Speaking Your Way To Great Speaking

Practice Speaking by Actually Speaking

I want to share a great way to become a fantastic speaker without sitting down to “practice” for no particular reason. Right now, I’m on the roof of my motorhome—way up here—and before I hit record, I was already doing one of my favorite things: talking to myself.

People who see me probably think I’m nuts because I’m always talking out loud. But that’s part of the secret sauce of becoming a strong, natural speaker. And yes, there are a lot of ingredients, but this one is a powerful, underrated tool.

Talk to Yourself on Purpose

I talk to myself all the time. Not in the “Hey Dean, what are you doing?” way, but as practice. I’ll be doing laundry, driving, walking, climbing onto a roof—it doesn’t matter. I practice speaking in two ways:

• I pick a topic and present on it out loud. This helps me find the words of the moment and express ideas naturally.
• I imagine an audience asking a question—and answer it. This builds spontaneity, clarity, and authentic presence.

These two habits give me tremendous power as a speaker. They help me stay natural—me as me, not “presenter me,” not overly polished, not scripted. Just real, authentic expression.

Stop Thinking the Words—Say the Words

Some people try to “think through” a presentation. Others type endlessly, hoping the right words appear on the page. Me? I let the brain flow straight to the mouth.

I speak. Then if I want to, I record it. Most of the time, I just talk and then jot down a couple notes afterward. Then I try it again.

If you build your presentation by speaking, you’re actually practicing the presentation. You’re using the final medium—your voice—instead of staying in your head.

Want to Be Good at Speaking? Speak.

If you want to play the violin, you play the violin. If you want to play the piano, you play the piano. And if you want to become a strong, confident speaker?

You speak.