What Makes Somebody a Great Speaker?

I’ve been at this stuff for a long time. From being a theatre kid, to a hardcover classical theatre training, to writing and performing my own plays, to writing and recording and performing my own music across the country, and to being a speaker and performance coach.

I sat down and thought about what makes dynamic, powerful, engaging speakers and here’s the stuff that shines out to me. It’s definitely different than what I see most speaking clubs and performance coaches talking about.

1. Curiosity

Some of my favourite speakers are constantly seeking. They don't settle into grooves and they are curious about new ideas, new techniques, new ways of doing things. There is a lightness in their energy. It's cultivated, it's not just inherent. It's a choice.

2. Letting go of ego and comparison

Ego is a jerk. Your ego will make you feel crappy about your presentations while also having you feign indignation for stuff that you could easily shrug off. This is often because you'll compare yourself. To other speakers in the room, other speakers who get more opportunities, other speakers who have been at it longer... It's not easy to let go of the ideas that your ego has created, but it's essential.

3. Seeing mistakes and failures as information

I don't believe in failure. Sometimes our presentations don't go as well as we'd hoped. Sometimes we put way too much pressure on ourselves, and create "this talk will make or break my career" situations, and boy, is that a lot of weight to carry. If you're able to keep working through your ego response and look at "failure" as an opportunity to learn how to do better next time, you'll realize it's all just information.

4. Resilience - trying again

The folks who are successful do not have magnetic, perfect, standing ovation worthy presentations every time. But they show up for themselves, they give their all to their audience, and if it feels lacklustre or off, they try again. Always book your next gig. Speaking is a long game.

5. Anti perfectionism

Perfectionism will brutalize your presentation. Instead, strive for flexibility. Fluidity. Reading the energy of the room. Know you'll likely make several mistakes, and be clear with yourself that it's normal, and in fact important to model for others. Learn how to recover from mistakes easily by taking pressure off of yourself about being a "certain way".

6. Shadow work

Nothing will get you closer to not only being electromagnetic on stage, but also to enjoying the experience, than shadow work. Shadow work is what will help you get through 2-5 above, create space for 1, and create a comfort level with yourself that allows confidence to shine through, and even have fun in the moment. I've got a guide for that I'll link in the comments.

7. Practise and performance training

This is often the last thing people think about, left to the last minute without time to let the performance develop and breathe. Performance is a skill. It's not just talking to a group. It's developing physicality, nervous system regulation, a powerful voice and tools to write and perform dynamic speeches. You wouldn't want a mechanic to just wing it on your car because she's tinkered a little bit here and there. Get yourself some proper training so that you can give an unforgettable performance.

Thoughts? What do you think it is that draws you in when you’re watching a speech that grabs you? What do you find you don’t love? I’d love to know - share in the comments below!

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If you’re new around here, hi! I’m Megan - a speaking, visibility and confidence coach and speech director for women, non-binary and queer leaders.

I help you find the places you’ve painted yourself into a corner with professional personas and systems that don’t work for you so you can slowly evolve into doing deeply authentic and meaningful work.

There are different ways of working with me, depending on your goals/level:

Legacy Power - an intensive 1:1 program for folks who want to skyrocket their visibility and get on bigger stages.

Dynamic Presence - for folks who want to develop better skills and build professional development to feel more confident in front of others - whether at work, or on stages.

Speech Club - monthly group meetings where we examine and get critical about a speech we’ve all watched - like a book club - with hot seat coaching spots at the end of each meeting.

And if you’re looking for free resources, check out my tools section.