Learning through observation

Public speaking is a skill that can be developed and honed over time. Although there are specific techniques and strategies to improve our speaking skills, learning through observation can be equally effective and enriching.

By observing experienced speakers, we can learn from their style, speech structure, audience management and presentation techniques. This form of learning allows us to broaden our perspective and gain new knowledge and skills.

Benefits of observing: Observing other speakers in action can be a valuable tool for improving our communication skills. By doing so, we can:

• Identify specific elements of their speech and presentation style that we find inspiring and effective.

• Analyze how they use language, tone of voice, body gestures and posture to understand how these elements influence audience response.

• Discover different speaking styles and approaches in order to adapt to different situations and audiences.

• Define which techniques best suit our personality and objectives.

• Broaden our perspective and acquire new knowledge and speaking skills.

• Verify different presentation styles and select those aspects that are most effective and authentic for us.

• Acquire knowledge about the structure and organization of a speech.

• Analyze how they divide their presentation into sections and how they introduce or conclude their main ideas. This structure provides us with a framework for developing our own speeches and presentations.

Learning: Observation is not limited to professional speakers. We can also learn from those in our close circle who possess outstanding communication skills, such as co-workers or friends.

By paying attention to these people as they communicate in everyday situations, we can gain valuable information on how to apply public speaking techniques in diverse contexts.

In addition, by observing how they interact with people and how they handle unexpected situations, we can develop improvisation skills and learn how to respond to questions effectively.

What to do?

One effective way to learn through observation is:

• Take notes during presentations or speeches we are observing.

• Record the techniques that catch our attention, the striking phrases they use, the visual or audiovisual resources they employ, among other relevant aspects.

• These notes will serve as a reference and guide when we are practicing our own public speaking.

• Take advantage of the resources available online. There are a large number of conferences, TED talks, famous speeches and public speaking tutorials available on digital platforms.

• These resources give us the opportunity to observe renowned speakers and study their style and techniques from the comfort of our home.

Practice: It is important to note that observation alone is not enough to improve our public speaking skills. It is essential to practice what we have learned and apply the techniques we have observed in our own presentations. Observation provides us with knowledge and inspiration, but constant practice and real public speaking experience are the key elements to developing solid public speaking skills.

Let us also understand that observation does not imply imitation. The idea is to take specific elements and adapt them to our style, preserving the authenticity that characterizes us.