WORK TRAINING ┃NQ Day Trader
In this aspect, the importance lies in your tone, variations in your speech rhythm, and the pace at which you deliver your words. If you're familiar with music or musical notation, you'll understand the significance of modulating your tone, adjusting your pace, and conveying emotions. In my notes, I often include "musical" notations to guide me on when to accelerate or when to alter the pitch of my voice.
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Theresa Ribeiro
Making sure your special occasions are memorable, fun & unique! Founder of Ribeiro Ceremonies. Public Speaker. Writer. Values: Connection, Community & Authenticity
Taking a pause is so important in public speaking. It helps gather your thoughts, draws the audience back in and gives an air of confidence! Top of my list for advice when people ask for speaking in public tips
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The final technique for clear and concise speaking is to edit and practice your speech before you deliver it. Editing and practicing your speech will help you identify and eliminate any errors, inconsistencies, or redundancies in your content, language, or delivery. You can edit your speech by reading it aloud, recording it and listening to it, or asking for feedback from someone else. You can practice your speech by rehearsing it in front of a mirror, a friend, or a camera, or by using a timer, a teleprompter, or a speech app. Editing and practicing your speech will help you improve your confidence, clarity, and conciseness.
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Chris Hoina
Senior Product Manager @ Oracle
Record yourself presenting and then rewatch it. You’ll pretty quickly see the areas that “hit” or “fell flat.” It’s painful, but effective.
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Giovanni Stella
Country Director @ Google | MBA, New Business Development | Advisor, Investor | @giostella on X
Practice, practice, practice. Follow these steps: 1. Write down your script. Do it, then leave it there. Give it a night. Go back to it the day after, edit adn adjust it. 2. Read it out loud. Hear yourself and your voice as you read it. Feel your speech. 3. Start practicing it. Do it as many times as possible, until you know your script so well that you don't need to look at it nor read it. You will feel more and more confident as you gain complete control over the speech. 4. Adjust pauses, tone, gestures, jokes. Don't leave anything to chance. 5. Go on stage, and kill it!
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Craig Griffin
Founder and Consultant at Griffin Group
My personal approach does not lend itself to being overly rehearsed, overly practiced and polished as opposed to a style that is a genuine discussion that is authentic, sincere and engages and connects with people. There is no problem with improving, refining, tailoring and evolving either content or delivery as long as it remains honest, believable and lands with the audience.
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Alexander Oturu
Southwest Zonal Coordinator, NCFRMI (The Presidency) | Migration Management | GIS Analyst | Online Media Strategist | Content Writer | Communications
Relatability is one sure fire way to endear you to your audience. So, as much as you can, find out what you can about your audience and find an authentic point of convergence between you and your audience. Don't fake it, because half the time, they can tell. If you are indeed authentic, it warms them up to you, and you will have the leeway to present your presentation to a welcoming audience.
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Joe Augustin
Helping you master presentation skills - So you can be the best version of yourself, on stage, on-line and in person.
Don't be afraid to use MANY slides. As long as each of them says ONE thing clearly and SUPPORTS what you say rather than replacing the need for you as the speaker.
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Itto Outini
Fulbright Scholar | Steinbeck Fellow | Writer | Public Speaker | Entrepreneur | Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief at The DateKeepers | Author of the Memoir Blindness is the Light of My Life
Clear is always important, but concise is not always important or desirable. People respond to narratives. The more they know about the character, and the more they're drawn into the story and start to identify with the character, the more likely they are to respond. If you try to boil your story down to its essential message in the name of conciseness and end up cutting out important narrative elements along the way, you haven't actually made your presentation better.
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