Thread by @SahilBloom

Most people place public speaking ahead of death on a list of their greatest fears...

12 strategies to make you a more confident public speaker:

Avoid Memorization

People memorize speeches to avoid screwing up. Ironically, memorization often has the opposite effect.

When you memorize, one tiny slip can throw you off.

You only know it one way, so you're unable to adapt.

It can make you appear distant to the audience.

Instead of memorizing the speech, focus on a few key moments.

Perfect the opening line, transitions, and closing.

When you nail these, you create momentum—with the audience and yourself.

It instills a confidence you can build on.

Manufacture these small "wins" that compound.

Study the Best

Identify 3-5 speakers you admire. Go on YouTube and find videos of each one delivering a speech.

Study them:
• Structure
• Cadence
• Movement and gestures
• Audience connection

By analyzing the best, we naturally move to embody the traits we've identified.

Strike a Power Pose

A "power pose" is a stance that embodies a feeling of power—standing tall, arms spread and raised.

There is (contested) science that suggests it actually creates confidence.

Before your next speech, try it: stand tall, arms spread—feel that power.

As mentioned, the science around power poses is quite hotly contested.

Personally, I swear by it.

In my own experience, it has a real effect—even if it's psychosomatic.

At my first job, before every big presentation, I'd find an empty room and spread my arms wide.

It worked.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Find every opportunity to practice—both for a specific event and for the skill more broadly.

When practicing for a specific event, start by doing it in private to remove the fear.

Use your phone to record and watch your performance.

More broadly, find alternative ways to hone your craft.

If you're at an event in a small group, use it as a chance to improve.

Join an improv class! I've had several friends do this—it sounds like a low-risk environment, plenty of fun, and a huge boost to your speaking skills.

Find the Anxiety Killers

There are always a few people in the audience who are prone to smiling, nodding, and engaging positively.

At the beginning of your speech, find them.

If you ever start to feel the tinge of nerves, turn your gaze to them to get a jolt of confidence.

Play the Lava Game

Kids play that game where parts of the floor are lava that you can't touch.

During a speech, I like to think of my pockets and torso as lava—I can't touch them.

This forces you to get your arms away from your body, gesture broadly, and embody confidence.

Slow Down to 0.75x

When nervous, our natural tendency is to speed up—to get to the end faster.

Fight it: Think about trying to speak on 0.75x speed.

Pause and breathe—the best speakers have long, dramatic pauses. Use them as a chance to take a breath and gather yourself.

Engage the Audience

You can dramatically reduce the tension in a room by creating action.

Ask a simple question, survey the audience, request they do something.

Find a way to get the audience active.

They'll feel more alert and you'll find a more welcoming environment.

Storytelling Structure

The best public speakers don't deliver a speech—they tell a story. They take the audience on a journey.

Create a storytelling structure that is familiar and easy to follow.

It's often helpful to be clear and explicit about that structure upfront.

Storytelling expert @nancyduarte coined the “what is vs. what could be” framework.

First, describe the reality (“what is”).

Next, describe the potential future (“what could be”).

This framework forces you to create contrasts to craft a captivating narrative for the audience.

Move With Purpose

Pacing around the room or stage like you're on the phone with your middle school crush isn't helpful.

Take slow, methodical steps.

There are people who move to move—and then there are people who move with intention, who are going places.

Be the latter.

Never Self-Sabotage

When you're feeling nervous or uncertain, there's a tendency to self-sabotage.

We tell the audience we're nervous, we make fun of ourselves, we make ourselves small.

Don't do this.

It's ok to be vulnerable, but there's a line.

Cut the Fear

We have a tendency to hype up our fears.

Always remember: the worst case scenario really isn't that bad.

Plus, the audience is generally rooting for you, too!

They place themselves in your shoes, so they want you to do well. They're on your side.

"There are two types of speakers: those that are nervous and those that are liars." - Mark Twain

It's ok to be nervous—you're certainly not alone!

But it's time to fight back.

Give these strategies a shot—I guarantee they’ll make you a more effective, powerful public speaker.

So those are 12 strategies to make you a more effective, confident public speaker.

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And don’t miss the latest episode of our podcast, where we went deep down the rabbit hole with @morganhousel on insecurity as an edge, the absurdities of forecasting, and more. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whe…

I see some people disagree with the point on avoiding memorization.

I’m open to counterpoints, but I think for most people, rote memorization leads to more issues.

It certainly has in my experience.

Using professionals like Jerry Seinfeld as a counterpoint is misguided, IMO.

Memorize the key opening, closing, and transitional lines.

My advice: Practice a ton, but let it flow (instead of knowing every single word and being thrown off if you miss one).