InnoBlog: How to speak confidently like Will Smith!

You might already know Will Smith from his acting career, but did you know that he is also considered a great motivational speaker? Here, are five key suggestions that Will Smith recommends for the delivery of a memorable presentation. He has personally inculcated these forms in all of his speeches which serves as a learning opportunity to improve our oratory skills with time!

1. Use every opportunity: The best way to practice our speaking skills is to take every opportunity to speak publicly as our last opportunity. This means that we have to give it our all irrespective of how ‘small’ or ‘large’ our crowd is. As an EIT InnoEnergy student, we  get a lot of opportunities to present on various topics publicly for our coursework. So, the university is a great place to start honing our skill because fortunately, public speaking can be learnt and developed. 

1. Keep the structure simple: The audience generally tends to get distracted if the content is not conveyed efficiently. By keeping the structure simple, it will be easy for the listeners to understand and follow without having the message go over their heads. For example, if the topic being presented is based on ‘Happiness’, then the structure can be divided into ‘Why is it important to be happy’ and ‘How to live a happy life'. This would engage the audience in wanting to know more as it is the basic human curiosity of wanting to know the solution to a potential problem. 

1. Flagging: Will Smith suggests this technique because it’s a reminder to the audience to pay attention. In this technique, he suggests using phrases like “Now I want you to pay close attention to this next point” or “This is something important”. This method will enable the audience to keep their ears open without risking the loss of their attention on the key message of the presentation [2]. 

1. Crucial Point: The best way to convey the main idea besides flagging, is by keeping it concise and easy to repeat. Authors like Robert Cialdini suggest that by trying to make your key message rhyme, it will be more easily processed by the audience whilst also being engaging [3].

1. Practice: Although this is easier said than done, there is power in practising because it will help us retain the material better and it will also help us to practice our non-verbal communication. Moreover, it’ll help us to plan impromptu situations and figure out how to deal with potential distractions. 

I hope that these tips have been a source of inspiration to grab the next public speaking gig available to you! In my case, I will make sure to join one of the next CommUnity events or industry challenges organised by EIT InnoEnergy.

It will take time to be comfortable especially if it’s outside your comfort zone, but the more you push yourself to try something new, the more confidence you will develop. Besides, this is a great way to connect with new people and build new relationships. It is also an asset to have in professional portfolio. In the words of Will Smith “The first step is you have to say that you can”!

By Sharon Santhosh, EIT InnoEnergy Master’s in Energy Storage Student

References

[1]https://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/PublicSpeaking.htm

[2]https://speakingaboutpresenting.com/content/will-smiths-keys-to-a-great-presentation/

[3] https://artplusmarketing.com/how-your-phrasing-affects-persuasion-b7346f650ef5