Public Speaking: How to make your message matter | Laura Penn | TEDxHSG

Presenting shouldn’t be a chore; it should be a gift. Through her talk, renowned speaker coach Laura Penn argues for a change in the public speaking status quo. After exploring the dos and don’ts of public speaking, Laura breaks down the performance aspect of a speech into four key elements - appearance, voice, body and audience connection - and highlights what to keep in mind to make your message matter!
Laura Penn, PhD has had enough of watching good people deliver bad presentations. She lives to disrupt what she considers to be the broken and dysfunctional status quo for public speaking. Deeply alarmed by how her conservation biologist peers (she was a scientist before becoming a public speaking expert) were ineffectively delivering their messages, Laura decided to do something about it.
Seven years ago, she founded ThePublicSpeakingSchool.com to provide state-of-the-art training in public speaking for clients in the not-for-profit, academic and private sectors. Today, Laura uses her eclectic background as a scientist and as a performing artist to transform the way that we speak in public.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx

[@andrewpain_speaker]

In my very humble opinion, I find her too smiley and actually too polished. The best speakers don't sound rehearsed (although they have obviously rehearsed ALOT): when they deliver, they're inspirational, but somehow, they manage to speak on stage like they're chatting to their mates, so we feel like we're listening to a human, not a robot.

[@shivanee81]

I agree.....

[@thentheb5466]

Iv been trying to do this but I can’t speak like I’m human, just like I’m sounding like a robot

[@andrewpain_speaker]

@@thentheb5466 - it depends how badly you want to nail it and how important public speaking is to you - but try recording yourself on your phone again and again and again - reflect, record, practise -I did my own TEDx talk this year - 'Domestic Abuse - not a gender issue' - not sure whether you feel this is a more natural delivery?

[@yogeshm1727]

Agree

[@TheeneF]

Does she talk like this regularly in daily situations? Cause it's horrible. I would never get anything from what she's saying cause I'd be too busy recommending decaffinated coffe.

[@floydo1124]

Thank you Laura T2000. You have made our machine family proud.

[@AyubKhan-qx2sd]

good public speaking leader . I would like to appreciate your voice and public connection and the way you are speaking and talking to your intelligent audience confidently .

[@daniakawaf]

I admire her confidence, well done ...

[@navalkumarshukla9447]

What a lovely smile and great display of a good body language like her firm but relaxed hand gestures. She also got me noticed that may be I'm a stinky fish too but I'm working on it and hopefully I'll get through it as well.

[@paulajah1]

Love her energy and confidence💪

[@LanJEH]

thank you so much, Laura!

[@Urania4007]

Finally! A speaker who pronounces it as pr eh sen tation, not preeeee sentation

[@AyubKhan-qx2sd]

Very true Laura Penn. you are a smart good public Speaker I like the way you speak to people . I would like to appreciate your beautiful speaking voice that is very unique and your confident public connection and the way you are speaking and talking to your intelligent audience confidently . Wishing you all the Best . I am a Motivational Speaker and Leadership Coach . i like the way you talk and speak confidently in a very inspirational way . Thank you so much .Regards

[@ChrisKnoxSr]

I enjoyed this presentation. Lots of good reminders with an overarching theme "deliver a performance in a that makes the message matter!"

[@maimohamed3590]

Very interesting, love it, thank you👌✨

[@philanthonym]

Well done Laura -- love your energy!!!

[@carolpompeyauthor6525]

Thank you Laura in reminding me what not to do in my presentation!

[@hilarymoore2744]

Simply fabulous in all respects!

[@alanhowitzer]

This oness make you sharp.

[@amrinkausar7489]

Loved her energy n the message

[@Learningman777]

This is meaty message, covering all things I need to hear about public speaking. Awesome!!! 👍🏼

[@maverick3644]

I agree, but someone should have tested the microphone settings first! Its sad when something important gets destroyed by something that small. All 14 minuts, i was thinking about the snake from Robin Hood "Sir Hissss". So annoying.

[@jamal-1986]

Many people here are criticising but few of them can talk like you Laura with confidence and with a good smile on your face. You really talk like a book. Best of luck.

[@manishachauhan4812]

Very very effective......thankful to you 👏

[@jamal-1986]

Thank you so much. You helped me a lot 💋❤

[@edgarjosebecerra5155]

Excellent Laura I learnt from your presentation

[@eddygan325]

Great tips, Thank you

[@lakshmir1333]

Greatest understanding

[@KALYNSHangingOutWithKalyn]

On point!

[@MissUnderstoodasAlways]

Soothing i loved it

[@bb8218]

Best Ted on public speaking nd to the point

[@tolahahcreative7588]

A Very energetic presentation that makes me take full of attention to the whole speech! Bravo!

[@wafaibrahim369]

Thanks 🙏

[@stacey2558]

Fantastic!!

[@oldthomk]

Great. It's the truth

[@exellentedecorations9454]

Good work

[@cristiansuero9890]

body language example couldn't be better than that.

[@humdog64]

Excellent!

[@AkjackKkj]

Thx Laura. ..

[@coachdavanna7560]

Best ted talk I've heard in a long time

[@Youssef.Elkadragy]

Amazing presenting of how to present 👌

[@keobunly1517]

Great sharing

[@simontolson285]

A lot of critical judgement of others but no meat on the bone when it comes to performance!

[@alanhowitzer]

Be in the here and now!

[@manuelare5284]

You got it simon.

[@hlchopra8060]

A superb presentation. May I suggest in the interest of the speaking art, it is equally an intelligence that ignores the below-level presentations or mentions them indirectly. After all, we are all humans. Anyway, I liked this presentation.

[@tamimshakib8432]

fantastic

[@wafaibrahim369]

Thanks

[@rahmifaisal4245]

Amazing

[@daisylilley2067]

Such a polished presentation! :) Not a stinky fish one hahah

[@richardj.magoma7804]

Masterful presentation.

[@richardj.magoma7804]

Well researched.

[@l.y.g.3515]

Watched at 2x speed. Still too slow.

[@scottschonitzer4358]

wow. Make the attempt to be genuine and Converse and engage with your audience. What's a can piece of a presentation with no feeling behind it

[@jamal-1986]

I loved it. I enjoyed every word of it. She invites you to think not to listen and this is tge core of a good presentation.

[@yogeshm1727]

More than half the speech is about how bad other people speak. Too many pauses and overemphasis on each word makes it look artificial.

[@mattcarroll2135]

I am amazed that somebody who sounds so unnatural when speaking (with STRANGE and unnatural EMphasis and rigid, unvaried pace) feels qualified to tell others how to speak. It just goes to show that believing you can do something is no indicator of ability.

[@jvaraneta]

Good context but the speakers' sounds too contrived.

[@amzys.o6482]

Patience sister, No one starts brightly without phobia! You sometime belong to this class of speakers you now criticize instead of encourage.

[@johnallred3124]

Probably too many years in Toastmasters.

[@pissfiss]

Best talk I have ever heard

[@husseenahmed7718]

your body language is very nice and like all of them.

[@fenishaSangma]

👏

[@nohandleAlok]

Too much stress on every word that difficult to focus on main messages and too many negative words and insulting others clearly shows arrogance... Didn't like a single word she said

[@manuelare5284]

As if she is perfect...

[@granny686]

I noticed that too

[@maheshgupta8559]

It's having lot of friction, not that smooth, we need to put high energy to liye her

[@jvmv23]

And the unnecessary smiles

[@yantimohhan5200]

I'm interested to do humor storytelling. As a writer I have many contents or materials to tell the stories

[@yogeshm1727]

Dear laura Practice what you preach.

[@wbk500]

She smiles throughout the whole presentation and her tone of voice use stays the same. It gives me the impression she does not mean it and is (over)acting instead. It takes me away from the content and that is a pity. Because what she is saying is relevant.

[@sajik.g.244]

Well said.... Despite her highly polished-way of presentation, she sounds monotonous & mono-acting, bcos she had the same expression, same vocal-pitch through out the speech...? But, the speaking-tips she listed at the end are great: Confidence, Vocal variation, Message etc. (...In that order). Nice to see that she didn't give extra importance to 'Content'... But these days, many so-called 'big speech-mentors' wrongly give more importance to content and ignore Body language & vocal qualities etc of the speakers....?

[@repikm68]

Smells like tilapia!

[@Urania4007]

I would like to hear your opinion of speakers, men and women, who have hair so long that it's in their eyes; also speakers who look over their glasses. Annoying! If they'd pin their hair back and take off their glasses, they'd hold my attention

[@lonelytraveller2457]

Full of energy and good content, but she didn't sound natural. I just didn't enjoy her talk

[@garychu76]

I liked some of the messages but found that the way it was delivered was a bit cringy and cheesy. It didn’t feel authentic and lacked real emotion to connect with me as someone receiving this as opposed to someone who could do any better

[@MrYepic]

Very good, but a tad unnatural. Too much pre-polished. Plus point is this one is going to be a go to back!rewind one for many future public speaking aspirants. My praise .and applauds. Yepic Yoga Babu.

[@bonelessbooks9263]

I'll have whatever she's having

[@alanhowitzer]

Don't put too many umm's in your speech.

[@n.reddymuppani8553]

what if a great presenter gives a worst idea and convinces an audience or an investor. purr..

[@Jennyispoop]

Might be that I put my ac down, nevertheless I got chillls

[@neilfitzsimmons1800]

I lasted 30 seconds before I got annoyed. That voice is so clipped and unnatural.

[@alanhowitzer]

Why do we accept such a low standard?

[@bettyboop1007]

A good speaker comes off as authentic, not contrived. Laura Penn's delivery appears canned, not authentic. This is not the type of speaking I connect with, but it is like so many of the presentations on TedTalk. TedTalk presentations are often formulaic.

[@7b54rajsingh4]

Ncy bt go slow

[@lukewessman1]

Negative and judgmental talk spoken so well.

[@f3De66]

Omg the lipsmacking

[@tjadam61]

For giving a Ted Talk about public speaking she certainly isn't any good at it

[@sofiaa885]

She is negative not good

[@Boothster77]

Too fake...no connection with audience. Be better reading Shakespeare.

[@RobinWhistles]

Sorry but, I really didn't enjoy this. It felt like she was giving out all the time.