10 Tips for Giving a Great

Speechwww.forbes.com

Practice Beforehand

1

You would do better practicing in the shower, and running through the speech in your head, than practicing in front of a mirror, which is distracting. You do have to practice out loud, hopefully with a small audience. Practice replacing deadening filler words like "um," "so," and "like" with silence. If you can rehearse in the space where you'll be speaking, that's a real plus.

1. Practice Beforehand …

Work The Room

2

Try to speak to audience members before your speech, so that you can focus on a few friendly faces, particularly if you get nervous. If you're making eye contact with a friendly person in quadrant one, everyone to their left will think that you're talking to them. Then do the same thing in quadrant two. You want to see your talk as a series of conversations with different people throughout the room.

2. Work The Room …

Prepare With Relaxation Techniques

3

If you're nervous before approaching the stage, take a few deep breaths. Picture yourself delivering a successful speech. Most people will be nervous for the first few minutes. You want to channel that adrenaline into positive energy.

3. Prepare With Relaxation Techniques …

Don’t Read Your Speech

4

Tell your speech from heart, or use a note card with bullet points as a cheat sheet. Bring the card with you and place it on the lectern. If you freeze up mid-speech, you can take a deep breath, look at your card, and know exactly what story you're going to tell next.

4. Don’t Read Your Speech …

Stand Up Straight

5

Whether you walk across the stage or stand behind a lectern, try to maintain good posture. Imagine that your head is being held up by a string.

5. Stand Up Straight …

Lead With An Anecdote

6

Jump right in. People often make the mistake of starting speeches by thanking the introducer, or expressing their happiness at being there. Instead, jump right in with a framing story that suggests what the topic is without giving it all away, a statistic, a question or some kind of interaction with the audience. If you know what your speech is about--and it should be about one thing--you should have an easy time deciding on an opening. Get right into the story and let the audience know what the speech will be about.

6. Lead With An Anecdote …

Keep It Simple

7

Forget fancy PowerPoint presentations and loads of data. Focus on one theme and eliminate everything else. Speeches are an inefficient form of communication. People don't remember much of what they hear, so focus and keep it simple. The best speeches include one clear, relevant message and a few great stories to illustrate that message.

7. Keep It Simple …

Keep It On Time

8

If you are given a time limit, stick to it.

8. Keep It On Time …

Use Body Language

9

If you show signs of nervousness, like crossing your arms, or clutching your hands in front of your stomach, your audience will sense your nerves and be less open to your message. You have to pretend that you're having a good time and are open to the audience so that they can have a good time and be open back to you. Successful public speaking is all about passion and emotion. If you're excited, then we will be, too.

9. Use Body Language …

Slow Down

10

Articulate your words, regardless of your natural speaking style. Authenticity is key. You can't be someone you're not. On the other hand, you can be your best self. Softness doesn't detract from a speech if you're committed to what you're saying. Passion, commitment and conviction are critical for delivery, and you can do that whether you're soft-spoken or not. Any number of delivery styles will work.

10. Slow Down …