Recently, someone asked me for my top 3
quick tips for making a great speech. It was difficult to narrow them down, but
I've listed them here:
- Focus on the audience. You're not ready to speak in front of an audience unless you can answer the question "why should the audience care about what I'm going to say?"
- Practice, practice,
practice.
It's not enough to think about what you're going to say or flip through
your notes while you're sitting at your desk. Practice means that you
actually open your mouth and say the words out loud in as close to the
real environment as possible.
- Don't use PowerPoint/KeyNote
slides.
If you are asked to use presentation software, resist. If you are required
to use it, then be careful. Remember that you are the presentation and the
slides should aid your presentation, not replace you. Avoid text-heavy
slides and instead, use high-quality images to connect to your audience
and tell your story.
For more tips on how to give a great presentation or speech, visit