10 Public Speaking Tips for Introverts to Shine in the Spotlight

How would you describe yourself? As an introvert or an extrovert? Or a combination of the two?

It is often erroneously thought that introverts, being quieter and more reserved people, don’t make great public speakers.

However, as discussed in a previous post, no one is a born public speaker.

Whether you’re an extrovert or an introvert, you still need to master the ins and outs of public speaking and to devote a lot of time to practice and rehearsal in order to become a confident speaker.

Did you know that some of the best public speakers on the planet happen to be introverts?!!

Take a read of this fascinating article on how introverts can be such formidable public speakers.

There are many famous introvert public speakers. Think of people like former US President Barack Obama, along with famous introvert and “Introvert Guru”, Susan Cain, whose fabulous TED talk, The power of introverts, has now been viewed more than 32 million times.
 

What is an introvert?

It is thought that all introverts are shy.

However, introverts are not necessarily shy, shyness being associated with fear of social judgement.

Introverts typically prefer calm, minimally stimulating environments. They don’t like loud, noisy places and people who invade their personal space. Introverts often feel energetically drained after too much socialising.

Introverts need their solitude to recharge their energy. They savour alone time, immersed in activities such as reading, writing, thinking, playing music and painting.

Introverts are typically deep thinkers. They are often highly analytical and like to be prepared before presenting their point of view.

They are quieter and more introspective and they don’t generally relish being in the public speaking spotlight. But this does not mean they can’t be fantastic public speakers, with training and practice.

Extroverts, on the other hand, enjoy more stimulating environments and typically get recharged, refreshed and reinvigorated in the presence of other people. They are very social and are often the life of the party.

Did you know that one-third to one-half of the of population are introverts?

The interesting thing is that not everyone is a pure introvert or extrovert. Instead, introversion occurs on a spectrum.

Ambiverts, as their name suggests, go both ways! They have both introvert and extrovert characteristics, that very much depend on the context in which they are in.

I am an ambivert. I can be chatty and super-social in some settings, especially in small groups of people, in which there is interesting and thought-provoking conversation.

But I know I am also an introvert, because I get drained by too much social interaction and need to recharge afterward in a quiet, tranquil setting. One of my favourite activities to recharge my energy is reading. In fact, I am such a fanatical reader that when I used to visit my late mother-in-law, Lillian, in New York, every time she turned around, I was reading. She would frequently say, in her inimitable and dare I say(!), sarcastic style: “She’s reading again!!!”

Public speaking is not necessarily about being social with people. It does not involve a back-and-forth conversation or small talk.

Public speaking is more about structuring your thoughts and expressing your thoughts to people in an engaging manner.

Introverts are often very analytical and believe in being thoroughly prepared. This is reflected in the quality of their presentations - they often produce presentations that have been well thought through, researched and answers the audience’s needs.

Here are 10 introvert public speaking tips to keep your energy strong and shine in the spotlight.

1. Dip your toe in the water

Susan Cain, famous TED speaker (see her TED talk below) and author of the bestseller book: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, was once extremely nervous at the prospect of public speaking.

When she first embarked on her public speaking journey, Susan took baby steps.

She advises others to not immediately aim to deliver a high-stakes presentation. Rather, you should build up slowly towards it.

It’s just like when you start a new exercise regimen. You need to build up your muscles gradually, otherwise you run the risk of getting injured.

Susan initially joined a seminar series in New York for people with public speaking anxiety. In these seminars, Susan just had to introduce herself, say her name, and sit down. This was success!

The next steps were to do things like stand up and answer easy audience questions about herself.

Eventually, Susan progressed to Toastmasters and then private coaching in the lead-up to delivering her TED talk.

Gradual or progressive exposure is a proven method in overcoming any phobia, and it works wonderfully for a fear of public speaking.

Remember, that just as one bad experience in your past can haunt you and set you up for future failure, a series of positive experiences can build confidence and sustain you for the long haul. 

2. Optimise your energy

Energy is a finite resource and must be continually replenished, much like a mobile phone needs to be recharged as the battery drains.

I loved interviewing Serena Low, The Quiet Warrior Coach, on all things introverts and energy.

As Serena, put it so well, we are responsible for the energy we bring to the room.

Before a big event, we need to try to put ourselves into a high energy state. This could be from dancing, exercising, practising the power pose, positive self-talk, singing, affirmations or any combination thereof!

Here’s the full Interview with the Quiet Warrior Coach, Serena Low, about how to manage our energy as an introvert.

Serena is a coach and organiser of some wonderful Meetup groups in Melbourne for introverts.

Please also check out Serena’s work at: https://serenalow.com.au/

 3. Before your next speaking event

In the days leading up to your speech/presentation:

• Rest a lot.

• Go to bed early each night.

• Don’t spend too much time socialising. Take things nice and easy.

• Do the things that you enjoy and give you energy. In my case, this would be reading!

• Immediately before the event, fire up your energy, as per Serena’s advice. Elevate your heart rate and get excited to share your knowledge with others.

4. During the event

Whether it’s a meeting, presentation or networking event, towards the end of the event, your energy may start to flag. In fact, it may feel like it is plummeting and you’re scraping bottom.

If possible, say at a networking event in which you’ve delivered your elevator pitch several times and spoken to many people, leave the event before you totally burn out.

Listen to your body and don’t ignore your rapidly depleting energy.

Start saying your good byes and head for the exit in a timely fashion.

Also, aim to have something relaxing to look forward to after the event. This will spur you on to keep going and to last the distance.

5. After the Event

• Rest afterwards. Don’t have anything else scheduled. This is how you recharge your battery.

• Don’t beat yourself up for anything that did not go to plan.Instead, congratulate yourself for going out of your comfort zone and having a growth mindset and challenging yourself.

6. In meetings

Meetings can be particularly challenging for introverts. Especially if they are called on to voice their opinion on a topic being discussed, and they have not had time and space to prepare a cogent answer. To an introvert, this is akin to feeling ambushed.

Introverts typically like to be well prepared. They like mull things over and process their thoughts. They think first and speak later. As opposed to some extraverts, who speak first and worry about the details later.

Don’t feel pressured to answer then and there. There is nothing wrong, in saying that you’d like some more time to ponder the issue and get back to everyone with your thoughts at a later time.

7. Exercise your social skills muscle

Actively look for opportunities to speak to people and get comfortable with small talk. This will particularly help you at networking events.

In addition, look for opportunities to deliver mini-presentations to small groups, say at work, to build up your public speaking and presenting confidence. The more you practice, the better.

I discussed this tip, along with other tips on how introverts can master public speaking, as a guest on Serena Low’s podcast.

8. Stop overthinking

Introverts are often in their heads and overthink things. That also means they can get anxious worrying about what could go wrong. That’s where preparation and practice come in. The more you can think through what could go wrong, the more you can allow for contingencies.

Having a checklist also helps, so you won’t have that uneasy feeling that you’ve forgotten to do something or bring something with you to the event.

Please refer to the power of a checklist blog post on this very topic.

9. Forget about being perfect!

Remember one thing – there is no such thing as doing a perfect job or being perfect.

In fact, you shouldn’t even want to be perfect. When you focus on trying to be perfect, you can’t get out of your own way. You get hung up, blocked, critical and have unreasonable expectations. Studies show that we don’t like perfect people anyway! There is beauty in our flaws and simply being “human”.

You will be more likeable when you mess up occasionally, stumble or make a mistake. Imperfection shows that you are down to earth, approachable and genuine. Remember not to be so hard on yourself if you make a mistake. Learn to laugh at yourself and not to take yourself so seriously.

There is a great quote that “Done is better than perfect”.

The key is to simply make a start on tasks and projects and not fret that you are doing them to perfection. When you start a task, say creating a new presentation or writing a speech, the key is to get started and not overthink it. Or you could find yourself procrastinating like crazy because you want everything to be 100% perfect.

When you make a start and aren’t fussed about everything being perfect, you create forward momentum.

10. Stop being self-conscious

Being self-conscious can apply to anyone, not just introverts.

If you do feel self-conscious as a speaker or presenter, remind yourself that people are more concerned about themselves and their problems, than about you anyway!

Just focus on how excited you are to be of service to your audience via sharing your message with them.

Winston Churchill and Mahatma Gandhi, two phenomenal introvert speakers, faced public speaking anxiety earlier in their lives, but rose to overcome their anxiety. Their mission was greater than themselves and their focus was on their message, not on themselves.

Another great way to help with feelings of self-consciousness is to put yourself into situations in which you “let your hair down”.

Think in terms of telling jokes to your family and friends, playing charades with your friends or singing in a karaoke duet with a friend. This “exposure therapy” will help you feel more comfortable when you are next in the spotlight.

In Closing

I hope these tips have been helpful and you start putting them into practice.

And if you’re an introvert, never, ever feel that you can’t be a fabulous public speaker.

Also remember that some of the best public speakers of all time are introverts.

  © 2022 Susan Weser.  All rights reserved.

Susan Weser is the Founder of Speaking2Win, a boutique public speaking and presentation skills consultancy, based in Melbourne, Australia. Susan’s mission is to demystify public speaking and presenting. She loves to fast-track her clients’ public speaking success, empowering them with the skills and confidence to excel in all their public speaking endeavours.