PUBLIC SPEAKING TIPS FOR PEOPLE OF COLOUR

By Leyya Sattar (Written on our original website in November 2019)

Since launching The Other Box in 2016, I’ve had the opportunity to do talks and join panel discussions around the world about being a female founder, diversity, creativity, identity, mental health, community, race, and more. When we first launched Other Box, I distinctly remember telling Roshni that she would have to do any public speaking as the sheer thought of it made my anxiety hit me in the throat - until one day, I threw myself in the deep end, and now you can’t shut me up! 

Public speaking is a great transferable skill to hone; it will help in so many other different areas of your life, from being able to:

• Communicate more clearly and efficiently

• Increase your confidence

• Networking and meeting new people 

• Handling big groups of people from job interviews, pitching, sharing ideas

• Improve your listening skills

• Organising your thoughts

• Focusing your message

• It will also increase your visibility in the industry and open up new doors and opportunities.

Join me over the next three weeks, during which I’ll share tips on what I’ve learned about public speaking in a three-part series. We’ll look at general tips for hitting the stage, how to get the most out of your content, and finally, your presentation and slide design.

1) Finding your style

Different formats (e.g., speaking on a panel or delivering a talk) will require different approaches. The best advice I can give you is to find the style that works for you. 

Sometimes, reading a speech word-for-word is fine, but engaging with the audience is essential; you can't do that if your eyes are staring down at your script. I've tried this method, which made me lose my flow and mix up my words. I am definitely a wing-it kind of gal (by winging it I mean know my content inside out and do it by memory as best as I can!). If I am delivering new content with specific information, I'll make cue cards with bullet points with 5 words max. to help give me a nudge if I get stuck.

2) Practice, Practice, Practice!

Take the time to practice your talk/presentation to learn and become comfortable with your content. This will help if any unexpected things pop up during your talk. When I delivered my first solo keynote, I recorded my script and listened at every opportunity, so I understood what I was saying.  

Practising will also help you iron out any kinks and stay within your time limit—it's always better to stay under your time frame than go over (and this is coming from a rambler!).

3) Body Language

Communication is much more than what you say; it includes your body language, too! Of course, what you say is important, but your body can also emphasise this. 

When it comes to your body language, and if you're able to, I would recommend:

• Smile - it makes you feel better and engages the audience

• Face the audience and have eye contact - focusing on specific faces instead of a whole group can help

• Take deep breaths so you can also project your voice 

• Stand (or sit) straight and roll your shoulders back - try not to fold your arms

• Ground your feet on the floor (if you’re standing) - I do this by keeping my feet shoulder-width apart

Delivering my first talk in Switzerland, speaking about Other Box and community building.

4) Slow down

I'm still working on this. I've always had a habit of speaking too fast, and even now, I forget to slow down. I am more aware of this, so I can consciously slow down. To impact the audience meaningfully, you want them to listen to what you're saying, so s-l-o-w it down! This will also help steady your breathing.

5) Take pauses

Similar to slowing things down, don't be afraid to pause. You can use this time to collect your thoughts before delivering a point or answering a question - it allows the audience to absorb what you're saying, emotionally connect and helps you emphasise a critical point.

Leyya Sattar is chairing a panel with Emma Gannon and Louise Dearman for Stylist Magazine x Wicked: The Musical.

6) Be yourself

You’ve been asked to speak for a reason - so don’t feel like you need to pretend to be someone else. This is coming from someone who battles with Imposter Syndrome. People want to see you speak - not a robot. They want to hear from you about your experiences, your story, and your way of explaining your area of expertise or experience. Use humour, emotion, and whatever feels natural. Allow your essence to shine through. The audience may not remember everything you said, but they will remember how you made them feel. 

7) Watch yourself back

Watching your playback is a painful but effective way for you to tweak what you’re doing. I can’t stand watching myself on camera; I zone in on everything I dislike about myself. - Hyper criticism of the small stuff aside, in playback, I focus on what I’m saying, which allows me to recognise annoying behaviours like saying ‘errrrrm’ or ‘like’ every two seconds. I’m from Manchester, it’s in my DNA to say ‘like’ but having a raised awareness around it allows me to be more conscious of it so I can improve my public speaking by eliminating it from my talks. 

Top tip: Practice your talk in front of a mirror or record and watch the replays to see what your body is doing. Some movements, such as hand waving, can be unconscious! 

8) Beat the nerves

• The more prepared you are, the more it will help calm your nerves

• Get to the venue early and become familiar with your environment - check out the room, how you will get on stage, where you will be sitting/standing, etc.

• If you can, say hello to the host and fellow panellists before you get on stage to build rapport. I suggest doing a little research beforehand.

• Take 5 minutes before you go on stage to ground yourself and take 5 deep breaths.

• Stay hydrated. Be sure to bring water on stage, as it can also remind you to pace yourself.

• Smelling lavender can also apparently help too!

9. Take every opportunity to speak (and not about diversity!)

• As people of colour, the world should hear our story. Take the opportunity to put yourself forward for speaking engagements and hold the door for others by connecting them with the events organiser. At Other Box, we call this ‘passing the mic’.

• The only way to improve is to practice. While rehearsing is a great idea, nothing compares to the real deal of speaking in front of an audience, so put yourself forward as a speaker as much as you can.

• Share details of any speaking engagements on your social media and professional sites. You never know who will see it and invite you to speak.

10) Enjoy it!

The audience has no idea what you’ll say next - so no matter what happens, you’re always in control. Go with the flow because people respond to the energy you exude. Enjoy yourself, and your vibes will be infectious! 

——————-

Remember, growth comes from breaking out of your comfort zone. So grab those opportunities, take a deep breath, roll your shoulders back, prepare, and GOOD LUCK!

Check back next week, where we will share tips on structuring your content.

Keep in touch with @OtherBox (I’m at @Leyyax), and tag us in your public speaking shots!