From anxiety to applause: Six steps to public speaking success

Public speaking remains one of the most common fears, yet for the world's most sought-after speakers, delivering compelling presentations is second nature.

JLA Speakers, the London-based corporate speaking agency, has distilled the professional techniques used by their roster of world-class speakers into six practical steps that anyone can follow.

Drawing from insights gathered through years of working with high-profile speakers including Channel 4 CEO Alex Mahon, former BBC Newsnight producer Sam McAlister, and Tony Blair's former chief speechwriter Philip Collins, JLA has identified the key practices that separate confident speakers from anxious presenters.

The Six-Step Formula for Speaking Success

1. Practice with an Audience

"It's difficult to get a sense of how speaking to an audience will truly feel before you're actually standing in front of one," explains JLA's team. The agency recommends delivering your talk to friends, family, or colleagues to simulate the public speaking experience in a controlled environment. This approach allows speakers to familiarise themselves with having an audience watching and reacting to their words whilst creating space for valuable feedback.

2. Self-Tape for Objective Review

Filming yourself allows you to view both delivery and content through a critical lens. Many speakers discover unconscious habits – repetitive hand gestures, excessive blinking, or making the same point multiple times without realising it. JLA's speakers often request copies of event footage to review their performance objectively and fine-tune their approach for future presentations.

3. Develop Pre-Event Rituals

Working with the world's biggest names has given JLA unique insight into pre-event preparation. Some speakers engage in conversation to warm up their words, whilst others require complete silence and space to focus. The key takeaway is prioritising what works best for you when preparing for your talk, ensuring you feel as comfortable and prepared as possible.

4. Rehearse Your Speech Bit by Bit

For structured speeches with specific bullet points, physically rehearsing your talk on stage proves invaluable. One world cup winner frequently booked by JLA runs through their speech action-by-action on stage ahead of their slot, with each movement choreographed to match specific parts of their talk. This technique helps with memorisation whilst granting greater control over presentation delivery.

5. Arrive Early and Understand the Space

Establishing familiarity with your speaking environment is an underestimated preparation technique. Beyond a standard tech check, connecting with your technical team helps address concerns over potential complications. Understanding room dynamics - audience proximity, seating arrangements, stage setup - allows speakers to tailor their approach accordingly.

6. Be Yourself, Don't Read Verbatim

"Be yourself" might sound clichéd, but authenticity proves crucial for successful presentations. As JLA notes, "Our clients book our speakers for who they are, not for who they're pretending to be." Rather than reading a pre-written speech word-for-word - a skill that takes politicians and TV anchors years to master - speakers achieve better results using broad talking points on cue cards or slide presentations as prompts.

Expert Insights from JLA's Speaker Roster

Sam McAlister, former BBC Newsnight producer who secured the ground-breaking Prince Andrew interview, offers this advice: "It's easy to become super nervous and anxious about speaking in public, but the best thing to remember is that it's just words and, as my Mum would say, 'no babies are dead' if it goes wrong. Just try and enjoy it and don't sweat stumbles because audiences love authenticity!"

Philip Collins, Tony Blair's former chief speechwriter and founder of The Draft, emphasises clarity of purpose: "If there is one thing I would urge you to understand, it is to understand what the one thing is you want to say. If you cannot tell me, in a sentence,what you are trying to say, then you do not know and if you do not know, you are not ready to start."

Alex Mahon, CEO of Channel 4, focuses on physical presence and energy management: "Come out calm. Stand in a posture that you're comfortable with. Breathe deeply so you have enough breath for your words. And smile at the audience before you start speaking - they shouldn't be your enemies otherwise there's been a mistake with who they've asked to speak. You might have butterflies, but try to channel that energy into doing a good job."

Building Confidence Through Professional Technique

For many professionals, public speaking represents a significant career milestone – from presenting quarterly results to delivering keynote addresses at industry conferences. Yet the fear of public speaking can hold back even the most accomplished individuals from seizing these opportunities.

By implementing these six professional steps, speakers can transform anxiety into applause, building the confidence needed to connect authentically with their audiences whilst delivering memorable, impactful content.