No, we're not being flippant about how to succeed at public speaking, but the current Prime Minister's speech in Epsom today caught our attention because of his dress sense. Yes, what you wear when you give a speech does matter and it can be used to great effect. Just think of the Donald Trump day-glow orange jacket, the Canadian government Minister, Catherine McKenna, who wore a helmet at her speech or the President of South Africa who in 2020 tied himself in knots trying to wear a face mask and speak at the same time. Marvellous.

Succeed at Public Speaking and Roll Up Your Sleeves
Roll Up Your Sleeves and Succeed at Public Speaking
So the current Prime Minister rolled up his sleeves in readiness for his speech at Epsom hospital in Surrey, England. The location was important because of the subject matter for his speech: the state of the Nationalised Health Service (NHS) and plans for reform. And the speech backdrop of NHS workers was clearly part of the message.
Keir Starmer's speech wasn't startling in its content or indeed its delivery. Not least because we sensed that much of the material had already been announced or discussed before.
But let me be crystal clear that money will not be used, not as it has been in the past just to paper over cracks.
That’s the definition of the sticking plaster politics that we were elected to change.
Familiar points and some interesting metaphor!
But sometimes the event is more important than the content of the speech in the minds of the narrative setters, So this was the perfect opportunity for the current Prime Minister to look busy and engaged with some real work. Hence the rolled-up sleeves. And clearly it worked, because we're talking about it. But, for those of us who might be hard of seeing, Keir Starmer made it a bit easier.
No, this is the year we roll up our sleeves and reform the NHS.
Sartorial Elegance Points to Public Speaking Success
It's certainly a look that has proved attractive for other public speakers including Joe Biden, Justin Trudeau and David Cameron.
Because there are occasions when the optics of your speech delivery are as important as the speech itself. And you do want to give the right impression and correct message. In these scenarios, every extra element does help.
Tips To Help You Succeed at Public Speaking
When you want to succeed at public speaking then metaphorically rolling up your sleeves is a good place to start. However these tips should help much more.
- 1Prepare your speech in good time before your event.
- 2Leave plenty of time so you can practise your speech.
- 3Don't over do it, so keep your speech as brief as possible.
- 4Deliver your speech at a steady rate with some changes of pace. You don't want to be metronomic.
- 5Remember to emphasise key words as you speak, since it'll help your audience.
When you need help and ideas for your own public speaking, you'll always find plenty of tips, hints and suggestions with Time to Market. Because with more than 100 top tips for speakers there's something for every speaking opportunity. Plus, when you want to improve your own skills even further, don't forget that an online training course is a simple and economical way to start.
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