Public Speaking Tips Anyone Can Implement (Stop Mumbling)

You don't need a TED Talk stage to destroy your career. You are doing it every Tuesday at 10:00 AM in your weekly team update.

Most professionals treat internal meetings as "low stakes." They slouch. They ramble. They preface every idea with an apology.

This is a strategic error.

Every time you open your mouth at work, you are auditioning for leadership. If you sound unsure, you will stay exactly where you are. If you sound authoritative, you become undeniable.

You don't need talent. You need tactics. Here are three changes you can make by tomorrow morning.

1. Kill the Word "Just"

"I just wanted to check in..."

"I just think that maybe..."

"I just have a quick question..."

Stop it.

"Just" is a permission-seeking word. It is a verbal apology for your existence. It signals to your boss and your team that you feel intrusive.

Delete it from your vocabulary.

Instead of "I just think we should try X," say "We should try X."

The sentence means the same thing. But the first one sounds like a suggestion; the second one sounds like a strategy.

2. Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)

The military uses this protocol for a reason: It saves lives. In business, it saves careers.

Amateurs bury the lead. They give the background, the context, the struggle, and then the result. By the time they get to the point, the executive has zoned out.

Flip the script.

Start with the conclusion.

"We are behind schedule by two days. Here is the plan to fix it."

"The project is a go. Here are the next steps."

Give them the headline first. Then, if they ask, give them the details. This shows you respect their time and you control your data.

3. The Buffett Diploma

Warren Buffett is worth over $100 billion.

If you walk into his office, you won't see his degree from the University of Nebraska. You won't see his Masters from Columbia.

You will see one certificate: The Dale Carnegie Public Speaking Course.

Buffett was terrified of public speaking. He used to throw up before taking the stage. He realized early on that his brain was useless if he couldn't transmit his ideas. He calls it his most important investment.

He didn't engage in "talent." He engaged in training.

Don't Be The "Smartest Quiet Person"

The workplace is not a meritocracy. It is a market.

The best ideas don't win. The best communicated ideas win.

You can continue to let less competent people talk over you in meetings. You can continue to let your hard work go unnoticed because you are afraid to present it with power.

Or you can fix the glitch.

Public speaking is the leverage that turns your competence into currency.

Ready to be heard? Stop letting your ideas get buried. Start commanding every room you walk into.

Stop waiting and start your transformation today. Join UltraSpeaking and become the speaker you were meant to be →