On graduation day, a college president overheard one of the graduates say, “Thank God this day is here. I won’t open another book for the rest of my life.” The college president told a friend these were the saddest words he had ever heard spoken.

It is sad to think learning stops when you graduate from college. Unfortunately, many suffer from this affliction. We should never stop learning.

There is a direct corollary of this to you as a speaker. Are you continuously learning and improving your speaking craft and topic?

There is an old saying in the business world: “If your business is not growing, it is dying.” The same could be said for you as a speaker.

Are you continuously learning to become a better speaker, or are you just “muddling along” with what you know about speaking right now?

I know you want to become an outstanding speaker. Here are three highly effective ways for you to learn and improve your speaking over your lifetime:

Continuous Practice and Feedback Loop

This may seem obvious, but to improve your speaking, you have to see opportunities to speak.

Engage in speaking opportunities whenever possible, whether in front of small groups, large audiences, or even just practicing alone.

In my last article, I talked about speaking to associations. There are over 100,000 associations in the United States. Over 250,000 conventions and conferences are held annually also in the United States. There are plenty of opportunities to speak.

Don’t fall into the trap of only speaking when you have the perfect presentation. There are no perfect presentations. This does not mean you shouldn’t put forth your best effort to create a presentation in which you can be proud. It does mean you have to just go out on stage and speak.

Brian Tracy says, “There are no failures, just practice shots.” This advice goes well beyond speaking.

Ken Blanchard says, “Feedback is the breakfast of champions.”

Actively solicit feedback from peers, mentors, or audience members after every speaking engagement. Feedback helps identify strengths and areas needing improvement, allowing for targeted practice.

If you want to accelerate your speaking progress, I would go a step further. Practice in front of a practice audience whom you have briefed about what you want them to comment on. “White-washed” evaluations of your speaking will not help you improve.

One of the most challenging parts of speaking is answering audience questions. Request your practice audience to ask you every possible question on your subject. If possible, record the audio and video of the session so you can review the audience questions and your answers.

Short of this, have someone in the audience record the questions and, if possible, your answers. You can review these after the practice session.

So, continuous practice and using feedback is a highly effective way to improve your speaking.

Another way to improve your speaking is to study and analyze great speakers.

Study and Analyze Great Speakers

There is an old saying, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” Nothing could be more accurate.

History is strewn with examples of speakers rallying people to do something worthwhile.

A few examples are:

• Queen Elizabeth I’s speech at Tilbury inspiring her British troops to defeat the Spanish Armada (August 9, 1588)

• George Washington’s surprise appearance before his officers diffusing their revolt against Congress for back pay and benefits (Newburgh Conspiracy) (March 15, 1783)

• Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial inspired millions to eradicate discrimination in the United States peacefully (August 28, 1963)

Analyze speeches from renowned speakers, both historical and contemporary. Pay attention to their delivery, use of language, storytelling techniques, and how they engage with their audience.

There is a reason these speakers convinced their audience of their way of thinking. How can you employ the same speaking techniques to your audiences?

In videos of great speakers, look for how they use pauses, vocal variety, and body language to sway their audience. Incorporate these speakers’ techniques into your speaking style.

Practice mirroring the strengths of great speakers while adapting them to your personality and communication goals.

So, continuous practice using feedback and studying and analyzing great speakers are highly effective ways to improve your speaking.

Another way to improve your speaking is to continuously learn and adapt your material to make it relevant to your audience

Continuous Learning and Adaptation

Stay updated on current events, industry trends, and relevant topics. The more relevance to your audience you have in your presentations, the more engaged they will be.

For instance, if you are talking about recent ups and downs in the stock market, recent data will be more relevant to your audience than the ups and downs from five years ago.

If you are talking about social media, a recent survey or study on how social media is used is more relevant to your audience than a survey or study from when social media first appeared.

Weave in recent space exploration efforts if you talk about the moon landing in 1969.

Being well-informed allows you to craft timely, relevant, and insightful presentations.

Participate in workshops, seminars, or courses on public speaking, communication skills, leadership, and related areas. These provide opportunities to learn new techniques, refine existing skills, and network with other speakers.

You should never stop learning to improve your speaking craft and bring your audience the latest news, facts, and trends on your presentation topic.

These three approaches—continuous practice and feedback, studying great speakers, and ongoing learning and adaptation—provide a robust framework for lifelong improvement in public speaking skills.

Just like a business, if you are not growing in your knowledge of speaking and your topic, your speaking is “dying.”

Be a continuous learning speaker and reap the rewards!

Call to Action

• Ensure you do not short-change your speaking practice and use the feedback from this practice. Practice and modifying your speaking from feedback are the fastest ways to mature as a speaker.

• Learn from studying and analyzing great speakers. In your lifetime, you cannot possibly learn what great speakers can teach you on your own.

• Improve your speaking by learning how to speak on an ongoing basis and adapting your speaking to make it as relevant to your audience as possible.

Frank DiBartolomeo is a retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and award-winning speaker, presentation and interview skills coach, and Professional Member of the National Speakers Association. He was awarded Toastmasters International’s highest individual award, Distinguished Toastmaster because of his outstanding work in public speaking and leadership.

Frank formed DiBartolomeo Consulting International (DCI), LLC (www.speakleadandsucceed.com) in 2007. The mission of DCI is to help technical professionals to inspire, motivate, and influence their colleagues and other technical professionals by improving their presentation skills, communication, and personal presence. Reach Frank at frank@speakleadandsucceed.com and (703) 509-4424.

Don’t miss Frank DiBartolomeo’s latest book!

“Speak Well and Prosper: Tips, Tools, and Techniques for Better Presentations”

Available now at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com