make a speech more interesting

15 Ideas To Make A Speech Unique, Memorable & Inspiring

Are you often called to speak in front of others ? If yes, then the art of making your speech unique, memorable, and inspiring is something you should be able to do with little or no effort.

So, for this reason, your goal for every speech should be to ensure that your speech leaves your audience inspired, hopeful, and enlightened.

Understanding the class and group of your target audience is the first step towards making your speech unique and memorable.

To be a great speaker, you must possess a great tact that will help you to understand that your speech is partially about yourself and wholly about your audience as well as the occasion that gives rise to your speech.   

With a good understanding of whom your audience is, you will be able to use the right jargon, acronyms, illustrations, examples, and possibly ask questions that will help you to address issues relating to your audience in your speech.

Sadly, humans are among the various creatures with a very short attention span. So, while delivering a speech, one of your core responsibilities is to ensure that you grab and hook your audience’s attention before they tune out.

In doing this, you may have to engage strategies such as telling a story, bringing in some humorous lines, asking questions, or even keeping them in suspense with some rhetoric .

Another great idea to help your speech resonate in the minds of your audience is being open, real, and authentic during your speech.

One of the most recent unique, powerful and inspiring speeches to be found on Youtube now is that of the 2016 Harvard Graduate, Donovan Livingston, where he WOW’ed the audience and still impresses many people to this day. Watch it below:

Top among the core qualities of great speakers is the ability to deliver speeches that are understandable, straightforward, and reproducible.

Always avoid too many facts, figures, and charts because these may complicate your speech and even get your audience confused at the end.

However, it becomes bad and unprofessional when that occurs more often in a speech, and that might lead to loss of focus, which may affect the quality of your delivery.

Consequently, it then becomes very easy for listeners to quickly forget about you as well as your speech if you are a speaker who lacks confidence during a speech.

A typical illustration to describe a failed speech is by not creating adequate time to prepare your speech and then ending up improvising your speech. Contrary to this, if you prepare adequately with some sessions of rehearsals on the content of your speech, you will be to envisage and anticipate possible questions that your audience may ask, either during or after your speech.

Going straight to the major points of your speech and nailing each point and then moving on to the next point until you finally wrap up your speech is a good way to keep your audience alive and inspired about your speech.

Remember, no one will ever complain if your speech is short and concise instead of a long and boring sermon. 

However, irrespective of how visuals can boost the effective transmission of your idea across to your audience, you should apply moderation, and only use visuals that helps to buttress your points where text may seem too lengthy.

Take for instance, if you are a chef, and you are giving a speech about the causes of alopecia, especially in a situation where you have never worked as a trichologist all your life. It will be very easy for your audience to doubt what you are saying to them about alopecia. 

And if this is the case, your audience will have no option but to passively absorb your speech, and after which, they forget what you have spoken almost immediately.

Frankly speaking, the easiest way to have your listeners remember the content of your speech for a long time with ripples of inspiration is by activating your audience as much as possible.

A typical example to illustrate this is when delivering a motivational speech to a group of an audience about self-discipline in the form of a monologue.

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Failure to organize your speech with a coherent structure is a cheat sheet to a speech that will end up as a ramble.

To avoid this pitfall, it is, therefore, very important to organize your speech into a well-defined structure so that your points will flow, and the entire speech will go as though there is a road map guiding it.

A seamless transition between the major points in your speech a great way to make your speech unique, memorable, and inspiring.

To achieve this, you will need to use appropriate linking words such as; “in addition to the first point”, “more so”, “going forward” or even “now that we have taken a critical look at the major challenges, let’s us focus on some possible solutions.” 

With some transitory words and phrases such as these, you will be sure that your audience doesn’t lose track of the previous points in an attempt to take in news points or ideas.

Just like other handy ideas shared so far, when you leverage on concepts that your audience can easily understand, you create an avenue for an inspiring and memorable moment among your listeners. 

Although this may not always come very easy to do, when you can spot a common ground between your audience and yourself, it then becomes very easy to transform even a weird and complex argument into a speech that can easily be understood by your listeners.

A very simple analogy to explain this is using illustrations about music notes and terms to explain your ideas and points to an audience with little or no music background. 

To avoid making your speech boring and time-wasting for your audience, avoid burying your head in the script and reading out every line in it.

Ideally, the best way to give a speech without having your audience burned out, even when you are practically reading the whole content, is to ensure that you have some of your key points and major ideas offhand.

Sadly, many listeners are not too good at remembering a piece of information once heard. For this reason, a brief repetition from the speaker can boost the level of remembrance of the major points by the audience.

In most cases, expert speakers think that a speech should be delivered starting from a preview (where a brief outline of the main ideas is given), the main message in detail, and a review (a recap of the main points of the speech).

Ending a speech with a powerful and relevant quote that keeps resonating in the minds of the audience is a good way to end a speech in a grand style. Similarly, even in addition to a quote, a speech should as a matter of necessity end with a call-to-action that keeps the listeners on their toes about implementing the major ideas and points that are contained in the speech a speaker has just shared.

With a persuasive call-to-action, the audience will try their hardest to ensure that they memorize the content of a speech since there are still some actions to be taken even after the speech has been delivered.

In such instance, if as the speaker, you finish your speech without a powerful quote about voluntary service or a call to action for members of your audience to volunteer themselves to the cause of your speech, it will end up as a total waste of time since the content of the speech has not been put to practice.

  “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth.” 

will make the perfect quote to usher in a call-to-action that will help your audience to subscribe to the content of your speech.

Craig Ballantyne. 10 Ways to Make Your Speeches more Powerful, Persuasive, and Profitable .

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10 Tips for Improving Your Public Speaking Skills

Few are immune to the fear of public speaking. Marjorie North offers 10 tips for speakers to calm the nerves and deliverable memorable orations.

Marjorie North

Snakes? Fine. Flying? No problem. Public speaking? Yikes! Just thinking about public speaking — routinely described as one of the greatest (and most common) fears — can make your palms sweat. But there are many ways to tackle this anxiety and learn to deliver a memorable speech.

In part one of this series,  Mastering the Basics of Communication , I shared strategies to improve how you communicate. In part two, How to Communicate More Effectively in the Workplace , I examined how to apply these techniques as you interact with colleagues and supervisors in the workplace. For the third and final part of this series, I’m providing you with public speaking tips that will help reduce your anxiety, dispel myths, and improve your performance.

Here Are My 10 Tips for Public Speaking:

1. nervousness is normal. practice and prepare.

All people feel some physiological reactions like pounding hearts and trembling hands. Do not associate these feelings with the sense that you will perform poorly or make a fool of yourself. Some nerves are good. The adrenaline rush that makes you sweat also makes you more alert and ready to give your best performance.

The best way to overcome anxiety is to prepare, prepare, and prepare some more. Take the time to go over your notes several times. Once you have become comfortable with the material, practice — a lot. Videotape yourself, or get a friend to critique your performance.

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2. Know Your Audience. Your Speech Is About Them, Not You.

Before you begin to craft your message, consider who the message is intended for. Learn as much about your listeners as you can. This will help you determine your choice of words, level of information, organization pattern, and motivational statement.

3. Organize Your Material in the Most Effective Manner to Attain Your Purpose.

Create the framework for your speech. Write down the topic, general purpose, specific purpose, central idea, and main points. Make sure to grab the audience’s attention in the first 30 seconds.

4. Watch for Feedback and Adapt to It.

Keep the focus on the audience. Gauge their reactions, adjust your message, and stay flexible. Delivering a canned speech will guarantee that you lose the attention of or confuse even the most devoted listeners.

5. Let Your Personality Come Through.

Be yourself, don’t become a talking head — in any type of communication. You will establish better credibility if your personality shines through, and your audience will trust what you have to say if they can see you as a real person.

6. Use Humor, Tell Stories, and Use Effective Language.

Inject a funny anecdote in your presentation, and you will certainly grab your audience’s attention. Audiences generally like a personal touch in a speech. A story can provide that.

7. Don’t Read Unless You Have to. Work from an Outline.

Reading from a script or slide fractures the interpersonal connection. By maintaining eye contact with the audience, you keep the focus on yourself and your message. A brief outline can serve to jog your memory and keep you on task.

8. Use Your Voice and Hands Effectively. Omit Nervous Gestures.

Nonverbal communication carries most of the message. Good delivery does not call attention to itself, but instead conveys the speaker’s ideas clearly and without distraction.

9. Grab Attention at the Beginning, and Close with a Dynamic End.

Do you enjoy hearing a speech start with “Today I’m going to talk to you about X”? Most people don’t. Instead, use a startling statistic, an interesting anecdote, or concise quotation. Conclude your speech with a summary and a strong statement that your audience is sure to remember.

10. Use Audiovisual Aids Wisely.

Too many can break the direct connection to the audience, so use them sparingly. They should enhance or clarify your content, or capture and maintain your audience’s attention.

Practice Does Not Make Perfect

Good communication is never perfect, and nobody expects you to be perfect. However, putting in the requisite time to prepare will help you deliver a better speech. You may not be able to shake your nerves entirely, but you can learn to minimize them.

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About the Author

North is a consultant for political candidates, physicians, and lawyers, and runs a private practice specializing in public speaking, and executive communication skills. Previously, she was the clinical director in the department of speech and language pathology and audiology at Northeastern University.

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How to Make a Speech More Interesting: 7 Presentation Ideas

These seven stellar presentation enhancers will help you make any speech more interesting. In this post, Doug Staneart breaks down his public speaking “Impact Ideas” that can be inserted into any speech to really make them come alive.

Below is a list of all seven items.

• Anecdotes : A funny story or a story that makes a point is often more memorable than just a bullet point.
• Demonstration : When you show your audience what you are trying to tell them, they will often have more clarity.
• Quote : A testimonial from an expert or client at the right time can add credibility.
• Sample : Something that your audience can see, touch, and feel has more impact than just a description of the item.
• Name Drop : If you don’t have a quote, you can name drop others who agree with you.
• Non-PowerPoint Visual Aid : A spontaneous flip-chart drawing, a poster, or board will often have a greater impact on the audience than an image on a slideshow that is more temporary.
• Showmanship : Never underestimate the entertainment value of your presentation.

Proceed with Caution. Presentation Enhancers Make GOOD Presentations More Interesting.

Bill Cosby (pre-conviction) once asked a friend of his why he did cocaine. The friend replied, “Because it intensifies your personality.” Cosby paused and said, “Yeah, but what if you’re an A-Hole?”

These impact ideas work exactly the same way. If you have a good presentation centered around just a few key points, adding a couple of enhancers for reinforcement will make the speech more interesting. However, if you already have 50 PowerPoint presentation slides and you add additional content, you’ll likely make the presentation worse. So, proceed with caution.

If you are just beginning to design your presentation, start with How to Design Presentations Quickly . As a review, the best way to design a good speech is to start with a great title. Great speech titles lead to great speeches because they explain to the audience the purpose of your speech. The next step in the writing process is to make a list of just the most important points. The body of your speech should contain fewer than five key points. Then, if you want to really capture the attention of your audience and design a memorable speech, use a good story to prove that each of your main points is true.

So before you start adding these public speaking tips into your speech, make sure you start with an engaging speech centered around a central idea, a few key points, and great examples. If you do, then these public speaking tips can help you make your speech more interesting!

7 Stellar Presentation Enhancers that Add Impact to Any Speech.

Below are seven effective ways to move a good speech into a better speech (or fantastic speech.) Since we have covered a number of presentation tips in other posts/podcasts, I wanted to use this episode to cover a powerful tool or two that some of the best speakers (even motivational speakers) use to make the audience feel like they are experiencing something unique. Each of these ideas can be a great way to use humor in your presentation, make a lasting impression, and influence different audiences in a positive way.

As I mentioned earlier, though, these ideas work well if inserted into a well-designed speech. So, there are three additional ways to make a presentation more interesting that aren’t covered here. The reason is that we have other post/podcast episodes about each of these three items. I suggest that you add each of them into your presentation before adding the seven ideas in this post. (The first three are essential to designing a good speech.)

• Stories and Examples Are the First Step to Make a Speech More Interesting .
• Audience Participation Will Make Your Presentation More Interactive .
• Analogies and Metaphors Are the Secret Sauce to Great Presentations .

So, if you haven’t seen these posts or heard those episodes, start with those ideas first. Also, remember that when you stand in front of an audience and give too much information, that is even worse than not giving enough information. Then add in these seven tips sparingly. A little impact goes a long way!

#1 – Funny Anecdotes Can Add Impact and Humor to Your Speech.

In other posts, we have covered stories and examples in great detail. (See How to Tell a Great Story in a Presentation .) A personal story or a real-life example from your own experience clarifies the content of your presentation. This technique is also a subtle way to build your credibility on the topic and capture the audience’s attention in a positive way. When you relay success stories from your own experience, your audience realizes that since you have that experience, you are an expert on the topic.

Anecdotes are a little different, though. Anecdotes can be funny incidents (true or fictitious) that help you make a point. Or they can also be 2nd person or 3rd person stories experienced by someone else.

Funny Stories Are Welcomed by Most Audiences.

I’m not a big fan of just telling random jokes in a speech. However, funny anecdotes that make a point are very useful. The great news, today, is that you can pretty much just type the words “funny story about _______” (insert a keyword from your bullet point) into Google, and you will find something. Once you find a funny anecdote, just make sure to tie it in with the point that you are making. (And give credit to the author.) For instance, I typed in “Funny Public Speaking Failures” and I found this gem…

While traveling to to Nagaoka, Japan, I was asked to speak after breakfast about marketing in the U.S. Seeing an opportunity to show off my linguist skills, I asked my interpreter how to pronounce the words on the distant signs for “Ladies” and “Gentlemen.” After practicing to myself, I began my speech with “Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen” in Japanese. This got quite a reaction from the audience. I delivered a killer 20 minutes of marketing wisdom, and sat down to generous applause. I was quite pleased with myself. Only later did I learn how strange my greeting was: One of our hosts gently inquired why I had started my talk with “Good Morning, toilets and urinals.” Lee Rogers, The Rogers Group Marketing and Advertising (Posted on https://www.genardmethod.com/resources/funny-public-speaking-stories

If somewhere in your speech, you can make the audience laugh, you have a big advantage. By the way, stories about humorous situations have another positive effect. Your natural facial expressions when you tell these stories create powerful nonverbal communication. So these funny stories take a little more practice to perfect. But they definitely make a speech more interesting.

2nd-Person Stories Allow You to Borrow Credibility from Other Experts.

Although our own personal stories help us build our credibility as an expert on the topic, another person’s story can be more practical in a lot of situations. For instance, if you are a sales representative, your personal experience using your product or service isn’t nearly as credible as a story from one of your customers.

This past week, I had a scientist in my class who studied melanoma. Although her stories of actually doing the research added a lot of credibility, she got more impact by telling stories of patients who had survived cancer based on these studies. Just be careful. When you re-tell a story from your own experience, it takes little practice. However, when you relay a story that you received from another person, you might want to practice your delivery a few additional times.

#2 – A Demonstration Can Make a Complicated Speech More Interesting — And Easier to Understand.

After a number of miscues, we started discussing a little strategy with the other speakers. We finally came up with the idea to go to the table ourselves and have one of us (they voted that I do it) say, “Just do what I do.” Then, I made a sandwich and explained what I were doing in each step. (We all got an A on the project. So did everyone else who went after us.)

I never forgot this lesson. It is a whole lot easier to show someone what to do than to just tell them what to do. This type of visual aid is critical when teaching someone how to use software or how to use a tool.

#3 – Insert a Memorized Quote into Your Presentation to Improve Credibility.

“My conclusions are much more credible when I back them up with Great Sources.”

I agree. When you quote an expert, you are basically giving your audience a second-opinion. It’s also easy to insert quotes into your presentations. Just like with the funny story above, Google “Quotes about ________” (insert your topic).

Make sure that the quotes that you add are short and easy to remember, though. A lot of speakers will put long quotes on a PowerPoint slide and call that a supporting point. This will most likely fall flat in front of a group, though. No one wants to read a long quote. In addition, if you read it to them, it will sound strange. You will get better results inserting a couple of easy-to-remember quotes that you can tell your audience verbally. Craig Hadden in his post How to Use Quotes in Your Presentations said it really well…

“Short Quotes Pack More Punch!”

#4 – A Sample Can Make Your Presentation More Interesting.

Throughout the day, we began to take the original presentations and add more ways to jazz each of them up a bit. So, at lunch, this marketing person went to a 7-11 and also to a competitor and bought a sandwich from each as a sample. The deli sandwich from her store was beautiful and fresh. The sandwich from the competitor was one of those where a sandwich was cut diagonally into two triangles and shoved into a triangle plastic box. She passed each around the room. Everyone agreed that the triangle sandwich was awful, and by contrast, she likely won a few audience members over to the fresh sandwich that her company made. A good sample can be very compelling.

#5 – You Can Also Make a Speech More Interesting with a Name Drop (or two or three.)

Another example is when I’m teaching classes about how important it is to narrow down your content to three to five main points. I often name drop other professional speakers who also agree with this idea. For instance Slide Genius, Presentation Magazine, and big training companies like the Dale Carnegie Organization and the AMA all believe in some form of the “Rule of Three” in a presentation.

Notice that in each of the examples above, I’m not quoting any of the sources, I’m just saying that each of the sources agrees with the statement that I’m making. Of course, if any of the listeners in your speech want to verify the claim, it is easy to do with a Google search. That is what makes this so powerful. It allows the inner Sherlock Holmes in your audience members to come out and do their own investigation. When they do, they find that you were right on the money.

#6 – Non-PowerPoint Visual Aids Will Help Make a Speech More Interesting.

One of my clients was competing to win a contract for a five-year project. Their competitors designed slideshows about how great they were. This group wanted to do something different. They created just a single visual aid. It was a 20-foot board with a timeline of the entire project. They broke the project into time periods and told stories about how the project would proceed through each period. It worked very well.

On a different project, the team was trying to build a high-tech science center on the campus of the University of Texas. My client had worked with hundreds of universities on building projects, but, at that time, they had only done a single project where the guidelines for indoor temperature, humidity, etc. were so exact. They had a photo of this building that looked like something out of Epcot. It had an aluminum, glass, and mirror exterior. It was a beautiful building. But the UT campus is right in the middle of downtown Austin. The campus is very Gothic in nature. (Think stone pillars and gargoyles.)

One of the architects took a sketchbook and a pencil down to the campus. He just started sketching things that he liked about the current campus architecture. He did this just to bring back some ideas to the team. But the sketches were so good, that they became a part of the final presentation. The sketches stole the show. They were much more interesting than the static PowerPoint slides.

#7 – Use Showmanship to Make a Speech More Interesting.

Never underestimate the entertainment value in any presentation.

Let me repeat that because it is so, so important…

Most speakers think that if they just give their audience the knowledge and content without sounding like an idiot, they have succeeded. However, think about Ferris Bueller’s teacher. “Anyone? Anyone?” If you aren’t interesting, your audience will often be distracted from your content. So, it is important to add some flair or showmanship to your speech to capture and hold the audience’s attention.

Obviously, if you add in a few of the other seven items, you will have a more interesting delivery. But the key is to think to yourself, “ How can I make this presentation content more interesting? ”

I had a class member who was a line supervisor for Amgen Pharmaceuticals. One of his main jobs was quality control of the cancer drugs that were being created on his line.

During his presentation, he asked us, “Have any of you ever seen a million dollars?” Of course, we all shook our heads no. He continued by sprinkling a few granules of sugar (from a packet from the coffee bar at the back of the room) onto the table in front of him.

He said, “If that much contaminant gets into our drug line, we lose a million dollars worth of product.” It was a really dramatic way to make his point, and we all remembered it.

Regardless of Which (or Any) of These Ideas that You Use, Do Something to Make Your Presentation More Interesting.

The ideas that I’ve covered in this list are nor exhaustive. In fact, some of these ideas may spark creativity in other areas where you can add more impact to your presentation. The most important thing to remember is that you don’t want to just do what everybody else is doing. Make your speeches a little different. Make them a little more interesting. If you do, your audience will love you.

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More From Forbes

12 public speaking tips to make your speech more impactful.

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There are few more impactful ways to grow and enhance your personal brand than a public speaking engagement. Whether it's a small seminar, conference panel or even a TED Talk, sharing your expertise with a live audience is a great way to establish yourself as a thought leader and expand your influence in your industry.

Newbie public speakers often feel nervous or under pressure before a big speech -- what if the audience gets bored or doesn't connect with your material? With the right strategies, you can ensure that your presentation is not only engaging and interesting but memorable for your listeners. We asked a panel of   Forbes Agency Council   members for their best public speaking advice. Their best answers are below.

Members of the Forbes Agency Council offer their best tips.

1. Offer A Tangible Take-Home Resource  

Often times, even the best information -- while amazing when you first hear it -- can be like a firehose, which makes the advice difficult to implement. Offer a resource guide that the audience can take with them that includes key takeaways and great examples of how they can implement it the very next day. -   Giovanni Sanguily ,   TRIdigital Marketing

2. Know Your Expertise And Be Specific  

It’s important to be very clear on your top three areas of expertise and interest. Keep it to three because it’s enough to be interesting and few enough to be memorable. The more specific, the better. Avoid clichés like “I’m a good collaborator.” Instead, highlight a personal value, like “I am a natural teacher and I love working with teams to teach them and help implement new concepts.” -   Jennifer Laible ,   Antenna

3 . Create Sticky Sentences With Adequate Pauses  

It's important to incorporate sticky sentences that are not only memorable but help point to your topic. People don't typically remember paragraphs but powerful sentences with adequate pauses. This allows for listeners to receive and reflect upon what was said. Share your sentence, pause, and then share it again. Share these multiple times throughout your presentation. - Bryan Citrin,   Chiropractic Advertising

4. Build In Audience Participation  

Encourage participation from your audience. Allowing time for   Q&As   gives you time to get to know your audience and what they are expecting to hear about. If you talk about what your audience wants to hear about, it will be more meaningful to them, and they will be more likely to remember what you said. -   Solomon Thimothy ,   OneIMS

5. Provide Your Contact Information  

Share contact information at the end of a talk. It's a very simple way to let the audience feel that they have a direct connection to you, even if they don't take you up on the outreach. You can't talk about personal brand without the word "personal." Giving out your contact info is such a simple way to get personal. -   Brett Farmiloe ,   Markitors

6. Incorporate Humor  

The audience needs to be ready to hear your message for the engagement to be successful. Humor humanizes the speaker, transcends all barriers and helps to grab the audience's attention so that they are open to receiving your message. -   Lisa Allocca ,   Red Javelin Communications

7. Don’t Bury The Lede  

The best thing you can be is useful to your audience and not make them work for it. They won’t remember all you say, but if they retain what’s most important, they’ll leave seeing you as a valuable resource and thought leader. That means clearly identifying takeaways, such as including key points at the end of each section or concluding with a checklist to help them activate a new approach. -   Howard Breindel ,   DeSantis Breindel

8. Limit Text And Make It Visual Instead  

Your audience is not sitting in a conference or seminar to read. They want to listen and be entertained. If you do use visual aids (PowerPoint or Keynote, for example), make sure to keep it visual. Limit the text to less than 10 words per page. Use a visual that will back up your story and help explain your concept. Keep it clean, easy to scan and meaningful to what you are saying. -   Korena Keys ,   KeyMedia Solutions

9. Do A Meet And Greet Before Your Presentation  

Before my talks, I get to know my audience. Not only do I conduct advance research to understand who will be attending, but prior to taking the stage I also meet and greet several people. Then, while presenting, I look for friendly faces and personalize the content based on the knowledge shared in advance. I encourage my fellow executives to give meet and greets a try. -   Dave Wendland ,   Hamacher Resource Group

10. Focus On Emotional Engagement  

When engaging in public speaking, remember that your audience is full of real people. Your job is not only to communicate unique ideas and educate the audience but to also entertain them and heighten their interest. Evoke an emotional response in your audience, move their hearts and engage their minds. It's through emotional engagement that you capture their attention and become memorable. -   Tom Shapiro ,   Stratabeat

11. Be Vulnerable And Share Your Fears And Failures  

Memorability is the name of the game in both personal branding and public speaking. There is nothing quite like being real -- open, transparent, vulnerable -- to capture the attention and hearts of an audience. "Corporate" speak and "rah-rah success" speak are expected. What's not expected yet extremely memorable are the fears, flounders and failures that every executive has to share. -   Beth Noymer Levine ,   SmartMouth Communications

12. Be Human

People are less likely to remember precisely what you tell them, and more likely to remember how you make them feel. Allow for candid moments. Provide the impression of being "off script." It's better. -  Rick Kupchella ,  The Informed Engagement Network (i.e. network)

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How to write a speech that your audience remembers

Whether in a work meeting or at an investor panel, you might give a speech at some point. And no matter how excited you are about the opportunity, the experience can be nerve-wracking . 

But feeling butterflies doesn’t mean you can’t give a great speech. With the proper preparation and a clear outline, apprehensive public speakers and natural wordsmiths alike can write and present a compelling message. Here’s how to write a good speech you’ll be proud to deliver.

What is good speech writing?

Good speech writing is the art of crafting words and ideas into a compelling, coherent, and memorable message that resonates with the audience. Here are some key elements of great speech writing:

• It begins with clearly understanding the speech's purpose and the audience it seeks to engage. 
• A well-written speech clearly conveys its central message, ensuring that the audience understands and retains the key points. 
• It is structured thoughtfully, with a captivating opening, a well-organized body, and a conclusion that reinforces the main message. 
• Good speech writing embraces the power of engaging content, weaving in stories, examples, and relatable anecdotes to connect with the audience on both intellectual and emotional levels. 

Ultimately, it is the combination of these elements, along with the authenticity and delivery of the speaker , that transforms words on a page into a powerful and impactful spoken narrative.

What makes a good speech?

A great speech includes several key qualities, but three fundamental elements make a speech truly effective:

Clarity and purpose

Remembering the audience, cohesive structure.

While other important factors make a speech a home run, these three elements are essential for writing an effective speech.

The main elements of a good speech

The main elements of a speech typically include:

• Introduction: The introduction sets the stage for your speech and grabs the audience's attention. It should include a hook or attention-grabbing opening, introduce the topic, and provide an overview of what will be covered.
• Opening/captivating statement: This is a strong statement that immediately engages the audience and creates curiosity about the speech topics.
• Thesis statement/central idea: The thesis statement or central idea is a concise statement that summarizes the main point or argument of your speech. It serves as a roadmap for the audience to understand what your speech is about.
• Body: The body of the speech is where you elaborate on your main points or arguments. Each point is typically supported by evidence, examples, statistics, or anecdotes. The body should be organized logically and coherently, with smooth transitions between the main points.
• Supporting evidence: This includes facts, data, research findings, expert opinions, or personal stories that support and strengthen your main points. Well-chosen and credible evidence enhances the persuasive power of your speech.
• Transitions: Transitions are phrases or statements that connect different parts of your speech, guiding the audience from one idea to the next. Effective transitions signal the shifts in topics or ideas and help maintain a smooth flow throughout the speech.
• Counterarguments and rebuttals (if applicable): If your speech involves addressing opposing viewpoints or counterarguments, you should acknowledge and address them. Presenting counterarguments makes your speech more persuasive and demonstrates critical thinking.
• Conclusion: The conclusion is the final part of your speech and should bring your message to a satisfying close. Summarize your main points, restate your thesis statement, and leave the audience with a memorable closing thought or call to action.
• Closing statement: This is the final statement that leaves a lasting impression and reinforces the main message of your speech. It can be a call to action, a thought-provoking question, a powerful quote, or a memorable anecdote.
• Delivery and presentation: How you deliver your speech is also an essential element to consider. Pay attention to your tone, body language, eye contact , voice modulation, and timing. Practice and rehearse your speech, and try using the 7-38-55 rule to ensure confident and effective delivery.

While the order and emphasis of these elements may vary depending on the type of speech and audience, these elements provide a framework for organizing and delivering a successful speech.

How to structure a good speech

You know what message you want to transmit, who you’re delivering it to, and even how you want to say it. But you need to know how to start, develop, and close a speech before writing it. 

Think of a speech like an essay. It should have an introduction, conclusion, and body sections in between. This places ideas in a logical order that the audience can better understand and follow them. Learning how to make a speech with an outline gives your storytelling the scaffolding it needs to get its point across.

Here’s a general speech structure to guide your writing process:

• Explanation 1
• Explanation 2
• Explanation 3

How to write a compelling speech opener

Some research shows that engaged audiences pay attention for only 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Other estimates are even lower, citing that people stop listening intently in fewer than 10 minutes . If you make a good first impression at the beginning of your speech, you have a better chance of interesting your audience through the middle when attention spans fade. 

Implementing the INTRO model can help grab and keep your audience’s attention as soon as you start speaking. This acronym stands for interest, need, timing, roadmap, and objectives, and it represents the key points you should hit in an opening. 

Here’s what to include for each of these points: 

• Interest : Introduce yourself or your topic concisely and speak with confidence . Write a compelling opening statement using relevant data or an anecdote that the audience can relate to.
• Needs : The audience is listening to you because they have something to learn. If you’re pitching a new app idea to a panel of investors, those potential partners want to discover more about your product and what they can earn from it. Read the room and gently remind them of the purpose of your speech. 
• Timing : When appropriate, let your audience know how long you’ll speak. This lets listeners set expectations and keep tabs on their own attention span. If a weary audience member knows you’ll talk for 40 minutes, they can better manage their energy as that time goes on. 
• Routemap : Give a brief overview of the three main points you’ll cover in your speech. If an audience member’s attention starts to drop off and they miss a few sentences, they can more easily get their bearings if they know the general outline of the presentation.
• Objectives : Tell the audience what you hope to achieve, encouraging them to listen to the end for the payout. 

Writing the middle of a speech

The body of your speech is the most information-dense section. Facts, visual aids, PowerPoints — all this information meets an audience with a waning attention span. Sticking to the speech structure gives your message focus and keeps you from going off track, making everything you say as useful as possible.

Limit the middle of your speech to three points, and support them with no more than three explanations. Following this model organizes your thoughts and prevents you from offering more information than the audience can retain. 

Using this section of the speech to make your presentation interactive can add interest and engage your audience. Try including a video or demonstration to break the monotony. A quick poll or survey also keeps the audience on their toes. 

Wrapping the speech up

To you, restating your points at the end can feel repetitive and dull. You’ve practiced countless times and heard it all before. But repetition aids memory and learning , helping your audience retain what you’ve told them. Use your speech’s conclusion to summarize the main points with a few short sentences.

Try to end on a memorable note, like posing a motivational quote or a thoughtful question the audience can contemplate once they leave. In proposal or pitch-style speeches, consider landing on a call to action (CTA) that invites your audience to take the next step.

How to write a good speech

If public speaking gives you the jitters, you’re not alone. Roughly 80% of the population feels nervous before giving a speech, and another 10% percent experiences intense anxiety and sometimes even panic. 

The fear of failure can cause procrastination and can cause you to put off your speechwriting process until the last minute. Finding the right words takes time and preparation, and if you’re already feeling nervous, starting from a blank page might seem even harder.

But putting in the effort despite your stress is worth it. Presenting a speech you worked hard on fosters authenticity and connects you to the subject matter, which can help your audience understand your points better. Human connection is all about honesty and vulnerability, and if you want to connect to the people you’re speaking to, they should see that in you.

1. Identify your objectives and target audience

Before diving into the writing process, find healthy coping strategies to help you stop worrying . Then you can define your speech’s purpose, think about your target audience, and start identifying your objectives. Here are some questions to ask yourself and ground your thinking : 

• What purpose do I want my speech to achieve? 
• What would it mean to me if I achieved the speech’s purpose?
• What audience am I writing for? 
• What do I know about my audience? 
• What values do I want to transmit? 
• If the audience remembers one take-home message, what should it be? 
• What do I want my audience to feel, think, or do after I finish speaking? 
• What parts of my message could be confusing and require further explanation?

2. Know your audience

Understanding your audience is crucial for tailoring your speech effectively. Consider the demographics of your audience, their interests, and their expectations. For instance, if you're addressing a group of healthcare professionals, you'll want to use medical terminology and data that resonate with them. Conversely, if your audience is a group of young students, you'd adjust your content to be more relatable to their experiences and interests. 

3. Choose a clear message

Your message should be the central idea that you want your audience to take away from your speech. Let's say you're giving a speech on climate change. Your clear message might be something like, "Individual actions can make a significant impact on mitigating climate change." Throughout your speech, all your points and examples should support this central message, reinforcing it for your audience.

4. Structure your speech

Organizing your speech properly keeps your audience engaged and helps them follow your ideas. The introduction should grab your audience's attention and introduce the topic. For example, if you're discussing space exploration, you could start with a fascinating fact about a recent space mission. In the body, you'd present your main points logically, such as the history of space exploration, its scientific significance, and future prospects. Finally, in the conclusion, you'd summarize your key points and reiterate the importance of space exploration in advancing human knowledge.

5. Use engaging content for clarity

Engaging content includes stories, anecdotes, statistics, and examples that illustrate your main points. For instance, if you're giving a speech about the importance of reading, you might share a personal story about how a particular book changed your perspective. You could also include statistics on the benefits of reading, such as improved cognitive abilities and empathy.

6. Maintain clarity and simplicity

It's essential to communicate your ideas clearly. Avoid using overly technical jargon or complex language that might confuse your audience. For example, if you're discussing a medical breakthrough with a non-medical audience, explain complex terms in simple, understandable language.

7. Practice and rehearse

Practice is key to delivering a great speech. Rehearse multiple times to refine your delivery, timing, and tone. Consider using a mirror or recording yourself to observe your body language and gestures. For instance, if you're giving a motivational speech, practice your gestures and expressions to convey enthusiasm and confidence.

8. Consider nonverbal communication

Your body language, tone of voice, and gestures should align with your message . If you're delivering a speech on leadership, maintain strong eye contact to convey authority and connection with your audience. A steady pace and varied tone can also enhance your speech's impact.

9. Engage your audience

Engaging your audience keeps them interested and attentive. Encourage interaction by asking thought-provoking questions or sharing relatable anecdotes. If you're giving a speech on teamwork, ask the audience to recall a time when teamwork led to a successful outcome, fostering engagement and connection.

10. Prepare for Q&A

Anticipate potential questions or objections your audience might have and prepare concise, well-informed responses. If you're delivering a speech on a controversial topic, such as healthcare reform, be ready to address common concerns, like the impact on healthcare costs or access to services, during the Q&A session.

By following these steps and incorporating examples that align with your specific speech topic and purpose, you can craft and deliver a compelling and impactful speech that resonates with your audience.

Tools for writing a great speech

There are several helpful tools available for speechwriting, both technological and communication-related. Here are a few examples:

• Word processing software: Tools like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or other word processors provide a user-friendly environment for writing and editing speeches. They offer features like spell-checking, grammar correction, formatting options, and easy revision tracking.
• Presentation software: Software such as Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Slides is useful when creating visual aids to accompany your speech. These tools allow you to create engaging slideshows with text, images, charts, and videos to enhance your presentation.
• Speechwriting Templates: Online platforms or software offer pre-designed templates specifically for speechwriting. These templates provide guidance on structuring your speech and may include prompts for different sections like introductions, main points, and conclusions.
• Rhetorical devices and figures of speech: Rhetorical tools such as metaphors, similes, alliteration, and parallelism can add impact and persuasion to your speech. Resources like books, websites, or academic papers detailing various rhetorical devices can help you incorporate them effectively.
• Speechwriting apps: Mobile apps designed specifically for speechwriting can be helpful in organizing your thoughts, creating outlines, and composing a speech. These apps often provide features like voice recording, note-taking, and virtual prompts to keep you on track.
• Grammar and style checkers: Online tools or plugins like Grammarly or Hemingway Editor help improve the clarity and readability of your speech by checking for grammar, spelling, and style errors. They provide suggestions for sentence structure, word choice, and overall tone.
• Thesaurus and dictionary: Online or offline resources such as thesauruses and dictionaries help expand your vocabulary and find alternative words or phrases to express your ideas more effectively. They can also clarify meanings or provide context for unfamiliar terms.
• Online speechwriting communities: Joining online forums or communities focused on speechwriting can be beneficial for getting feedback, sharing ideas, and learning from experienced speechwriters. It's an opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and improve your public speaking skills through collaboration.

Remember, while these tools can assist in the speechwriting process, it's essential to use them thoughtfully and adapt them to your specific needs and style. The most important aspect of speechwriting remains the creativity, authenticity, and connection with your audience that you bring to your speech.

5 tips for writing a speech

Behind every great speech is an excellent idea and a speaker who refined it. But a successful speech is about more than the initial words on the page, and there are a few more things you can do to help it land.

Here are five more tips for writing and practicing your speech:

1. Structure first, write second

If you start the writing process before organizing your thoughts, you may have to re-order, cut, and scrap the sentences you worked hard on. Save yourself some time by using a speech structure, like the one above, to order your talking points first. This can also help you identify unclear points or moments that disrupt your flow.

2. Do your homework

Data strengthens your argument with a scientific edge. Research your topic with an eye for attention-grabbing statistics, or look for findings you can use to support each point. If you’re pitching a product or service, pull information from company metrics that demonstrate past or potential successes. 

Audience members will likely have questions, so learn all talking points inside and out. If you tell investors that your product will provide 12% returns, for example, come prepared with projections that support that statement.

3. Sound like yourself

Memorable speakers have distinct voices. Think of Martin Luther King Jr’s urgent, inspiring timbre or Oprah’s empathetic, personal tone . Establish your voice — one that aligns with your personality and values — and stick with it. If you’re a motivational speaker, keep your tone upbeat to inspire your audience . If you’re the CEO of a startup, try sounding assured but approachable. 

4. Practice

As you practice a speech, you become more confident , gain a better handle on the material, and learn the outline so well that unexpected questions are less likely to trip you up. Practice in front of a colleague or friend for honest feedback about what you could change, and speak in front of the mirror to tweak your nonverbal communication and body language .

5. Remember to breathe

When you’re stressed, you breathe more rapidly . It can be challenging to talk normally when you can’t regulate your breath. Before your presentation, try some mindful breathing exercises so that when the day comes, you already have strategies that will calm you down and remain present . This can also help you control your voice and avoid speaking too quickly.

How to ghostwrite a great speech for someone else

Ghostwriting a speech requires a unique set of skills, as you're essentially writing a piece that will be delivered by someone else. Here are some tips on how to effectively ghostwrite a speech:

• Understand the speaker's voice and style : Begin by thoroughly understanding the speaker's personality, speaking style, and preferences. This includes their tone, humor, and any personal anecdotes they may want to include.
• Interview the speaker : Have a detailed conversation with the speaker to gather information about their speech's purpose, target audience, key messages, and any specific points they want to emphasize. Ask for personal stories or examples they may want to include.
• Research thoroughly : Research the topic to ensure you have a strong foundation of knowledge. This helps you craft a well-informed and credible speech.
• Create an outline : Develop a clear outline that includes the introduction, main points, supporting evidence, and a conclusion. Share this outline with the speaker for their input and approval.
• Write in the speaker's voice : While crafting the speech, maintain the speaker's voice and style. Use language and phrasing that feel natural to them. If they have a particular way of expressing ideas, incorporate that into the speech.
• Craft a captivating opening : Begin the speech with a compelling opening that grabs the audience's attention. This could be a relevant quote, an interesting fact, a personal anecdote, or a thought-provoking question.
• Organize content logically : Ensure the speech flows logically, with each point building on the previous one. Use transitions to guide the audience from one idea to the next smoothly.
• Incorporate engaging stories and examples : Include anecdotes, stories, and real-life examples that illustrate key points and make the speech relatable and memorable.
• Edit and revise : Edit the speech carefully for clarity, grammar, and coherence. Ensure the speech is the right length and aligns with the speaker's time constraints.
• Seek feedback : Share drafts of the speech with the speaker for their feedback and revisions. They may have specific changes or additions they'd like to make.
• Practice delivery : If possible, work with the speaker on their delivery. Practice the speech together, allowing the speaker to become familiar with the content and your writing style.
• Maintain confidentiality : As a ghostwriter, it's essential to respect the confidentiality and anonymity of the work. Do not disclose that you wrote the speech unless you have the speaker's permission to do so.
• Be flexible : Be open to making changes and revisions as per the speaker's preferences. Your goal is to make them look good and effectively convey their message.
• Meet deadlines : Stick to agreed-upon deadlines for drafts and revisions. Punctuality and reliability are essential in ghostwriting.
• Provide support : Support the speaker during their preparation and rehearsal process. This can include helping with cue cards, speech notes, or any other materials they need.

Remember that successful ghostwriting is about capturing the essence of the speaker while delivering a well-structured and engaging speech. Collaboration, communication, and adaptability are key to achieving this.

Give your best speech yet

Learn how to make a speech that’ll hold an audience’s attention by structuring your thoughts and practicing frequently. Put the effort into writing and preparing your content, and aim to improve your breathing, eye contact , and body language as you practice. The more you work on your speech, the more confident you’ll become.

The energy you invest in writing an effective speech will help your audience remember and connect to every concept. Remember: some life-changing philosophies have come from good speeches, so give your words a chance to resonate with others. You might even change their thinking.

Understand Yourself Better:

Big 5 Personality Test

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

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How to Give a Speech: 10 Tips for Powerful Public Speaking

When we start preparing to give a speech, it can be a nerve-wracking experience. It’s completely normal—most of us feel a combination of excitement and nerves when we’re about to take the stage.

However, with some strategic planning and practical advice, you can make sure your speech is powerful and effective. In this blog post, we’ll explore how to give a speech that will leave your audience engaged and inspired.

We’ll examine 10 tips to help you build a powerful speech, from outlining your points methodically to crafting captivating introductions . Whether you’re a beginner or experienced public speaker, these nuggets of wisdom will help you take your next speech to the next level. Let’s get started!

Quick Review of Key Points

Preparing ahead of time is the key to giving an effective speech. Make sure to structure your speaking points, rehearse your delivery, and be aware of the needs of your audience for maximum impact.

How to Prepare for a Speech

Preparing for a speech is an essential step to public speaking success. It can help to build your confidence, create content that reaches the audience, and reduce performance anxiety.

Although it can be time-consuming in the beginning, preparation will ensure less stress and more comfort during delivery. Here are some tips to consider when preparing for a speech:

Practice : Before delivering a speech, practice it out loud several times. This will allow you to gain experience in speaking without an audience and increase your confidence when you do have one.

Practicing also helps to identify awkward moments in the speech or any difficult phrases which then can be changed or removed altogether. Additionally, it helps you determine where to pause for effect. Research : Depending on the topic of the speech , research should be done beforehand to gather information that is relevant and interesting for the audience. It is important to get acquainted with the language typically used by audiences to ensure a clear understanding of what is being said.

Additionally, relevant statistics and stories concerning the topic are a great way to draw in listeners and make the presentation more engaging .

Know Your Audience : When preparing your speech, be sure to consider who will be listening. For instance, if giving a presentation at work, include industry jargon that members would understand and include relevant topics from publications that might be familiar to the employees.

On the other hand, if consulting business professionals in their field then technical language may be easier for them to comprehend than laypeople or students.

By gathering valuable information about the topic and getting comfortable with a speech’s content and delivery through practice, speakers will gain more assurance during their talk as well as respect from their audience.

Preparing beforehand not only gives insight into how to engage listeners but also encourages more meaningful conversations after the event. Now that we have discussed how to prepare for a speech let us move on to creating an outline which will provide structure during delivery.

Create an Outline

After determining the audience and purpose of your speech, the next step to effective public speaking is to create an outline .

An outline serves as a roadmap to ensure that your speech has a logical flow and contains all important points. It also can help keep you on track during the speech itself, allowing you to stay focused and organized.

When constructing an outline, consider drawing up both a main point and sub-points for each portion of the speech. Both should be relevant to the goal of the presentation and backed up by facts and research.

Brainstorming can help in this process; try grouping your ideas together in clusters to make sure you cover all possible angles.

Furthermore, writing out exact quotations or figures can prove beneficial in forming a cohesive argument. At this stage, it is also wise to decide where transitions, humor, stories, or other engaging techniques will be included.

While there are differing opinions as to whether outlines should be memorized or simply used as a reference while speaking, many agree that they should serve their purpose – not only articulate the main thoughts of the speech but also assist the speaker with maintaining focus and preventing distractions.

The debate between those who advocate for memorization versus casual consulting touches upon issues such as rehearsal time, risk of errors in delivery, ease of practice versus actual performance and more.

Each side has valid arguments that should be weighed prior to deciding what type of approach best suits your needs.

Having a firmly constructed outline acts as a valuable tool when it comes time to deliver a powerful public speech. By actively utilizing this tactic, speakers may not only enhance their clarity and coherence, but also add structure and vibrance to their presentations.

Now that we have explored what goes into crafting an effective outline, let’s dive deeper into how we can best collect resources and research our topics for maximum impact.

Collect Sources and Research

Collecting sources and research is a crucial step for any public speaking engagement. It ensures that you have the necessary information to make strong points and back up your statements.

Before writing your speech, take time to research your topic to gain familiarity with different perspectives, facts, and counterpoints. This will help you to craft an argument that can stand up to scrutiny while also adding a breadth of knowledge to your speech.

Interviews can be a powerful source of evidence and anecdotes, so try to include one or two relevant interviews in your research process. Relying solely on secondary sources such as books and articles can lead to a narrow scope of understanding.

Interviews provide an opportunity to hear directly from an expert and create an interesting dynamic in your speech by adding personal experiences as well as commentary from a professional.

In research it is important to stay objective. Gather a variety of perspectives and be open-minded about their merits. Don’t forget to consider both sides of the argument when researching for your speech.

Doing this allows you to understand the opposing perspective and enables you to anticipate potential counter arguments from your audience.

By acknowledging them beforehand, you may increase the persuasive power of your speech by showing confidence in the points you make.

Once you have collected all sources, review them carefully and separate the most pertinent information from the less useful material.

Synthesising this information into concise yet impactful points is a critical part in delivering powerful talks without overloading your audience with too much data or going off track during your speech delivery.

Organizing Your Speech

Before you start putting your words together, it’s important to consider how the different parts of a speech fit together. By taking the time to organize the ideas in your speech , you’ll be able to deliver a presentation that is well-constructed and easy to understand.

One way to help with organizing your speech is to write an outline . An outline is like a map or plan that will provide you with a framework for each section of your speech.

Start by writing out your main points and then include additional details underneath each one. This will help keep your speech focused and provide direction for where you are going next.

Another approach for organizing your speech is known as the “inverted pyramid” method. This structure starts with your conclusion at the beginning of the speech, and then works backward by providing more explanation and detail as it moves toward the introduction.

This method can be helpful when speaking about topics that are unfamiliar to the audience since it doesn’t require them to wait until near the end of the presentation to learn what you’ve been talking about.

No matter which organization approach you choose, make sure to practice it before giving your speech so that you are comfortable with its flow. Lastly, remember that it’s ok to adjust things while you speak if they don’t seem or feel quite right.

Now let’s take a look at how we can use these organizing techniques to actually put our speeches together – starting with structuring our speech.

Structure Your Speech

Creating a strong structure for your speech will ensure that the audience stays engaged and understands your main points. As you are developing an outline, map out how you want to begin and end your speech.

Break up the information into smaller sections with either verbal or visual cues so that your audience can clearly see how you are transitioning between topics . Consider adding humor judiciously throughout your presentation as this could help engage the audience and lighten any tension.

The length of your presentation is also important. You will want to make sure that you include all of the necessary information without going over time.

Oftentimes less is more; if you can say it in five minutes why use ten? Make sure that you practice timed rehearsals so that you can gauge how long you’re actually speaking.

In contrast, avoid trying to pack too much content into one presentation as this could overwhelm both you and the audience. If needed, offer supplemental reading materials for those who may be interested in delving further into the subject matter.

Paragraphs can also be helpful when organizing large amounts of content within the body of your presentation. Utilizing paragraph breaks gives your audience a break and helps to highlight key ideas or summaries before moving onto a new topic area.

Finally, it is crucial to remember what your desired outcome is from the presentation; plan accordingly by ensuring that the beginning, middle, and end serve their respective purposes and adhere to that goal.

With careful deliberations, structuring a successful presentation can be achieved with relative ease.

Having established a solid structure for your speech, it’s important to focus on another key element: rehearsal. The next section will discuss the benefits of practicing before delivering a powerful public speaking performance.

Rehearse Your Speech

Rehearsing is integral to giving a successful speech. When you rehearse your presentation, you give your mind an opportunity to become familiar with the notes and concepts that you are presenting. It also increases your confidence and reduces anxiety or self-doubt.

In fact, studies have found that those who rehearsed their presentation had higher scores in public speaking performance and language proficiency evaluations.

When it comes to how much rehearsal is enough, opinions are divided. Some people believe that over-rehearsing can lead to a more robotic speech with less natural emotion and connection with the audience .

On the other hand, others argue that no matter how well-versed someone is on the topic, additional rehearsal time improves both the delivery of the speech and memorization of key points and facts.

Ultimately, it’s important to practice until you personally find the most comfortable level for yourself, as this will ultimately result in a more engaging delivery.

Finally, if at all possible, try to practice in front of a friend or colleague for honest feedback on any elements that need improvement before the big day. Rehearsal dedication may be tedious, but it results in big rewards on stage–enabling you to deliver your content with clarity, confidence, and poise.

With thoughtful preparation complete, it’s now time to step into the spotlight and give your speech!

Giving Your Speech

The key to success when giving a speech is to be well prepared and confident. Every individual’s preparation process will vary, but the basics should stay the same.

Start by studying your content, understanding the material and being able to repeat it in your own words. Clarify any potentially difficult points. Create visual aids like PowerPoint slides or handouts that supplement the key ideas in your speech.

Practice your public speaking skills with informal conversations with friends and family or rehearse it alone in front of a mirror. Use visualization; imagine yourself confidently delivering your speech. Consider addressing a practice audience if possible to become more accustomed to a live size group.

On the day of the event, arrive early and plan for any potential obstacles: What if my computer doesn’t work? What if I forget something? Allow sufficient time for setup and check-in.

When you are ready to give your speech, take some deep breaths, focus on the positives, and distract yourself from any anxious thoughts with positive affirmations. Remember you have prepared diligently for this moment, you are well prepared and you will succeed!

Start strong by engaging the audience immediately with an attention grabbing opening statement. Speak clearly and make sure that everyone can hear and understand your message.

Slow down and emphasize points as needed throughout your presentation. Be aware of pace, volume, and tone of voice: too fast/monotone can confuse/bore listeners while pauses add a dramatic effect that keeps their interest piqued.

Ultimately, giving a successful speech will depend on knowing your material well enough to speak confidently in front of your audience without hesitation or missteps.

When you do make a mistake (and they happen!) don’t panic – know that mistakes are inevitable but don’t be discouraged; get back on track as soon as possible and continue at the same energy level you had before the mistake occurred.

Having successfully given your speech, take a moment to reflect on what went well and what could be improved upon for next time before transitioning into the next step: mastering delivery.

Master Your Delivery

Mastering your delivery is the key to an effective speech. Without purposeful body language and careful emphasis on certain words , your speech may lack wow-factor and prevent listeners from tuning in. Following these simple tips can help you get started with delivering an engaging and memorable speech:

The most important part of delivery is practice. Rehearse and perfect your speech ahead of time – this allows for more natural flow and confidence during your presentation. It also helps to create pauses between sentences for clarity, emphasize key points, and not be too casual or stiff.

Practicing inflections and varying tones adds interest to your speech by keeping listeners’ attention.

Additionally, it’s important to project your voic e so everyone in the room can hear you; make sure you’re speaking loud enough but don’t feel pressure to shout or yell at any point unless that’s part of the atmosphere of the event.

It’s also crucial to maintain good posture while speaking – stand tall with both feet on the ground, keep your back straight, hold yourself up without gesturing too much or leaning against a podium if applicable.

To further engage listeners, use purposeful hand gestures as they help emphasize certain points and add visual interest – however, avoid overusing them as it can hinders communication.

Make meaningful eye contact with audience members throughout the presentation – otherwise you might come across as unenthusiastic or bored with what you’re saying which deters attention away from the content itself.

By mastering your delivery, you can boost the impact of your presentation considerably – providing a memorable experience for your audience that stands out from others’. As such, it’s worth investing time into practicing ahead of time until delivery feels comfortable and second nature.

Having said this, making use of visual aids such as PowerPoint slides can greatly improve the impact of a speech once delivery has been mastered – let’s look into that next.

Use Visual Aids

Using visual aids can help presenters express concepts more clearly and engage the audience.

Visuals are particularly useful when conveying complex information, such as data, trends, or statistics — they impart meaning at a glance. But some public speakers may wonder if visual aids can be distracting or unnecessary.

Even though visuals can attract attention away from a presenter’s verbal delivery, carefully designed visuals can actually support the speech and help provide clarity. If done well, visuals are effective for capturing an audience’s interest and helping them to better understand the content being presented.

For example, a graph or chart should relate to the points made in the speech and should be discussed in more detail during its appearance onscreen. The presentation can also include larger images that effectively reinforce the ideas conveyed in the speech.

Videos and sound clips are other powerful forms of multimedia that could be employed to make the speech more meaningful.

To ensure that visuals enhance the message of the presentation, key factors to consider include relevancy to topic, good graphic design or aesthetics, accurate size to prevent distortion or blurriness, and seamless integration into the keynote slides or printed handouts .

In this way, visuals offer an opportunity for presenters to demonstrate their creativity and keep their audiences interested in what is being said. Thus, used wisely and aptly, visuals can add tremendous value to speeches by presenting arguments more efficiently and driving home important points. Now let’s explore effective techniques for speech giving that will allow you to craft and deliver your speeches with confidence.

Effective Techniques for Speech Giving

There are a number of effective techniques for giving a speech that will help you deliver it with confidence and poise.

First, practice your delivery in advance. You should practice both in front of a mirror or recording device to check for any distracting habits such as talking too quickly or mispronouncing words.

Second, use simple, clear language and short, concise sentences. Avoid overly technical terms and jargon that may leave your audience confused.

Third, work to establish a connection with your audience by using appropriate facial expressions and hand gestures while speaking.

Fourth, utilize effective persuasive techniques such as presenting evidence, strong arguments supported by facts, personal anecdotes and vivid metaphors.

Finally, articulate an organized structure for your speech. Your speech should have an introduction, body and conclusion to clearly communicate the main point and provide the audience with the necessary context to understand it better.

While these techniques may sound intimidating at first, they can be learned over time with practice and will make all the difference in how successful your speech delivery is received by your audience.

To build on these skills further , the next section will provide tips on how to build confidence when giving a speech.

Building Confidence

Building confidence is key when giving a powerful speech, as it will enable you to deliver the speech in a more poised and credible manner.

To create this confidence , start by understanding that any hesitation or butterflies prior to your speech are completely normal and should not be feared. Instead, view them as natural states of anticipation for something exciting, knowing that you are about to give an amazing speech.

Next, understanding who your audience is and tailoring your speech to meet their expectations will help build your confidence.

Familiarizing yourself with their interests and knowledge on the subject matter ahead of time can equip you with the understanding needed to respond appropriately if questions arise or objections surface during the speech.

Further, practice is key when building confidence for a public speaking engagement . Rehearsing with friends or colleagues before hand will give you an opportunity to learn where problem areas are within the content of your speech, as well as help solidify your delivery by becoming more comfortable with each step.

Checking sound levels in the room you’re presenting in coupled with learning where exits/emergency locations are located within that space can also help alleviate stress levels and boost self-assurance while delivering the speech.

Finally, wearing comfortable clothing and dressing professionally adds an extra layer of confidence when speaking in public.

If possible, bring an additional outfit on hand during the presentation in case of spills or accidents that would require a quick change between sections of the talk. Having this back-up plan in place can aid in keeping peace of mind at ease throughout the speech.

In conclusion, building confidence prior to a public speaking event can mean the difference between a good and great delivery of your message.

By taking into account each of these tips you can ensure that this part of your preparation runs smoothly and sets you up for success when delivering powerful speeches.

With a well-crafted note card of talking points and strong sense of self-assurance, it’s time to start speaking with passion!

Speaking with Passion

As a public speaker, your audience expects you to engage not only with your words but also with your emotions. To share the most impactful message, it is important to speak passionately about your subject.

Doing so will make your speech more memorable and thereby more effective in convincing your audience of its legitimacy.

The power of speaking authentically with emotion lies in its relatability and connection. Showing feelings allows people to connect with you as a person rather than just a speaker. It opens the door to understanding through empathy and active listening .

Examples might include adding personal stories , telling jokes, or displaying your feelings openly during the delivery of your message.

However, not all topics lend themselves easily to expressing emotion. If the subject matter is overly complex or technical there may be less opportunity for emotional expression—but this doesn’t mean those conversations can’t incorporate emotion.

Even if faced with a difficult situation such as death or financial turmoil, emotions can still be conveyed in a respectful way that keeps audiences engaged.

Remember that how much emotion you show depends on the type of audience you’re sharing it with—using sensitivity when delivering passionate speeches helps avoid awkwardness or embarrassment for any attendees who may find opinionated language uncomfortable for whatever reason.

Striking the right balance between being straightforward and showing compassion takes practice, so take the time to develop a style that works best for you and improves upon each performance.

Finally, incorporating passion into a speech gives it life and makes it relatable and engaging—which are essential elements to speaking effectively.

Having passion means giving ourselves permission to take ownership over our stories, making them deeply personal in order to reach our goals and touch people’s hearts in meaningful ways. With that said, let’s move on to discussing how we should tackle dealing with challenges while giving a speech.

Dealing with Challenges

The process of delivering a speech can be challenging, but it is also rewarding. Difficulties can arise during the process that may threaten to derail your success. To ensure you are adequately prepared for these possible pitfalls it is important to consider strategies for proactively mitigating the risk of encountering these challenges. 1. Public Speaking Anxiety: Many people experience some form of anxiety when asked to speak in public. There are a number of techniques available to combat this fear and increase confidence, such as deep breathing exercises, mental rehearsal, positive self-talk and visualization of success.

Learning about the audience, creating an engaging presentation and using props or visual aids can also help reduce anxiety levels and create a better overall experience for both the speaker and the audience. 2. Unfamiliar Topics or Audiences: When presenting on unfamiliar topics or to an unknown audience it can be difficult to prepare effectively.

In this situation it is important to conduct research on the topic and familiarize yourself with the needs of your audience so that the content is tailored accordingly. It is also helpful to use humor or stories related to the topic in order to engage your audience and make them more receptive to your message. 3. Lack of Support: If you lack support from family, friends, colleagues or mentors, it can be difficult to push through difficult conversations or speeches without any additional motivation.

To overcome this challenge, seek out peer mentorship opportunities or find compatible online communities where people discuss similar topics or objectives. Here you can share ideas, provide feedback and learn from others who have experienced similar issues. 4. Time Constraints: One of the biggest challenges when giving a speech is managing your time effectively in order to deliver an effective message without going over allotted timeslots and boring your audience .

To successfully address this challenge try setting manageable goals for each section of your speech and practice regularly. Replicating real-time conditions as closely as possible will help you stay within time constraints when delivering your speech on the day itself. In conclusion, there are many potential challenges you may face when giving a speech or taking part in a public speaking event – but with proper preparation and practice they are easily managed if approached correctly.

With knowledge of techniques for dealing with such scenarios comes increased confidence when stepping up to the podium – further improving your chances of delivering an effective speech that resonates with your audience members.

Responses to Frequently Asked Questions

How should i end my speech to leave a lasting impression.

The best way to end your speech is by reinforcing your main point and summarizing the key takeaways. You should also encourage the audience to take action, whether it be to sign up for a newsletter, make a donation, or visit your website for more information. This final call to action will not only leave a lasting impression on the audience but will also help you achieve any goals you might have had when making your speech in the first place.

What techniques can I use to keep my audience engaged during my speech?

One of the best techniques for keeping an audience engaged during a speech is to keep it interactive . Ask questions throughout the presentation, as well as allowing for audience input and discussion. This can help to keep people’s attention and create a more engaging experience.

Another great tip is to use humor. Even if you don’t consider yourself a natural comedian, sprinkling in a few jokes here and there can break up the monotony of long speeches and keep people interested. Humor can also help to make points stick in people’s minds, making them easier to remember.

Finally, try to be enthusiastic about the content of your speech. If you show too much indifference or lethargic behavior, it will discourage your audience from paying attention and taking your message seriously.

Instead, be passionate about what you are saying so that the energy of your words carries into the room and engages your audience with excitement.

How can I use storytelling to make my speech more interesting?

Storytelling is a powerful tool that can be used to make any speech more interesting. Telling stories in your speech will help engage the audience and make your message stick. Here are some tips for using storytelling in your speech:

1. Choose stories that are relevant to your message and audience. Think about stories that will best illustrate the point you are trying to convey, or evoke emotions in your listeners. 2. Use vivid descriptions and visuals when telling your story. Be sure to include details such as setting, character descriptions, dialogue and plot points. This will help to bring the story to life for your audience. 3. Make sure the story you are telling has a strong conclusion or moral at the end. This will help add emphasis to your message and make it memorable. 4. Practice telling stories out loud before delivering a speech with them. Rehearsing will help you deliver your story more effectively and with more confidence in front of an audience. By using these tips, storytelling can be an effective tool to make any speech more interesting, engaging, and persuasive!

How can I prepare for my speech effectively?

Preparing for a speech effectively is essential to delivering an impactful and memorable presentation. Here are some tips: 1. Have a clear goal in mind. Before starting to prepare, ask yourself what the purpose of giving the speech is: what message do you want to convey? Defining this will help to structure your content and focus your research. 2. Research thoroughly. Make sure you understand the subject matter well, so that your delivery sounds confident and inspiring. Using facts and data will strengthen your arguments and make your talk more convincing. 3. Outline your speech. Make a rough outline of how you want it to go – from beginning to end – well in advance of the actual presentation. This will give you a strong foundation upon which you can craft an engaging talk with an effective narrative arc that keeps audiences interested and engaged. 4. Practice regularly. Rehearsing your speech out loud several times is key to ensuring that you know it well enough to feel comfortable when delivering it live in front of an audience.

5. Time yourself. Record how long it takes for you to go through your entire speech, so that you can adjust the length as needed before delivering it live – remember that most speeches should last no more than 10-15 minutes. 6. Identify potential questions from the audience and prepare answers before hand. Knowing ahead of time what kind of questions people may ask can help reduce the anxiety of not knowing what comes next, enabling you to stay confident when speaking in public. 7. Work on building up confidence levels before delivering a speech. Visualize yourself succeeding in delivering a great presentation; practice relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or positive self-talk; or use props during practice sessions such as water bottles or stress balls if needed to remain calm during the real thing!

What strategies can I use to reduce my anxiety when giving a speech?

1. Plan Ahead: Create an outline of your speech beforehand and practice it multiple times to become familiar with the content. Doing a trial run with the audience can also help you get used to speaking in front of people.

2. Visualize Success: Positive visualization is a great way to reduce anxiety before giving a speech. Imagine yourself confidently delivering the speech while feeling relaxed and composed.

3. Get Organized: Make sure you have all the materials necessary for your presentation, including notes, slides, etc., to reduce any additional stress that may come from not having what you need when you speak.

4. Take Deep Breaths: Before and during the speech, take a few deep breaths as this will help calm nerves and make sure your breathing is regulated throughout the duration of your presentation.

5. Speak Slowly: It is common to feel anxious while giving a speech and try to rush through it too quickly. Speaking slowly helps maintain composure while delivering your message effectively and clearly.

6. Pay Attention to Your Body: Your posture, stance, movements , facial expressions can all influence how confident you appear to your audience and how nervous you may be feeling inside. Check in with yourself frequently throughout the presentation and correct any tense body language or physical actions if needed.

7. Focus on the Audience: If you notice that your anxiety levels are growing as you present, shift your focus onto the audience instead of yourself as this will help refocus your attention away from negative thoughts that may arise from fear or insecurity.

8. Make Eye Contact: Establishing eye contact with your audience is a key confidence-builder for public speakers—it shows that you’re strong, engaged with them, and receptive to feedback or questions they might have regarding your speech topic .

9. Practice Positive Affirmations: Positive thoughts will boost your self-confidence as well as your mood which can help increase performance quality significantly during speeches or presentations in general—so don’t forget to tell yourself “you can do it!” several times throughout the day leading up to the event!

10. Seek Support of Friends & Family: Many experienced public speakers suggest seeking support of close friends & family members prior and during their speeches—not only does it allow helpful critique regarding content but it also creates a more comfortable atmosphere while speaking which can reduce pre-speech jitters drastically.

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7 Tips to Give An Engaging and Interesting Speech

8 Effective Ways to Introduce Yourself in a Presentation

How to write a problem statement slide, how to write the perfect titles for your slides, pro tips to create an impactful employee induction presentation.

Everyone knows how to talk. But not everyone can weave the words in a way that guarantees 100% attention. We get the difference, and that’s why, in a population of billions, we only have a handful of world-recognized orators revered everywhere.

What makes them so unique? What makes their speeches so enthralling that they transcend geography, gender, and race and connect us all?

Precisely, what we intend to find out in the article. These tips will help you create an interesting and captivating speech for your audience that will keep them hooked until the end.

What Makes a Speech Boring?

Before finding what is interesting, let’s explore the other side and learn how you can mess it up.

• You have ruined the introduction. It could be in ways like taking a lot of time introducing yourself, not getting to the point, or starting with your elaborated gratitude list right in the start (should be done in the end). 
• Your speech is too long.
• Your message is too complicated for the audience to understand.
• It fell prey to a lack of structure. You couldn’t show the proper connection between your points. 
• Your speech didn’t have a satisfactory ending. Either you rushed through it (lack of time) or didn’t take time to draft a proper CTA or ending.
• There is nothing unique or catchy in your speech. People might listen to the entire thing but won’t remember much after it’s finished.
• You haven’t introduced elements like storytelling, anecdotes, etc., in your speech. The techniques help make complex information digestible and keep people hooked.

How to Make Your Speech Interesting and Impactful?

Now that we know what we should avoid, let’s delve into sure-shot techniques to create an enthralling speech like that of our favorite orators.

1. Free-write and Research

Before you sit down to draft your speech, be advised to do the following.

• Free-write whatever and as much as you know on your topic.
• Filter the material to find strong, relevant, and engaging information.
• Figure out your supporting points and information that back your main point and overall idea.
• Research and find credible data and statistics that support your arguments and claims. 

2. Build a Solid Introduction

The initial few minutes will decide the fate of your speech for the most part. Give people a solid reason to listen to you. Let people know your goal and what they will learn (preview the main parts, approach, etc). 

You can design an effective introduction in the following ways.

• You can start with an anecdote or story.
• Piggyback on another speaker’s comment or theme.
• Explain how the topic is important for people or how you are connected to it.
• State an amusing fact or ask something provocative.
• Relate to something recent.
• Refer to a known character or scene.
• Bring to everyone’s notice something relevant about the setting or the audience.

3. Align Your Content With Your Audience

Have a brief understanding of your listeners’ knowledge level, inclinations, and experiences. It will help you design your speech a little around them. 

What you can do is-

• Describe unfamiliar terms and jargon.
• Take the help of concrete, relevant examples to explain concepts. You can also do that with analogies, metaphors, and stories.
• Don’t leave statistics as just vague numbers. Use graphics to simplify them. Explain it to the audience in an easy-to-understand manner, comparing and stating the meaning of those numbers.
• Involve people in the speech. Refer to their experiences and yours whenever appropriate.
• If possible, try doing a meet and greet before the presentation. Meet and greet random people from the audience. That way, you will have friendly faces to refer to based on the knowledge shared prior.  
• Evoke emotional engagement from people to make your speech truly memorable. Be open, transparent, and vulnerable – share your dreams, failures, fears, aspirations, etc. 

4. Guide People into the Speech

By doing that, you will make the speech easier to understand for people. Also, you can offer people a tangible take-home resource like a resource guide to help them assimilate the information better.

• Previewing will help people understand how the speech will move forward. It will give them an idea about what’s coming next in the speech. For example, you can say, “Now I will explain how we arrived at this conclusion,” and then compare the findings.
• Summaries provide a gist of everything important in the speech. All the more helpful when you have covered a string of supporting details or a fairly lengthy discussion of something.
• Signposts are words and phrases that will let people know where they are in the speech and flag things of importance. For example, you can use sentences like “this is an important issue,” “this is the 2nd most essential aspect of the speech,” etc.
• Transitions are critical to ensure a smooth flow during the speech. It will ensure that no one gets left behind when you move from one part of the speech to the next. It helps tie elements to each other and to your speech and tell people you are moving on. You can use body language, facial gestures, and voice to signal transitions. 

5. Speak Clearly

Your spoken words should be clear and loud enough for everyone to hear.

• Avoid filler words or vague references. People will have no option but to look in the text to figure out the words. Also, cut everything from your speech that’s redundant and doesn’t add much value to the overall speech. It will refine your speech and add a greater impact.
• Avoid constructions that require people to remember the earlier parts of your speech to understand the reference later. For instance, words like respectively, former, and latter. Testing them on parts they have listened to only once can confuse them.

6. Your Conclusion Should Be Definite and Effective

A lot of times, presenters miss out on presenting a strong conclusion, which is a mistake. Remember, the end of your presentation should be as impactful as its introduction. 

• Reiterate the key points of your speech, the purpose, and the message you want your audience to take home.
• Give people a definite closure and finality. You can also try some of the following ways at the end of your speech-
• End with the same anecdote, question, quote, or remark you said at the beginning, with a twist.
• Define a challenging situation.
• Describe the future.
• Restate your findings and conclusion. However, don’t introduce any new argument or evidence at this time.

7. Practice and Practice

Practice your speech till it becomes your second nature. There is no hard and fast rule regarding how many times you should do it. There are some TED speakers who have reported practicing their speech as many as 200 times, top to bottom. You get the idea!

• Practice in front of the mirror.
• You can record yourself to review the mannerisms and gestures when you talk.
• Take help from peers, experts, and colleagues for their valuable feedback.
• Make simple note cards with references (bullet points) if you have a lot of data and statistics to present. However, it should be as smooth as a single and quick glance to remember the points.

Summing It Up

Thorough research, a genuine connection to the topic, and decent speaking skills are a great concoction to deliver a powerful speech. 

Add to the mix certain other aspects like – varying cadence (the rhythm of your delivery), visual aids (comic caricatures, videos, presentation templates ), effective employment of language, props, impromptu activities, humor, powerful opening and ending, etc., and you can very well start your journey towards being a favored orator.

We hope the above tips will enable you to deliver a memorable speech from start to finish. 

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Speech Writing Tips: 27 Key Tips from Seasoned Pros

• Filed under: Featured articles , Public speaking articles , Public speaking tips and tricks , Speaking tips

Whether it’s your first speech or your hundredth, you might be feeling the anxiety build as you stare at a blank page. You need to wow your audience, but you’re not sure how. It can be stressful to create a moving speech from nothing, but you’re not alone. Below, I’ve compiled a killer list of speech writing tips from seasoned pros.

So, what are the best speech writing tips to remember? Choose the right topic for your audience, which is based on their interests and needs. To make your speech more interesting, avoid jargon, and use personal stories and humor in your speech. Make your transitions from subtopic to another smooth, natural, and flawless.

By the end of this article, you’ll know how to write an awesome speech from start to finish. So, let’s not waste another moment!

Table of Contents

Speech Writing Tips: The Audience

Before you begin writing your speech , you need to consider several factors about your audience. Without taking these points into consideration, your speech will fall flat or may even offend your audience, so don’t rush past this part.

#1 Who is my audience for this speech?

This is the first and most important question you need to ask yourself. The answer will dictate the path your speech should take. This first tip has everything to do with the people you’re talking to and nothing at all to do with you.

Why does your audience even matter? Isn’t your speech all about you?

No! If a speech needs to touch an audience, move them, or inspire them, the speaker needs to recognize the audience and adapt to them. Your job, before any other, is to figure out who your audience is and then write your speech around their needs and expectations.

For example, if your audience is a room full of young mothers at a convention aimed at small crafting businesses, you don’t want to come at them with a bunch of sports metaphors. That’s not to say they won’t understand or appreciate one of those thrown in for contrast and a new twist. However, it’s safe to assume they’d rather hear crafting anecdotes or small business stories instead of quips about the latest sports news.

On the flip side, if you’re speaking to a room full of lawyers on a retreat intended to relax and entertain them, you wouldn’t want to fill your speech with depressing cases and stories of judicial frustration. More on that in a moment though.

The bottom line is that you need to gauge who your audience is before you write a single word.

#2 Why is my audience here?

I touched on this briefly a moment ago, but I want to dig into it a bit deeper to drive my point home. Knowing who your audience is, is only half the equation. Understanding why they are there is the other half.

The “why” matters almost as much and who they are. For example, if the audience is there because it’s required, they may come into the speech feeling hostile and tense. A hostile audience is a closed-off audience; they’ll need to be handled with care.

If the audience has paid to be there, on the other hand, they are more likely to be receptive and open right from the start.

So, why are they there?

• Is their attendance voluntary or compulsory?

#3 What does the audience want from my speech?

You know who you’ll be speaking to and why they are there. Now, you just need to figure out what they want from your speech. If you know what they want to walk away with, you can deliver it.

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In my previous examples, we saw mothers at a convention for small crafting business owners, and we saw a bunch of lawyers on a relaxing retreat. Each of those groups will be at their events for a specific reason, and you need to know what that reason is.

They are both groups of professionals, but they each have very different expectations for your speeches. One group expects to learn from you or be inspired. The other group wants to be entertained.

How you handle these two situations should be based on their needs. So, what do they want to get out of your speech ?

• Are they there to learn?
• Are they there to be inspired?
• Do they want to be entertained?
• Do they want to be challenged?
• What do they hope to gain from your speech?
• Why is this topic important to this particular audience?

Remember, this isn’t about what you want them to get out of it; it’s about their needs and expectations. Your job is to make sure your words resonate with them, and that won’t happen if you don’t understand what they need.

How do I utilize these speech writing tips for my audience?

So, now you know who your audience is, why they are there, and what they expect from you. But what do you do with all this information?

#4 Research demographics

Jump online and research your audience’s specific demographics. Important factors may include:

• Political affiliations

#5 Be informed about the industry

Pay attention to current trends in their industries as well as past ones. Doing some research now can help your speech writing process in the long run, so take the time to dig deep.

#6 Understand the mission

Every event has a mission. Speak to the event organizers to get a better feel for the main mission of this event. This is a good time to ask more questions about the attendees, too.

#7 Check out the venue

Look up the venue and speak to the people in charge. Organizers often choose venues that are friendly to their causes or already have a good reputation in their circles.

#8 Research other speakers

It helps to look at past speakers for the group and how they were received. It’s also very helpful to do some research on fellow speakers at this particular event, if there are any.

Speech Writing Tips for Choosing A Topic

Though you will likely have instructions for the general theme of your speaking engagement, the specific topic will be up to you. Choosing the right topic for your audience and their needs can be a stressful part of writing a speech.

Choosing the wrong topic can make your speech a nightmare for you and your audience. So how do you choose the right speech topic for your audience? Using the previous speech writing tips to get to know your audience, you should already have some ideas about topics of interest to that group.

Just in case you’re still stumped, here are some more speech writing tips for choosing a topic.

#9 Explore relevant speech topics

While researching your audience, the event, and the venue, you probably stumbled across interesting tidbits of information about each. Use them. Even if they seem insignificant at first, everything is worth exploring at this stage.

Look at the bits of information floating around the group you’ll be speaking about. This can be something in the news, a hot topic on social media, or new legislation that could affect the group.

#10 Ask event coordinators for speech ideas

Event coordinators will have a clear picture of the event, the main focus, and the interest of the attendees. Ask the coordinator for suggestions on topics. They may be willing to share the list of topics already being discussed by other speakers, too.

Knowing what other people will be talking about can help you choose a smaller niche or expand on that topic. It can help you avoid redundancy, too.

#11 Ask social media for speech topics

Harness the power of social media by asking your followers what kinds of topics they’d like to explore. Even if these people won’t be in that audience, if they’re familiar with the main theme, they probably have an idea of what kind of speech they’d enjoy hearing.

Writing the Speech

You’ve done a lot of research, spoken to important people, and have a solid plan for impressing your audience. Now comes the hard part.

Getting your ideas and facts down onto paper can be frustrating and incredibly stressful. What will you say? How will the audience react? What if you don’t make sense?

These next tips can help you nail the writing process and produce your finest speech yet.

#12 Write your speech outline first

Outline your speech before you begin writing the words you’ll be speaking. This helps you stay on topic. It also gives you an opportunity to test out the flow of ideas and pacing.

If anything in your outline seems out of place, you have an opportunity at this point to make room for it, or just chuck it. Don’t hang onto stubborn bits past the outline stage. If it just won’t fit, don’t try to force it. You’ll only frustrate yourself. Save that bit for another speech.

#13 Write Your Speech Introduction Last

It may seem counterintuitive to write the beginning last, but hear me out.

Your speech introduction is one of the most important parts of your speech. This will set the tone for the entire speech. Sometimes, it’s hard to get past that first step and get to the meat of your speech because you aren’t entirely certain what your speech is about yet.

So, skip the intro and start working on the body first. You’ll edit that draft over and over, fine-tuning it to perfection. And once you’re done, you will know exactly what your speech is about.

That’s the point where you can nail your introduction, touching on a few key points, and getting your audience ready for the main event.

When you do begin your introduction, lay it out in a simple way. Introduce yourself, talk about your purpose, mention your key points briefly, and establish credibility so your audience can trust you. If you can add some humor at this point, that would help relax your audience, but only do so if it’s appropriate for the occasion.

Your speech introduction is your hook. This is the way you grab attention. Use this moment to engage the audience, too. Eye contact, body language, and asking questions right from start will draw attention.

But a good hook needs more than these tricks. You need to get attendees to want to stay and listen.

Some hooks include:

• A puzzling question
• Posing a dilemma
• Or a combo of all of these

If you’re still stuck on introduction ideas, you can watch a few speeches from popular orators to get a feel for it.

#14 Use personal stories and humor in your speech

After your outline is done, look at your subtopics and choose a few to add personal stories too. It’s best to put personal anecdotes with the most important parts of your speech to help those aspects stand out. Adding a personal touch keeps audiences engaged and interested.

Don’t waste your anecdotes on minor points, unless they add something bigger than entertainment to the mix.

Make sure your anecdotes don’t pull focus from your topic. If people are too connected with your story, it could pull their attention away from the real point of your speech. There is a balancing act here.

#14 Use repetition when writing your speech

Humans are creatures of habit and routine. Both habits and routine come from the repetition of actions, thoughts, and words. Use that to your advantage when you write your next speech.

Pick a short phrase to repeat throughout your speech. It will trigger a subconscious reaction in your audience and help them pay attention. It will help them remember your points, too.

An example of repetition in a speech is Winston Churchill’s “We shall fight on the beaches; we shall fight on the landing ground” speech . Everyone knows and remembers most of it. It’s the repetition of “we shall fight” that made this speech memorable.

#15 Remember that your audience is not you

You were asked to make this speech because you’re an authority. Your job is to impart your knowledge or to entertain your audience, but you have to remember that they’re not you.

The attendees may be interested in your topic, but they don’t have the same knowledge you do ; that’s why you are up there talking and not them. So, this speech writing tip is here to remind you to be a teacher, a guide, and an authority.

Your audience is interested in what you have to say. They will want and need specifics, facts, sources, and information. It’s your job to give it to them. Though each person listening may have some knowledge on your topic, you need to be sure your words and points are clear to someone who might not know much at all.

#16 Don’t patronize or talk down to your audience

Yes, you’re an authority. People will be looking to you for guidance and information. However, you’re not their parent. You’re not above them or more important than they are. Be careful not to cross the line from friendly expert to overbearing know-it-all.

#17 Choose jargon carefully

You want to write and speak naturally, but using too much industry jargon can be just as bad as using none at all. Be sure to choose appropriate industry jargon sparingly, but not too little.

Jargon helps build your credibility, while too much makes you sound desperate.

#18 Nail your speech transitions

You’ll need to go from one subtopic to another in a smooth, natural, and flawless way . This can be a major sticking point for some people.

One of my favorite ways is to put an anecdote between two subtopics to help bridge the gap. Most personal stories have multiple meanings and lessons to be learned. Put an anecdote between two closely related subtopics to help.

You can also use the recap method to transition between subtopics. It’s as simple as saying, “We explored this and this, but let’s turn to this for a moment”, and then continue on. This works best with subtopics that are naturally close together.

#19 Write a great speech ending

Hey, no pressure, but you need to write an awesome speech ending. This is your chance to recap briefly, excite the audience, and add your call to action.

What did your audience want and need from your speech? What was the point of the entire thing? The ending of your speech is where you show your audience that you delivered exactly what they needed.

A call to action can be as simple as signing up for your mailing list or as complex as voting or buying something. Whatever it is, make it clear that your speech has been persuading enough to give the attendees what they need.

One major problem a lot of speeches have is that they wander. It’s a common mistake to let your speech meander back and forth over a variety of topics.

While it may make total sense to you as you write it and even practice it, you must remember that your audience will probably get lost with your ramblings or lose interest in what you have to say.

Here are some speech writing tips to keep your speeches focused.

#20 Keep a narrow focus for your speech

It’s exciting to get up in front of people and talk about your passions. The problem many speakers run into is the desire to cram too much information into a short span of time . This confuses audiences and muddies your point.

Instead of putting every idea into your speech like a blanket, think of your speech as a thread in a bigger tapestry. You aren’t there to show them the entire picture; you’re there to show them details on one important part.

If you stay focused and on topic, your audience will get more out of your speech than if you try to cover every possible point. Besides, if you stay focused now, you are more likely to be asked back for another speech on another part of your tapestry.

#21 Keep your speech simple

This speech writing tip isn’t as much about wowing your audience as it is to caution against too many of those tactics at once . It’s tempting to fill speeches with various “tricks of the trade” to keep attendees glued to their seats, but it can backfire.

If you keep your speech simple and to the point, listeners are more likely to remember what you said. That means they’ll get a lot more out of your speech than the generic memory of you being really fun to watch.

• Use short sentences
• Use simple language appropriate for the audience
• Don’t ramble
• Cut extraneous words that don’t add value

#22 Write your speech like you speak

Too many people ignore this speech writing tip—don’t be one of them! You need to write your speech like you speak. That means using everyday language and even colloquialisms where appropriate.

By keeping your speech natural, it’ll help you stay comfortable and confident, which then helps you stay on topic. Adding big words you don’t normally use will only distract you and your audience.

#23 Stick to the facts to write an impressive speech

Understandable, it’s easy to get sucked into the excitement of passionate topics. When people are excited about something, they tend to exaggerate. Since exaggeration is sometimes considered as one branch of lying , that tendency can get you in trouble when writing a speech.

Elaboration is one thing—and it’s a good thing to do in your speech—but it’s a slippery slope from elaboration to exaggeration. Be sure you can cite your sources at any given moment.

Stick to the facts and you won’t find yourself in front of an audience shaking their heads in disbelief. Even if your facts are wild, if you can back them up with sources, you’ll keep your audience listening.

#24 Try to sound normal

Another big issue speakers face is sounding unnatural. There is a stiffness or obvious discomfort to some speakers that can make the audience feel uncomfortable. Some of this is due to anxiety over public speaking, but some has to do with poor word choice while writing the speech.

These tips will help you write a more natural-sounding speech.

• Use common terminology for the industry, but avoid difficult to pronounce words.
• Ask questions to keep the audience engaged. Speakers and audiences are more comfortable when it feels like a conversation.
• Laugh, smile, and gesture as if you were speaking to a friend. Obviously, you don’t want to laugh and smile if it’s a somber event, but use socially acceptable emotions and behaviors to keep yourself relaxed.
• Be open, honest, and human. If you know you’ll be nervous, add it to your speech. Poorly veiled discomfort can infect audiences, too. Showing your vulnerability will help show your human side while setting the audience at ease. And writing it in the speech in advance can help alleviate some of the stress.
• Write your speech with contractions. Say things like “I’m” instead of “I am” and “they’re” instead of “they are” to keep your tone friendly.

Practice Makes Perfect

You’ve researched, outlined, written, and edited your speech. Pat yourself on the back, but you’re not done yet.

#25 Read your speech out loud

Seeing the same words over and over on the page can start to muddle your brain. It’s a fact. The more you look at your speech, the less likely you are to see the mistakes .

The only real way to overcome this is to read your words out loud. You can do this alone or with a friend, but you must not skip this part of your preparation.

When you read your words out loud, your brain will often autocorrect your mistakes, just like it does while writing and editing silently. The difference this time is that your ears will now catch the mistake and give you the chance to fix it.

So, for example, if you’re reading your speech and your mouth says one thing while the paper says something else, you know there’s an issue. Stop, examine the problem, and make corrections.

If you continue to stumble over places in your speech where it is grammatically correct and is mistake-free, your brain is telling you there’s still a problem. Maybe it doesn’t sound as natural as you thought. Maybe it’s the wrong tone.

Whatever it is, your brain, eyes, and ears are trying to tell you there’s an issue. Don’t ignore these situations.

#26 Record your speech

If you can’t figure out what the problem is while reading aloud, record yourself. This can be audio or video; it doesn’t matter. Just record your speech and then replay it.

You may be able to spot the mistake by listening or watching. If you’re still stumped why it sounds odd, ask a friend or two to help.

#27 Time yourself

When your speech is done, you have one more job to do. Time yourself. It seems so simple and obvious, but many people forget this step.

Writing a speech is an arduous task sometimes, and once it’s done, you may feel great relief. But if you don’t time yourself giving your completed speech, you may find yourself on speech day talking too long or not long enough.

While timing, if you keep coming up short, try these tricks to lengthen the speech:

• Add pauses for emphasis
• Speak slower
• Practice suitable gestures and body language
• Add more content

If your speech is coming up too long, try these tips to shorten it:

• Speak faster, but not too fast
• Add more contractions
• Remove extra sentences
• Check for the bad kind of repetition or overstating facts
• If all else fails, you may need to cut sections

These speech writing tips cover the planning, research, writing, and practice stages. No matter where you’re running into difficulties in writing your speech, there should be something here to help. And if you’re completely stumped or too nervous to even begin, just follow the steps in order.

I’m always looking for more tips and tricks to share with my readers. If you’ve developed your own processes and would like to share, I’d love to hear from you.

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Hi! My name is Janek Tuttar, and I am the founder and author of SpeakAndConquer.com.

I have been teaching and blogging about public speaking since spring 2007. Here, I am sharing the wisdom of how to cope in different public speaking situations.

Send me an e-mail: [email protected]

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16 Public Speaking Tips for Students

It's normal to be nervous—here's how to relax

• Use Relaxation Strategies

Maintain Perspective

Be confident when speaking.

Public speaking can *really* hard, especially if you struggle with social anxiety or if you don't have a lot of experience talking in front of groups. Research suggests that 61% of university students in the U.S. have a fear of public speaking. Fortunately, many strategies can help you build your confidence and strengthen your public speaking skills.

Public speaking tips for students aim to reduce anxiety that can interfere with giving presentations or speeches in class. These tips aren't just helpful for speaking in front of a big group. If you have social anxiety disorder (SAD) ,  these strategies can also help you feel more comfortable speaking in front of a group or telling a story among friends.

At a Glance

If you have social anxiety and need to give a speech  in elementary school, high school, college, or university, it helps to be as prepared as possible . Beyond preparation, however, there are strategies that you can use to reduce anxiety...without feeling like the urge to fake an illness so you can stay home and skip it.

Practice, preparation, and relaxation strategies are essential for students dealing with anxiety about public speaking. It's also important to maintain perspective; remember, other people get nervous, too! As you practice, you'll start to feel more confident about talking in front of groups, which will help you present your best self with a lot less anxiety.

Practice Your Public Speaking

Even great speakers practice their speeches beforehand. Practice out loud with a recording device or video camera, and then watch yourself to see how you can improve. If you are feeling brave, practice in front of a friend or family member and ask for feedback.

Research has even shown that imaginary practice can be an effective way to combat feelings of public speaking anxiety.

Talk About What You Know

If possible, choose a topic for your speech or presentation that you know a lot about and love. The audience will feel your passion for the topic, and you will feel less anxious knowing that you have a lot of experience to draw from when other students ask you questions.

Talking about things you are knowledgeable about can help you feel more confident and comfortable when you are speaking in public.

Concentrate on Your Message

When you focus on the task at hand, anxiety is less likely to get out of control. Concentrate on the main message of your speech or presentation and make it your goal to deliver that message to the other students in your class.

Grab the Audience's Attention

Most of your fellow classmates will pay attention for at least the first 20 seconds; grab their attention during those early moments. Start with an interesting fact or a story that relates to your topic. Other ways you can generate interest include:

• Asking rhetorical questions
• Inspiring emotion
• Generating curiosity
• Relating an interesting historical event

Have One Main Message

Focus on one central theme, and your classmates will learn more. Tie different parts of your talk to the main theme to support your overall message. Trying to cover too much ground can leave other students (and you) feeling overwhelmed.

Tell Stories

Stories catch the attention of other students and deliver a message in a more meaningful way than facts and figures. Whenever possible, use a story to illustrate a point in your talk.

Preparation Can Reduce Public Speaking Anxiety

Being prepared to speak in public can also be important if you have social anxiety disorder. Feeling confident and prepared to give your speech may help lessen your feelings of anxiety. Some of the things that you can do to prepare include:

Visit the Room

If you have access to the classroom where you will be speaking outside of class hours, take the time to visit in advance and get used to standing at the front of the room. Make arrangements for any audio-visual equipment and practice standing in the exact spot where you will deliver your speech.

Unfamiliarity can often make social anxiety worse. By making yourself more comfortable with the setting and room where you'll be delivering your speech, you'll feel much more at ease.

Rack Up Experience

Volunteer to speak in front of your class as often as possible. Be the first one to raise your hand when a question is asked. Your confidence will grow with every public speaking experience.

Researchers have found that practicing in a virtual format can also be helpful. You might try out virtual experiences that allow you to practice in front of a supportive audience or invite friends and family to watch you practice your presentation in person or through video conferencing.

Observe Other Speakers

Take the time to watch other speakers who are good at what they do. Practice imitating their style and confidence. Consider attending local events or presentations at your school. Watching TED Talks or speeches on YouTube can also be helpful.

Organize Your Talk

Every speech should have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Structure your talk so that the other students know what to expect. Then write it down on notecards and spend time practicing what you will say.

Use Relaxation Strategies to Manage Anxiety

Taking steps to deal with your feelings of anxiety can also make public speaking easier. Fortunately, there are a lot of anxiety-fighting relaxation strategies that can help calm your mind and body.

It's a good idea to practice relaxation strategies before you give your speech. The more you practice them, the better you'll be able to use them when they are needed.

Some other things that you can do:

Tell Someone About Your Anxiety

If you are speaking in front of a high school or college class, meet with your teacher or professor and describe your public speaking fears . If you're in elementary or high school, share your fears with your parents, a teacher, or a guidance counselor.

Sometimes sharing how you feel can make it easier to overcome stage fright.

Visualize Confidence

Visualize yourself confidently delivering your speech, feeling free of anxiety, and engaging the students in your class. Although this may seem like a stretch for you now, visualization is a powerful tool for changing the way you feel.

Elite athletes use this strategy to improve their performance in competitions, and research has shown that it can be a helpful tool for combatting speech anxiety.

Proven Anxiety-Busters

Relaxation strategies can be super helpful for fighting speech anxiety. Some that you might try include:

• Deep breathing
• Progressive muscle relaxation
• Guided imagery
• Positive self-talk
• Mindfulness

Find a Friendly Face

If you are feeling anxious, find one of your friends in class (or someone who seems friendly) and imagine that you are speaking only to that person.

Press Play for Advice on Finding Courage

Hosted by therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast shares a strategy to help you find courage when you need it the most.

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Remember that other students are on your side. Think about a time when you have been an audience member and the student delivering the speech or presentation was noticeably nervous. Did you think less of that student? More likely, you felt sympathetic and wanted to make that person more comfortable by smiling or nodding.

Remember—other students generally want you to succeed and feel comfortable. If, for some reason, the audience is not on your side or you experience  bullying  or social exclusion, be sure to discuss this with a parent, teacher, or guidance counselor.

Sometimes just knowing what makes a good speech can help you feel more confident. Focus on some of the following elements and practice them before you have to speak in public.

Develop Your Own Style

In addition to imitating good speakers, work on developing your own personal style as a public speaker. Integrate your own personality into your speaking style and you will feel more comfortable in front of the class. Telling personal stories that tie into your theme are a great way to let other students get to know you better.

Avoid Filler Words

Words such as "basically," "well," and "um" don't add anything to your speech. Practice being silent when you feel the urge to use one of these words.

Vary Your Tone, Volume, and Speed

Interesting speakers vary the pitch (high versus low), volume (loud versus soft), and speed (fast versus slow) of their words. Doing so keeps your classmates interested and engaged in what you say.

Make the Audience Laugh

Laughter is a great way to relax both you and the other students in your class, and telling jokes can be a great icebreaker at the beginning of a speech. Practice the timing and delivery of your jokes beforehand and ask a friend for feedback. Be sure that they are appropriate for your class before you begin.

If all else fails, smile. Your fellow classmates will perceive you like a warm speaker and be more receptive to what you have to say.

Don't Apologize

If you make a mistake, don't offer apologies. Chances are that your classmates didn't notice anyway. Unless you need to correct a fact or figure, there is no point dwelling on errors that probably only you noticed.

If you make a mistake because your hands or shaking, or something similar, try to make light of the situation by saying something like, "I wasn't this nervous when I woke up this morning!" This can help to break the tension of the moment.

It's natural to feel frightened the first time you have to speak in front of your class. However, if you fear continues, interferes with your daily life and keeps you awake at night, it may be helpful to see someone about your anxiety.

Try talking to a parent, teacher, or counselor about how you have been feeling. If that doesn't get you anywhere, ask to make an appointment with your doctor. Severe public speaking anxiety is a true disorder that can improve with treatment .

Gallego A, McHugh L, Penttonen M, Lappalainen R. Measuring public speaking anxiety: Self-report, behavioral, and physiological .  Behav Modif . 2022;46(4):782-798. doi:10.1177/0145445521994308

Spence SH, Rapee RM. The etiology of social anxiety disorder: An evidence-based model . Behav Res Ther. 2016;86:50-67. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2016.06.007

García-Monge A, Guijarro-Romero S, Santamaría-Vázquez E, Martínez-Álvarez L, Bores-Calle N. Embodied strategies for public speaking anxiety: evaluation of the Corp-Oral program .  Front Hum Neurosci . 2023;17:1268798. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2023.1268798

Kroczek LOH, Mühlberger A. Public speaking training in front of a supportive audience in Virtual Reality improves performance in real-life .  Sci Rep . 2023;13(1):13968. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-41155-9

Banushi B, Brendle M, Ragnhildstveit A, et al. Breathwork interventions for adults with clinically diagnosed anxiety disorders: A scoping review .  Brain Sci . 2023;13(2):256. doi:10.3390/brainsci13020256

Vogel WH, Viale PH. Presenting with confidence .  J Adv Pract Oncol . 2018;9(5):545-548.

By Arlin Cuncic, MA Arlin Cuncic, MA, is the author of The Anxiety Workbook and founder of the website About Social Anxiety. She has a Master's degree in clinical psychology.

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9 Tips to Make Your Speech Memorable

The art of creating a memorable speech is something that is often sought after, but rarely achieved. Frustratingly, many people assume that truly memorable speeches are reserved for those with an elusive “born with it” skill set.

In reality, nobody is born with the skills for public speaking, but you can develop them with hard work. A memorable speech is within your grasp. With that in mind, let’s review nine tips that will make your speech memorable for your audience.

1. Organize your speech into segments.

Consider your speech as a book for a moment. A typical book is split into chapters and parts that create a cohesive whole but can stand on their own. Applying the same logic to your speech will make it easier for you to deliver important takeaways and keep the audience focused on what you are saying.

Segmented speeches are far more memorable and easier to keep in mind after they have been delivered. The reason for this is that each segment can be recalled independently, and converge to form the overall message. An unorganized speech with no rhythm or discernible sections will easily be forgotten.

To be forgettable : Deliver a speech about a medical condition and its effects on a human body with all your points jumbled together.

To be memorable : Deliver a speech about a medical condition and its effects on a human body with distinct segments for each effect that support each other.

2. Include concrete details.

People crave concrete information, such as facts, numbers, statistics, and photographs. Without concrete details, speeches quickly become overly abstract and hard to connect with. Concrete information in your speech helps you ensure that your points are remembered long-term.

To be forgettable : Present a company’s future forecast solely in abstract terms.

To be memorable : Present a company’s future forecast by highlighting their lineup of new products with relevant market data.

3. Use words understood by your audience.

To deliver a memorable speech, you must analyze your audience. In particular, consider the education level and vocabulary of your audience before writing your speech. As well, consider whether your audience includes people who are not fluent in your speaking language. Use terminology that everyone will understand, and avoid technical jargon that they won’t. A single confusing word or phrase at a critical point can make your meaning incomprehensible to your audience.

To be forgettable : Give a speech using renewable energy technical language to an audience of elementary school children.

To be memorable : Give a speech using renewable energy technical language to an audience of energy industry professionals.

4. Leverage concepts understood by your audience.

Similar to the previous point, leveraging commonly understood concepts can result in exciting and memorable speeches. It isn’t always easy, but when you find common ground between you and your audience, you can make even the most complex arguments understandable and memorable. On the other hand, if you reference concepts that the audience doesn’t understand, or assume knowledge that they don’t have, you’re in trouble; your audience will not be able to follow your arguments, and they will forget your words as soon as you’ve spoken them.

To be forgettable : Use analogies based on graphic design concepts for an audience with no knowledge of graphic design.

To be memorable : Use analogies based on graphic design concepts for an audience of graphic design professionals.

5. Interact with the audience.

People rarely sit and listen to monologues without dozing off, especially if the subject matter is not intrinsically exciting. Rather than expecting your audience to passively absorb information, ask them questions about the points you are making and invite interaction by offering small rewards or incentives for doing so. Activate your audience as much as possible if you want them to remember your message for a long time.

To be forgettable : Deliver a motivational speech about self-discipline as a monologue.

To be memorable : Deliver a motivational speech about self-discipline, following each point with interactive triggers for the audience to share related personal anecdotes.

6. Include personal stories.

Some people don’t like to share their personal stories and experiences with strangers. However, a well-crafted story is one of the best catalysts for speech memorability. Sift through your memories and find relatable, heartwarming, or funny moments that are relevant to the point you are making. Personal stories invite the audience to empathize and place themselves in your speech and situation. People are far more likely to remember your small personal story and trace it back to the point of your speech than vice versa.

To be forgettable : Speak about your career as a vegan nutritionist with no stories.

To be memorable : Speak about your career as a vegan nutritionist, and tell your story about growing up in a family of omnivores.

7. Add a catchphrase.

Pop culture catchphrases can help you deliver a more distinct and memorable speech with virtually any topic. The secret to selecting the right catchphrase depends on what its role would be in your speech. You can use it to announce a break in your thought process, establish a connection with the audience, or simply make your points more digestible. Catchphrases can be added to your speech in a number of ways: as titles of your PowerPoint slides, as punch lines, or any other time to add a surprise element. Catchphrases can transform even the most serious topics into enjoyable ones. Just don’t overdo it; one is probably enough for most presentations.

To be forgettable : Speak about a topic related to modern literature.

To be memorable : Speak about a topic related to modern literature, and include a literature catchphrase that everyone in your audience will recognize (e.g. “Here’s Johnny!” from Stephen King’s The Shining ).

8. Practice thoroughly and deliver confidently.

Stumbling on your speech delivery might come off as quirky and relatable – the first time it happens. However, if you continue stumbling, it’s hard to recover. A speaker who lacks confidence as they deliver will likely be forgotten quickly.

Instead, prepare your speech by reciting it over and over. Although it is better to speak without notes, don’t be afraid to bring cards or notes. Talking in a fluent and understandable manner without abrupt pauses constitutes a successful speech delivery.

To be forgettable : Don’t prepare. Improvise your speech.

To be memorable : Prepare adequately. Rehearse your speech content and anticipate questions that might come from the audience.

9. End with a quote and a call-to-action.

A speech that lacks finality and conclusiveness is likely to be received as sloppy and entirely forgettable. An effective ending to a speech can ensure long-term memorability and audience action in accordance with your message.

Be forgettable : Deliver a speech about volunteerism and end by quietly thanking the audience.

Be memorable : Deliver a speech about volunteerism and end by quoting Muhammad Ali (“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth.”) and encouraging your audience with a call-to-action (“Pay your rent. Volunteer!”).

It’s Your Turn…

Delivering a great speech is about self-confidence and carefully crafting your speech using techniques like those above. You can be memorable in your next opportunity to speak, and every opportunity after that.

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I look forward to every Six Minutes article. They are always filled with practical useful advice, with great examples that we can put into our speeches.

Thank you for sharing Elisa. I loved the tips, especially adding a catchphrase which I believe it’s something that can stay for a long time in the minds of the audience. I would add Be Authentic, be yourself to the list. There are many who still try to emulate what they watch on TED talks, or from their teachers and coaches, and forget to really be themselves…which unfortunately the audience picks up, and can be the very reason why they forget you. After all, even after you’ve finished your speech, they haven’t met you.

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How to structure your speech to make a mighty impression

by Kolarele Sonaike

It was Dale Carnegie (legendary author of the seminal guide ‘How to win friends and influence people’) that gave us this piece of public speaking wisdom about how to structure your speech:

‘Tell them what you’re going to tell them. Tell them. Then tell them what you told them”

Sounds great on paper, and middle managers the world over have followed this formula with decent enough results, so that it has become as ubiquitous as using PowerPoint in every presentation (don’t get me started on PowerPoint!).

But with all due respect to the great Carnegie, a man, who probably forgot more about public speaking than I’ll ever know, his advice is just wrong… or at the very least, outdated.

Winston Churchill did not galvanise a nation during WWII by saying “I’m going tell you about how we must fight them on the beaches… Now I’m telling you that we must fight them on the beaches … And now I remind you that we must fight them on the beaches”

Martin Luther King did not inspire a people with “I’m going to tell you about my dream’… Now here’s my  dream ‘… and finally, let me remind you about the dream I had the other day”.

Even in this modern era of soundbites and short attention spans, it never pays to hit your audience over the head with the same point over and over again. Public speaking research shows  that people retain only 10% of what you say shortly after you have said it – no matter how often you repeat yourself.

As the late great Maya Angelou reminded us:

people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

So, here is a much more effective structure for your next speech that will help you make a mighty impression on your audience. It works for keynote speeches, business presentations, elevator pitches , client meetings and more – and we’ll do it with the help of Olympic winning gymnast, Gabby Douglas (a personal hero of my budding gymnast daughter).

1) An Engaging Opening

How often have you heard a speaker begin with something like…

“Hello ladies & gentlemen, my name is John Smith, and I’m so happy to be here…” or the erstwhile favourite “I’m not really used to public speaking so please forgive me if I make some mistakes…”

The instinct to begin your speech with mild platitudes is often irresistible.

Still, you must resist because you really do not get another chance to make a first impression.

A speech opening, much like the start of a gymnast’s floor routine, must engage.

Don’t apologise or make excuses for yourself, however nervous you feel. You probably don’t even need to introduce yourself (people usually already know who you are if you’re up there speaking).

Just begin on the front foot.

Try a thought provoking question about your subject, a shocking statistic, a poignant quote, or an interesting anecdote.

Your aim is to capture their attention so they become receptive to your message, because before you can persuade, you must engage.

For example, Martin Luther King opened his speech with: “I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.”  With this simple yet grand pronouncement, the context for his dream was set.

2) A Good Introduction  

Once you have their attention, you want to lead your audience towards the main body of your speech.

Like the gymnast taking her run up before launching into the flips and rolls, your introduction is the set up before the substance. Here you can explore the issues, set the ground work, and frame the context for the rest of the speech.

In Churchill’s speech, he used his introduction to outline the perils and urgent dangers facing the nation at the time, before then detailing the resilience of the British soldiers.

3) Main Body

This is the heart of your speech, where you give the substance.

It is also the most dangerous part of your speech because this is where most speakers lose their audience with mind-numbing detail that serves little purpose other than to fill time.

Like our gymnast delivering her intricate turns and tumbles, this is the point at which you either score points or lose the game.

Keep in mind that the sole purpose of this main body is to support the overall message you want your audience to be left with and the conclusion that you are building up to.

For this main body, you must keep these three factors in mind.

1) Direction – be sure that you are actually heading somewhere with the points you make, and not just speaking for the sake of speaking.

2) Variety – don’t just say the same thing in the same way several times. Add some variation. Think laterally. Can you draw on different points and alternative factors to support your premise?

3) Momentum – keep things moving forward and your audience will stay with you for the whole journey. If it seems like you’re ambling around searching for a good point, they’ll be lost.

In his famous speech, this is actually the point at which Martin Luther King set out his dream. Read the transcript and you’ll notice how varied were the examples of that dream.

This applies even more with business presentations, which can quickly go stale without good momentum.

  4) Conclusion

And now for the grand finale.

This is the climax of your speech, where the overall message and theme of your speech should come sharply into focus.

This is where Churchill promised that ‘we shall fight on the beaches’, where Martin Luther King  declared ‘Let freedom ring’, and where Emmeline Pankhurst of the Suffragettes called for ‘Freedom or Death’.

Like the gymnast delivering her final and grandest set of somersaults, your conclusion will often be the highlight of your speech.

Be clear before you start your speech, on what one message you want your audience to remember, then deliver it here.

This is the very last thing you say to your audience.

Like your opening, it should be meaningful rather than bland.

Like the final affirmative pose of our gymnast, try to round off your speech in a way that feels satisfying to your audience.

If you can reflect your opening in some way (another quote, a different statistic, a concluding anecdote), this will give your speech balance, which will be psychologically appealing to your audience.

We saw how Martin Luther King started his speech (on the theme of freedom), so no surprise that he ended with that same theme: “Free at last, free at last, thank God, Almighty, we are free at last”.

This then is the modern day speech structure:

Opening – Engage

Introduction – Lead In

Main Body – Give Substance

Conclusion – Deliver Meaning

Close – Satisfy

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15 Powerful Speech Opening Lines (And How to Create Your Own)

Hrideep barot.

• Public Speaking , Speech Writing

Powerful speech opening lines set the tone and mood of your speech. It’s what grips the audience to want to know more about the rest of your talk.

The first few seconds are critical. It’s when you have maximum attention of the audience. And you must capitalize on that!

Instead of starting off with something plain and obvious such as a ‘Thank you’ or ‘Good Morning’, there’s so much more you can do for a powerful speech opening (here’s a great article we wrote a while ago on how you should NOT start your speech ).

To help you with this, I’ve compiled some of my favourite openings from various speakers. These speakers have gone on to deliver TED talks , win international Toastmaster competitions or are just noteworthy people who have mastered the art of communication.

After each speaker’s opening line, I have added how you can include their style of opening into your own speech. Understanding how these great speakers do it will certainly give you an idea to create your own speech opening line which will grip the audience from the outset!

Alright! Let’s dive into the 15 powerful speech openings…

Note: Want to take your communications skills to the next level? Book a complimentary consultation with one of our expert communication coaches. We’ll look under the hood of your hurdles and pick two to three growth opportunities so you can speak with impact!

1. Ric Elias

Opening: “Imagine a big explosion as you climb through 3,000 ft. Imagine a plane full of smoke. Imagine an engine going clack, clack, clack. It sounds scary. Well I had a unique seat that day. I was sitting in 1D.”

How to use the power of imagination to open your speech?

Putting your audience in a state of imagination can work extremely well to captivate them for the remainder of your talk.

It really helps to bring your audience in a certain mood that preps them for what’s about to come next. Speakers have used this with high effectiveness by transporting their audience into an imaginary land to help prove their point.

When Ric Elias opened his speech, the detail he used (3000 ft, sound of the engine going clack-clack-clack) made me feel that I too was in the plane. He was trying to make the audience experience what he was feeling – and, at least in my opinion, he did.

When using the imagination opening for speeches, the key is – detail. While we want the audience to wander into imagination, we want them to wander off to the image that we want to create for them. So, detail out your scenario if you’re going to use this technique.

Make your audience feel like they too are in the same circumstance as you were when you were in that particular situation.

2. Barack Obama

Opening: “You can’t say it, but you know it’s true.”

3. Seth MacFarlane

Opening: “There’s nowhere I would rather be on a day like this than around all this electoral equipment.” (It was raining)

How to use humour to open your speech?

When you use humour in a manner that suits your personality, it can set you up for a great speech. Why? Because getting a laugh in the first 30 seconds or so is a great way to quickly get the audience to like you.

And when they like you, they are much more likely to listen to and believe in your ideas.

Obama effortlessly uses his opening line to entice laughter among the audience. He brilliantly used the setting (the context of Trump becoming President) and said a line that completely matched his style of speaking.

Saying a joke without really saying a joke and getting people to laugh requires you to be completely comfortable in your own skin. And that’s not easy for many people (me being one of them).

If the joke doesn’t land as expected, it could lead to a rocky start.

Keep in mind the following when attempting to deliver a funny introduction:

• Know your audience: Make sure your audience gets the context of the joke (if it’s an inside joke among the members you’re speaking to, that’s even better!). You can read this article we wrote where we give you tips on how you can actually get to know your audience better to ensure maximum impact with your speech openings
• The joke should suit your natural personality. Don’t make it look forced or it won’t elicit the desired response
• Test the opening out on a few people who match your real audience. Analyze their response and tweak the joke accordingly if necessary
• Starting your speech with humour means your setting the tone of your speech. It would make sense to have a few more jokes sprinkled around the rest of the speech as well as the audience might be expecting the same from you

4. Mohammed Qahtani

Opening: Puts a cigarette on his lips, lights a lighter, stops just before lighting the cigarette. Looks at audience, “What?”

5. Darren Tay

Opening: Puts a white pair of briefs over his pants.

How to use props to begin your speech?

The reason props work so well in a talk is because in most cases the audience is not expecting anything more than just talking. So when a speaker pulls out an object that is unusual, everyone’s attention goes right to it.

It makes you wonder why that prop is being used in this particular speech.

The key word here is unusual . To grip the audience’s attention at the beginning of the speech, the prop being used should be something that the audience would never expect. Otherwise, it just becomes something that is common. And common = boring!

What Mohammed Qahtani and Darren Tay did superbly well in their talks was that they used props that nobody expected them to.

By pulling out a cigarette and lighter or a white pair of underwear, the audience can’t help but be gripped by what the speaker is about to do next. And that makes for a powerful speech opening.

6. Simon Sinek

Opening: “How do you explain when things don’t go as we assume? Or better, how do you explain when others are able to achieve things that seem to defy all of the assumptions?”

7. Julian Treasure

Opening: “The human voice. It’s the instrument we all play. It’s the most powerful sound in the world. Probably the only one that can start a war or say “I love you.” And yet many people have the experience that when they speak people don’t listen to them. Why is that? How can we speak powerfully to make change in the world?”

How to use questions to open a speech?

I use this method often. Starting off with a question is the simplest way to start your speech in a manner that immediately engages the audience.

But we should keep our questions compelling as opposed to something that is fairly obvious.

I’ve heard many speakers start their speeches with questions like “How many of us want to be successful?”

No one is going to say ‘no’ to that and frankly, I just feel silly raising my hand at such questions.

Simon Sinek and Jullian Treasure used questions in a manner that really made the audience think and make them curious to find out what the answer to that question is.

What Jullian Treasure did even better was the use of a few statements which built up to his question. This made the question even more compelling and set the theme for what the rest of his talk would be about.

So think of what question you can ask in your speech that will:

• Set the theme for the remainder of your speech
• Not be something that is fairly obvious
• Be compelling enough so that the audience will actually want to know what the answer to that question will be

8. Aaron Beverley

Opening: Long pause (after an absurdly long introduction of a 57-word speech title). “Be honest. You enjoyed that, didn’t you?”

How to use silence for speech openings?

The reason this speech opening stands out is because of the fact that the title itself is 57 words long. The audience was already hilariously intrigued by what was going to come next.

But what’s so gripping here is the way Aaron holds the crowd’s suspense by…doing nothing. For about 10 to 12 seconds he did nothing but stand and look at the audience. Everyone quietened down. He then broke this silence by a humorous remark that brought the audience laughing down again.

When going on to open your speech, besides focusing on building a killer opening sentence, how about just being silent?

It’s important to keep in mind that the point of having a strong opening is so that the audience’s attention is all on you and are intrigued enough to want to listen to the rest of your speech.

Silence is a great way to do that. When you get on the stage, just pause for a few seconds (about 3 to 5 seconds) and just look at the crowd. Let the audience and yourself settle in to the fact that the spotlight is now on you.

I can’t put my finger on it, but there is something about starting the speech off with a pure pause that just makes the beginning so much more powerful. It adds credibility to you as a speaker as well, making you look more comfortable and confident on stage. 

If you want to know more about the power of pausing in public speaking , check out this post we wrote. It will give you a deeper insight into the importance of pausing and how you can harness it for your own speeches. You can also check out this video to know more about Pausing for Public Speaking:

9. Dan Pink

Opening: “I need to make a confession at the outset here. Little over 20 years ago, I did something that I regret. Something that I’m not particularly proud of. Something that in many ways I wish no one would ever know but that here I feel kind of obliged to reveal.”

10. Kelly McGonigal

Opening: “I have a confession to make. But first I want you to make a little confession to me.”

How to use a build-up to open your speech?

When there are so many amazing ways to start a speech and grip an audience from the outset, why would you ever choose to begin your speech with a ‘Good morning?’.

That’s what I love about build-ups. They set the mood for something awesome that’s about to come in that the audience will feel like they just have to know about.

Instead of starting a speech as it is, see if you can add some build-up to your beginning itself. For instance, in Kelly McGonigal’s speech, she could have started off with the question of stress itself (which she eventually moves on to in her speech). It’s not a bad way to start the speech.

But by adding the statement of “I have a confession to make” and then not revealing the confession for a little bit, the audience is gripped to know what she’s about to do next and find out what indeed is her confession.

11. Tim Urban

Opening: “So in college, I was a government major. Which means that I had to write a lot of papers. Now when a normal student writes a paper, they might spread the work out a little like this.”

12. Scott Dinsmore

Opening: “8 years ago, I got the worst career advice of my life.”

How to use storytelling as a speech opening?

“The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.” Steve Jobs

Storytelling is the foundation of good speeches. Starting your speech with a story is a great way to grip the audience’s attention. It makes them yearn to want to know how the rest of the story is going to pan out.

Tim Urban starts off his speech with a story dating back to his college days. His use of slides is masterful and something we all can learn from. But while his story sounds simple, it does the job of intriguing the audience to want to know more.

As soon as I heard the opening lines, I thought to myself “If normal students write their paper in a certain manner, how does Tim write his papers?”

Combine such a simple yet intriguing opening with comedic slides, and you’ve got yourself a pretty gripping speech.

Scott Dismore’s statement has a similar impact. However, just a side note, Scott Dismore actually started his speech with “Wow, what an honour.”

I would advise to not start your talk with something such as that. It’s way too common and does not do the job an opening must, which is to grip your audience and set the tone for what’s coming.

13. Larry Smith

Opening: “I want to discuss with you this afternoon why you’re going to fail to have a great career.”

14. Jane McGonigal

Opening: “You will live 7.5 minutes longer than you would have otherwise, just because you watched this talk.”

How to use provocative statements to start your speech?

Making a provocative statement creates a keen desire among the audience to want to know more about what you have to say. It immediately brings everyone into attention.

Larry Smith did just that by making his opening statement surprising, lightly humorous, and above all – fearful. These elements lead to an opening statement which creates so much curiosity among the audience that they need to know how your speech pans out.

This one time, I remember seeing a speaker start a speech with, “Last week, my best friend committed suicide.” The entire crowd was gripped. Everyone could feel the tension in the room.

They were just waiting for the speaker to continue to know where this speech will go.

That’s what a hard-hitting statement does, it intrigues your audience so much that they can’t wait to hear more! Just a tip, if you do start off with a provocative, hard-hitting statement, make sure you pause for a moment after saying it.

Silence after an impactful statement will allow your message to really sink in with the audience.

Related article: 5 Ways to Grab Your Audience’s Attention When You’re Losing it!

15. Ramona J Smith

Opening: In a boxing stance, “Life would sometimes feel like a fight. The punches, jabs and hooks will come in the form of challenges, obstacles and failures. Yet if you stay in the ring and learn from those past fights, at the end of each round, you’ll be still standing.”

How to use your full body to grip the audience at the beginning of your speech?

In a talk, the audience is expecting you to do just that – talk. But when you enter the stage and start putting your full body into use in a way that the audience does not expect, it grabs their attention.

Body language is critical when it comes to public speaking. Hand gestures, stage movement, facial expressions are all things that need to be paid attention to while you’re speaking on stage. But that’s not I’m talking about here.

Here, I’m referring to a unique use of the body that grips the audience, like how Ramona did. By using her body to get into a boxing stance, imitating punches, jabs and hooks with her arms while talking – that’s what got the audience’s attention.

The reason I say this is so powerful is because if you take Ramona’s speech and remove the body usage from her opening, the entire magic of the opening falls flat.

While the content is definitely strong, without those movements, she would not have captured the audience’s attention as beautifully as she did with the use of her body.

So if you have a speech opening that seems slightly dull, see if you can add some body movement to it.

If your speech starts with a story of someone running, actually act out the running. If your speech starts with a story of someone reading, actually act out the reading.

It will make your speech opening that much more impactful.

Related article: 5 Body Language Tips to Command the Stage

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Final Words

So there it is! 15 speech openings from some of my favourite speeches. Hopefully, these will act as a guide for you to create your own opening which is super impactful and sets you off on the path to becoming a powerful public speaker!

But remember, while a speech opening is super important, it’s just part of an overall structure.

If you’re serious about not just creating a great speech opening but to improve your public speaking at an overall level, I would highly recommend you to check out this course: Acumen Presents: Chris Anderson on Public Speaking on Udemy. Not only does it have specific lectures on starting and ending a speech, but it also offers an in-depth guide into all the nuances of public speaking. 

Being the founder of TED Talks, Chris Anderson provides numerous examples of the best TED speakers to give us a very practical way of overcoming stage fear and delivering a speech that people will remember. His course has helped me personally and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to learn public speaking. 

No one is ever “done” learning public speaking. It’s a continuous process and you can always get better. Keep learning, keep conquering and keep being awesome!

Lastly, if you want to know how you should NOT open your speech, we’ve got a video for you:

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Public Speaking Success: Three Ways to Make a Speech More Interesting

The good news is that there are a few ways to make a speech more interesting and they simply require a little extra planning up front. So let’s look at three things we can do to make a speech more interesting.

1. Research your audience:

You’ve probably heard it a million times, but spending a little bit of time trying to get to know your audience will help you tremendously when you give your speech. Just like in conversation, when you know more about the people you’re talking to, you can speak to their needs more easily. And when you speak to your audience’s needs, you engage them better.

As part of your speech preparation , ask the following questions about your audience:

• Why are they gathered together?
• What are they hoping to gain by listening to the speech?
• What common interests do they have?
• What are some recent events that the audience is interested in?

If you’re unable to answer these questions, try asking the person who invited you to speak. You can also get some good information by working the room prior to your talk, but keep in mind that you’ll have limited time to work with what you learn. What you’re looking for are things to relate the key points from your speech to. Just like you want to state your qualifications during a job interview in a manner that interests the company, you want your points and examples to resonate with your audience. If you’re speaking to a corporate audience, try to relate your topic to that company’s culture, products or industry. If you’re speaking to an organization, tie your points into the organization’s events and activities.

2. Paint a picture:

Many speakers make the mistake of presenting raw data such as statistics in a manner that the audience can’t relate to. They say things like “you’ll increase sales by 50%” or “600,000 people are suffering from this ailment.” Numbers are especially difficult for people to conceptualize so here are some examples of ways to describe numbers:

• Saying that taking a particular action will increase sales by 8.5% is less effective than saying that it’s like giving you an extra month’s worth of revenue each year.
• Instead of saying 400,000 people die from a certain disease each year, say that it’s like two 747 jets full of people crashing every day.

Along the same lines, be descriptive about the things you’re talking about. Don’t describe just what you want the audience to imagine visually, touch upon all five senses. Talk about the sounds, the tastes and the smells. Include how you feel, both inside and out. Maybe you’re describing your first visit to a big city so you talk about the sounds of cars scrambling through traffic, the smell from a nearby hotdog vendor or the feeling of the hot sun on your neck. The big caveat is to not overdo it and get into every detail on something that is only a small part of your talk.

3. Tell a story:

It’s great to give people useful information during your talk, but if you’re simply reciting advice, it’s likely that the audience will tune out. Instead, try to tell a story or a series of stories to illustrate each point. Each story should be relevant to the point you’re trying to make and should not be overly elaborate. The basic formula is that your story should show the audience that taking the action you suggest will provide them with a result that they want. In other words, you’re illustrating your point.

For example, a commencement speaker might want to explain that toughing it out in the early part of your career will lead to success later on. The speaker can simply say “it worked for me” and then move on to the next point, but that’s not exciting. Instead, he or she can talk about the long hours, the financial struggles and the tight schedules that he or she experienced. Perhaps there’s a story about falling asleep at his/her desk one night and not waking up until the next morning. Or maybe there’s a story about ducking the landlord to get another few days to pay the rent. These stories drive the point home since the audience can visualize the speaker asleep at a desk or hiding behind a curtain to avoid the landlord.

The level of detail depends on the situation. Major points can be backed up by more elaborate or multiple stories where smaller points can be backed up in a sentence or two. Leave out parts of the story that are irrelevant to your point and if you can use a short story to make one of your important points, go for it.

All in all, making a speech interesting really just takes a little creativity and some work. You may need to experiment with different techniques to figure out what works best for you. Some people are naturally good at stories while others are quick to make connections between their talks and the audience’s situation. Lastly, keep in mind that there is such a thing as a dull audience and audiences that have just consumed food, alcohol or have already endured several hours of talks may have a difficult time being interested in any talk.

James Feudo owns the Boston Web Design Agency JVF Solutions and loves blogging about personal development and communication in his spare time.

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6 thoughts on “ Public Speaking Success: Three Ways to Make a Speech More Interesting ”

Pingback: Public Speaking Success: The Power of Audience Reactions | Overnight Sensation

Great blog on how to make speeches interesting to audiences. I like the suggestions. I’d add one point, inspired by the story: pay close attention to the time of day. Audiences have shorter and shorter attention spans as the day wears on, so vary your speech accordingly. If you are the after-dinner speaker, follow Ronald Reagan’s rule: 12 minutes max, less if the audiences has had alcohol.

Nick Morgan

Thanks for the comment. I agree completely – after dinner talks when alcohol is severed are the most challenging.

Great advice from President Reagan. He was a fantastic speaker – I watch his speeches frequently as he really knew how to connect with an audience.

Thanks again,

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• How to Immediately Make Your Speech More Interesting
• Content Strategies >>

As a speaker, whenever you make a general statement of the way things were all of the time or most of the time , the 2-step formula that will immediately make your speech much more interesting is this:

• Give a sample example
• At the end of your sample example, let your audience know, “And this is how it was all of the time.”

That way your audience will be able to feel how it was for you and they will realize that, as with any sample, there are likely many more similar situations that occurred.

Deanna’s Story (Her Truth)

One of my coaching clients, Deanna, made the following general statement to me: “I was in a toxic relationship and I felt like I was always walking around on eggshells.”

I coached her on the 2-step sample example formula and here’s what she decided to share.

Breakdown of the Sample/Example Formula

• Instead of just giving us a blanket statement that her marriage was toxic (which we can’t really grasp or feel) Deanna decided to use the cooking story to illustrate how things were.
• Deanna then let us know that’s how she always felt …walking around on eggshells.

Have you ever made any general statements about your situation? Can you pick a sample example to illustrate that situation? Afterwards, what can you say to let us know that’s how things always were or usually were?

How Would You Like to Earn a Significant Income By Helping People Tell Their Stories?

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10 Ways to Make Your Speeches More Powerful, Persuasive, and Profitable

If you want to grow your business, double your income, and create a lasting legacy business…You must become a powerful public speaker.

There’s no way around it.

Whether you’re giving a keynote to teach and empower others, selling your services to a live audience, or sharing your expertise through Instagram and YouTube videos, speaking is one of the fastest ways to manufacture celebrity, build your authority, and drive millions of dollars in new revenue to your business.

I’ve personally closed more than $200,000 in sales from a 15-minute on-stage presentation, earned more than $25,000 for a 90-minute keynote, and made more than $1,500,000 in the past two years from recording powerful Instagram stories.

And, more importantly, my ability to persuasively speak to both virtual and in-person audiences has allowed me to serve millions of people around the world and help them live their perfect lives.

If you want to build your reputation, earn the income, and have the impact you desire, developing the skill of public speaking is one of the fastest ways to do it.

And here are 10 powerful tips to make your speeches more powerful, persuasive, and profitable.

Let’s dive in.

1. Share Something Actionable

The first, and most important law of powerful public speaking is to share something actionable with your audience.

Listen, whether you’re speaking at your own event, a keynote, or on an Instagram story, people don’t care about you .

They care about what you can teach them and what problems you can help them solve.

Unless your plan is to be the next Alan Watts, your #1 goal when you get up on stage or click ‘record’ on your camera should be to share lessons and strategies that are immediately actionable.

When you conclude your speech, every member of the audience should think to themselves, “Man! I can’t wait to get out of here so I can go and implement what they just taught me.”

Avoid esoteric, philosophical, or convoluted lessons and stories (unless of course, that’s what people paid to hear–e.g. Jordan Peterson) and instead share raw, tactical, and step-by-step strategies that will help your audience overcome their biggest obstacles.

You can flounder through your lines and mess up everything else…

But if you share something that changes someones life, your speech was still a success.

2. Share Something Counter-Intuitive

To leverage your speeches and presentations for business growth and professional success, it’s not enough to give your audience actionable advice.

Anyone with access to YouTube can rip off an old Tony Robbins presentation or Brian Tracy keynote.

However, to become the powerful and persuasive speaker capable of driving profits through your presentations, you must share something unique.

Or, at the very least, share something old in a new way.

For example, in nearly all of my keynotes and Perfect Life Workshop presentations, I’ll spend some time talking about the “Freedom Paradox.”

Specifically, how the key to freedom and living life on your terms is to implement rigid rules, unbreakable structure, and discipline into your life.

To most people, this concept seems foreign.

After all, isn’t the point of freedom that you don’t have to be disciplined or follow rules?

However, in my life and the lives of my clients, I’ve found time and time again that the fastest way to create the income, lifestyle, and business you desire is to deprive yourself of freedom in small ways (e.g. waking up at 5 a.m. every morning, working out at the same time every day, and working during set hours) so you can enjoy freedom in the big ways.

Spend some time thinking about unique, contrarian, or counter-intuitive wisdom you can share during your next speech.

I promise, your audience will love it.

3. Unify Your Speech with an Overarching Theme

One of the most common mistakes I see novice speakers making is attempting to share too much too quickly.

They have all of these ideas and lessons in their head and a seemingly endless stream of value to offer…

…But they end up sabotaging their presentation with long-winded tangents and tidbits that are disparate and unrelated to one another.

A simple trick you can use to ensure your speech is well received–making you look good and adding to the bottom line–is to create an “Elevator Pitch” version of your speech.

To do this, ask and answer the question, “If I had to summarize my speech in 12 words or less, what would I say?”

What is the ONE thing you want your audience members to take away?

What ONE tactic or strategy would change their lives and allow them to go out and immediately generate results based on the content you shared?

By unifying your speech under a single overarching theme, you will create coherence and simplicity in your presentation, avoiding tangential rambles and seemingly unrelated diatribes.

4. Follow the “Tell ’em Three Times” Rule

The human brain is undeniably weird.

Even with our most advanced technologies, from FMRI’s to EEGs to SPECT machines, we still don’t fully understand the intricate wiring of the human brain.

But we do know that, for whatever reason, our brains are wired to remember things that come in threes.

Which brings us to the fourth tactic for giving more powerful presentations and one of the oldest public speaking tricks in the book…

Whatever your main point is, share it with the audience three times.

Start by telling them what you’re going to teach them.

Then teach it to them.

Then conclude your speech by reiterating what you just taught them.

For example, at the last Perfect Life Retreat, my friend and “$100 Million Brother” Joel Marion taught audience members exactly how he grew his first business to 9-figures in only 18 months, grew his Instagram to 1,000,000 followers in 4-months, and grew his two-person side hustle to 8-figures in under 12-months.

When he began his speech, he stated, “Today, I’m going to show you how to grow your business to 7-figures and beyond in less than a year.”

In the middle of his speech, he reiterated his opening remarks, teaching the exact strategies he promised.

And then, to finish his speech he said once again, “So I just taught you how to hit your first 7-figures in 12 months or less…any questions?”

As simple as this tactic might seem, it will make it much easier for your audience to follow along and understand the overarching theme you created for your speech (using the tactic above).

5. Speak with Utter Conviction

Another common trap into which novice speakers fall is to give speeches and presentations about topics for which they have no conviction.

They think to themselves, “What I really want to share is xyz…But it’s too polarizing, divisive, complicated [insert your favorite adjective/excuse].”

Here’s the deal:

Whatever you believe to be true…

Whatever you are excited and passionate about sharing…

Whatever pisses you off, lights you on fire, and gives you energy and enthusiasm…

THAT is what you need to share.

When you lack conviction for the content you’re sharing, it shows in your presentation. Your posture, tonality, and gesticulation will be boring and weak. Your audience will lose interest and begin day dreaming about anything other than what you’re saying.

However, when you can speak about something that excites you and ignites a fire under you–whether it’s politically correct or not–your audience will feel your conviction.

They might not agree with you. In fact, some listeners might hate what you have to say.

But your message will resonate with the right people and they will want to be a part of what you’re sharing.

When Bedros Keuilian and Tim Grover took the stage at last year’s Perfect Life Workshop, their presentations were not easy to stomach.

They shared advice and insight that many people likely found offensive or uncomfortable. They made claims that audience members didn’t want to hear. And they shared truths that hurt.

But guess what?

Their message resonated with the right people and allowed them to make a lasting impact on many of the audience members.

If you want your presentations to do the same, then throw off the restrictions of political correctness and “niceness,” and instead, speak with utter conviction and certainty.

6. Study Other Speakers

The fastest way to improve anything–whether it’s your public speaking, your sales, or your copywriting–is to learn from others who do it better than you can.

To become a more powerful and persuasive public speaker, you must study the greats.

Watch Tony Robbins speak at Unleash the Power Within. Watch Grant Cardone’s 10X Growth Con replays. Watch Gary Vaynerchuk give a keynote speech.

Pay attention to how they structure their presentations, use physical gestures to drive points home, and how they use story telling to make a greater impact.

Educate yourself and emulate the greats.

This is the fastest and most effective way to shortcut your way to profitable and powerful presentations.

7. Know (and speak to) Your Audience

Let me ask you a question…

In your day-to-day conversations, do you speak the same way to every individual?

Do you talk about the same topics in the same way with your grandmother, business partner, children, employees, or coaching clients?

Of course not!

You tailor your conversations–both in topic and in style–to the audience in front of you.

When you’re with your employees, you might give inspiring and profanity laden speeches a la Wolf of Wall Street.

But with your family and children, you’re likely much more reserved and gentle.

And you must treat your public speaking audiences the same way.

Before you plan your speech, gain an intimate familiarity with the individuals to whom you will be speaking.

What are their political leanings? What is their level of expertise? Are they comfortable with hard-hitting in your face presentations? Or do they require a bit more tact and charm?

When you understand who your audience is, you can mold and shape your message to speak directly to them in a way they will understand.

And when you do this, their attention is yours to command.

8. Use Stories to Make Your Lessons More Memorable

If you read through most of my essays and articles, you’ll notice that I spend a lot of time sharing stories from my own life and the lives of my clients.

I don’t do this because of any ego complex or over-inflated sense of self importance.

I do it because I understand that human beings learn through stories.

There’s a reason that the greatest spiritual teachers in our species history taught through stories and parables.

And there’s a reason that the most viewed TED Talks and presentations in the 21st century all revolve around a central story.

People may forget lessons, but they will never forget good stories.

Whenever possible, use stories to drive home your most important points.

Study the story telling greats. Read Joseph Campbell. Watch as many TED Talks as you can. Study the structure and delivery of stories and the quality of your speeches will never be the same.

9. Speak in “Sound Bytes” Not Monologues

According to Business Week Magazine, the typical U.S. executive has an on-the-job attention span of only 6-minutes.

To hold your audience’s attention and capture their interest, you must structure your speeches around this fact.

Think of your presentation as an amalgam of 6-minute “Sound bytes” or lessons that revolve around your key theme.

Use visual aids to drive each sound byte home and ensure there is a verbal flag in each sound byte with statements like, “Let me highlight this idea for you.”

Deliver the most important lessons you can in under six minutes and then move on to the next one.

By doing this, you will keep your audience engaged, captivate their attention, and open up the doors to persuasion and influence.

10. Focus on Emotion, Not Information

There’s an old saying:

People may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

And it’s true.

Six months from now, it’s unlikely that anyone will remember what you said at your last keynote or what lesson you shared during your presentation.

But, if you do it right, they will never forget how you made them feel.

Before each speech, ask yourself, “What emotion do I want to elicit from my listeners?”

Do you want to motivate them? Inspire them? Challenge them to raise their standards? Call them out on their bad behavior?

When you focus on the emotion you want to deliver instead of the information your speeches will go from ‘good’ to ‘great’ to ‘Oh my god that was unbelievable.’

Public speaking is one of the fastest ways to grow your business, manufacture celebrity, and establish yourself as an expert in your field.

With these 10 tactics you are well on your way to mastering the art and science of giving powerful and persuasuive presentations.

What do you think about these 10 tips? Are there any that I missed you think are important? Which one are you going to implement this week?

Let me know in the comments below.

Want to accomplish your 12-month goals in the next 90-days? Then click here to get access to my “90-Day Professional Success Blueprint” that has helped me build five 7-figure businesses and transform the lives of my millionaire clients.

Craig ballantyne.

If you want to double your income, work less, and become the ambitious millionaire you've always wanted to be... Craig Ballantyne is the coach who will help you do it. With more than 20-years of experience as an entrepreneur and five 7-figure businesses under his belt, he specializes in helping "struckling" entrepreneurs get out of the mud and build the business of their dreams. To see if you qualify for Craig's "Millionaire Coaching Program" send an email to [email protected] with the subject line "Millionaire".