How to scale a conversation to a presentation

Speaking
Written By Liam Sandford
Conversation

In its most basic form, public speaking is just a conversation. But how does that scale into a presentation? After all speaking to 1 person is incredibly different to speaking to 1000.

The context is also completely different. Conversation over a coffee with a friend is far removed from delivering a high stakes presentation to a board meeting.

Removing yourself from the pressure cooker is key. That starts with your every day conversations. To scale your conversations to presentations, all you need is one structure.

The only structure you need for public speaking

In Effortless Public Speaking we talk about the only structure you ever need to speak in public. That structure is the simple, open-body-close. We call it the nano speech.

This works for a conversation, just as it does for delivering a speech. How can you capture attention in the opening, deliver what you promised in the middle, and end on a call to action?

At a conversational level what does this look like?

  • Open: I am reading [insert book]

  • Body: [something great I have learned from this book]

  • Close: What are you reading?

This is basic, but getting into the habit of intentionally structuring your conversation makes it easier to deliver in this way when you next have a presentation.

Not every conversation should be public speaking practice. But every time you greet somebody is an opportunity to stack reps and start laying the foundations of becoming a great speaker.

Leveraging the nano speech

The nano speech is the tool you need to scale speaking to 1 person to speaking to 1000. It is the easy way to build confidence speaking in public quickly.

It is a 10 second burst of public speaking where you open, give your main point, and close.

Your nano speech can be longer than 10 seconds, but it does not have to be. It is something you can do again and again without too much effort. The nano speech allows you to practice with purpose in low stakes environments, and over time, as you get comfortable, transfer the nano speech into different environments.

Once you have mastered the 10 second nano speech, work your way up to 1 minute, then 10 minutes, then 1 hour. Work your way from speaking to 1 to speaking to 2, to 10 etc.

Every presentation or speech is a bunch of nano speeches stacked together. The difference is instead of a close between the nano speeches, you transition. The structure turns into:

  • Open

  • Body (main point 1)

  • Transition

  • Body (main point 2)

  • Transition

  • Body (main point 3)

  • Close

You are stacking together the different nano speeches that make up your presentation. Getting comfortable delivering one nano speech is the first step. As you increase your comfortability in time speaking, start building a transition between a second body before closing out your nano speech.

That transition is where your presentations are won and lost. Getting this right enables you to stay clear and concise while delivering.

Stacking reps to scale conversations

If you want to make public speaking effortless you must practice.

Even if you get good, then stop practicing, you will be rusty when you come to deliver your next presentation — I have experienced this many times.

Practicing a couple of reps every day may seem like a daunting task, or a lot of effort. But the nano speech makes that easy for you. Every time you order a meal at a restaurant, get a rep in. Every time you start a work call, get a rep in. Practice for public speaking is everywhere.

If you don’t stack reps in the lead up to a big presentation you will feel rusty. Recent reps is the only way to deliver at your best every time. Don’t leave your performance up to chance.

Actionable takeaways

  • Start structuring your public speaking through the lens of an open, body, close — this really is the only structure you need.

  • Practice daily nano speeches. Get comfortable first before scaling up. This will help you build the foundations needed to become a great speaker.

  • Stack reps of public speaking practice. If you have a speaking event coming up, don’t leave your performance up to chance. Get practicing in the weeks before to get yourself used to speaking in public confidently.

More from me

Liam Sandford
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