3 P’s of Delivering a Great Speech
People fear public speaking more than death. I bet some of you got a little anxious just reading the word “speech” in the headline.
No matter the fear, great business leaders at all levels have to deliver speeches. Whether you are presenting to a few dozen people or speaking to a captive audience of 2,000 you want to engage your audience – and when you do it feels great.
I’ve given hundreds of speeches or presentations and I’m nervous right before every talk I give – ranging from slightly uncomfortable to downright anxious. I’ve developed a few tips that help me manage that anxiety and deliver a great experience for an audience. Have a Point, be Prepared and deliver with Passion.
POINT
Make sure you have one (I emphasize the word ONE) and then get to it quickly. It sounds simple but we’ve all listened to speeches that sound like they are about nothing.
The first step to ensuring you have a point is to understand your audience. What do you know about this particular audience? How can you make your point in a way that will resonate with them? Keep in mind – this talk is about them, not you. If you make it about them, you’ll almost always get a great response.
Keep your speech simple with a clear beginning, middle and end. Each of these sections should reinforce your point in some way – ideally relating to your personal story and your audience.
Finally, If your not sure how long it should be, always lean on the shorter side – no audience has ever complained that a speech was too short.
PREPARATION
An audience can immediately tell the difference between nerves and being unprepared. You wouldn’t attempt to juggle running chainsaws without being prepared – so why would you stand in front of a group of people and wing it?
Mark Twain once said, “It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech”. I generally plan about an hour of preparation time for every minute of speaking time. Yep - 1 hour per minute of talk time. Now, if you’re speaking every day you can re-use that prep time. But if you only give public speeches occasionally or are giving a talk to a new type of audience, it is critical that you invest the time to prepare.
Practice (another P!) is the main ingredient of being prepared. The most valuable thing you can do is to use that fancy phone of yours to record your speech and then play it back. If you can, present your speech to a friend or colleague that can give you meaningful and insightful feedback.
PASSION
One of the best pitch coaches, Nathan Gold, emphasizes body language, tone of voice and enthusiasm as equal to, if not more critical than, the content itself. Tell stories that you care about that relate to your audience in an authentic and transparent way. Passion builds a stronger connection with your audience and ultimately allows you to be more effective in getting your point across.
You’ll know you’ve hit the mark if you feel a little “over the top” with your excitement. What feels outside your comfort zone is likely just enough to communicate your passion to your audience.
DO IT
Like everything else in life, public speaking becomes a little easier the more you practice. If this is something you want to focus on and add to your toolbox, put yourself out there and give some talks.
Who knows, maybe you can move death back to the top slot.
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