Three Public Speaking Principles That Will Change the Way You Present

Many people believe public speaking is a matter of confidence and that if they simply “speak from the heart,” everything else will fall into place. It’s a comforting idea, and there’s truth in it, but it’s also the reason so many presentations fall flat. Speaking from the heart is powerful only when it’s supported by something deeper: preparation, intention, and a genuine understanding of the people you’re speaking to.

The next time you present, consider these three principles. Not as techniques, but as shifts in how you think about communication itself.

1. Don’t “Speak from the Heart” — Until You’ve Earned the Right To

There’s a romantic idea that authenticity alone suffices and that if you present yourself sincerely, your audience will meet you halfway. Sincerity without preparation is merely unfiltered thought, and unfiltered thought seldom resonates with the clarity or impact you expect.

Your audience doesn’t want a perfect performer, but they also don’t want someone who just strolled onto the stage with nothing but good intentions. They want someone who has taken the time to understand them, their world, pressures, hopes, and frustrations. They want to feel that you didn’t just prepare a talk; you prepared for them.

That kind of connection doesn’t come from just browsing their website or skimming their LinkedIn page. It comes from curiosity, from picking up the phone, asking questions, and listening for what really matters beneath the surface. When you’ve done that work and fully stepped into their shoes, then you can speak genuinely from the heart with confidence, because now your heart is speaking to theirs, not at them.

2. Make Them an Offer They Can’t Refuse

There’s a moment in every presentation when the audience silently decides whether you’re worth listening to. It happens quickly, often before you’ve reached your second sentence, and it has nothing to do with your credentials, your passion, or how much you believe in your message.

It has everything to do with what your message offers them.

People don’t listen because you care; they listen because you show them why they should care. They listen because you make a promise, not a grand, cinematic one, but a clear, grounded one about how their world will be better, easier, clearer, or more meaningful because of what you’re about to share.

This is the essence of influence: the skill to convey value in a way that feels personal, relevant, and impossible to ignore. When you do this, you’re not just giving a presentation. You’re making an offer, and if that offer speaks directly to their needs, challenges, and ambitions, they will follow you anywhere.

3. Prepare With Purpose

Most speakers prepare content; the mindful ones prepare purpose.

Purpose is the unseen force that influences everything: your opening, your structure, your stories, tone, and your energy. When you’re clear on why you’re speaking and how that purpose benefits your audience, your presentation ceases to be a series of points and becomes an experience.

Purpose sharpens your opening. Research shows that people remember what they hear first, which means the beginning of your talk is not a warm-up; it’s the moment that determines whether they lean in or mentally check out. Don’t waste it with pleasantries or credentials. Start with something that earns their attention, a story, a question, a moment of truth that signals you’re here to give them something worth their time.

Purpose also allows you to be unconventional. What people fear isn’t the presentation itself, but the familiar rhythm of predictability and heaviness that often accompanies it. Break that expectation by telling a story that surprises them, showing them something they haven’t seen or asking a question that makes them pause. When you disrupt the pattern, you reset their attention.

Purpose reminds you to repeat what matters. People don’t remember what you say once; they remember what you reinforce. If there’s a message you want them to carry out of the room, say it early, say it clearly, and say it more than once. Repetition of your message isn’t overkill; it’s how the brain decides what to remember

Purpose anchors you to what matters most: the people you’re speaking to. Every sentence you speak should answer the silent question in your audience’s mind: “Why does this matter to me?” If you can’t answer that, they can’t stay with you.

It also encourages you to be authentic. Professionalism isn’t the absence of emotion; it’s the ability to channel it. Let them see the real person behind the expertise. Let them feel your conviction, curiosity, humour, and vulnerability. People don’t connect with information; they connect with people.

The Heart of It All

Public speaking isn’t a performance. It’s a relationship, one that endures only as long as your audience feels seen, understood, and valued.

When you prepare deeply, speak with intention, and deliver with energy, you give your ideas a chance to live in the minds and hearts of the people listening. When that happens, you’re not just presenting, you’re changing what happens next.

Connecting is everything.

If you’d like to learn many more helpful public speaking tips:

– Book yourself onto a powerful public speaking course.

– Invest in some really good one to one public speaking coaching.

– Get yourself some excellent presentation training

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