EFFECTIVE PUBLIC SPEAKING

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES

You may think effective speakers are born that way. You'd be wrong! Public
speaking is a skill that can be learned.

Most effective public speakers have worked hard to master effective speaking
skills and good public speaking techniques. They may spend hours practicing,
working with a coach, or taking speech courses.

With practice you too could become an effective public speaker. The good news is
that, with the right public speaking techniques, you can improve your public
speaking skills and become an effective speaker. In this tutorial, we've listed over
15 different public speaking techniques that can help you learn how to become an
effective speaker.

What Is Public Speaking?

Public speaking occurs when you give a speech before a live audience. It differs
from other types of speaking, such as videos, which may be recorded. It's also
different from online presentations, which are created and then uploaded to the
Internet.

Public speaking has many advantages, including improving your confidence level
and giving you the opportunity to champion a cause you care about. Plus, having
effective public speaking skills can help you find a job. Many jobs, such as an

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instructor or sales professional, require you to speak in public. Even when a job
doesn't include public speaking in the job description, employers still value
candidates with effective public speaking skills. In one survey of 600 employers
participants indicated that they felt good communication skills were twice as
important as managerial skills.

At this point you may be asking "what makes a good public speaker?"
The answer might seem easy: A good public speaker makes use of effective public
speaking techniques. What are those effective public speaking techniques? That's
what we're going to talk about in the rest of this tutorial. You can learn to become a
more effective speaker by using the right techniques and practicing your public
speaking skills. Here are some techniques to follow:

1. Care About Your Topic

Passion goes a long way when it comes to being an effective speaker. The audience
can tell if you're apathetic. If you don't care, they won't care either. Even worse,
you can come across as a fake. On the other hand, if you sincerely care about your
topic the audience will pick up on that too. They'll view you as being more
authentic and believable. They'll listen more closely to discover why your subject
is so important to you. And they're more likely to forgive any minor mistakes you
might make.

2. Remember Your Speaking Goal

We've all probably listened to at least one speaker who seemed to go on and on
forever about nothing in particular. One reason why this happens is because the
speech isn't focused enough. The speaker is trying to cover too much and ends up
boring their listeners. Early in the process of developing your speech, identify the
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reason why you're speaking. Make it a point to stick to this goal during your
presentation. Don't get sidetracked or off-topic.

3. Support Your Main Points (Concrete, Correct Facts)

Every point you make in your speech needs to be supported with either an
example, an illustration, or facts. When you're supporting a point, it's best to be as
specific as you can be.

For example, in a speech about the importance of clean water this statement is too
vague:
"Many people don't have clean water."
Stating this statistic from the U.S. Center for Disease Control is a more effective
way to support your point:
"Worldwide, 780 million people do not have access to an improved water source."

4. Tell a Story
People love a good story. So, if you want to be a more effective speaker, tell a
story. Storytelling is a great way to make your material more engaging and to
relate to your audience. Make sure your story is relatable and relevant. If you're
speaking is about your business, here are some examples of stories you may be
able to tell:
 A customer story. The story of how your product or services met a need for
a specific customer or solved a problem. Satisfied customers are often happy
to share this.
 Your company story. The story of how your company came to be. This can
be especially effective if it's customer-oriented.

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 A product development story. The story of how you came to offer a new
product (or service).

Of course, there are many other types of stories you could tell depending on the
type of speaking you are doing.

5. Use Presentation Tools Wisely

Slide presentations often get a reputation for being dull, but that's because many
speakers are unaware of what their presentation tools can do and don't make the
best use of all the features. To better engage your audience, learn how to use the
more advanced features of your tool.

As an example, here are just a few ways you can use PowerPoint and Google
Slides (with links to related tutorials):
 Add animations (PowerPoint, Google Slides)
 Add video (PowerPoint, Google Slides)
 Add audio (PowerPoint, Google Slides)
 Construct a timeline (PowerPoint, Google Slides)

And these features are just the tip of the iceberg. To really elevate your public
speaking techniques, you'll want to learn everything your presentation software
tool can do. Our tutorial series on Google Slides and PowerPoint are a good place
to start.

6. Use a Professional Template

While we're talking about presentation tools, let's also talk about presentation
design. Your presentation design affects how your audience perceives you. Even if
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you've memorized your speech, give it perfectly, and have the most amazing topic-
-your audience might still judge you negatively if your presentation design is
sloppy and unprofessional. Of course, you could use a standard template (the same
ones that everyone uses) or design your own template (costly and time-
consuming). But a better plan is to use a professionally designed presentation
template that you can easily customize.

The presentation templates from Envato Elements and GraphicRiver, for example,
are proven, easy-to-use, and professional. And there are hundreds to choose from--
so you're bound to find one that meets your needs.

7. Practice Your Speech

One of the most important public speaking techniques is often one of the most
overlooked--practice. If you expect that you'll be an effective speaker without
practicing your speech, you'd be wrong. One of the quickest ways to avoid public
speaking failure is to try and give a speech you don't really know and haven't
practiced.

The old saying, "practice makes perfect," really is true when it comes to
developing effective speaking skills. The more you practice your speech, the more
familiar it will be to you and the more comfortable you'll be giving it. Plus,
practicing your speech is the only way to discover how long the speech will take
and where you need to pause.

8. Work With a Coach (optional)

If you're really serious about developing effective speaking skills, there's no better
way than working with a speech coach or a speech teacher. A coach or teacher can
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teach you the principles of public speaking and point out mistakes in your public
speaking techniques that you wouldn't be aware of otherwise.

While you may be thinking that a speech coach is too pricey (and there are private
coaches who'll teach you public speaking), you may be able to find reasonably
priced public speaking help through one of the following organizations:
 Toastmasters International
 Your local community college
 Public Speaking Meetup
There may even be additional resources close to you.

9. Relax!
It's normal to be nervous about public speaking. The numbers vary, but one study
from The National Center for Biotechnology Information estimates that as many
as 77% of us have a fear of public speaking. It's so common there's an actual
technical term for fear of public speaking--glossophobia.

I'm not telling you this to make you more anxious, but rather to let you know that
having some anxiety before giving a speech is perfectly normal. Still, you should
try to relax if you can. You'll be more comfortable, and the audience will relate to
you better too.

If there's something that normally calms you down in stressful situations, try using
it right before you're due to speak. Popular calming techniques include:
 Meditation
 Exercise
 Positive affirmations
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 Aromatherapy
 Music
The following tutorials can also help you fight your fear of public speaking:

10. Don't Worry About Mistakes

One of the reasons so many of us fear public speaking is because we're worried
that we'll make a mistake and embarrass ourselves in front of everyone. If this is
your fear, let it go. Most audiences will understand if you make a mistake. And if
it's a small mistake, the audience may not even notice it.

Of course, practice can dramatically reduce the likelihood of you making a

mistake. The more you practice the better you'll know your speech--and mistakes
will be less likely.

So, what should you do if you do happen to make a mistake? If it's a minor
mistake, don't stop or apologize for your mistake as that only calls attention to it.
Just continue on. If you make a big mistake, try using humor to diffuse the
situation and then continue your speech. Your listeners will be impressed with how
gracefully you handled things.

11. Pace Yourself

When it comes to public speaking, a common newbie error is to speak too quickly.
This is usually caused by a combination of nerves and not realizing how fast you're
actually speaking. But talking too fast makes it harder for your listeners to
understand what you're saying.

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Effective public speakers know to pace themselves. They'll speak at a natural pace
and work short, natural pauses into their speech.

It also helps if you remember to breathe during your speech. A surprising number
of people hold their breath without realizing it when they're nervous (I'm one of
them). But holding your breath will only increase your anxiety. So, remember to
breathe deeply during the breaks in your speech. If your speech is a long one,
taking a sip of water during a break can also help.

12. Add Visual Aids

Visual aids can serve as a powerful illustration of your speech. Humans use their
sight more than any other sense. So, if you can make your point by showing it to
your listeners rather than describing it, they are more likely to remember it.

Be careful though. To be effective, your visual aid must be of high-quality and

easily visible to all members of your audience. Avoid incorporating sloppy
graphics into a slide presentation. Likewise, don't hold up a visual aid that's
physically too small for those listening to see.

Discover professional PowerPoint templates on Envato Elements or GraphicRiver:

13. Dress Comfortably, But Professionally

What's the right outfit to wear if you want to be an effective public speaker?
Well, there's no one answer. How you dress depends on who your listeners will be.
But the general principle is that you want to dress professionally to make a good
impression. Make sure to observe good grooming and hygiene rules too.

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Many experts feel you should dress according to how your audience dresses. If the
audience is dressed formally, you don't want to show up in shorts and a tee shirt.
Likewise, if the audience is wearing shorts and a tee shirt, don't dress formally.

14. Avoid Awkward Fillers

"Um," "uh," "like." We all slip these filler words into our conversations without
even realizing it. But overuse of these words during a professional speech can
make you sound less than confident. If you can, break the habit of using these
words to become a better public speaker.

Practice can help you eliminate these words from your speech patterns, but you
may be so used to using them that it's hard to notice when you're doing it. This is
where a speech coach, teacher, or friend would come in handy. They could listen
for these words and help you break the habit of using them.

15. Use Gestures (But Don't Overdo)

Natural movement during a speech is a sign of an effective public speaker. Hand
gestures and even taking a few steps across the stage can be good public speaking
techniques as long as they're natural, purposeful, and not overdone.

Movement can make you appear more comfortable and help your audience relate
to you. You've probably seen the stiff speaker who delivers their speech while
standing stock still, hands hanging limply by their side. Which would you rather
listen to? That stiff speaker, or a speaker who punctuates their speech from time to
time with meaningful hand gestures?

16. Allow Q & A

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Question and answer sessions (Q & A) are one of the most underused public
speaking techniques. Many speakers just say what they're going to say and then sit
down. What a waste!

The beauty of Q & A is that you get to hear your listeners' concerns directly and
address them publicly, further strengthening your case.

You can prepare for a Q & A session by creating your own list of questions and
possible objections that audience members may have (with answers). Study the list
carefully so that you're familiar with it. If someone does bring up a point that you
hadn't thought of, don't panic. They don't expect you to know everything. It's
perfectly acceptable to take their contact information and tell them that you'll get
back to them once you've got the answer.

HOW TO GIVE A GOOD PRESENTATION

WITHOUT ANXIETY OR BEING
NERVOUS

Palms sweating, forehead burning, lightheadedness, room spinning, choking on air.

And you haven’t even hit the stage yet to give your presentation. Worse than that:
you’re probably a week out from the date of your upcoming presentation.
Gasp! How will you ever be able to give a good presentation like this?

If that sounds like your current worst-nightmare scenario, you’re experiencing

presentation anxiety. Which sucks, I know.
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The good news? There are ways to fix it! In this article I'll give you 14 ways to
give a good presentation without suffering from anxiety.
But first let’s establish some ground rules:

What Is a Good Presentation?

At its most basic level, a good presentation is one in which the presenter doesn’t
throw up on stage, and the audience doesn't fall asleep. Okay, that’s a very basic
level.

On a higher level a good presentation checks off these three boxes:

 Informative. A good presentation contains all the necessary information and
only the necessary information to make a point. Showering your audience
with extraneous facts and figures, no matter how accurate or valid they may
be, will only send them into snooze-land.

 Impressive. Impressive doesn’t mean that you've got to set off fireworks or
arrange for Hollywood-style explosions to take place during your
presentation. But it does mean that your presentation needs to include visual
content to help impress your words onto your audience’s mind. Visual
content can be images, graphs, video, or even something as simple as
expressive body language and meaningful gestures.

 Storytelling. The human mind loves stories. Both oral information and
visual expression can quickly bore an audience if they've got no meaning, no
structure, or greater purpose. But tie the two things together in an interesting
series of events that take the audience on a journey, and you’ve got them
hooked by the nose!
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If you’re looking for tips and ideas on how to give a presentation that inspires your
audience to action, make sure you check out the following guide:

But you can't easily tell a great story and connect the informative points to your
audience, if you let nerves get in the way of your presentation.

Today, we’ll be taking things a step further and looking into how you can deliver
an awesome presentation without letting anxiety or nervousness hold you back.

Worst-Case Scenario Management

The thought giving a presentation can shoot your anxiety level off the charts
because the act of speaking before an audience plays on some of our biggest fears
as humans, which are: the fear of failure and the fear of rejection.

Now add to that mix the possibility that our failure may take the form of public
humiliation on stage, and our rejection being delivered live from a booing
audience, and you can easily see why presentations can cause paralysis by anxiety.

The best way to combat your presentation anxiety, though it may sound
counterintuitive at first, is to think about the worst-case scenario. What’s the worst
thing that can happen?

You shouldn’t think about this so you can wallow in your misery, but so you can
take preventative measures against it and dispel your anxiety knowing that you’re
fully prepared.

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In fact, worst-case scenario thinking is a concept that’s often used in risk
management to strategically plan how to tackle a big problem or major event. And
in the case of how to give a good presentation your worst-case scenario planning
looks like this:

14 WAYS TO ELIMINATE YOUR

PRESENTATION ANXIETY

1. Think About the Audience, Not Yourself

No, I don’t mean that you should imagine the audience in their underwear—or
even naked! I don’t know who came up with that idea, but in all honesty, it never
helps me when preparing for a presentation. It just makes me feel awkward and
embarrassed.

What I do mean is that you should shift your focus from yourself to your audience.
The reason you’re so anxious you can’t breathe right now is because you’re
thinking about yourself:
 How will I appear on stage?
 What will the audience think of me?
 What if I mess us up?
 What if they hate me?
Well, no wonder you’re biting your nails down to the cuticles!

Instead of thinking about all the ways you can mess up, turn the spotlight on your
audience and think about all the ways you can help them by giving a good
presentation:

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 What will your audience learn from you in this presentation?
 In what ways will your presentation benefit your audience?
 How will your message or knowledge help improve people’s lives?

Once you start focusing on the purpose of your presentation and the importance of
that purpose for your audience, you’ll realize that no one wants you to fail! Far
from being there to judge you and see if you’re any good, your audience wants you
to give a good presentation. They want to learn something from you.

How can you best serve your audience? What should you tell them? Focus on them
instead of yourself, and you’ll feel your anxiety melt away.

2. Use Building Blocks

Presenters often worry that they’ll forget their words during the presentation.
Well, so what if you do? I don’t mean that you should freeze on stage and stand
there saying nothing, but your presentation is about the core message you want to
deliver, not about the specific words you use to deliver that message.

Whether your presentation will run for 20 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour, or even
more, you can stay focused on your topic and keep your rhythm going by breaking
down your presentation into 10-minute building blocks. Each building block
should focus on just one point you want to make.

You can also visually structure your presentation around these blocks, by using
section title slides that stand out visually. Notice below in the Agio PowerPoint
template slides how different slides stand out to indicate a new section with a bold

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heading. This simple technique breaks up the visual rhythm of your regular slides
and allows you to quickly pinpoint where your blocks are.

Not only does this make it easier for you to remember your presentation than if you
tried to memorize the whole thing off as one piece, but it also gives you a lifeline
in case you “mess up.” Forgot one point and skipped ahead to the next one? No
problem, just backtrack to your previous building block and pick it right up again.
Knowing that all you've got to do is present three building blocks, for example,
makes the task a lot less daunting than thinking about having to deliver a 30-
minute presentation. And when you hit the stage you’ll be much more relaxed,
calm, and engaging.

3. Plan to Pause
Another benefit of breaking down your presentation into 10-minute building
blocks is that you can plan your pauses.

Hitting your pauses is just as important for giving a good presentation as hitting
your main points is. Rushing through your presentation will not only leave you
exhausted and breathless, but it'll also leave your audience feeling overwhelmed
and lost.

Don’t rush through your points, and don’t rush your audience. Pause to give them
time to consider what you said and to give yourself time to gather your thoughts
and tackle your next point.

4. Prepare Your PowerPoint Early

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Whether you’re presenting before an audience at a conference, or before a
prospective client, you’re likely to use visual aids such as a PowerPoint during
your presentation.

And the worst thing you can do to yourself is to leave your visual presentation
planning to the last minute. Even if you don’t think about it consciously, knowing
that you still have to prepare your PowerPoint can add unnecessary stress to the
days leading up to your preparation.

As soon as you finalize your speech, get to work on your PowerPoint presentation
and have it ready well in advance so you can relax and focus on perfecting your
delivery.

If you’re looking for cool and powerful presentation templates to complement your
presentation, check out some of the best, trending presentation templates on Envato
Elements. The X Note PowerPoint template is a great choice and one of the most
popular for sale on our marketplace: And if you need more guidance about the
features and advantages of recommended templates, browse through our Ultimate
Guide to the Best Microsoft PowerPoint Templates, or have a look at the curated
articles below:

5. Practice, Practice, Practice

Ever heard stand-up comedians talk about how they prepare for routines? Even
though when you’re watching them on stage it may seem like they’re just
improvising or coming up with jokes on the fly, the truth is that everything they do
and say comes as a result of relentless practice and repetition—even their pauses.

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And you’d be wise to follow the same advice when preparing your presentation to
minimize performance anxiety.

Practice, practice, practice.

And practice not just your words, but also your visual presentation. Practice what
you’ll say, what you’ll show, what you'll do, and how the two will come together.
Practice not until your presentation sounds rehearsed and memorized, but until
you’ve so internalized your points that your presentation sounds natural.

6. Record and Review

Body language can sometimes speak louder than words. Do you appear confident
when you present your proposal to prospective clients? Do you appear
knowledgeable or doubtful about your topic of expertise? Do you come off as
friendly and approachable or stuck up and conceited?

You don’t have to wonder about those things or worse worry about them. Take
action and clear your doubts. Record yourself on your phone or camera and see
how you look giving your presentation. Go over your recording and make notes for
improvement.

Practice your presentation with friends or colleagues. (graphic source)

If possible, ask some friends or colleagues over to act as your audience. Or practice
in an open conference room with a group of your peers. Not only will it be better
for you to practice before a live audience, but you’ll also have their feedback on
ways to improve your stage presence.

7. Get There Early

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Ever got stuck in traffic and arrived late at the office for a regular day’s work?
Stressful, wasn’t it? What about running late for a meeting? More stressful, right?
Knowing that others were expecting you and that you’d show up late making a bad
impression.

Now imagine showing up late to your presentation. Yikes! How’s that for a worst-
case-scenario that can keep you up at night!

Instead of taking that risk or letting the anxiety of that possibility destroy your
nerves, simply take the opposite route and plan to arrive early. As early as
possible.

Arriving early gives you a chance to familiarize yourself with your surroundings so
you can feel more at ease during your presentation. If your presentation will take
place at a large event or a conference, you’ll have the time to meet and greet the
organizers, other presenters, or even some of the audience members before you go
on stage.

Even if you can’t get into the place of your presentation early (like, for example,
you’re presenting a project proposal to a prospective client), you can still take a
walk near the building where you’re presenting, relax, clear your mind, and
prepare for your presentation without worrying about time, the traffic, or anything
else extraneous.

8. Test the Technology

Another benefit of arriving early is that you can ask to test the technology to make
sure everything will run smoothly during your presentation.
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Depending on the type and size of the event at which you’re presenting, you’ll
have different levels of control and access to the technology beforehand. But
asking to run a technology test before your presentation is always the smart thing
to do.

And don’t show up with just one version of your visual presentation on one device
and hope, pray, and cross your fingers it'll work. That'll only kick your anxiety into
overdrive just minutes before your presentation.

Always have your presentation saved on a variety of media (such as a USB, your
laptop, and web-based storage space) that you can access in a variety of ways
should anything go wrong. Have a cable that links your laptop to a projector? Take
it along with you. You never know if you may need it.

Technology can sometimes fail us, but there’s no reason to let that cause you
anxiety. Simply prepare beforehand so you can remain calm during any mishaps.

9. Breathe Deeply
Not just metaphorically. Literally. Deep breaths have been scientifically proven to
help us relax, reduce our stress levels, and improve our outlook on the situation at
hand.

Right before going on stage or entering the presentation room take 5-10 deep
breaths slowly inhaling as much air as you can and slowly exhaling it back out.
The practice will help you relax, focus, and dispel any minor anxiety that may still
linger after your thorough preparation.

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Feeling calm, centered, and confident, go up there and crush it! Give a good
presentation, that's confident, and crush it.

10. Mingle With Your Audience

Knowing that you've got to get on the stage and speak in front of a room full of
strangers is enough to make anyone nervous, even the most experienced speakers.
Consider chatting with your audience members before the presentation.

By doing so, you'll not only present yourself as more approachable, but you'll also
feel less like you’re talking to complete strangers, not to mention you might even
find extra points to add to your presentation.

Another benefit of getting to know your audience before the presentation is that
they'll feel more engaged with you, which increases the chances of them paying
attention throughout the presentation.

11. Remember to Hydrate

Dry mouth isn't uncommon when you’re dealing with anxiety and it only gets
worse when you've got to talk for a long period of time. A serious case of
cottonmouth will only make your anxiety worse and leave you dealing with a
Catch 22.

That’s why it’s important to stay hydrated throughout your presentation. Prevent
cotton mouth by drinking plenty of water before your presentation, but do
remember to hit the bathroom right before you start.

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You should also have a glass or a bottle of water handy to take a drink during your
presentation in case your mouth gets dry.

12. Smile
It’s a well-known fact that a smile is the most recognizable facial expression. Some
studies even suggest that people can recognize a smile from 300 feet away, not to
mention a simple smile can instantly boost your mood.

The key takeaway: smile during your presentation. This will make you seem more
approachable not to mention you'll put a smile on your audience’s faces as well.
It'll also make you appear more confident.

13. Exercise
Getting regular exercise is a great way to combat anxiety in general as physical
activity can reduce stress and anxiety-related symptoms. Hitting the gym the
morning of your big presentation will ensure you get endorphins running high
while keeping your anxiety levels low.

If exercise isn't a part of your routine, consider going for a short, brisk walk before
your presentation. Some studies suggest that a 10-minute walk can have the same
benefits as a 45-minute work so do make sure to get your blood pumping.

14. Avoid Caffeine

While caffeine can help you remain alert, it can also raise your anxiety levels so
cut back on coffee and any caffeinated beverages the day before and the day of
your presentation.

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Try replacing your coffee with a caffeine-free herbal tea, stay hydrated, and
remember to eat a balanced diet with proteins to reduce your hunger.

Learn More About Making a Good Presentation (With PowerPoint)

Once you’ve calmed your anxiety and feel confident about the presentation, don’t
forget to spend some time optimizing your PowerPoint slide deck. Making sure
that your presentation design is top notch will also help you feel more confident.
Designing a good presentation with PowerPoint might seem daunting, but the good
news is that there are tons of tutorials and resources to help you out. Here are a few
recommended articles to get you started:

PRESENTING WITHOUT ANXIETY

 How do you prepare for your presentations before a large or small
audience?
 Which part causes you the most anxiety and which of these tips are you
going to try?
 Do you have any other ways for combating presentation anxiety before
going up on stage?

HOW TO WRITE A GREAT MOTIVATIONAL

BUSINESS SPEECH

At one point or another, it's likely you'll have to give a speech. It may be for
business, or it may be for school. But you don't want to give just any speech. You

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want to give a speech that your listeners will remember--a speech that motivates
them to take action. In other words, you need to know how to make a speech
memorable.

Motivational speaking is a good skill to have. It can help in both your professional
and personal life. Most importantly, the ability to give a good inspirational speech
enables you to influence others to make positive changes.

Learn how to write a motivational speech so you can help others make positive
changes. In this tutorial, we explain how to prepare a motivational speech. We'll
discuss what makes a good motivational speech. You'll learn how to write
inspirational speeches. We'll also explore some of the tools you can use to make
your speech more effective. And finally, we'll provide tips on how to give a
motivational speech.

HOW TO PLAN A MOTIVATIONAL BUSINESS

SPEECH
You can't just jump right into writing your speech. A great motivational speech
takes planning. Here are the planning steps you need to understand:

Step 1. Know Your Audience

If you really want your speech to motivate your listeners, you need to understand
who your listeners are. People respond differently to messages based on their
interests and background.

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Also, understanding your audience is how you find out what they're interested in so
that you can appeal to those interests. It's that appeal directly to your listener's
interests that will motivate them.

If you're a student, you likely have a head start in this area. It's likely that your
listeners will be other students in your class. You may even know some of them
personally. But you still have some work to do in this area. Learn what you can
about the makeup of your class.

Here are some questions to research:

 Are most students full-time or part-time?
 What's the age range of the students in the class?
 Have they been at the school long?
 What are most of the students in the class majoring in?
 What are their interests?

If you're giving a business speech, you may not know your audience members
personally. But you can still do some research to find out a little bit about them.
Depending on whether your business markets to consumers or to other businesses,
it's likely your audience will be made up of either consumers (the public) or
representatives of businesses.

Either way, here are some questions to research:

 If audience members represent businesses, what's their job function?
 If your listeners represent companies, what's the size and industry of those
companies?
 What are their concerns?
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 What's the age range of the audience members?
 Are the audience members current clients, prospective clients, or a mix?

If you'll be giving your business speech at a public venue such as a conference, ask
the conference organizers to provide you with demographic information about the
conference attendees. If you'll be giving your speech at a private location, say a
client's office, learn what you can about the company before you go.

Regardless of whether your audience is students, consumers, or businesses--be sure

to take into consideration any cultural differences.

Step 2. Know Your Subject

You may think that you know your topic already, but a general knowledge of your
subject matter isn't good enough if you want to write a memorable speech. Look
for the aspects of the subject that affect your audience directly. When you can, give
specific details rather than generalizations.

For example, say "75% of our clients save money in the first year" instead of "most
of our clients save money."

Don't forget to anticipate questions or concerns your listeners might have.

Research and find the answers. Plan to address the most common concerns during
your speech, but remember the other questions in case you're asked about them
afterward.

It also helps to have charts and graphs to illustrate and support your information.

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Step 3. Have a Vision
Know what you want your audience to do after hearing your motivational speech
and plan your speech accordingly. Your entire speech should be focused on
moving your audience in the direction you want them to take.

Explain why the subject of your speech is important to your audience. Describe
how the next steps they take can make a difference. But be sincere. Remember,
your audience won't care about your topic (or take action) unless you care. And
they'll be able to tell if you care. You can't motivate an audience to care about a
topic you don't care about.

Towards the end of your speech, ask your listeners to take the next step. Again, be
specific. If you want your audience to perform a particular task, tell them what that
action is and explain how to do it. If you want them to make a purchase, provide
the information (such as a URL, phone number, or location) that allows them to do
make that purchase.

HOW TO WRITE AN INSPIRATIONAL SPEECH

Now that you've done some planning, you're ready to start writing your
motivational speech. Here's how to write it:

Step 1. Use an Outline

An outline helps you stay organized as you write your motivational speech. Your
outline should have a beginning, middle, and end.

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Start by writing the introduction and conclusion to your speech. Many
speechwriters find this easiest to do during the outline step. The introduction is
especially important because you need to capture and hold the audience's attention
in it.

Once you've written the introduction and conclusion of your motivational speech,
you're ready to add the main points (or middle) to your outline.

Step 2. Stay Focused

In the main points of your speech, explain why the topic is important to your
audience. Here are some common ways to show that your subject matter is
important:
 Appeal to the audience's emotions or sense of justice.
 Show how different things can be.
 Explain how one (or more) of the listeners' problems can be solved.

As you add the main points to your outline, limit the number of points you plan to
cover to three points (or four, at most). Too many points will cause your
presentation to drag out and may even confuse your listener.

As you're narrowing points down, try ranking the points in importance from most
important to least important. Keep your vision in mind during this ranking. Rank
those points that relate to your vision or purpose for the speech higher. The other
points should be ranked lower.

If you've got more than four main points on your outline draft, remove the lowest
ranked points and focus on the higher, more relevant points.
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Step 3. Be Conversational
When your outline is complete, you're ready to write your speech. As you write
your speech, adopt a conversational tone. Address your listeners directly. Show
how each point relates to your audience members.

To be perceived as friendlier, avoid formal language and use short sentences. The
goal is to write your speech so that it flows naturally and is easily understood.

Ideally, your speech should sound like you're talking to a friend. Avoid obscure
phrases, legalese, and other speech patterns that are difficult to follow. If you'll be
giving the speech in a language that's not native for you, you may need to enlist a
native speaker to help you with this.

Step 4. Tell an Inspirational Story

Some of the most inspiring speeches include inspirational stories. Stories can
illustrate your vision for your audience in a concrete way.

But be real. Audiences can spot a phony story. Positive case studies and
inspirational examples can be quite motivational. So, it's a good idea to include
these if you've got them.

If you can get quotes that support your speech's points, use them too. Audiences
love to hear the experiences of real people. Even better, record and play short
videos (a minute or two) where customers or others share their experiences.

3. How to Make a Speech Memorable with Templates & Images

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Now that you've written a memorable speech, it's time to pull the entire
presentation together. You'll do this by bringing your motivational speech into a
presentation tool and incorporating graphics and other media. Follow these steps:

Step 1. Choose a Presentation Tool

The presentation tool you use to give your presentation is important. Some tools
are easier to use than others. And not all presentation tools are available in all
venues. Make sure that the venue where you'll give your motivational speech
supports the presentation tool you intend to use. If you're not sure, ask.

If you're required to use a particular presentation tool--for example, if you're a

student--then the decision of what tool to use is easy. But if you can use any
presentation tool you like, you may be wondering which one to choose. There are
many choices available. This article compares three of the most popular
presentation tools: Once you've selected a presentation tool, make sure that you can
use it. Our PowerPoint learning guide and our Google Slides learning guide can
help you get up to speed quickly.

Step 2. Use Templates

Once you've chosen your presentation tool, it's time to start thinking about how
your presentation will look. You want it to be eye-catching, but professional. A
sloppy, unprofessional design distracts from your message. Avoid the following:
 using too many different fonts
 putting too much on a single slide
 clashing color schemes

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Of course, you could design your own presentation template for your motivational
speech. But that could take hours--especially if you're not a professional designer.

A better plan is to use pre-designed professional template such as those available

through Envato Elements or Envato Graphic River. With a pre-designed template,
you'll get the use of template designed by a professional designer that can be
customized for your specific needs. To get an idea of what types of templates are
available, look at this article:

Step 3. Choose the Right Images

A good presentation should also include photos, charts, and graphs to support the
points being made. Powerful images can evoke emotion and capture your listeners'
imaginations. They can play a large role in an effective motivational speech.

However, the images you use in your presentation must be professional to be

effective. Sloppy graphs or poorly focused images make a bad impression and take
away from your effectiveness. Make sure that any images you add to your
presentation are of high quality.

If you're wondering where to find good quality images, look no further. You'll find
a wide variety of photos and other types of images on Envato Elements.

4. How to Prepare to Give Your Motivational Speech

Once you've finished putting your speech into your presentation tool, you may
think you're ready to give it. You're not. Follow these steps to make final
preparations to give your motivational speech:

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Step 1. Review and Revise
Whether you're a student or representing a business, mistakes in your inspirational
speech make you look bad. Review your presentation carefully to ensure that there
are no errors in it. Here are some common mistakes speakers make:
 design mistakes like cutting a graphic off the edge of a page or words that
flow off the edge of a slide
 factual errors, such as misattributing a quote or typos that make statistics
incorrect
 spelling and grammar errors and other typos

After a careful review, fix any mistakes that you find before giving your
inspirational speech.

Step 2. Practice
Once you're sure that your presentation slides are error free, it's time for you to
practice giving your speech. The more you practice, the more comfortable with it
you'll be.

Practice is also important, because it can help you judge how long your
presentation will be. Practice can also help you get the pacing right. After you've
practiced your speech several times, you may decide to make a few minor
adjustments to your inspirational speech so that it's easier for you to give.

Learn how to avoid some common presentation mistakes and discover other
presentation tips in these tutorials:

Conclusion
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You've just learned how to prepare a motivational speech. Your speeches should
now be more memorable and more effective at reaching your listeners. Now that
you've learned how to inspire your listeners, you're ready to give your motivational
speech. Good luck!

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