Here's how you can leverage feedback to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses in your public speaking skills.

Leverage feedback to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses in your public speaking skills by first seeking constructive input from diverse sources—audiences, peers, and mentors. Review their comments to identify recurring themes or areas of improvement. Highlight positive feedback to recognize your strengths and build on them. Address criticisms by analyzing specific aspects, such as delivery or content clarity, and practice targeted improvements. Implement changes in subsequent presentations and seek follow-up feedback to gauge progress. By actively incorporating feedback and reflecting on your performance, you enhance your public speaking skills and continuously refine your effectiveness.

One of the approaches that I've seen useful in gathering feedback is by Evaluating Audience Responses: This can be done through observing keenly the audeince reactions and engagements during one's speech to gauge the effectiveness of one's speech.

Something everyone needs to understand about public speaking is that when you receive feedback on it, it is not a reflection on you as a person, but on your skill with a tool. It’s just like playing an instrument, learning a foreign language, becoming a good writer, or learning a new technique at work. Nobody will be a perfect public speaker right away, and the best way to learn is by practicing. You can only take so many communications courses and workshops, but the true best way to improve is my practicing, and then asking for feedback. Do NOT take that feedback personally, because it is a reflection of a learned skill, not you personally.

As a public speaker, feedback is a tool for continuous improvement. It helps you move from good to great by identifying subtle aspects of your performance that you might miss. Embracing feedback with an open mind accelerates your growth and ensures that with each speaking opportunity, you’re better equipped to connect with and influence your audience. So, actively seek it out, reflect on it, and use it as a guide to elevate your public speaking skills.

Feedbacks are the way to improve. It's crucial to take it in your favor and work on it. Consistent feedback and working on it constructively, directs us towards success.

Keep records and notes of critiques and how you adjusted your approach accordingly. You can reference these when evaluating your offerings and deciding what to keep and what to discontinue.

Set SMART goals for how you want to improve on certain skills. Even 5-10 minutes, 3 days a week can be effective practice to improve upon certain skillsets.

Record yourself and/or practice in the mirror, set aside xyz minutes, xyz days a week (whatever amount makes sense for you) and get in the practice and do the reps. Like any other skill, practice is crucial.

I personally find recording a great way to self introspect and plan course correction. Prepare yourself and record exactly how you would address your audience. You will realise certain points you get stuck on (practice them more), some words are used often (fillers), eliminate them using strong action words or descriptions, places where u feel it got boring ( cut it short and add humor/interesting facts/story). Record at least 3-4 times before the Final day.

In my opinion, the best way to challenge yourself in public speaking is to try and present without a script. Notes and slides and whatnot are almost always fine, but being able to say you’re confident enough in the subject, the presentation, and what information you want to get across that you don’t need be scrambling to rehearse, or awkwardly pulling up a script in the middle of a speech. Remember, public speaking isn’t just presentations, but something omnipresent throughout all interactions. You already present without a backup everyday, you just don’t realize it yet. A presentation is no different than a conversation, it’s just with a crowd. You’re probably better with impromptu speech than you think.

Self-assessment is a great way to address your strengths and weaknesses. Reflecting on feedback from others and reviewing video will help you determine what you need to work on. I have used these two methods to improve my public speaking.