The best public speaking exercises to improve your delivery

It’s not just what you say – it’s how you say it. That’s why public speaking exercises are crucial for perfecting your speech. How you deliver your words can significantly impact how an audience perceives you, how well they receive your message, and how effective you appear as a public speaker.

One way to improve your delivery is by trying public speaking exercises – a practice technique that can help you become comfortable in front of an audience, regardless of its size.

At CoComms, we’ve helped hundreds of nervous public speakers solidify and improve their delivery with public speaking training. For a flavour of what you can expect on our public speaking courses, read on for some of the best public speaking exercises…

Give a speech… for no reason

When you take the pressure away from public speaking, it becomes something fun and comfortable. This is exactly what it should be – but it’s natural for first-time nerves or audience jitters to take away from the experience. 

Having fun while public speaking is something that comes with time, but it can also be developed by giving impromptu speeches. Choose a topic (funny or serious will do) – just make sure it’s ideally about something that you don’t know much about.

Give yourself a minute to structure your main speech following the PREP structure – Point, Reason, Example, Point. Don’t be too strict about it, you can make up examples if you want, or argue for something you completely disagree with! Then, speak it out loud to yourself.

The whole point is to help you think on the spot, minimise your preparation time, and feel more comfortable and less stressed when you deliver a speech or talk.

Record yourself

When you’re in the grasp of the public speaking flow, it can be hard to look back on your speech or talk and identify any points of improvement. 

One way to help you self-reflect and identify areas that need improvement is by recording yourself in front of the camera. You could even tie this in with the first public speaking exercise we mentioned! 

When you’ve finished your recording, conduct this exercise in two parts:

1. First, just listen to your recording. Reflect on your tone, how many filler words you use, and your pace. Think about how you’d adapt your delivery next time.
   
2. Second, turn the volume down completely and watch yourself. How good are you at maintaining eye contact? Have you used your body language to your advantage? Are you standing tall? Do you look relaxed? Note down what you’d like to change in future.

Whenever you try another public speaking exercise, focus on improving one part at a time. Don’t overwhelm yourself with countless different things. This will give your public speaking more structure and focus, allowing you to spot and celebrate your improvements.

Go as long as you can without a filler

Did you know that people use around 3.62 fillers per minute in formal speech, and 4.4 in spontaneous speech? Filler words do what they say on the tin – they’re a subconscious addition in our language, helping speakers get a few more seconds of thinking time before they deliver.

Common examples include “uh”, “um”, “ah”, “like”, and “so”. Unfortunately, although these words are rife in our language, they don’t serve any positive purpose. In public speaking, filler words can make a public speaker appear underprepared and nervous, which can distract the audience from your message.

So, to prevent the use of fillers in your public speaking, put your language and mind to the test. Record yourself talking about any topic for 30 seconds, and whatever you do, don’t use any fillers!

If you use a filler, you have to start over. You’ll be surprised how quickly you can push fillers to the back of your mind…

Watch public speakers in action

If you’re looking for a low-effort public speaking exercise, search for TED Talks and find someone speaking about a topic that interests you. 

There are some incredible public speakers out there, and when you’re watching them talk, it won’t even feel like you’re learning – but trust us, you will be.

Focus on their delivery, narrative structure, body language, and how they use visuals to enhance their message. Even better, grab a notepad and pen and scribble down a few notes.

Level-up your public speaking with a training course from CoComms

Our Public Speaking Training Course is designed for anyone who wants to learn how to speak in public with confidence. 

You’ll learn how to lessen any pre-speech anxieties, how to stay cool and collected on stage, and how to structure a talk that people will want to listen to.

From presentation training and stakeholder communication to how to speak during video calls, our team can help you improve every aspect of your communications.

Learn more about us, and don’t hesitate to get in touch if you require more information.