your speech was excellent

How it works

Transform your enterprise with the scalable mindsets, skills, & behavior change that drive performance.

Explore how BetterUp connects to your core business systems.

We pair AI with the latest in human-centered coaching to drive powerful, lasting learning and behavior change.

Build leaders that accelerate team performance and engagement.

Unlock performance potential at scale with AI-powered curated growth journeys.

Build resilience, well-being and agility to drive performance across your entire enterprise.

Transform your business, starting with your sales leaders.

Unlock business impact from the top with executive coaching.

Foster a culture of inclusion and belonging.

Accelerate the performance and potential of your agencies and employees.

See how innovative organizations use BetterUp to build a thriving workforce.

Discover how BetterUp measurably impacts key business outcomes for organizations like yours.

A demo is the first step to transforming your business. Meet with us to develop a plan for attaining your goals.

• What is coaching?

Learn how 1:1 coaching works, who its for, and if it's right for you.

Accelerate your personal and professional growth with the expert guidance of a BetterUp Coach.

Types of Coaching

Navigate career transitions, accelerate your professional growth, and achieve your career goals with expert coaching.

Enhance your communication skills for better personal and professional relationships, with tailored coaching that focuses on your needs.

Find balance, resilience, and well-being in all areas of your life with holistic coaching designed to empower you.

Discover your perfect match : Take our 5-minute assessment and let us pair you with one of our top Coaches tailored just for you.

Research, expert insights, and resources to develop courageous leaders within your organization.

Best practices, research, and tools to fuel individual and business growth.

View on-demand BetterUp events and learn about upcoming live discussions.

The latest insights and ideas for building a high-performing workplace.

• BetterUp Briefing

The online magazine that helps you understand tomorrow's workforce trends, today.

Innovative research featured in peer-reviewed journals, press, and more.

Founded in 2022 to deepen the understanding of the intersection of well-being, purpose, and performance

We're on a mission to help everyone live with clarity, purpose, and passion.

Join us and create impactful change.

Read the buzz about BetterUp.

Meet the leadership that's passionate about empowering your workforce.

For Business

For Individuals

How to write a speech that your audience remembers

Whether in a work meeting or at an investor panel, you might give a speech at some point. And no matter how excited you are about the opportunity, the experience can be nerve-wracking . 

But feeling butterflies doesn’t mean you can’t give a great speech. With the proper preparation and a clear outline, apprehensive public speakers and natural wordsmiths alike can write and present a compelling message. Here’s how to write a good speech you’ll be proud to deliver.

What is good speech writing?

Good speech writing is the art of crafting words and ideas into a compelling, coherent, and memorable message that resonates with the audience. Here are some key elements of great speech writing:

• It begins with clearly understanding the speech's purpose and the audience it seeks to engage. 
• A well-written speech clearly conveys its central message, ensuring that the audience understands and retains the key points. 
• It is structured thoughtfully, with a captivating opening, a well-organized body, and a conclusion that reinforces the main message. 
• Good speech writing embraces the power of engaging content, weaving in stories, examples, and relatable anecdotes to connect with the audience on both intellectual and emotional levels. 

Ultimately, it is the combination of these elements, along with the authenticity and delivery of the speaker , that transforms words on a page into a powerful and impactful spoken narrative.

What makes a good speech?

A great speech includes several key qualities, but three fundamental elements make a speech truly effective:

Clarity and purpose

Remembering the audience, cohesive structure.

While other important factors make a speech a home run, these three elements are essential for writing an effective speech.

The main elements of a good speech

The main elements of a speech typically include:

• Introduction: The introduction sets the stage for your speech and grabs the audience's attention. It should include a hook or attention-grabbing opening, introduce the topic, and provide an overview of what will be covered.
• Opening/captivating statement: This is a strong statement that immediately engages the audience and creates curiosity about the speech topics.
• Thesis statement/central idea: The thesis statement or central idea is a concise statement that summarizes the main point or argument of your speech. It serves as a roadmap for the audience to understand what your speech is about.
• Body: The body of the speech is where you elaborate on your main points or arguments. Each point is typically supported by evidence, examples, statistics, or anecdotes. The body should be organized logically and coherently, with smooth transitions between the main points.
• Supporting evidence: This includes facts, data, research findings, expert opinions, or personal stories that support and strengthen your main points. Well-chosen and credible evidence enhances the persuasive power of your speech.
• Transitions: Transitions are phrases or statements that connect different parts of your speech, guiding the audience from one idea to the next. Effective transitions signal the shifts in topics or ideas and help maintain a smooth flow throughout the speech.
• Counterarguments and rebuttals (if applicable): If your speech involves addressing opposing viewpoints or counterarguments, you should acknowledge and address them. Presenting counterarguments makes your speech more persuasive and demonstrates critical thinking.
• Conclusion: The conclusion is the final part of your speech and should bring your message to a satisfying close. Summarize your main points, restate your thesis statement, and leave the audience with a memorable closing thought or call to action.
• Closing statement: This is the final statement that leaves a lasting impression and reinforces the main message of your speech. It can be a call to action, a thought-provoking question, a powerful quote, or a memorable anecdote.
• Delivery and presentation: How you deliver your speech is also an essential element to consider. Pay attention to your tone, body language, eye contact , voice modulation, and timing. Practice and rehearse your speech, and try using the 7-38-55 rule to ensure confident and effective delivery.

While the order and emphasis of these elements may vary depending on the type of speech and audience, these elements provide a framework for organizing and delivering a successful speech.

How to structure a good speech

You know what message you want to transmit, who you’re delivering it to, and even how you want to say it. But you need to know how to start, develop, and close a speech before writing it. 

Think of a speech like an essay. It should have an introduction, conclusion, and body sections in between. This places ideas in a logical order that the audience can better understand and follow them. Learning how to make a speech with an outline gives your storytelling the scaffolding it needs to get its point across.

Here’s a general speech structure to guide your writing process:

• Explanation 1
• Explanation 2
• Explanation 3

How to write a compelling speech opener

Some research shows that engaged audiences pay attention for only 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Other estimates are even lower, citing that people stop listening intently in fewer than 10 minutes . If you make a good first impression at the beginning of your speech, you have a better chance of interesting your audience through the middle when attention spans fade. 

Implementing the INTRO model can help grab and keep your audience’s attention as soon as you start speaking. This acronym stands for interest, need, timing, roadmap, and objectives, and it represents the key points you should hit in an opening. 

Here’s what to include for each of these points: 

• Interest : Introduce yourself or your topic concisely and speak with confidence . Write a compelling opening statement using relevant data or an anecdote that the audience can relate to.
• Needs : The audience is listening to you because they have something to learn. If you’re pitching a new app idea to a panel of investors, those potential partners want to discover more about your product and what they can earn from it. Read the room and gently remind them of the purpose of your speech. 
• Timing : When appropriate, let your audience know how long you’ll speak. This lets listeners set expectations and keep tabs on their own attention span. If a weary audience member knows you’ll talk for 40 minutes, they can better manage their energy as that time goes on. 
• Routemap : Give a brief overview of the three main points you’ll cover in your speech. If an audience member’s attention starts to drop off and they miss a few sentences, they can more easily get their bearings if they know the general outline of the presentation.
• Objectives : Tell the audience what you hope to achieve, encouraging them to listen to the end for the payout. 

Writing the middle of a speech

The body of your speech is the most information-dense section. Facts, visual aids, PowerPoints — all this information meets an audience with a waning attention span. Sticking to the speech structure gives your message focus and keeps you from going off track, making everything you say as useful as possible.

Limit the middle of your speech to three points, and support them with no more than three explanations. Following this model organizes your thoughts and prevents you from offering more information than the audience can retain. 

Using this section of the speech to make your presentation interactive can add interest and engage your audience. Try including a video or demonstration to break the monotony. A quick poll or survey also keeps the audience on their toes. 

Wrapping the speech up

To you, restating your points at the end can feel repetitive and dull. You’ve practiced countless times and heard it all before. But repetition aids memory and learning , helping your audience retain what you’ve told them. Use your speech’s conclusion to summarize the main points with a few short sentences.

Try to end on a memorable note, like posing a motivational quote or a thoughtful question the audience can contemplate once they leave. In proposal or pitch-style speeches, consider landing on a call to action (CTA) that invites your audience to take the next step.

How to write a good speech

If public speaking gives you the jitters, you’re not alone. Roughly 80% of the population feels nervous before giving a speech, and another 10% percent experiences intense anxiety and sometimes even panic. 

The fear of failure can cause procrastination and can cause you to put off your speechwriting process until the last minute. Finding the right words takes time and preparation, and if you’re already feeling nervous, starting from a blank page might seem even harder.

But putting in the effort despite your stress is worth it. Presenting a speech you worked hard on fosters authenticity and connects you to the subject matter, which can help your audience understand your points better. Human connection is all about honesty and vulnerability, and if you want to connect to the people you’re speaking to, they should see that in you.

1. Identify your objectives and target audience

Before diving into the writing process, find healthy coping strategies to help you stop worrying . Then you can define your speech’s purpose, think about your target audience, and start identifying your objectives. Here are some questions to ask yourself and ground your thinking : 

• What purpose do I want my speech to achieve? 
• What would it mean to me if I achieved the speech’s purpose?
• What audience am I writing for? 
• What do I know about my audience? 
• What values do I want to transmit? 
• If the audience remembers one take-home message, what should it be? 
• What do I want my audience to feel, think, or do after I finish speaking? 
• What parts of my message could be confusing and require further explanation?

2. Know your audience

Understanding your audience is crucial for tailoring your speech effectively. Consider the demographics of your audience, their interests, and their expectations. For instance, if you're addressing a group of healthcare professionals, you'll want to use medical terminology and data that resonate with them. Conversely, if your audience is a group of young students, you'd adjust your content to be more relatable to their experiences and interests. 

3. Choose a clear message

Your message should be the central idea that you want your audience to take away from your speech. Let's say you're giving a speech on climate change. Your clear message might be something like, "Individual actions can make a significant impact on mitigating climate change." Throughout your speech, all your points and examples should support this central message, reinforcing it for your audience.

4. Structure your speech

Organizing your speech properly keeps your audience engaged and helps them follow your ideas. The introduction should grab your audience's attention and introduce the topic. For example, if you're discussing space exploration, you could start with a fascinating fact about a recent space mission. In the body, you'd present your main points logically, such as the history of space exploration, its scientific significance, and future prospects. Finally, in the conclusion, you'd summarize your key points and reiterate the importance of space exploration in advancing human knowledge.

5. Use engaging content for clarity

Engaging content includes stories, anecdotes, statistics, and examples that illustrate your main points. For instance, if you're giving a speech about the importance of reading, you might share a personal story about how a particular book changed your perspective. You could also include statistics on the benefits of reading, such as improved cognitive abilities and empathy.

6. Maintain clarity and simplicity

It's essential to communicate your ideas clearly. Avoid using overly technical jargon or complex language that might confuse your audience. For example, if you're discussing a medical breakthrough with a non-medical audience, explain complex terms in simple, understandable language.

7. Practice and rehearse

Practice is key to delivering a great speech. Rehearse multiple times to refine your delivery, timing, and tone. Consider using a mirror or recording yourself to observe your body language and gestures. For instance, if you're giving a motivational speech, practice your gestures and expressions to convey enthusiasm and confidence.

8. Consider nonverbal communication

Your body language, tone of voice, and gestures should align with your message . If you're delivering a speech on leadership, maintain strong eye contact to convey authority and connection with your audience. A steady pace and varied tone can also enhance your speech's impact.

9. Engage your audience

Engaging your audience keeps them interested and attentive. Encourage interaction by asking thought-provoking questions or sharing relatable anecdotes. If you're giving a speech on teamwork, ask the audience to recall a time when teamwork led to a successful outcome, fostering engagement and connection.

10. Prepare for Q&A

Anticipate potential questions or objections your audience might have and prepare concise, well-informed responses. If you're delivering a speech on a controversial topic, such as healthcare reform, be ready to address common concerns, like the impact on healthcare costs or access to services, during the Q&A session.

By following these steps and incorporating examples that align with your specific speech topic and purpose, you can craft and deliver a compelling and impactful speech that resonates with your audience.

Tools for writing a great speech

There are several helpful tools available for speechwriting, both technological and communication-related. Here are a few examples:

• Word processing software: Tools like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or other word processors provide a user-friendly environment for writing and editing speeches. They offer features like spell-checking, grammar correction, formatting options, and easy revision tracking.
• Presentation software: Software such as Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Slides is useful when creating visual aids to accompany your speech. These tools allow you to create engaging slideshows with text, images, charts, and videos to enhance your presentation.
• Speechwriting Templates: Online platforms or software offer pre-designed templates specifically for speechwriting. These templates provide guidance on structuring your speech and may include prompts for different sections like introductions, main points, and conclusions.
• Rhetorical devices and figures of speech: Rhetorical tools such as metaphors, similes, alliteration, and parallelism can add impact and persuasion to your speech. Resources like books, websites, or academic papers detailing various rhetorical devices can help you incorporate them effectively.
• Speechwriting apps: Mobile apps designed specifically for speechwriting can be helpful in organizing your thoughts, creating outlines, and composing a speech. These apps often provide features like voice recording, note-taking, and virtual prompts to keep you on track.
• Grammar and style checkers: Online tools or plugins like Grammarly or Hemingway Editor help improve the clarity and readability of your speech by checking for grammar, spelling, and style errors. They provide suggestions for sentence structure, word choice, and overall tone.
• Thesaurus and dictionary: Online or offline resources such as thesauruses and dictionaries help expand your vocabulary and find alternative words or phrases to express your ideas more effectively. They can also clarify meanings or provide context for unfamiliar terms.
• Online speechwriting communities: Joining online forums or communities focused on speechwriting can be beneficial for getting feedback, sharing ideas, and learning from experienced speechwriters. It's an opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and improve your public speaking skills through collaboration.

Remember, while these tools can assist in the speechwriting process, it's essential to use them thoughtfully and adapt them to your specific needs and style. The most important aspect of speechwriting remains the creativity, authenticity, and connection with your audience that you bring to your speech.

5 tips for writing a speech

Behind every great speech is an excellent idea and a speaker who refined it. But a successful speech is about more than the initial words on the page, and there are a few more things you can do to help it land.

Here are five more tips for writing and practicing your speech:

1. Structure first, write second

If you start the writing process before organizing your thoughts, you may have to re-order, cut, and scrap the sentences you worked hard on. Save yourself some time by using a speech structure, like the one above, to order your talking points first. This can also help you identify unclear points or moments that disrupt your flow.

2. Do your homework

Data strengthens your argument with a scientific edge. Research your topic with an eye for attention-grabbing statistics, or look for findings you can use to support each point. If you’re pitching a product or service, pull information from company metrics that demonstrate past or potential successes. 

Audience members will likely have questions, so learn all talking points inside and out. If you tell investors that your product will provide 12% returns, for example, come prepared with projections that support that statement.

3. Sound like yourself

Memorable speakers have distinct voices. Think of Martin Luther King Jr’s urgent, inspiring timbre or Oprah’s empathetic, personal tone . Establish your voice — one that aligns with your personality and values — and stick with it. If you’re a motivational speaker, keep your tone upbeat to inspire your audience . If you’re the CEO of a startup, try sounding assured but approachable. 

4. Practice

As you practice a speech, you become more confident , gain a better handle on the material, and learn the outline so well that unexpected questions are less likely to trip you up. Practice in front of a colleague or friend for honest feedback about what you could change, and speak in front of the mirror to tweak your nonverbal communication and body language .

5. Remember to breathe

When you’re stressed, you breathe more rapidly . It can be challenging to talk normally when you can’t regulate your breath. Before your presentation, try some mindful breathing exercises so that when the day comes, you already have strategies that will calm you down and remain present . This can also help you control your voice and avoid speaking too quickly.

How to ghostwrite a great speech for someone else

Ghostwriting a speech requires a unique set of skills, as you're essentially writing a piece that will be delivered by someone else. Here are some tips on how to effectively ghostwrite a speech:

• Understand the speaker's voice and style : Begin by thoroughly understanding the speaker's personality, speaking style, and preferences. This includes their tone, humor, and any personal anecdotes they may want to include.
• Interview the speaker : Have a detailed conversation with the speaker to gather information about their speech's purpose, target audience, key messages, and any specific points they want to emphasize. Ask for personal stories or examples they may want to include.
• Research thoroughly : Research the topic to ensure you have a strong foundation of knowledge. This helps you craft a well-informed and credible speech.
• Create an outline : Develop a clear outline that includes the introduction, main points, supporting evidence, and a conclusion. Share this outline with the speaker for their input and approval.
• Write in the speaker's voice : While crafting the speech, maintain the speaker's voice and style. Use language and phrasing that feel natural to them. If they have a particular way of expressing ideas, incorporate that into the speech.
• Craft a captivating opening : Begin the speech with a compelling opening that grabs the audience's attention. This could be a relevant quote, an interesting fact, a personal anecdote, or a thought-provoking question.
• Organize content logically : Ensure the speech flows logically, with each point building on the previous one. Use transitions to guide the audience from one idea to the next smoothly.
• Incorporate engaging stories and examples : Include anecdotes, stories, and real-life examples that illustrate key points and make the speech relatable and memorable.
• Edit and revise : Edit the speech carefully for clarity, grammar, and coherence. Ensure the speech is the right length and aligns with the speaker's time constraints.
• Seek feedback : Share drafts of the speech with the speaker for their feedback and revisions. They may have specific changes or additions they'd like to make.
• Practice delivery : If possible, work with the speaker on their delivery. Practice the speech together, allowing the speaker to become familiar with the content and your writing style.
• Maintain confidentiality : As a ghostwriter, it's essential to respect the confidentiality and anonymity of the work. Do not disclose that you wrote the speech unless you have the speaker's permission to do so.
• Be flexible : Be open to making changes and revisions as per the speaker's preferences. Your goal is to make them look good and effectively convey their message.
• Meet deadlines : Stick to agreed-upon deadlines for drafts and revisions. Punctuality and reliability are essential in ghostwriting.
• Provide support : Support the speaker during their preparation and rehearsal process. This can include helping with cue cards, speech notes, or any other materials they need.

Remember that successful ghostwriting is about capturing the essence of the speaker while delivering a well-structured and engaging speech. Collaboration, communication, and adaptability are key to achieving this.

Give your best speech yet

Learn how to make a speech that’ll hold an audience’s attention by structuring your thoughts and practicing frequently. Put the effort into writing and preparing your content, and aim to improve your breathing, eye contact , and body language as you practice. The more you work on your speech, the more confident you’ll become.

The energy you invest in writing an effective speech will help your audience remember and connect to every concept. Remember: some life-changing philosophies have come from good speeches, so give your words a chance to resonate with others. You might even change their thinking.

Elevate your communication skills

Unlock the power of clear and persuasive communication. Our coaches can guide you to build strong relationships and succeed in both personal and professional life.

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

6 presentation skills and how to improve them

10+ interpersonal skills at work and ways to develop them, how to be more persuasive: 6 tips for convincing others, how to write an impactful cover letter for a career change, self-management skills for a messy world, learn types of gestures and their meanings to improve your communication, what are analytical skills examples and how to level up, a guide on how to find the right mentor for your career, asking for a raise: tips to get what you’re worth, similar articles, how to write an executive summary in 10 steps, the importance of good speech: 5 tips to be more articulate, how to pitch ideas: 8 tips to captivate any audience, how to give a good presentation that captivates any audience, anxious about meetings learn how to run a meeting with these 10 tips, writing an elevator pitch about yourself: a how-to plus tips, how to make a presentation interactive and exciting, how to write a memo: 8 steps with examples, stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

3100 E 5th Street, Suite 350 Austin, TX 78702

• Platform Overview
• Integrations
• Powered by AI
• BetterUp Lead
• BetterUp Manage™
• BetterUp Care™
• Sales Performance
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Case Studies
• Why BetterUp?
• About Coaching
• Find your Coach
• Career Coaching
• Communication Coaching
• Life Coaching
• News and Press
• Leadership Team
• Become a BetterUp Coach
• BetterUp Labs
• Center for Purpose & Performance
• Leadership Training
• Business Coaching
• Contact Support
• Contact Sales
• Privacy Policy
• Acceptable Use Policy
• Trust & Security
• Cookie Preferences

• Skip to main content

Public Speaking Tip 42: When People Say Your Speech Was Great, Believe Them!

by Jezra on January 14, 2014

Yet, unaccountably, some audience members are coming up to you to say how much they enjoyed your insights, or your humor, or some of the stories that you told.

Should you blow these people off, because obviously they have no taste whatsoever?

No! On the contrary — believe what they’re telling you!

Because they are the experts on what they experienced!

And —with the possible exceptions of your mother and/or your spouse — they have no reason to lie to you about it.

Think You’ll Trust Audience Compliments When You’re More Skilled? Think Again!

Way back in the day, as a young jazz singer living in Boston, I sometimes coached instrumentalists on how to sing the songs they were performing.

Like many of my public speaking clients today, the musicians I coached didn’t like being complimented. Since  they  thought they sounded lousy, they couldn’t understand how  I  could be enjoying their performances.

“I’ll believe your compliments,” they would tell me, “when I’m a better singer and have earned them.”

That sounds convincing, but it ain’t necessarily so.

For example, Sonny Rollins, the world’s greatest living tenor saxophone player, was often bitterly disappointed with himself after playing a set that had his audience in ecstasy.

Why this discrepancy?

As a visionary artist, Sonny is always reaching for the next level, always trying to play the music he hears in his head.

But as an audience of mere human beings, we were more than satisfied with “this is the best thing you’re gonna hear in your entire life!”

There’s No Magic Moment When Self-Judgment Goes Away

The moral   of that story is that  becoming a more skilled performer doesn’t automatically mean that you will trust the positive feedback people give you.

In fact, it can mean just the opposite, because — as your skills grow — so will your awareness of the complicated, subtle, and nuanced things you didn’t quite pull off in a given presentation.

But here’s why that doesn’t matter:

For public speaking, it’s your audience’s  experience that counts!

Don’t get me wrong: I’d love for you to have a wonderful experience each and every time you present.

But if only one party — you or your audience — thinks your speech was a success, which would you prefer to be true:

• You thought you were  great , but your audience hated every minute? or
• You saw lots of room for improvement, but your audience thought you were  great?

Yeah, I thought so.

You are, by definition, an unreliable observer of your own performance, for many reasons, including that:

• Part of you is inside your own head , which can be a messy and confusing place;
• You “see” your performance through the lens of your own doubts, fears, and aspirations ; and often,
• You’re measuring yourself against some unattainable ideal of perfection .

Your audience doesn’t carry any of these burdens.

They don’t expect you to be perfect, and — again, with the possible exceptions of your mother and/or your spouse — they see you from a neutral perspective.

This means that any  information or value or enjoyment that you deliver is a positive experience for them.

Now,  Act Like  You Believe those Compliments!

In spite of all my great arguments, it’s possible that you’ll go on feeling  sure  that your presentation sucked, no matter how many people tell you otherwise.

And that’s OK, because — to use an expression that I usually dislike — you’re entitled to your feelings.

But please don’t inflict those feelings on your audience.

Whether or not you believe the positive feedback you receive, the person who gives you that feedback has gone to the trouble of seeking you out and expressing it.

So — again,  whether or not you believe them — don’t try to explain why they’re wrong!

Just smile graciously, shake their hand or take their card, and say,

Thank you! I’m really glad you enjoyed it.

Buy 100 Top Public Speaking Tips: The Book !

In 25 years of speaker coaching, I’ve helped my individual speaker coaching clients develop their strengths and skills to become authentic and effective communicators. Along the way, I’ve developed tips for everything from small talk to speaking up in meetings, from managing fear to making an impact. And now, I’ve shared it all in 100 Top Public Speaking Tips: The Book . This beautifully designed PDF booklet is searchable, clickable, and categorized, so that you can find what you need, instantly.

You May Also Want to Read...

• Public Speaking Tip 37: At Every Stage of Public Speaking, Put Your Focus On The Right Thing
• Public Speaking Tip 13: Listen to Your Audience (Part 2)

• Theater-Based Techniques
• Dr. Gary Genard
• What Our Clients Say
• Client List
• Dr. Genard in the Media
• Leadership Communication
• Fearless Speaking
• Voice and Speech Improvement
• Presentation Coaching
• Speaking Virtually
• Presentation Skills
• Executive Speech Coaching
• The Benefits of Deep Breathing
• How to Calm Your Nerves Before Speaking
• Leadership Skills: The 5 Essential Speaking Techniques
• 5 Ways to Captivate an Audience
• The Body Language Rules: 12 Ways to be a More Powerful Speaker
• 4 Characteristics of an Influential Speaker
• 6 Skills Building Exercises for Effective Body Language
• 7 Tips for Overcoming Audience Resistance
• 5 Rules for Succeeding with PowerPoint
• Great Speaking? – It's About Performance Over Content!
• 5 Key Tools of Vocal Dynamics
• 5 Secrets of Powerful Body Language
• 10 Ways to Stay Fully Focused when Speaking
• 25 Words or Phrases to Avoid in Speeches and Presentations
• 6 Rules of Effective Public Speaking
• 7 Key Components of Successful Presentations
• 12 Easy Ways to Achieve Presence and Charisma
• 6 Skills Building Exercises Video

Gary Genard's

Speak for success.

"Be a voice not an echo." - Albert Einstein

The Best Way to Know If Your Speech Was a Success

So you think you nailed that high-stakes presentation. But did you really? Here's the best way to know if your speech was a success.

PLACE: The main stage at an industry conference. There's a lectern at center stage, a monitor at floor level angled up for the speaker, a large screen behind the podium, etc. 

TIME: The Present.

SITUATION: You've just finished the high-visibility talk you've been looking forward to and also dreading for months. You're just now removing the lapel mic. You recognized the opportunity for your company the minute you were asked to speak at this conference. So you used every minute of those months (it seemed) to prepare. You learned the 6 Rules of Effective Public Speaking , and brushed up on the ways to overcome audience resistance . You carefully wrote, edited, and polished your notes You put together a terrific PowerPoint deck, and practiced so many times you had every word down pat.

Audience members are now surrounding you. They're eagerly asking questions, complimenting you on your talk, and seeking out more information.

And you couldn't be more disgusted with yourself. 

You're thinking about all the places you said something slightly different from what you planned. You're sure you skipped something, too—what was it? Could it have been a whole section? But you included every slide . . . didn't you? And you were supposed to leave time for Q & A , and you didn't! You can't help feeling, well, ashamed of yourself. 

Are you speaking for true leadership? Do you know a leader's must-have skills? Learn the secret in my free  cheat sheet, "Leadership Skills: The 5 Essential Speaking Techniques."

Are You Aiming for True Speaking Success? 

Without a doubt, you're on a wayward path—aiming for the wrong target if you like. Because there's one sure way to know if your speech or presentation has been a success. And it isn't concerned too much with how you feel afterwards.

That is, you're not the best judge of the outcome. But there are people who are, and they're not very far away. And when it comes to developing your leadership skills , you should be paying attention to them. I'm talking of course, about the people you spoke to. 

So why are you doing this to yourself? It's because you're human, that's all. So you're practicing a bit of perfectionizing,  which means exactly what it sounds like. No speech is perfect. Even more important—it shouldn't  be perfect. Organic, in-the-moment, responsive to your audience in real time . . . those are some of the key components of successful presentations . Perfection simply isn't one of them.

Assuming you know your stuff, did your homework, and prepared a concise, professional, and persuasive presentation, you were probably ready to deliver an excellent speech. Yet it's exactly because you were too focused on those aspects from the past—rather than your performance in the present—that kept you from connecting with the audience in real time. And at bottom, that's what's making you dissatisfied now.

Your Audience's Response Is the One That Matters

It probably has to do with your not knowing the 10 ways to stay fully focused when speaking . Focusing on your content rather than getting it across, in fact, is such a common error that I often find myself discussing it with clients. It's natural to want to get it just right , and to beat ourselves up if we think we've blown our painstakingly prepared speech or presentation.

The truth is, however, that each element doesn't matter that much (though they do need to come together in a synergistic whole). If you left something out, the reason is almost certainly because you put something in that was more appropriate at that moment.

Listen: the audience has no idea what's in your beautifully prepared notes. And why should they care even if they knew? If you've succeeded in reaching and engaging them, and convincing them of why they should listen to your talk, you've done your job! 

Each of us as speakers has to learn this tough but essential fact: it's not  our  response that matters. It's the  audience's.  Your task as speaker isn't to satisfy yourself that you did a grand job. It's to make your listeners better somehow for having listened to you, so that their time and presence at this event has all been worth it.

If you accomplished that, your speech was a success. By all means, consider after you've finished how you can do a better job next time. That's part of your mandate. But look and listen for the ways audience members are telling you they got something from your talk. There's no mistaking an audience that's on that wavelength. 

Feel good when you sense that happened. It's the true measure of your success as a speaker.

You should follow me on Twitter  here .

Gary Genard  is an actor, author, and expert in theater-based public speaking training. His company, Boston-based  The Genard Method  uses performance techniques to help business executives, leadership teams, and professionals embody presence and confidence to achieve true influence. In 2020 for the seventh consecutive year, Gary has been ranked by Global Gurus as one of The World's Top 30 Communication Professionals. He is the author of  How to Give a Speech . His second book,  Fearless Speaking ,  was recently named as  "One of the 100 Best Confidence Books of All Time." 

Tags: leadership skills , public speaking training , public speaking , successful public speaking , successful speeches , how to measure success , audience engagement , speeches , great speaking , motivational speaking , leadership , keynote speech , great speakers , leadership training , audiences , motivational , keynote speaker training , keynote speech training , motivational speaker training , keynote speaking , keynote speakers , motivational speech training , success , motivational speeches , effective speaker , strong speaker

Subscribe to the blog

Follow gary genard.

• Training Techniques

Main Office - Boston

[email protected] 617-993-3410

• Executive Presentation Skills
• Rehearsal & Preparation
• Group Presentation Skills

• Speech Writing
• Delivering your Speech
• Organizing your Speech
• Types of Speeches
• Preparation Tips
• Slide Deck Design
• Education Resources
• Other Sophistry
• Public Speaking

How to Write the Perfect Speech Introduction

By perfecting your speech introduction, you will increase the effectiveness of your speech by 100%. In the first twenty-seconds of your speech, you can hit on the four ingredients of a truly excellent speech: attention, retention, connection, and reaction.

The importance of the Speech Introduction

Don’t underestimate how much a strong introduction will improve your speech or how much a weak introduction will harm your speech. It is the first chance for you to impress upon the audience what kind of speaker you are. And it is the only chance you have to frame the topic of your speech. A well-framed topic will resonate with an audience and help you meet your immediate goals. Finally, the speech introduction is key to maintaining attention throughout your speech.

The first twenty-seconds

The initial twenty-seconds of your speech is your first and best chance to win over the audience. It is during this time that you have the highest level of attention from the audience. What are you going to do with that high-level of attention? Are you going to turn down the lights and direct them towards a powerpoint? Will you start with, “Hello, my name is…?” Are you going to tell them thanks for showing up? Whatever you decide to do will play a major role in how the audience sees you and your topic for the rest of the speech.

There is no specific thing you have to do, but there are some things you should not do. Don’t do something expected. Doing something expected tells your audience that you and your speech is simply ordinary, and nothing you say will be different than other things they have already heard. A usual start is an invitation to your audience to unplug from you and plug into any of the other legions of distractions at their disposal. If you are ordinary in those first twenty-seconds, you will be ordinary for the rest of the speech in the eyes of the audience.

Ordinary vs Extraordinary

What is ordinary? It’s ordinary to start off by telling the audience what your name is. Welcoming them is ordinary. Thanking them is ordinary. It is not bad to do any of these things, in fact, you should do them. But you don’t have to waste your first twenty-seconds on them.

Focus on saying something extraordinary. Here’s an example: I had a student giving a speech many years ago who started exactly how I told him not to. About five seconds in a cell phone rings. This was when people used loud and obnoxious songs for ringtones. The speaker faltered, waited and began looking about the room. “Who’s phone is that!” he thundered. He began to, very loudly command the owner of the phone to turn it off. When it did go silent everyone in the room was very tense. He straightened his posture and composed himself before saying, “Cellphones going off at inopportune times is one of the most distracting and annoying parts of modern life.” The entire event had been a ruse for capturing the attention of the audience. He used his first twenty-seconds to do something unexpected and extraordinary.

Interesting Anecdotes

You won’t always have the opportunity to do something so dramatic, but you can easily do something to draw the attention of the audience in those first twenty-seconds. One of the best ways to do it is to tell a short story or anecdote. Try to find stories that your audience has not heard before or that have unexpected endings. I think of myself as an anecdote collector. When I read newspapers, magazines, blogs, or anything else, I am constantly looking for stories and anecdotes that are interesting. I keep them in a file with short descriptions and hyperlinks to interesting stories.

I’ve collected stories about why bananas used to taste sweeter than they do now, villages populated only by the deaf, and Hannibal’s war against Rome. When I’m writing a speech I will go back and refresh my memory of all the anecdotes I’ve collected. I find one that suits my topic; then I find as many versions of that story as I can. I tell it and re-tell it to myself until it flows from my mouth as naturally as the story of how I met my wife. I make the story mine, and then I prepare to gift it to the audience. In return, they will hopefully gift me their attention.

Personal Revelation

Another type of anecdote is the personal story. The social penetration theory describes the process whereby relationships develop. The idea is that relationships develop via stages related to types of communication exchange. One of the takeaways of social penetration theory is that revealing personal information can make a relationship stronger. I think of the process of giving a speech as a process of developing a relationship between speaker and audience. It’s not the same as a friendship or romance, but it is a type of relationship. And the key to developing a relationship is sharing information about yourself. The first opportunity to do this is in your speech introduction. Depending on the situation, you may not want to make a significant, intimate disclosure, right off the bat, but sharing something about yourself opens the door to do that later.

Secondly, and just as important, humans draw naturally to stories. Beginning with any story is like supercharging the high amount of attention already granted to you in those first precious seconds.

Shocking Statistics and Facts

If you have no story to tell or want to do something even more different, you are in luck. There are many options available. The only caveat is that it should be unique and draw the audience into your speech. One favorite option is the startling statistic or shocking facts. These are bits of information that will either shock the audience because they are so much greater or smaller than expected. The best of these contradict what the audience assumes to be true. Here’s an example: “During Hurricane Harvey, 27 trillion gallons of water fell over Texas and Louisiana, that is one million gallons of water for every person who lives in Texas. Notice the statistic and then breaking it down into even more dramatic terms.

It’s always great to get the audience laughing, and a great opener is a nice place to start. But be warned, for every joke that you land four will miss. Are you okay if your opening joke fails? If you have the confidence to withstand your opening joke bomb, go ahead, because even trying to introduce levity can produce benefits for you from the audience.

Perspective by Incongruity

Perspective by incongruity pushes the audience to consider things from a new perspective by combining two things that don’t normally go together. I was once giving a speech about the benefits of losing, so I began, “I am the best loser…” The combination of “best” is not something we usually think of when we think of losing. The audience is naturally drawn in and wants to know what I’m talking about, so I followed this with, “I don’t mean that in a self-deprecating way, in fact, I am the most confident loser you will ever meet.” Again, confidence and losing are not two terms that normally go together. I got a small laugh out of this, let the audience know the tone and topic of the speech, and planted an idea that I could build upon for the rest of the speech.

After Twenty-Seconds

After you have utilized the first twenty seconds of your speech, you have a little more latitude in what you want to do. If you need to introduce yourself, welcome the audience, or extend any thanks, this is the time to do it.

Establishing Ethos

Ethos was Aristotle’s proof that centered on character. We think of it as credibility, and it might be important to establish this here. Humans usually determine credibility in two dimensions: experience and education. If you have experience or training in something or the audience will think of you as credible. Some people have a problem talking about how qualified they are on a subject, but you should remember that you are asking the audience to trust you so don’t feel bad about giving them a reason to trust you.

Thesis sentence

Before moving to the body of your speech, make sure your audience knows what your topic is in a clear and easy to remember format. Remember that the audience can’t flip back to the beginning of your speech if they forget your topic, so make it easy for them to recall and for you to revisit. The standard format is a single, simple sentence. Here’s an example. If you are giving a speech about the need for healthcare reform,“Everyone deserves excellent healthcare,” or “Our healthcare system is sick and needs help now.” That last one was not a simple sentence, but it did use a metaphor that will help the audience remember.

The final part of a thesis sentence is the roadmap. A roadmap in your speech introduction is a preview of what you are going to cover in the body of your speech. Most often it is a preview of your main points, but it can also be a more general forward of what the audience can expect.

The conventional wisdom here is that you want to tell the audience what you’re going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them. The initial roadmap is the first phase of that advice. I’ve wavered a bit on the importance of this last step. I do think it’s a fantastic idea to include a roadmap, but I also don’t believe that it ruins a speech if you don’t

A final word about your Speech Introduction

The speech introduction may seem like only one part of your speech. It may seem like an ornamental or unimportant part of your speech. But a great speech introduction can be the most important part of your speech. It can win the audience over and give you confidence to powr through the rest of the speech.

LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Most popular

How good is your speech topic easy steps to a great..., manage your fear of public speaking, 16 online tools for designing a beautiful visual aid, recent posts, presenting numbers: bring your statistics to life, confidence: how to look confident even when you’re not, 5 ways to connect to your audience, 7 ways to break bad habits in group presentations.

• Slide Design Fundamentals
• Presentation Fundamentals
• App Tips & Tricks

How to Give a Great Speech Every Time

August 8, 2020

How to give a great speak required practice and a specific skill set. And starts before you even step foot onto the stage. It comprises of three main categories: Getting Ready, Segments of the Speech, and Delivery. A good speech gives you the opportunity to leave the audience with the message you want to get across.

Getting Ready

Delivering a successful speech and the overall impression you give, depends on how well you prepare. This requires having a thorough understanding of your topic and a well-developed presentation. Additionally, it helps to know the stage, what you wear, how you stand and gesture, and how you will handle questions.

Know Your Topic

You probably have a good grasp of the topic on which you have been asked to speak or you would not have been asked. But just knowing the topic isn't enough of a strategy for giving a great speech. If you are still relatively new to the subject area, consider talking to others who have more expertise and doing more through research to prepare.

Being familiar with related topics and pertinent current events or trends is important, particularly if you will be answering questions. If speaking out of town, find out if any local issues or events are related to your speech topic.

Know Your Audience

Depending on the context of the speaking engagement, you might be able to some broad generalizations about the audience. However, don't make too many assumptions. Consider how much the audience already knows about your topic. Consider these questions:

• Will there be anyone who has a special or niche interest?
• Depending on your topic, will there be a contingency who have already taken a position about the topic?
• Will your approach be considered neutral, for, or against?

Answers to these questions should shape your speech and prepare you for follow-up questions.

Script Preparation

Many public speaking experts recommend writing out your speech, even if don’t plan on using notes. Doing this makes it easier to determine whether you are within your time limit and gives you something to edit.

Often speakers end up cutting their original manuscript in half to stay within the allotted time. If you intend to memorize your speech, you will need something to read and memorize.

EXPERT TIP If you use your written speech during delivery, make the font extra-large, in all capital letters, and on half of an 8-1/2 x 11-inch piece of paper or 5 x 7-inch cards. Mark pauses with a slash (/) and circle or underscore words and phrases requiring emphasis. Make sure to number the pages or cards.

The make-up of your audience should influence the language you use in your speech. Don't use technical terms with a nontechnical audience. Avoid phrases or nomenclature your listeners might not understand. Never use acronyms; they may exclude some audience members from your message. Use short sentences.

Above all, speak in a way that is natural for you. Stay away from compound sentences, multisyllable words, parenthetical phrases and qualifications, clichés, and overused phrases such as "you know."

Segments of the Speech

Your speech should have a clear opening, body, and ending. This not only lets the audience focus on what you are saying but it helps you convey the message you want to convey. Each segment provides an opportunity to engage the audience and build upon your overall message.

A strong opening statement will grab attention and set the tone for the rest of the speech. Right away establish the purpose and importance of your speech. There are several strategies you can use.

• Express your main point in an assertive manner   e.g. The company believes...
• Ask a rhetorical question   e.g. What is really needed to beat the pandemic?
• Include one or a series of startling facts   e.g. Are you aware that... ?
• Use a human-interest story
• Tell a joke or humorous anecdote One that bridges smoothly into the body of your speech will not only attract your listeners' attention, but also help you to relax.

No matter how you choose to begin, be sure it's pertinent to the topic of your speech and launches you toward making your main points.

Side Note: If you’ve been invited to give the speech, acknowledge the person who introduces you and thank the group for attending.

The body of your speech needs to support your topic, main message, and key points. There are many ways you can deliver the information you want to convey. However, avoid trying to use all of them as some may not be appropriate for the situation.

Anecdotes and Humor

Anecdotes and jokes, when chosen carefully and delivered naturally, are good tools to connect to your audience. Of course, humor should always be in good taste; in no way should it offend your audience.

Keep your humor relevant. Some apt humor within the speech can help maintain your rapport with your audience. A totally irrelevant joke will be recognized for what it is.

Not everybody can handle humor without some practice. Memorize and practice delivering anecdotes and one-liners because they fall flat if you read them. A pause is essential before the punchline and at the end of an anecdote.

Generally, if you are good at telling jokes privately, you will be able to joke publicly. If you're not a funny person, don't try to be funny at the podium.

Like humor, statistics are desirable, but too much data is hard for a listener to absorb. Save large tables of data, charts and graphs for a handout or packet the audience can take with them. For your presentations, use statistics and date to create complete thoughts or comparisons.

Good visuals add impact to your words. They should, however, support your speech and not overpower it.

Most people today use slide decks that can include charts, maps, and pictures along with text. However, don’t rule out the use of printed jumbo charts, maps, pictures, or other "show and tell" items. They can provide variety to your presentation but make sure everyone in the audience is able to see what you are showing.

Avoid complexity. Each visual should, at a glance, convey a single idea. The more "pictographic" a visual aid is, the better. With data and statistics only show the specific numbers or percentages that you mention.

Ending / Conclusion

The ending of your speech should be synopsis of what you covered by summarizing your main point and repeating your objectives.

A good strategy is to clue the audience that you are about to wrap up. For example, "Before I finish, there's one point I want to emphasize."

End compellingly or give your audience something extra like "In conclusion, let me add just one bit of advice."

Let your audience know how to connect with you via a website, email, or social media. If you will be presenting at at future meetings or seminars, it is appropriate to mention them at this point. Be open to answering questions, if the event is structured to include them.

A speech is only as effective as its delivery.

No matter how much time you spent writing your speech, your effort will be wasted if...

• You appear overly nervous
• You speak in a monotone
• You appear ridge or unmoving
• The audience can't hear you
• Your visuals can’t be seen by everyone

Practice, Practice, Practice

Practice multiple times. To give a natural delivery, you need to be as familiar with the text you’ve written as possible. It helps alleviate nerves the more accustom you are with the flow of the speech.

Practice delivering your speech by yourself in front of a mirror, in front of a family member or co-worker, and/or before a video camera.

This give an opportunity to test your anecdotes and jokes, as well as your stance and gestures. It allows you to check that your visuals are clear, pertinent, and emphatic.

Remember the Clock

Unless you are giving a keynote speech and have been asked to speak for a longer period of time, the best time frame for most speeches is 15 to 20 minutes, with another 10 minutes for questions and answers. Regardless of the subject matter and delivery method, you will lose your audience if you go on longer than this.

If you been given a specific amount of time to speak that is shorter than 15-20 minutes, be vigilant about staying within that time limit. Exceeding your time limit will only create a dissatisfied audience and risk losing their respect.

Your Stage and Props

Arrive at the speech site early so you have a chance to check the ambiance, chat with your hosts and the person who will introduce you and meet the other speakers if there are any.

Note the location from which you will be speaking. If using a slide deck take note of the screen and projector location. Find out how much of the set up you will be responsible for. If using other visual aids, be sure they can be seen by everyone in the audience.

Take time to be sure your presentation slides are in the right order. If possible, see if you can run them through the projector before the audience arrives to identify and address any technical malfunctions.

Your Appearance

Your speech actually starts the moment you enter the room. Dress in a manner that makes you comfortable. However, be aware of nature of the event and audience. For instance, you may be most comfortable in shorts and a t-shirt but that might not be appropriate at an awards ceremony.

Check your clothing and overall appearance before going on stage. That will give an opportunity to catch spinach in your teeth or a coffee stain on your shirt.

Eye Contact and Body Signals

Think of your audience in three segments‚ left, center, and right. Look at, and speak directly to, individuals in each segment.

When speaking from behind a lectern, don't grab onto it and hold tightly with both hands. Your body will tense up and you'll appear even more nervous than you are. If the microphone is removable, you may wish to pick it up and move about.

Gestures can help you look more relaxed and add emphasis to what you are saying. However, like every other element of your speech, they need to be controlled and pertinent. Don't "dead pan." Smile, nod, shrug your shoulders‚ move naturally and appropriately. Stand tall, with your head level and your shoulders square.

While you are speaking, be aware of the signals your audience is sending you. Are they looking right at you or are their eyes wandering? Are they sitting up and listening or slouched and dozing? If you begin to lose too much of your audience, you may have to change your style.

Voice and Diction

A clear, strong voice sets off a speech just as an attractive frame enhances a picture. The general tendency is to speak too softly, so speak louder than you consider normal. Good volume communicates confidence.

A monotone is boring, so change volume and pitch during your speech. Absorb this technique by listening to newscasts and commercials on radio and television. Note how they create interest by changing voice pitch and emphasis. Work to develop enthusiasm and "sell" in your voice.

Diction is important. You need to enunciate without going overboard and appearing stilted. The bottom line is to be clear while appearing natural.

People tend to speak too fast. Pacing and pausing are among the most effective techniques for public speaking. Change speed: go faster for excitement and slower for suspense. You do not have to keep talking. Pauses attract attention and may even trigger applause after strong statements.

Related Posts

Webinar or Podcast: Which One to Choose?

How to create attention-grabbing titles for your next masterclass or webinar, use ai to help create a masterclass or webinar, 5 proven strategies to gain coaching clients with webinars and masterclasses.

Jennifer Sharkey is known as the Virtual Presentation Specialist. Being passionate about seeing people shine and be heard, she leans into her 20+ years of public speaking experience and uses what she has learned from presenting, both in-person and virtually, to small groups all the way up to 5000 people. Jennifer draws from her experience as an associate professor, academic librarian, and coach to help holistic coaches master virtual presentations to grow their business. Her unique immersive program provides practical strategies and methods to build confidence, engage audiences, and generate authenticity and authority.

Your Signature

Privacy Overview

Guest Speaker Thank You Note — 21 Best Messages to Write

By: Author Marcel Iseli

Posted on January 13, 2023

Anyone who has ever organized a big event knows how important it is to invite good guest speakers.

Whether you find yourself at the helm of a conference, convention, graduation, launch, or any other large gathering, your guests’ entertainment is your responsibility. 

You are relying on guest speakers to attract interest in advance of the event.

Then, on the big day, you need them deliver an interesting outside perspective, express the significance of the day, and hopefully inspire the audience. 

When a guest speaker performs well, it can save a flailing event or be the cherry on top of an already successful ceremony.

But whether they do exceptionally well or not, and regardless of whether you are paying them for their time, it is necessary to thank your guest speaker after their speech.

The best way to do this is with a brief thank you note that expresses how important the event was to you and how their words added to the day. 

Not sure how to put this into practice? Here are some sample thank you notes for a guest speaker. 

21 excellent messages to write in a thank you note for a guest speaker 

• Thank you for your inspiring words at our conference this year. Your speech was the perfect blend of funny and moving, and we have received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback about your address. 
• Many thanks for sharing so much of your personal journey with us in your presentation on Friday. You are an inspiration.  
• On behalf of the planning committee, I would like to express our gratitude to you for going above and beyond to deliver an inspiring speech at our company’s anniversary party on Sunday. 
• My family extends our sincere thanks to you for your beautiful words at the memorial event last weekend.  
• When we invited you to speak at our company’s launch party, we were just ticking a box. We weren’t expecting anything like the beautiful and moving talk you gave. You made the event unforgettable, and we couldn’t be more grateful. 
• Thank you for sharing your wisdom with our congregation last Sunday. 
• Our sincerest thanks for your time and your exceptional speech. Your engaging way of communicating with our audience made a significant impression on our guests and we hope to have the honor of welcoming you back to our events stage sometime soon.
• Thank you for channeling our foundation’s ethos so perfectly at our recent fundraiser. Your carefully researched address and your evident alignment with the values of our mission were a huge hit. 
• As soon as you began speaking on Sunday, the board knew we had made the right decision by inviting you to be the guest speaker at our annual conference. Thank you for your time and your inspirational words. 
• The gift of being able to truly motivate people is a rare one, but it is abundantly clear that you have it. Listening to you speak to the new recruits on Monday was a treat. I hope to be able to welcome you back to our offices sometime in the near future. 
• Thank you for reading the room so perfectly and delivering a speech that struck just the right chord with the conference attendees. 
• Dear Ms. Speaker, thank you for talking to our employees about the value of innovative thinking. The feedback on the event was overwhelmingly positive, and your formula for success struck a particular chord. Thank you for taking the time to present at our company’s offices. 
• Dear Dr. Riordan, thank you for sharing your expertise with our students at our school’s annual Science Conference. The children enjoyed your address and could not stop talking about it in the days after. We hope to welcome you back to our campus soon. 
• Dear Dr. Seamus O’Rourke, the board of Half-Time Holdings Inc. would like to extend our sincerest thanks to you for your excellent speech at our company’s recruitment day. We registered a record-setting level of interest, and we can’t help but attribute some of that to your insightful words. 
• Dear Ms. Takahashi, please accept our heartfelt thanks for speaking at our high school graduation. Your words about overcoming the challenges of new beginnings were moving and certainly struck a chord with the class of 2023. We wish you all the best with your own new beginnings. 
• Lisa, no words can express how wonderful I think you are. Your speech at my Yoga Studio opening shindig was so beautiful. Your spirit and heart shone through, and everyone who came told me how motivated they felt by your words about the sanctity of the practice. 
• Dear old friend, it was so wonderful to see you up on stage expressing your truth. Thank you for agreeing to come share some of your work with me and my students. You certainly made an impression on the class and your words about why we try to discover the unknowable will stay with me for life.  
• I don’t know how to thank you, so I will just tell you that I think you are an absolute inspiration! Watching you speak to my company’s board members at the retreat last weekend made me so proud. You are wise beyond your years and your words went down a treat. 
• Thank you for so generously agreeing to speak at our charity event. The gift of your inspiring words was deeply appreciated by all who attended. 
• The favor you did our school by coming in to talk to our graduating class about developing a personal budget will not be forgotten. Thank you for being so generous with your time. 
• On behalf of my family, thank you so much for so kindly offering to talk at our memorial event for our late grandfather. Your accomplishments and contributions to society are an inspiration to us all. To hear you talk so openly about your own challenges and grief was a consolation to everyone in attendance. 

Great sample thank you notes for a guest speaker

Well, the rush is over! All that careful planning, designing of invites, scheduling, speaking to caterers, and so on and so forth has resulted in a great day, and you can finally relax.

Or, at least, you can almost relax. 

Before you close the cover on the saga of the event you’ve organized, make sure you’ve thanked everyone you need to.

That of course includes the people you’ve invited to speak to your guests. 

Thankfully, you don’t need to say much when thanking a guest speaker.

Keep your message concise. 

All you need to include is an expression of appreciation, mention of something particularly impressive about the speaker or their speech, and make a concluding comment about how well their words were received.

You can also always say that you hope to welcome them back soon.

If you’re wondering what this kind of message looks like in practice, have a look at these sample thank you messages for a guest speaker. 

1. Thank you for your inspiring words at our conference this year. Your speech was the perfect blend of funny and moving, and we have received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback about your address. 

This message hits all the key points it is important to include in a thank you note for a guest speaker. 

It expresses appreciation for their inspiring words and then compliments something specific about their presentation. It then discusses how much the people in attendance liked the talk. 

2. Many thanks for sharing so much of your personal journey with us in your presentation on Friday. You are an inspiration.

This note would work well as an inscription in a thank you card sent alongside flowers. It is not overly expressive, but it conveys genuine appreciation. 

3. On behalf of the planning committee, I would like to express our gratitude to you for going above and beyond to deliver an inspiring speech at our company’s anniversary party on Sunday. 

Thanking a speaker for “going above and beyond” is a wonderful sentiment to include in the card you send them in the days after the event. 

Knowing that you are aware that they did more than just show up will mean a lot to them. Referring to someone’s speech as “inspiring” will also always go down well. 

4. My family extends our sincere thanks to you for your beautiful words at the memorial event last weekend.  

When writing a thank you note to a guest speaker on behalf of a group of people, you can extend sincere thanks and then offer a brief but sincere compliment about the talk they gave.

You don’t need to do more than this, particularly if the event in question was a personal and emotional one. 

5. When we invited you to speak at our company’s launch party, we were just ticking a box. We weren’t expecting anything like the beautiful and moving talk you gave. You made the event unforgettable, and we couldn’t be more grateful. 

This is a moving thank you note to send a guest speaker. 

If you’ve been searching for a message that conveys genuine gratitude and shows sincere appreciation for a visiting lecturer’s commitment to their craft, look no further. 

No one would be disappointed to get this thank you card after giving a presentation. 

6. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with our congregation last Sunday. 

If the guest speaker you are thanking gave an address in a faith-based setting, you can start with this simple sentiment and embellish it depending on the circumstances in which they spoke. 

The best appreciative messages to thank a paid guest speaker 

Look, just because someone is being paid for their time doesn’t mean you don’t owe it to them to thank them. 

After all, you would still put time into considering how to write an appreciative thank you note for a daycare teacher even though teachers are obviously compensated for their work. 

Some people show up for work, do the bare minimum required to get their paycheck, and then go home.

Others go above and beyond every day to improve the lives and situations of those they are around, whether in a professional or a personal setting. 

So, if you want to thank a speaker for an exceptional address or for putting their heart and soul into motivating the group you’ve hired them to speak for, don’t hold back. 

Here are a few ways you might go about thanking a hired guest speaker. 

7. Our sincerest thanks for your time and your exceptional speech. Your engaging way of communicating with our audience made a significant impression on our guests and we hope to have the honor of welcoming you back to our events stage sometime soon.

Someone who has come to an event as a speaker will never be disappointed to hear that their words have made a lasting impression. 

After all, no matter how confident a person is, getting up on stage in front of a large audience can be nerve-racking.

Then, if someone has social anxiety or struggles to even think of ways to respond to “what’s up?” in their day-to-day life, getting up on an events stage might feel like a mammoth task. 

Whatever someone’s level of self-belief is, no one would be upset to hear that an address they gave was well received. Mentioning that you would be happy to invite them back will act as confirmation that they did a really good job. 

This thank you message for a guest speaker would work well in almost any context. 

8. Thank you for channeling our foundation’s ethos so perfectly at our recent fundraiser. Your carefully researched address and your evident alignment with the values of our mission were a huge hit. 

If you’ve just finished organizing a fundraiser or charity drive, you will want to thank the speaker you invited by telling them how well their words aligned with your organization’s goals. 

As anyone who has ever struggled to come up with a good message to write on a donation brick knows , it is hard to find words to fit a charitable setting. 

You want to make sure that what you share is as much about the cause as it is about yourself, which means you have to do some research. 

Can you tell that the guest speaker you invited took the time to look into exactly what your organization stands for and incorporated these values into their talk? If so, you will want to thank them for the care they put into writing their address. 

9. As soon as you began speaking on Sunday, the board knew we had made the right decision by inviting you to be the guest speaker at our annual conference. Thank you for your time and your inspirational words. 

If you want to thank a speaker not just personally but on behalf of the board of the organization, institution, or company you are working for, this a great way to go about it. 

Mentioning that the board or organizing committee is grateful lets a speaker know that their presentation was widely well received. In other words, that it isn’t just you that liked them!

10. The gift of being able to truly motivate people is a rare one, but it is abundantly clear that you have it. Listening to you speak to the new recruits on Monday was a treat. I hope to be able to welcome you back to our offices sometime in the near future. 

What do likeable politicians have in common? Well, more often than not, it is their charisma. 

We’re all familiar with people who have that “I can’t look away” quality.

If you were moved by the way the speaker you hired addressed the crowd at your event, tell them so. 

We hear the term “motivational speaker” bandied about often. But whether someone has the gift of being able to get underneath people’s skin and inspire them is a big question. In fact, you probably have to experience it to believe it. 

That said, if you have experienced it, it would be a shame not to openly compliment a speaker on it.

After all, there are only a few opportunities in life to express the extent of our feelings openly. Writing a thank you card for a baby shower comes to mind, as does writing an anniversary card for friends . 

But while these are both personal expressions of emotion, being moved to have an emotional response in a professional setting is rare, which makes it all the more important to tell the speaker how they made you feel.  

11. Thank you for reading the room so perfectly and delivering a speech that struck just the right chord with the conference attendees. 

Giving a good speech is one thing, but delivering words that resonate with a particular audience is evidence of a different skillset altogether: perceptiveness. 

Knowing how to reach specific people and how to adjust the message and delivery of a presentation to make it accessible to any audience is a true gift. 

If the guest speaker was able to tweak their address in the necessary places to make it palatable to the people in the room, compliment them on this. 

Telling someone you have invited to speak to an audience that they struck just the right chord is the perfect way to express your gratitude to them for going above and beyond. 

After all, if a speaker delivered a talk that didn’t gel with the people listening, the audience would likely come away from a conference with a less favorable impression overall. On the flipside, hearing a keynote speech that they really connected with has the power to change their whole experience of the event.  

Perfect formal messages to write in a thank you note for a guest speaker 

Most of the sample thank you messages included in this list so far are relatively formal. However, there is a level of propriety that some established professionals, politicians, authors, and celebrities expect when receiving written correspondence. 

The great thing about formality is that all of us are linguistic chameleons to some extent. 

We might spend our time off responding to “what’s good?” from our close friends and then become ultra-formal when choosing a great message to write in a house guestbook . 

How formal you choose to be when thanking a guest speaker will come down to on a variety of factors.

First, it will depend on how close you are to the guest speaker. If you have invited an established politician that you have no relationship with to address a college graduation, you will want to err on the side of formality. 

However, if you have invited your friend the yoga teacher to come talk to your first-grade class about calming down when they get frustrated, you can be as informal as you want.  

It will also depend on how well respected or high profile the speaker is.

If you have invited a local businessperson in to address your Economics 101 class, you’ll thank them differently than if you have invited a former president to talk at a company retreat. Obviously, the former president will require you to be less casual. 

If you’ve considered your situation and determined that it is better to thank your speaker formally, here are a few sample messages you could draw inspiration from. 

12. Dear Ms. Speaker, thank you for talking to our employees about the value of innovative thinking. The feedback on the event was overwhelmingly positive, and your formula for success struck a particular chord. Thank you for taking the time to present at our company’s offices. 

This response follows the prescriptive formal template for writing a thank you note for a guest speaker. It notes the positive response to their speech and thanks them for their time. 

13. Dear Dr. Riordan, thank you for sharing your expertise with our students at our school’s annual Science Conference. The children enjoyed your address and could not stop talking about it in the days after. We hope to welcome you back to our campus soon. 

In a thank you to a high-profile guest speaker, it is important to open with a formal address.

Immediately after, express exactly what you are grateful for. Next, compliment the way they gave their speech.

Finish by letting them know you would be pleased to hire them to come speak at your organization again. 

14. Dear Dr. Seamus O’Rourke, the board of Half-Time Holdings Inc. would like to extend our sincerest thanks to you for your excellent speech at our company’s recruitment day. We registered a record-setting level of interest, and we can’t help but attribute some of that to your insightful words. 

Another great thing to include in a formal thank you note for a guest speaker is the measurable effect their presentation had on the success of the day. 

If they were speaking at a recruitment drive, mention the number of recruits.

If they were speaking at a fundraiser, you can mention the higher-than-expected donations. 

You will know what is appropriate based on your specific circumstances but conveying that a speaker changed the nature of the event is the highest compliment you can give. 

15. Dear Ms. Takahashi, please accept our heartfelt thanks for speaking at our high school graduation. Your words about overcoming the challenges of new beginnings were moving and certainly struck a chord with the class of 2023. We wish you all the best with your own new beginnings. 

The phrase “please accept our heartfelt thanks” is a great one to use when thanking a guest speaker in a formal letter. 

Follow up this generic but appropriate expression of gratitude by complimenting something specific about their delivery. 

Heartfelt informal thank you notes for a guest speaker

If you’ve assessed how formal you need to be in the thank you message that you’re writing and have concluded that you don’t need to stand on ceremony, you can breathe a sigh of relief. 

That said, don’t let “informal” make you think you can use the same tone as you might when you are choosing a fool-proof message to write in a bachelorette card .

You are still thanking someone for a professional and serious engagement! 

Here are few ways you might write an informal thank you note for a guest speaker. 

16. Lisa, no words can express how wonderful I think you are. Your speech at my Yoga Studio opening shindig was so beautiful. Your spirit and heart shone through, and everyone who came told me how motivated they felt by your words about the sanctity of the practice. 

The key to a good informal thank you note is that it is personal and that it mentions the specifics of your relationship to the speaker.

A genuine, heartfelt compliment will never go amiss either. 

So, while you might not tell President Barack Obama that you “can’t express how wonderful” he is because that would be too informal, you can certainly tell your friend Lisa this. 

As a rule, when writing an informal thank you card, the more authentic your compliments are, the better. 

17. Dear old friend, it was so wonderful to see you up on stage expressing your truth. Thank you for agreeing to come share some of your work with me and my students. You certainly made an impression on the class and your words about why we try to discover the unknowable will stay with me for life.  

A great line to use in an informal thank you card is to tell someone how wonderful it was to see them “expressing their truth.” 

If you’re a little confused by what it means to tell your truth, don’t worry, you aren’t alone. 

It’s certainly a slang-y phrase, which is what makes it so perfect for an informal note. 

Essentially, someone who is speaking their truth is expressing their needs, beliefs, and values.

They are doing so without adjusting them or changing them to fit other people’s preferences or to make other people more comfortable. 

Basically, this compliment acknowledges that someone is “being real.” 

18. I don’t know how to thank you, so I will just tell you that I think you are an absolute inspiration! Watching you speak to my company’s board members at the retreat last weekend made me so proud. You are wise beyond your years and your words went down a treat. 

Using superlatives is something you can do in informal thank you notes that might be out of place in a more formal note. 

Telling someone they are an “absolute inspiration” a “complete legend” or “the best” are things you can do casually, but that would come off strange in a formal letter. 

So, if you’re tempted to include a sentiment like, “you are a complete and total star” in a thank you message, pause for a second.

Ask yourself, “Do I really know this person well enough to say that to them?” 

If you do, happy days. However, if you have a niggling doubt that you are being too familiar, rein in your expressiveness and opt for a more conservative compliment like, “your speech made a lasting impression on me.” 

Clever things to write in a thank you note for a voluntary guest speaker 

What is generosity? Well, there are two different kinds of generosity that spring to mind when one thinks of a guest speaker who is sharing their wisdom on a voluntary basis. 

The first, of course, is that they are doing work without being paid for it.

Whether they are doing it out of the goodness of their heart because they believe in the cause that the event is furthering, or to gain personal exposure, it is still undoubtedly a kindness. 

The second kind of generosity is what we speak about when someone openly and freely shares their story (often in a personal way) with others.

A lot of people are very guarded when it comes to protecting their personal experiences, struggles, and thoughts. 

However, if we were all so guarded, we would have a hard time relating to others, because we would have no knowledge about what was going on in their minds. 

That is why speakers who truly open up are rare and deserve praise. 

As an aside, if you want to work on this generous quality in yourself, and ask yourself “ What’s my story? ” why not start by writing your personal thoughts down?

Here is a list of great things to write about when you are bored to spark your creativity. 

19. Thank you for so generously agreeing to speak at our charity event. The gift of your inspiring words was deeply appreciated by all who attended. 

We all give in different ways. Some people regularly donate to a cause they believe in, while others practice daily acts of kindness. 

Some people do extremely simple things like responding when someone says “Hi” by taking the time to pause and smile genuinely at them. 

Whatever your preferred way to give back to your community or show care for those around you, it is nice to acknowledge that other people’s ways of doing so may differ. 

If someone has a public profile, they might choose to give back by volunteering their time to speak at charitable events. 

Maybe you were able to draw in a bigger crowd and sell more tickets or tables at your event because you could promise attendees that they would hear a speaker in person.

If so, the person you’re thanking has contributed significantly to your charitable drive. 

Acknowledging how valuable the time a guest speaker has given you is is an appropriate thing to do. 

20. The favor you did our school by coming in to talk to our graduating class about developing a personal budget will not be forgotten. Thank you for being so generous with your time. 

If you want to acknowledge that a guest speaker gave a presentation on a voluntary basis without coming across as crass, you can refer to what they did as a “favor.” 

Favors are unpaid by definition, so calling a speech a favor is a way to show the person you invited to talk that you are aware of the sacrifice they made for you. 

Many people with enough money and a big public profile would probably be happy to give back to their community. That said, acknowledging the kindness and good faith they’ve shown is important. 

21. On behalf of my family, thank you so much for so kindly offering to talk at our memorial event for our late grandfather. Your accomplishments and contributions to society are an inspiration to us all. To hear you talk so openly about your own challenges and grief was a consolation to everyone in attendance. 

Are you are writing a thank you on behalf of your family because the guest speaker that you’re addressing came to speak at an intimate event?

If so, thank them for their kind words by referencing the importance of the wedding, funeral, or memorial event to everyone there. 

As anyone who has ever struggled with what to say to someone who has lost a loved one knows, speaking about personal grief (or even personal joy) can be a tricky thing for an outsider. 

Often, the only way for an external speaker to genuinely connect with those in attendance at a family even is to discuss their own story.

If a speaker generously talks about their own personal challenges, thank them for opening up by using the final line from this sample response.

How to Write an Excellent Speech – 10+ Tips of Writing Perfect Speech

Do you really want to write an excellent speech? Indeed, writing a speech does not differ from writing an assignment because in both of them you have to convey your message to your audience. But you are worried because you want to receive a good impression or respond from your audience. Don’t worry because we have plenty of tips and tricks for you to write a perfect speech without any errors.

What do you think a speech should be like? A speech must be concise and interesting. Writing an effective speech needs a lot of hard work and effort. You must write a speech with your full concentration because you will have to deliver it in front of your audience. The most effective tip for writing the best speech is practicing several times. Your goal must be to convey what is written in the paper because the more you write, the more you will be able to approach a better speech.

In the 21st century, if you are a student or businessman, then you are compelled to write a speech for a successful career and good grades in school. The list of the tips and tricks that I have written below will help you write an effective speech by entertaining your audience and for understanding them. Here I have brought 10 tips to write a good speech as follow:

How to Write an Excellent Speech

1. select a topic and generate ideas.

To generate your ideas you need a place outside of your brain to keep these ideas.  Some of the best places to collect your ideas are low-tech. For example, I carry around an idea notebook. I jot down ideas, articles, and stories on a daily basis. I also keep super sticky notes in my car and purse at all times. The stickies can also come in handy for storyboarding ideas.

I also use higher-tech approaches to idea-collection. For example, when I know I’m going to craft a speech, I instantly create a cloud-based word processing file with the title of my presentation. This does two things. First, it activates my creative brain to start looking for ideas that might relate to the topic. Second, every time I encounter an idea that relates to the topic, I enter it into the file. You can use any word processing program of course, but I like to use a cloud base program because I can access it from any device that I might have in front of me.

2. Research Your Topic

When you want to research your topic, get it right. Be very cautious while searching for your topic. Try to relate your topic with your research because there are numerous studies and sources to choose from. Researching the topic is essential because a false statement can compel your audience to lose interest and raise their dreaded comments like: that’s not the way we have heard it and where did you search it from? You will have to escape from there calmly. Because there will not remain any other choice for you, therefore, be prepared with full information about your topic.

3. Know Your Audience

Who is in your audience? You need to get as much information as you can about your audience. Their beliefs, thoughts, and interests. Find out how do they react while you discuss their favorite topic? The more you know, the more likely you will find a topic that entertains your audience. The topic you select is to benefit them and provide value. Remember your content is the key to creating an interesting speech that your audience love.

4. Write Hooks to Get Your Audience’s Attention

Getting the audience’s attention from the very first is the most important thing one can do in proving speech the best. Without grabbing their attention, you have already lost their interest which means that your speech is a flop. You can grab their attention easily by using hooks related to your topic so that your audience should get interested to guess what your surprise is for them.

In movies, we have commercials to make the audience excited for the next scene or part of the movie. Similarly, we have hooks for making our writing flawless and make them excited for the upcoming twist or part of the speech. The opening line of our speech matters the most therefore, we ought to write down a hook in order to let the audience decide whether he/she wants to listen from us or not. Also, check the guides in the given link for speaking better in public.

• How to Speak Better in Public

5. Use Transitions to Shorten Your Sentences

Transitions make your points connected and linked with one another. When you don’t include transitions in your speech, then your writing seems incomplete and weird. Especially, if you want to help your audience understand everything clearly. If you want your audience to explore your speech and find it interesting, then make sure to include transitions in your writing. We have numerous transitions in the English Language go and check them out, they might help you save your audience from misunderstandings too. Use transitions like: (then, after, in fact, therefore, although and firstly) to shorten your sentences and add to its beauty.

6. Be Concise and Clear

Instead of using tough and complicated words, try to use simpler words that can express the same meaning as the tough one. But the difference is that your speech will be clear and easy for your audience to perceive. Why don’t you prefer simpler words rather than tough ones? The truth is that whenever I myself see any content with tough vocabularies, I skip them and go in search of a simpler one so that I perceive it. Stick to simpler words to clear everything for your audience. Avoid writing longer sentences in your speech because the best speech must be short and simple. A speech should not be like a presentation long and complicated. A speech should be for five-six minutes not more than that.

7. Avoid the Reputation of Words in Your Writing

Mostly, nouns are repeated time and again in writing although we have pronouns for replacing them. But no one cares about it. Repeating a word more than one time can compel your reader to skip your speech and make it a flop. Therefore, try not to repeat words in speech writing. Some prefer repeating words in their speech because they believe that repeating more than one time can emphasize the word which they have written. In fact, reputation can make your speech boring. Imagine, if I repeat one tip again and again, then will you be willing to read my articles any more? Of course, no because everything seems good for the first time. Therefore, try to avoid reputations.

8. Make an Outline or Draft

What is the importance of making an outline? The importance of making an outline is being able to select the main points out of the whole topic. Before writing the speech directly, try to make an outline for it because when you make a draft, you can edit your speech, can notice the errors easily for rectifying. You can add extra points of view if needed. You can only write a good speech when you take some precautions for that. And making a draft is the precautionary measure you have to take. As well as you will not be bothered to rewrite everything again.

9. Avoid Mentioning Several Quotes

Make sure to explain each point with one quote not more than that. Learn to limit yourself while you write something. Mention quotes that are very easy to follow for your audience otherwise, your speech will be confusing and unclear for them. Each quote must support your argument and idea. Mention quotes that simple words are used in it so that your audience can be able to understand the theme of your title in a better way.

10. Write it Down

Finally, it is the time to write your speech neatly. When you are done with all the tips we discussed above, you are ready to write down your speech and submit it. So take out the main points from your outline and arrange your thoughts very well. Shorten sentences while you write it on the paper. Arrangement of the speech takes place in this step of writing therefore, be careful so that you don’t miss or add something extra in this step.

11. Re-check your speech

As everything has to be rechecked, the speech should also be checked because by rechecking, we can confirm whether the speech is great or not. Everything must be once rechecked because it is the final step of the process. Rechecking means going through the whole speech thoroughly and it gives a good result. Never hesitate while writing down something. The main part of best writing starts from here because it is the step where you realize your talent and can accept how amazing you write. Everything gets clear in the second turn. Just always try to appreciate your work matters not how ugly and disappointing you write.

Speech writing is actually really challenging as compare to other writings because you are going to face your audience. No one wants to be ashamed of writing or experiencing a very bad speech therefore, try to follow the tips and tricks we recommend. Everything has some tips for becoming the best if we follow.

What do you think about this article? What else do you recommend others to do and what else have I missed to mention? Please feel free to share your feedback in the comments section below.

Related Articles:

• 7 Steps to Write a Welcome Speech in English
• Best Starting Lines for Speech or Presentation
• Best lines to Start a Presentation or Speech Effectively
• Best Titles For Random Speech

Share this:

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Related posts

Best essay samples for students, paraphrasingtool.ai vs. spinbot: which one is better in paraphrasing, how to write a press release for an event in 2024, leave a comment cancel reply.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

15 Powerful Speech Opening Lines (And How to Create Your Own)

Hrideep barot.

• Public Speaking , Speech Writing

Powerful speech opening lines set the tone and mood of your speech. It’s what grips the audience to want to know more about the rest of your talk.

The first few seconds are critical. It’s when you have maximum attention of the audience. And you must capitalize on that!

Instead of starting off with something plain and obvious such as a ‘Thank you’ or ‘Good Morning’, there’s so much more you can do for a powerful speech opening (here’s a great article we wrote a while ago on how you should NOT start your speech ).

To help you with this, I’ve compiled some of my favourite openings from various speakers. These speakers have gone on to deliver TED talks , win international Toastmaster competitions or are just noteworthy people who have mastered the art of communication.

After each speaker’s opening line, I have added how you can include their style of opening into your own speech. Understanding how these great speakers do it will certainly give you an idea to create your own speech opening line which will grip the audience from the outset!

Alright! Let’s dive into the 15 powerful speech openings…

Note: Want to take your communications skills to the next level? Book a complimentary consultation with one of our expert communication coaches. We’ll look under the hood of your hurdles and pick two to three growth opportunities so you can speak with impact!

1. Ric Elias

Opening: “Imagine a big explosion as you climb through 3,000 ft. Imagine a plane full of smoke. Imagine an engine going clack, clack, clack. It sounds scary. Well I had a unique seat that day. I was sitting in 1D.”

How to use the power of imagination to open your speech?

Putting your audience in a state of imagination can work extremely well to captivate them for the remainder of your talk.

It really helps to bring your audience in a certain mood that preps them for what’s about to come next. Speakers have used this with high effectiveness by transporting their audience into an imaginary land to help prove their point.

When Ric Elias opened his speech, the detail he used (3000 ft, sound of the engine going clack-clack-clack) made me feel that I too was in the plane. He was trying to make the audience experience what he was feeling – and, at least in my opinion, he did.

When using the imagination opening for speeches, the key is – detail. While we want the audience to wander into imagination, we want them to wander off to the image that we want to create for them. So, detail out your scenario if you’re going to use this technique.

Make your audience feel like they too are in the same circumstance as you were when you were in that particular situation.

2. Barack Obama

Opening: “You can’t say it, but you know it’s true.”

3. Seth MacFarlane

Opening: “There’s nowhere I would rather be on a day like this than around all this electoral equipment.” (It was raining)

How to use humour to open your speech?

When you use humour in a manner that suits your personality, it can set you up for a great speech. Why? Because getting a laugh in the first 30 seconds or so is a great way to quickly get the audience to like you.

And when they like you, they are much more likely to listen to and believe in your ideas.

Obama effortlessly uses his opening line to entice laughter among the audience. He brilliantly used the setting (the context of Trump becoming President) and said a line that completely matched his style of speaking.

Saying a joke without really saying a joke and getting people to laugh requires you to be completely comfortable in your own skin. And that’s not easy for many people (me being one of them).

If the joke doesn’t land as expected, it could lead to a rocky start.

Keep in mind the following when attempting to deliver a funny introduction:

• Know your audience: Make sure your audience gets the context of the joke (if it’s an inside joke among the members you’re speaking to, that’s even better!). You can read this article we wrote where we give you tips on how you can actually get to know your audience better to ensure maximum impact with your speech openings
• The joke should suit your natural personality. Don’t make it look forced or it won’t elicit the desired response
• Test the opening out on a few people who match your real audience. Analyze their response and tweak the joke accordingly if necessary
• Starting your speech with humour means your setting the tone of your speech. It would make sense to have a few more jokes sprinkled around the rest of the speech as well as the audience might be expecting the same from you

4. Mohammed Qahtani

Opening: Puts a cigarette on his lips, lights a lighter, stops just before lighting the cigarette. Looks at audience, “What?”

5. Darren Tay

Opening: Puts a white pair of briefs over his pants.

How to use props to begin your speech?

The reason props work so well in a talk is because in most cases the audience is not expecting anything more than just talking. So when a speaker pulls out an object that is unusual, everyone’s attention goes right to it.

It makes you wonder why that prop is being used in this particular speech.

The key word here is unusual . To grip the audience’s attention at the beginning of the speech, the prop being used should be something that the audience would never expect. Otherwise, it just becomes something that is common. And common = boring!

What Mohammed Qahtani and Darren Tay did superbly well in their talks was that they used props that nobody expected them to.

By pulling out a cigarette and lighter or a white pair of underwear, the audience can’t help but be gripped by what the speaker is about to do next. And that makes for a powerful speech opening.

6. Simon Sinek

Opening: “How do you explain when things don’t go as we assume? Or better, how do you explain when others are able to achieve things that seem to defy all of the assumptions?”

7. Julian Treasure

Opening: “The human voice. It’s the instrument we all play. It’s the most powerful sound in the world. Probably the only one that can start a war or say “I love you.” And yet many people have the experience that when they speak people don’t listen to them. Why is that? How can we speak powerfully to make change in the world?”

How to use questions to open a speech?

I use this method often. Starting off with a question is the simplest way to start your speech in a manner that immediately engages the audience.

But we should keep our questions compelling as opposed to something that is fairly obvious.

I’ve heard many speakers start their speeches with questions like “How many of us want to be successful?”

No one is going to say ‘no’ to that and frankly, I just feel silly raising my hand at such questions.

Simon Sinek and Jullian Treasure used questions in a manner that really made the audience think and make them curious to find out what the answer to that question is.

What Jullian Treasure did even better was the use of a few statements which built up to his question. This made the question even more compelling and set the theme for what the rest of his talk would be about.

So think of what question you can ask in your speech that will:

• Set the theme for the remainder of your speech
• Not be something that is fairly obvious
• Be compelling enough so that the audience will actually want to know what the answer to that question will be

8. Aaron Beverley

Opening: Long pause (after an absurdly long introduction of a 57-word speech title). “Be honest. You enjoyed that, didn’t you?”

How to use silence for speech openings?

The reason this speech opening stands out is because of the fact that the title itself is 57 words long. The audience was already hilariously intrigued by what was going to come next.

But what’s so gripping here is the way Aaron holds the crowd’s suspense by…doing nothing. For about 10 to 12 seconds he did nothing but stand and look at the audience. Everyone quietened down. He then broke this silence by a humorous remark that brought the audience laughing down again.

When going on to open your speech, besides focusing on building a killer opening sentence, how about just being silent?

It’s important to keep in mind that the point of having a strong opening is so that the audience’s attention is all on you and are intrigued enough to want to listen to the rest of your speech.

Silence is a great way to do that. When you get on the stage, just pause for a few seconds (about 3 to 5 seconds) and just look at the crowd. Let the audience and yourself settle in to the fact that the spotlight is now on you.

I can’t put my finger on it, but there is something about starting the speech off with a pure pause that just makes the beginning so much more powerful. It adds credibility to you as a speaker as well, making you look more comfortable and confident on stage. 

If you want to know more about the power of pausing in public speaking , check out this post we wrote. It will give you a deeper insight into the importance of pausing and how you can harness it for your own speeches. You can also check out this video to know more about Pausing for Public Speaking:

9. Dan Pink

Opening: “I need to make a confession at the outset here. Little over 20 years ago, I did something that I regret. Something that I’m not particularly proud of. Something that in many ways I wish no one would ever know but that here I feel kind of obliged to reveal.”

10. Kelly McGonigal

Opening: “I have a confession to make. But first I want you to make a little confession to me.”

How to use a build-up to open your speech?

When there are so many amazing ways to start a speech and grip an audience from the outset, why would you ever choose to begin your speech with a ‘Good morning?’.

That’s what I love about build-ups. They set the mood for something awesome that’s about to come in that the audience will feel like they just have to know about.

Instead of starting a speech as it is, see if you can add some build-up to your beginning itself. For instance, in Kelly McGonigal’s speech, she could have started off with the question of stress itself (which she eventually moves on to in her speech). It’s not a bad way to start the speech.

But by adding the statement of “I have a confession to make” and then not revealing the confession for a little bit, the audience is gripped to know what she’s about to do next and find out what indeed is her confession.

11. Tim Urban

Opening: “So in college, I was a government major. Which means that I had to write a lot of papers. Now when a normal student writes a paper, they might spread the work out a little like this.”

12. Scott Dinsmore

Opening: “8 years ago, I got the worst career advice of my life.”

How to use storytelling as a speech opening?

“The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.” Steve Jobs

Storytelling is the foundation of good speeches. Starting your speech with a story is a great way to grip the audience’s attention. It makes them yearn to want to know how the rest of the story is going to pan out.

Tim Urban starts off his speech with a story dating back to his college days. His use of slides is masterful and something we all can learn from. But while his story sounds simple, it does the job of intriguing the audience to want to know more.

As soon as I heard the opening lines, I thought to myself “If normal students write their paper in a certain manner, how does Tim write his papers?”

Combine such a simple yet intriguing opening with comedic slides, and you’ve got yourself a pretty gripping speech.

Scott Dismore’s statement has a similar impact. However, just a side note, Scott Dismore actually started his speech with “Wow, what an honour.”

I would advise to not start your talk with something such as that. It’s way too common and does not do the job an opening must, which is to grip your audience and set the tone for what’s coming.

13. Larry Smith

Opening: “I want to discuss with you this afternoon why you’re going to fail to have a great career.”

14. Jane McGonigal

Opening: “You will live 7.5 minutes longer than you would have otherwise, just because you watched this talk.”

How to use provocative statements to start your speech?

Making a provocative statement creates a keen desire among the audience to want to know more about what you have to say. It immediately brings everyone into attention.

Larry Smith did just that by making his opening statement surprising, lightly humorous, and above all – fearful. These elements lead to an opening statement which creates so much curiosity among the audience that they need to know how your speech pans out.

This one time, I remember seeing a speaker start a speech with, “Last week, my best friend committed suicide.” The entire crowd was gripped. Everyone could feel the tension in the room.

They were just waiting for the speaker to continue to know where this speech will go.

That’s what a hard-hitting statement does, it intrigues your audience so much that they can’t wait to hear more! Just a tip, if you do start off with a provocative, hard-hitting statement, make sure you pause for a moment after saying it.

Silence after an impactful statement will allow your message to really sink in with the audience.

Related article: 5 Ways to Grab Your Audience’s Attention When You’re Losing it!

15. Ramona J Smith

Opening: In a boxing stance, “Life would sometimes feel like a fight. The punches, jabs and hooks will come in the form of challenges, obstacles and failures. Yet if you stay in the ring and learn from those past fights, at the end of each round, you’ll be still standing.”

How to use your full body to grip the audience at the beginning of your speech?

In a talk, the audience is expecting you to do just that – talk. But when you enter the stage and start putting your full body into use in a way that the audience does not expect, it grabs their attention.

Body language is critical when it comes to public speaking. Hand gestures, stage movement, facial expressions are all things that need to be paid attention to while you’re speaking on stage. But that’s not I’m talking about here.

Here, I’m referring to a unique use of the body that grips the audience, like how Ramona did. By using her body to get into a boxing stance, imitating punches, jabs and hooks with her arms while talking – that’s what got the audience’s attention.

The reason I say this is so powerful is because if you take Ramona’s speech and remove the body usage from her opening, the entire magic of the opening falls flat.

While the content is definitely strong, without those movements, she would not have captured the audience’s attention as beautifully as she did with the use of her body.

So if you have a speech opening that seems slightly dull, see if you can add some body movement to it.

If your speech starts with a story of someone running, actually act out the running. If your speech starts with a story of someone reading, actually act out the reading.

It will make your speech opening that much more impactful.

Related article: 5 Body Language Tips to Command the Stage

Level up your public speaking in 15 minutes!

Get the exclusive Masterclass video delivered to your inbox to see immediate speaking results.

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

Final Words

So there it is! 15 speech openings from some of my favourite speeches. Hopefully, these will act as a guide for you to create your own opening which is super impactful and sets you off on the path to becoming a powerful public speaker!

But remember, while a speech opening is super important, it’s just part of an overall structure.

If you’re serious about not just creating a great speech opening but to improve your public speaking at an overall level, I would highly recommend you to check out this course: Acumen Presents: Chris Anderson on Public Speaking on Udemy. Not only does it have specific lectures on starting and ending a speech, but it also offers an in-depth guide into all the nuances of public speaking. 

Being the founder of TED Talks, Chris Anderson provides numerous examples of the best TED speakers to give us a very practical way of overcoming stage fear and delivering a speech that people will remember. His course has helped me personally and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to learn public speaking. 

No one is ever “done” learning public speaking. It’s a continuous process and you can always get better. Keep learning, keep conquering and keep being awesome!

Lastly, if you want to know how you should NOT open your speech, we’ve got a video for you:

Enroll in our transformative 1:1 Coaching Program

Schedule a call with our expert communication coach to know if this program would be the right fit for you

8 Ways to Rise Above the Noise to Communicate Better

How to Negotiate: The Art of Getting What You Want

10 Hand Gestures That Will Make You More Confident and Efficient

• [email protected]
• +91 98203 57888

Get our latest tips and tricks in your inbox always

Copyright © 2023 Frantically Speaking All rights reserved

Kindly drop your contact details so that we can arrange call back

Select Country Afghanistan Albania Algeria AmericanSamoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Rwanda Samoa San Marino Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Tajikistan Thailand Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Wallis and Futuna Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe land Islands Antarctica Bolivia, Plurinational State of Brunei Darussalam Cocos (Keeling) Islands Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Cote d'Ivoire Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Guernsey Holy See (Vatican City State) Hong Kong Iran, Islamic Republic of Isle of Man Jersey Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Lao People's Democratic Republic Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Macao Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Mozambique Palestinian Territory, Occupied Pitcairn Réunion Russia Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan Da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Sao Tome and Principe Somalia Svalbard and Jan Mayen Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tanzania, United Republic of Timor-Leste Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S.

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

106 Using Testimony

Expert versus peer testimony.

There are three types of testimonials that fall into the range of expert to peer testimony; knowing your audience leads to the best choice.

Introduction

A testimony is a statement or endorsement given by someone who has a logical connection to the topic and who is a credible source.

Testimony can be used to either clarify or prove a point, and is often used by referring to the research of experts. For example, you could quote a study conducted by an independent auditing organization that endorses your organization’s ability to financially support current workforce levels.

There are three major types of testimonies, ranging from expert to peer testimony. They are:

• Expert authorities
• Celebrities and other inspirational figures
• Antiauthorities

Expert Authorities

First, we can cite expert authorities. According to Chip and Dan Heath in their book Made to Stick , an expert is “the kind of person whose wall is covered with framed credentials: Oliver Sacks for neuroscience, Alan Greenspan for economics [well, maybe not such a great example any longer], or Stephen Hawking for physics.”

If an expert supports our position, it usually adds credibility. If we are giving a presentation on a medical issue and can find support for our position in prestigious medical reviews such as The New England Journal of Medicine or The Lancet , it would probably be a good idea to cite those authorities.

Celebrities and Other Inspirational Figures

Second, we can refer to celebrities and other inspirational figures. Take the example of Oprah Winfrey recommending a book. Her recommendations influence the book-buying habits of thousands of people. Why? Because “if Oprah likes a book, it makes us more interested in that book. We trust the recommendations of people whom we want to be like,” note the Heaths.

But what if there are no ”experts” or “celebrities” to be found? Well, hold on a minute. They might be closer than you think. Do you have positive feedback from satisfied customers? Is there someone on your team (including you) with certain educational background or work experience that is relevant? If so, they (or you) might be able to provide the expertise that you seek, even if they are not widely known.

Peer (Antiauthority)

Third, we can rely on what the Heaths refer to as “antiauthorities.” This is also known as peer testimony, because it comes from a source that is neither expert nor celebrity, but similar status to the audience.

They cite the example of Pam Laffin, a mother of two who died at the age of 31 from emphysema-related lung failure caused by years of smoking. She appeared in several anti-tobacco commercials sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The commercials were difficult to watch but highly effective; Pam Laffin told a compelling story in a way that more famous people could not.

What to Consider Before Using Testimony

Before using testimony, ask:

• Is the material quoted accurately?
• Is the source biased, or perceived as biased?
• Is the source competent in the field being consulted?
• Is the information current?

In the end, your choice as to which type of testimony you use will depend on your audience.

Smokers, for example. know all of the hazards of smoking and still continue to smoke. Give them a presentation on the dangers of smoking using expert testimony and you’ll probably be met with a response like, “Yeah, but it won’t happen to me.” Use an antiauthority like Pam Laffin, however, and the response will be totally different.

Here is a young woman who probably also thought that it wouldn’t happen to her, speaking “from her grave.” Smokers can relate to her. She isn’t just a numerical figure. This type of testimony is quite effective when you’re trying to tell people the dangers of doing something.

So get to know your audience, put yourself in their place, and choose the type or combination of evidence that will make your message stick.

How to Incorporate Expert Testimony

Expert testimony can be incorporated after introducing a point of your argument.

Once you have found experts to support your ideas, you may wonder how to incorporate their testimony into your speech. The following will give you an idea of how to incorporate expert testimony in order to support your argument and improve your speech.

What the Body of Your Speech Should Include

The body of your speech should help you elaborate and develop your main objectives clearly by using main points, subpoints, and support for your sub points. To ensure that your speech clearly communicates with your audience, try to limit both your main points and subpoints to three or four points each;this applies to your supporting points, as well . Expert testimony is considered supporting point; it is used to support the main and subpoints of your speech.

When a claim or point is made during a speech, the audience initially may be reluctant to concede or agree to the validity of the point. Often this is because the audience does not initially accept the speaker as a trustworthy authority. By incorporating expert testimony, the speaker is able to bolster their own authority to speak on the topic.

Therefore, expert testimony is commonly introduced after a claim is made. For example, if a speech makes the claim, “Manufacturing jobs have been in decline since the 1970s,” it should be followed up with expert testimony to support that claim. This testimony could take a variety of forms, such as government employment statistics or a historian who has written on a particular sector of the manufacturing industry. No matter the particular form of expert testimony, it is incorporated following a claim to defend and support that claim, thus bolstering the authority of the speaker.

Example of Incorporating Expert Testimony

Search for and watch a TED talk by Barry Schwartz, a Professor of Social Theory and Social Action at Swarthmore College and author of numerous books in the field of psychology and economics. Notice how Schwartz references expert testimony in the course of his speech to justify his point to the audience.

Schwartz begins by showing the job description of a hospital janitor, noting that the tasks do not require interaction with other people. However, Schwartz introduces the expert testimony of actual hospital janitors as a way to complicate the apparent solo nature of janitorial work. Schwartz personalizes the experts with proper names, “Mike,” “Sharleene,” and “Luke,” and uses their testimony to demonstrate that despite the job description, janitors take social interaction to be an important part of their job.

In this instance, Schwartz incorporates the expert testimony of actual janitors as a both a foil and a support. The testimony shows that in fact janitorial work does include interaction with other people, thus foiling the initial presentation of janitorial work as solitary. In addition, Schwartz uses the testimony of these experts to show that they embody the characteristics of wisdom that Schwartz will describe in the remainder of the speech.

Key Points

• Testimonials can be obtained from expert authorities, celebrities and other inspirational figures, and antiauthorities.
• An expert is is the kind of person whose wall is covered with framed credentials.
• People trust the recommendations of people whom they want to be like.
• Antiauthorities are sources of peer testimony whose source of knowledge is firsthand experience.
• Expert testimony should be incorporated to support, defend, or explain the main point or subpoint of a speech.
• Limiting your main points, subpoints, and support points to three or four points each improves the ability for your speech to communicate with the audience.
• Noticing how professionals use the testimony of experts can provide creative examples for how to incorporate expert testimony into a speech.

Somebody who is, or something that is, at a level equal (to that of something else).

antiauthority

A non-authority source.

A person with extensive knowledge or ability in a given subject.

Technology Entertainment Design, a series of global conferences.

Fundamentals of Public Speaking Copyright © by Lumen Learning is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

Visual Aids in Speeches: When to use them and when to not?

So much of the content we consume is visual. It is no wonder it can enhance the impact of your speech as well.

They can be a great tool for the audience to follow your speeches more clearly. Especially if your speech is demonstrative, adding visual aids will only benefit your overall presentation.

When you are giving a public speech, you want the audience to ideally listen to the message you are trying to convey.

However, there are many types of visual aids that can add a refreshing aid to your main message. 

Table of Contents

What are visual aids?

Attractiveness, appropriateness, preparing your visual aids, during the presentation, other helpful tips for visual aids:, credibility, distraction, design problems, wrapping up,.

Visual aids can include a wide variety of items such as handouts, slides, videos, posters, models, and more.

The purpose of these visual aids is to reinforce your main message. There are many reasons why you might consider adding visual aids to your presentation. Some of them can be as follows:

• Present clear examples.
• Provide a concise summary.
• Emphasize your points.
• Add credibility through references and facts.
• Give clear demonstrations.
• Help the audience understand better.
• Reduce the number of spoken words. For instance: showing a visual graph than boring your audience with data.
• Create a stronger impact. For instance: if your presentation is on the environmental risks of plastic usage, you may show images of the negative effects of plastics on marine life and pollution rather than simply describing this. Try to envision what you want your audience to feel – do you want them to empathize, feel sad, happy, or angry? Plan accordingly.
• Reiterate and make your points memorable.
• Engage the audience and maintain their interest.

Things to keep in mind when using visual aids

While visual aids are certainly a great addition to your speech, you still want to make sure that they do not distract from your main message.

It is very easy to go overboard with visual aids. This is why we have below a convenient checklist of things to keep in mind when using visual aids:

You need to ensure that the visual aids you pick are relevant to your speech. You want your visual aids to add to your message.

Often you see speakers hand out flyers or sheets during their presentations. This is very distracting and ensures that you are wasting valuable stage time as well.

The best time to provide these handouts is after your speech so they can have a brief overview of your speech. You can also provide them before your speech provided that they have enough time to skim through and then pay attention to your speech.

When using slides, font size is an important factor. The same is the case with charts, whiteboards, posters, and so on.

You have to be considerate about the audience that is listening in from the back of the room.

There is no point in incorporating visual aids if everyone is straining to see them. Once you decide to use these additional materials, make sure it is visible and legible.

Variation refers to when you are looking to use multiple types of visual aids. Typically, we recommend you stick to one variety as multiple may be difficult to manage.

However, if you feel that it is supportive of your speech, you can definitely go for it. Just make sure that the variation adds further intrigue.

Try not to throw too much data at them, such as charts, graphs, and more. If your speech is data-centric, try to make it visually appealing by experimenting with the variety of visual aids at your disposal.

When it comes to visual aids, pay attention to quality. If you’re not particularly adept at the software needed for your presentation, try to get help from someone who is.

Cluttered or unorganized visual aids can harm your speech more than not using them entirely. You want to make sure that anything you display does not take away from your credibility.

Make sure that your visual aids match your message. For instance: you typically wouldn’t use charts and data for a humorous speech.

Never use visual aids just for the sake of using them and make sure that it is appropriate to the message of your speech. 

Types of visual aids

There are a variety of visual aids. From slides to posters and models, you need to decide which will suit your presentation as well as your audience.

PowerPoint or Google Slides are a fairly common visual aid used in presentations. Nowadays, with all the widely available themes, both premium and free, it has become easy to create professional-looking slides within minutes. This is a great medium and can be quite versatile if you know what you’re doing. If you are an Apple IOS user , you can try pages or Google slides.

From simple bullet points to picture slides, PowerPoint is a surefire to take your public speaking to the next level.

With simple modifications and reorganization, you can take your visual content to the next level. You can experiment with colors and pictures.

There is a good reason why PowerPoint has stood the test of time as an effective visual aid. They’re easy to make and visible to a wide audience.

If incorporated well, it can work great with your presented speech. However, it is easy to go wrong with this. Ensure you don’t go overboard with the colors and keep the slides professional.

• Use a plain and simple background.
• Stick to one or two fonts and font sizes.
• Avoid large blocks of text and use bullet points to summarise key points.
• Avoid using multi-colored texts that can be difficult to read.
• Try to limit the number of important points you add to one screen.
• Use a larger font size so that the whole room can follow.
• If there is a lot of detail, you might want to provide handouts so that the information is easy to understand.
• Use your slides only to enhance your presentation and be prepared for technical glitches.
• Don’t try to add too many images or animations without a purpose so as to avoid any unnecessary distractions.
• There is always a risk for technical glitches. As such, come prepared with handouts or be prepared to go without the visual aids if needed.

Whiteboards

Whiteboards are an excellent visual aid for a speech. These are best fitted for when you need to explain complex processes.

It is also useful when the audience needs to follow along to a cycle or if your speech includes complex phrases.

Whiteboards can be a great tool in audience participation. You can jot down any suggestions made by the audience.

They can also display key points of information throughout the meeting to keep your message centered.

• If you’re going to be changing the information repeatedly, make sure that the audience has had the time to properly understand the message before erasing.
• Make sure you write in big block letters that are easily visible and legible.
• Try not to have your back facing the audience for too long.
• Practice well beforehand as you want to avoid any hand tremors as you write in front of the audience.

When addressing a larger audience, you might want to make sure that the audience can easily access visual aids.

In these cases, it is best to go for handouts. These are handy summaries that contain the key points from your speech.

It will make it easy for your listeners to follow. When it comes to slides or whiteboard information, there is always a chance that the audience might not be keeping up.

However, if they have their personal handout, they can glance at this information and keep track of the main message. This is also much more effective than having the audience have to take notes.

• Usually, handouts are given at the end of your presentation so that the audience has a handy reminder of your key message.
• Try not to interrupt the flow of your speech by distributing them during your speech.
• If you are handing these out at the beginning of your speech, try not to overload the paper with too much information. You might end up overwhelming the audience, and they might not end up paying attention to your speech.
• Make sure your handout includes the graphs, charts, or any other visual data that you may have in your speech. This will help them grasp the impact much more easily.

Flip charts are quite an old-school visual aid. However, they are the best option when you want to present at a budget but don’t have the tech needed on hand.

Flip charts act as a great supplement to your spoken information. The drawback is that these often limit you to smaller audiences.

The information needs to be easily visible, which is more likely for smaller groups. This does make it perfect for team meetings and brainstorming ideas.

You can have your key points easily displayed or include charts and graphs as you go. Instead of having a consistent topic displayed like a whiteboard or having to turn your back to the audience as you erase and rewrite, you can simply flip the pages and carry on.

• Make sure you check the order of the charts beforehand and have extra sheets on hand should you need them.
• Try not to stuff too much information into one chart. Limit your key points so that your information is easy to follow.
• Separate different inks for different information. For instance, use red ink to highlight anything important so that the information does not get lost in the mix.
• Use large letters that are easy to read.
• Before you begin your speech, check with the audience whether or not they can clearly see the charts.
• Practice beforehand so that your speech is well in tune with your speech before you go in front of the audience.
• When summarizing, flip back through the main charts so the audience can recollect more easily.

Posters are a great visual aid, especially when you are trying to promote an event or occasion.

They are portable, budget-friendly, and will not require any technology on board. These are usually more suited for informal events but can also be used to jazz up any formal presentation.

Unlike the other options, posters can typically be as complex and detailed as you want them to be or as the budget allows for it to be.

• Incorporate attractive colors.
• Use block letters and experiment with fonts.
• Try to stick to one message per poster.
• Posters are more suitable to smaller audiences due to.
• For a larger audience, visibility can be a big problem, so unless you have multiple posters on hand, we’d recommend against it.

Products or Objects

Products or objects can be an excellent way to give the audience a visual demonstration. This can include small-scale versions of your products or detailed models.

You can have multiple objects depending on the audience size. These can add a lot more interaction as the audience can feel more immersed in your presentation. Products are the best for when you need to demonstrate an experiment.

• If the audience is small, you can pass the object around, but remember to plan these gaps into your speech time so that they don’t miss out on key points.
• If the audience is large, you might need multiple objects or allot a larger time slot so that the audience can follow your presentation properly.
• Spend some time explaining the object and your purpose for demonstrating it.
• Do not display the audience until it’s time for the demonstration, as it might be distracting for the audience. 
• For demonstrative presentations, try to move slowly so that it is easy to follow. Repeat the key steps of the experiment and make sure you check with the audience to see if they are on track.

What are the things you need to keep in mind once you decide to incorporate visual aids into the presentation?

There is a lot of preparation that goes into a successful visual aids demonstration. Here are a few tips on how you can prepare to ensure that nothing goes wrong on your big day:

• Before picking your visual aid medium, think about whether or not it adequately supports your message. Are you clear on what the audience’s focus should be on?
• Check the order of the slides or charts beforehand. Make sure that your speech and visual aids are in tune so that it is easy for the audience to follow. 
• Any form of visual aids you pick needs to look clean and professional. 
• Make sure you use clear images or fonts.
• Keep the theme, colors, and fonts consistent as you can risk looking cluttered otherwise.
• Try to use visual representations of data such as graphs and charts over tabular data.
• Never include blocks of text as it might confuse the audience on whether to read or follow your vocal speech.
• Use bullet points for your main messages.
• Do not overwhelm the audience with more than one key message at once.
• It is easy to go overboard with visual aids. Make sure they are only used to enhance your message and do not take over your presentation.
• Always be prepared to give the speech without your visual aids in case of any technical problems. Your presentation should never depend on your visual aids.
• Whenever you have moving components in your presentation, you should practice well and minimize any chances of mishaps on the day of the demonstration. 
• Try to practice in front of smaller audiences so that you can catch any mistakes that you may have missed. 

So you’ve prepared your visual aids, there are still a couple of things you need to keep in mind during the presentation. These things are important in order to ensure that the audience receives the full impact of the visual aids that you have incorporated.

• There’s no point in using visual aids that aren’t visible. Make sure the audience, both in the front and back, can clearly see the information presented.
• Don’t turn your back to the audience unless absolutely unnecessary.
• Make sure you practice well so that you are not reading off your visual aids.
• Explain the object properly so that the audience can understand what to pay attention to.
• Visual aids can be quite distracting to the audience, so make sure to only display it when necessary. Once you are done using the aid, remove it so that the focus of the audience returns back to you.

Using a visual aid comes with quite a lot of advantages. However, it can be easy to miss little things that might end up ruining your presentation. Here are some additional tips to help guide you:

• Try to avoid flashy colors or switch between too many colors as it might be distracting for the listeners. For example, shades of blue or yellow might be way too loud for an official presentation.
• Static images tend to bore the audience, and they might lose interest, so make sure you switch the slides and charts around with your speech.
• Keep your visual aids clean and professional. Try not to use animations, stickers, or WordArt unless appropriate for your audience.
• Try to stick to a single font or at most two fonts to maintain consistency in your presentation.
• Use different font sizes or bold lettering to effectively present your data.

Should you use visual aids in your speech?

You’ve learned how to use visual aids, but you might still be wondering whether it is, in fact, a good addition to your speech itself.

Ask yourself: What could I show (or demonstrate) that would enhance my presentation? Remember, It is better to go for a few simple and well-prepared props than to go overboard and overwhelm the audience. It’s completely okay if you decide that props are not for you and modify your topic accordingly.

Think about it. 

If you were sitting in the audience, would you like to only hear about a holiday in Russia? Or would it be better to see pictures? Wouldn’t that be a more immersive experience?

What about if the speaker included souvenirs and sweets?

Do the same with your topic at hand. Does your topic require you to present data that can be presented better? Would a colorful poster boost initiative from your audience members?

If yes, then it’s time to get yourself some visual aids.

If you’re still confused then take a brief look at the pros and cons of using visual aids in your speech:

Pros of using visual aids:

Here are the main advantages of incorporating visual aids in your presentation:

Using only one medium can get repetitive and boring. Besides, there is only so much transition that you can introduce.

With visual aids, you can explain concepts or events much more efficiently.

Rather than explain the steps and risk losing the audience’s focus, you can simply use bullet points to keep them on track.

Similarly, using pictures makes the audience feel as though they are a part of this experience itself.

Especially when you are trying to evoke a feeling in your audience, images of the devastating impacts of deforestation on wildlife will be much more effective in convincing the listeners to take a stand for climate change than sheer numbers. Emotion is a powerful tool, and clarity is a step closer to mastering it.

For a public speech, being a gifted orator definitely takes you a long way. However, credibility is earned through facts. You are more likely to sway the audience in your favor if you come armed with references.

Even when it comes to statistics, a visual representation will add a lot more credibility to your presentation. The audience will find it easier to connect and will be paying a lot more attention to your words.

Cons of using visual aids:

Here are the main disadvantages of incorporating visual aids in your presentation:

It is easy to go overboard with visual aids. The wrong color combination or illegible fonts are common mistakes that might risk you losing your credibility in front of the audience.

Many speakers are not well versed or lack the practice required. As a result, there can be a lot of fumbling, which also adds to the distraction.

Most people do not double-check their presented information. Apparent mistakes can have the audience doubting you. Therefore, if you’re not entirely sure that the visual aids will add to your presentation, then it is better to go without you. 

You need to make sure that the visual aids you use match the audience you will be addressing.

There can be a lot of design problems while doing so. For instance: if you’re giving a persuasive speech, it is vital that you design your slides or posters to look as inviting as possible.

Similarly, no matter how good you think your images are, there is a risk of putting too much information onto your slides.

Many speakers do not spend enough time learning exactly how to use visual aids, and it ends up doing more harm than good.

And there you go, folks! Visual aids are an excellent addition to your public speech. They can add not just clarity and credibility but also emotion and connection to your message.

For a more extended presentation, these can help to keep the audience’s attention going. Mastering visual aids can add that effortless charm to your public speech.

However, it is essential to know when to use them and when to avoid them. Similarly, if you do decide to add these visual aids, then it’s better to come prepared and practice until they become a natural part of your presentation.

We hope our tips and tricks help you in delivering a rocking performance. All the best!

• Interlinear
• More ▼

7 Bible Verses about Let Your Speech Be Good

Most Relevant Verses

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.

So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.

For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.

Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.

You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.

You shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up.

Bible Theasaurus

• Good ( 1584 instances )
• Speech ( 175 instances )

Related Topics

• Bad Language
• Blessing Through God's People
• Conversation
• Crude Language
• Habitual Getting Up
• Lying Down To Rest
• Raising Children
• Speaking, Wisdom In
• Speech, Positive Aspects Of
• Discipline, in the family
• 11 more topics on Speech
• 68 more topics on Good

Never miss a post

Related Readings

New American Standard Bible Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org

• All Translations (Parallel)
• NASB New American Standard Bible
• KJV King James Version
• HCSB Holman Bible
• ISV International Standard Version
• YLT Youngs Literal Translation
• Darby Darby Translation
• ASV American Standard Version
• WBS Webster
• NET NET Bible
• AMP Amplified
• LEB Lexham Expanded Bible
• WEB World English Bible
• WE Worldwide English (NT)
• EMB The Emphasized Bible
• BBE Bible in Basic English
• WNT Weymouth New Testament
• KJ2000 King James 2000
• AUV An Understandable Version
• MSTC Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale
• MKJV Modern King James verseion
• JuliaSmith Julia Smith Translation
• Godbey Godbey New Testament
• ACV A Conservative Version
• NHEB New Heart English Bible
• Mace Daniel Mace New Testament
• Wesley John Wesley New Testament
• Worsley Worsley New Testament
• Haweis Thomas Haweis New Testament
• Diaglott Emphatic Diaglott Bible
• LOV Living Oracles New Testament
• Sawyer Sawyer New Testament
• ABU American Bible Union New Testament
• Anderson Anderson New Testament
• Noyes Noyes New Testament
• TCV Twentieth Century New Testament
• Worrell Worrell New Testament
• Moffatt Moffatt New Testament
• Goodspeed Goodspeed New Testament
• MNT Montgomery New Testament
• Williams Williams New Testament
• Common Common New Testament