Your voice is quivering, you can’t deliver a joke to save your life and you’re on stage in 5 minutes. Before you pull that fire alarm, take a breather and remember that you’re not alone. According to studies, public speaking is people’s number one fear – surpassing even death. Although confidence is half the battle in public speaking, what’s to be said about the actual speech itself? Even the most successful orator’s words would fall flat without a compelling story or an interesting premise.
This is where we step in. Take a gander at Wordsmith’s top tips to make your speech stand out from the crowd.
Avoid Generic Openings
Time and time again, we see speakers open by thanking organisers and guests of the event. Although it’s good etiquette, there are definitely more effective ways to hook your audience from the very start.
Shake things up and come out swinging by sharing a startling statistic, a funny anecdote or a rhetorical question - and watch your audience engagement skyrocket. Check out Ken Robinson’s opener at a recent TED conference: “Good morning. How are you? It’s been great, hasn’t it? I’ve been blown away by the whole thing. In fact, I’m leaving.” Be memorable right from the start, and you’ll have the audience in the palm of your hand for the rest of your talk.
Get Back to Basics with Structure
Successful orators always have a beginning, middle and end to their presentation. This may be an obvious point to emphasise, but one of the most frequent blunders in public speaking is going off on tangents. Structure your speech like you’re telling a story – each point should lead logically to the next, and towards a final overarching conclusion.
As you write, edit and re-edit, concentrate on your structure by ruthlessly cutting information that doesn’t add to your point. Take out anything that is confusing, contradictory or unnecessary. For a master-class on structure in public speaking, watch former US President John F. Kennedy enthrall the nation with his “Moon speech” at Rice Stadium in 1961, which kicked off America’s entry in the space race.
Keep it Short and Sweet
Less is more. Charge-by-the-word copywriters might disagree - but when it comes to writing an effective speech, strive to make your point in as few words as possible. Say everything you have to say, but present it to the audience in witty, bite-sized chunks. Communication expert Dianna Booher claims, “If you can’t write your message in a sentence, you can’t say it in an hour.”
We live in an age of instant gratification, and research shows people’s average attention spans are now shorter than those of goldfish! Just because you’ve been given 30 minutes for your presentation doesn’t mean you need to drone on and one for your entire allotted time. Keep your words punchy and humourous, and get your main points across quickly. Your audience may only remember a single line – so make those words count!
Unleash the Grand Finale
Your closing is what audiences are most likely to remember, so always leave them wanting more! This is the time to use axioms, analogies and – most of all – surprises.
Tie up loose ends, make a call to action, share results and epiphanies… anything that will grab attention before you step away from the microphone. Leadership development expert Peter Jeff advises speakers to finish with a bang: “Instead of firing off a perfunctory ‘thank you,’ consider launching fireworks of final, passionate thoughts from the podium.”