CHAMPION STRATEGIES – PUBLIC SPEAKING WORKSHOP – APRIL 4, 2021
Tips for Giving a Killer Speech – Part Two
Posture matters.
Don’t ever, ever slouch. It looks weak, and your message will inevitably be diluted by what your audience perceives as a lack of confidence. Stand up straight, and keep your shoulders back. Also, never let ‘em see you sweat. Even if there are lights on that make the stage feel like an oven, pit stains on your shirt are distracting. Make sure you wear clothing that will conceal any signs of nervousness. Project confidence. Always.
Tell compelling stories.
The power of storytelling lies in the images that your audience will create in their heads as you spin your yarn. Rather than just loading folks up with information, if you tell a story, you’re making them active participants in your performance. Stories—brief, relevant stories—are a powerful tool.
Vary your cadence.
Deliberately mixing it up in terms of your speech patterns—volume, speed and tone—keeps your audience from being lulled to sleep by a monotone. With regard to speed, slower is always better than fast. When in doubt, slow down and let the tortoise mind catch up to the rabbit speaker.
If you know you’re naturally a quick talker, you can build pauses into your speech by saying things like, “Now think about that for a moment” or “Let that sink in.” It takes an audience more time to process your points than it will take for you to articulate them. Give them time to ponder your brilliant message.
Speak about what you know and care about.
Passion translates into energy and authenticity, and that matters to your audience. If you’re not invested and engaged with your subject, why on earth would your audience care? Emotion pulls the audience in and gets them involved in the process. If you find you’re not moved by your topic, modify it until it matters to you. If you’re going to invest the energy in writing and delivering a speech, it should be on a subject that’s important to you.
You’ll notice that I didn’t give you any advice about content—that’s because you should be the expert on the subject. After all, you were invited to speak because you’re the go-to person in your field. But while you don’t need my help putting together your main points, using the techniques I’ve shared with you will help you deliver your message in a compelling and memorable way.
Make It A Champion Day!
