When people think about becoming a great public speaker, they often picture powerful delivery, bold stage presence, and words that land with confidence. When I was a new speaker, there’s a quiet truth I discovered quickly:
The quality of your speaking is shaped long before you ever open your mouth.
The best speakers don’t just speak well—they listen well. They don’t just deliver a message—they understand the people receiving it. And when you learn to connect those pieces—listening, understanding, and the message you share—you unlock a level of audience engagement that can’t be faked or forced.
Here’s how these elements fit together, and why they matter more than anything else you say on stage.
1. Listening: The Hidden First Step of Public Speaking
You might think listening has nothing to do with speaking. After all, they’re opposites… right?
Not quite.
Before a great speaker ever creates a talk, they listen—to conversations, to questions, to worries, to excitement, to what their audience cares about. Listening is the compass that tells you where to steer your message.
As a new speaker, ask yourself:
- What does my audience hope to learn?
- What are they struggling with?
- What words or phrases do they use when talking about this topic?
Listening makes your message relevant. Without it, even impressive speeches fall flat.
2. Understanding: Where Connection Begins
Listening collects information; understanding gives it meaning.
Understanding is the moment you take what you’ve heard and say, “I see you. I get what you’re going through. I know why this matters.”
This is where empathy becomes your greatest tool as a speaker.
Understanding helps you shape:
- your tone
- your examples
- your stories
- your pacing
- your calls to action
For a new speaker, it can be tempting to focus on “How do I sound?” or “How do I look up there?” But understanding flips the focus outward. And that’s where the magic happens.
When people feel understood, they lean in.
When they lean in, they engage.
And when they engage, your message lands.
3. Engagement: A Dialogue Disguised as a Monologue
Even when you’re the only one speaking, great communication is never one-directional.
Engagement comes from the subtle back-and-forth energy between you and your audience. You speak, they react, and you adjust in real time.
But the foundation of that in-the-moment engagement?
It was built earlier, through listening and understanding.
When you build a talk around the audience’s world—not just your own—you create moments that feel like:
- “Wow, that’s exactly what I’ve been thinking.”
- “I didn’t know how to say it, but that’s it!”
- “This person gets me.”
This is where trust forms. Trust leads to attention. Attention leads to transformation.
4. Putting It All Together: A Practical Loop for New Speakers
If you’re new to speaking, think of the process like a loop:
LISTEN → UNDERSTAND → SPEAK → LISTEN AGAIN
You listen to craft your message.
You speak to share something meaningful.
You listen again—through reactions, questions, and conversations—to refine your next talk.
Public speaking is not a performance; it’s a relationship built over time.
5. The Speaker Who Learns Becomes the Speaker Who Lasts
Anyone can give a speech.
But a speaker who listens, understands, and engages?
That’s someone people remember.
You don’t need to be the loudest voice or the most charismatic person in the room. You simply need to be deeply tuned in—to your audience, to their needs, and to the human experience you share with them.
As you grow as a speaker, you’ll realize something beautifully simple:
Your voice becomes stronger the moment you learn to hear others.
And that’s when your speaking shifts from delivering information to creating impact.
Jessica Sloane Speaks 
Leave a comment