Public speaking is a skill that every business professional should master. No matter if you are presenting to your company, pitching a new business or giving a keynote speech, you want your audience engaged and you want to persuade them of your message.
We’ve previously written about the importance of body language when delivering a speech or presentation, but it goes beyond your physical delivery. You can be the most dynamic speaker, but if your presentation doesn’t pack any punch, you’ll likely fumble.
In a recent article, “5 types of evidence essential for persuasive speeches,” Matt Wilson shares the five things that will essentially beef up a speech. We’ve included them below, along with suggestions from our past experience. When I begin a speech I like to open with one of the following and pepper in the others throughout.
- Statistics. Statistics help validate a claim and can help captivate an audience. However, the statistics have to be used correctly. Too often, people select startling statistics, yet provide no context. You need to properly explain the statistics and make it applicable to your audience. For example, 12 percent of woman will develop breast cancer. It is much more effective to make it relatable. If you look around the room, one out of eight women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime. You should also be sure to represent statistics accurately – numbers can often be manipulated to help support your point, but doing this could have devastating consequences and hurt your credibility.
- Quotes. Using quotes can simplify your message and leave a lasting impression on your audience. Select concise, memorable quotes from experts or well-known names, but don’t overdo it. You want a few select quotes that help deliver your message. For example, if you are giving a motivational speech, you could use a quote from Walt Disney: “All our dreams can come true – if we have the courage to pursue them.”
- Analogies. Analogies can be a way of bringing your speech to life. They should be clear and compelling and help the audience understand the message. An analogy is a similarity between like features of two things, on which a comparison may be based. For example, in the movie Forest Gump, Tom Hanks says, “Life is like a box of chocolates.” He uses this to describe how unpredictable life is, because “you never know what you are going to get.” For more tips on how to use analogies, read our previous post, “The Power of Analogies.”
- Examples. Using examples to illustrate your point can go a long way. It is especially effective to take examples from current trends or events, or from prominent figures or movies. Using examples provides people with another angle at which to view your point and can help clarify complex ideas.
- Stories. Stories help to keep your audience entertained, but will help persuade your audience of any point you are trying to make. People are typically more comfortable telling stories to a friend off the cuff. This relaxation helps connect with the audience. If possible, share stories that come from the heart and resonate with you and the audience. For example, if you are giving a speech to generate donations and funding for a race raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, share a personal story about why this is important to you. What got you interested in running? Has someone in your life been touched by the disease?
By adding these techniques to your arsenal while delivering a speech, you’ll be positioned for a successful delivery. It is harder to poke holes in a persuasive speech that has any of these elements to back it up.
What do you like to include when delivering a speech?