Winning Speech
How to Speak Passionately in Public
No matter how hard we may try, no one can avoid speaking in public. It’s like paying taxes- you can’t ignore it or eliminate it at any stage. We all find ourselves needing to present something in public. It could be a power-point presentation at work, a product we wish to sell, a wedding speech we ought to give in family and social circles, or our efforts to meet the precious challenge of marketing ourselves.
It’s inevitable- and therefore we should do it in the best possible way. Some people are born with the natural talent to stand confidently in front of a small or large audience and speak vibrantly. They pass successfully through these powerful, open stage flashes and their passion is palpable. Some, however, experience the very opposite feeling. They have a strong stage fright. They forget what they have so painfully prepared and they even have surprising blackouts. Even when they manage to express themselves they still feel they have not conveyed their target message and that they therefore missed the opportunity.
How can we learn to catch the opportunity? To catch people’s minds and hearts? To leave a memory in people’s awareness? The legendary conductor Leonard Bernstein ingeniously put it in words, saying: “People would forget what you said or did, but they would never forget how you let them feel”. Perhaps it is the very first secret of speaking in public. It’s not about content. It’s about the experience. If we learn to leave an experience – we will make the difference.
So how do we leave an experience?
In these workshops, we will each learn individually to find our unique experience. What is the feeling and action we would like to leave from the words? What is the most important tool or message we would like our audience to leave the room with? What is so special about the people who sit in front of us and in what way can we reach their attention better?
These are the first questions that we train good speakers to ask before they prepare their speech. It’s never about the speech and its content. It’s always about the message, the feeling and the experience beyond it.
The second stage will allow us to question the way we choose to start a good speech. It could be a personal story, a memorable saying, a live example, a true incident that just happened, and even a strong provocation. How shall we choose? It’s like a suit. Each option has various components that must be taken into account:
- Who is sitting in front of me?
- Do I know the current audience, or is it my initial interaction with them?
- What is the aim of my speech (teaching/ supplying information/ inspirational speech)?
- What is the occasion for my speech?
- How much time do I have?
- Is it only me speaking, or am I part of a panel/ conference day/ team?
- What do I want my audience to remember me by?
Once we have the answers to these essential questions, we can start planning our speech. It is then appropriate to plan our talk with an inner structure that includes an opening- body- closure/summary. We must keep the proportions between 7-10% for Introduction. 70-80% for the “body” of our speech and another 7-10% for the summery.
We should give due regard to our inner nature and capabilities. We are here to strengthen our strengths. Never apply a quality that is not natural for us. For example, if you know you are not good at telling jokes, we would suggest not trying to memorize one. It can go wrong. There is never one way to present passionately and effectively. If you know you would be more authentic by sharing your personal story – do so!
Therefore, there is no “one good way” to make a powerful speech.
These workshops which Creative Business Solutions conduct aim to find in each speaker his/her inner strengths, unique qualities and powerful story. Each participant will have a variety of practical exercises, themes and subjects that he or she WILL present in public. Moreover, each participant will receive a portfolio examination of the individual style and strengths that should empower his presentation.
We believe in interactive sessions which enable direct feedback, not only from the coach, but rather from the group as a whole.
These sessions are conducted in half day/full day workshops- according to the customer’s needs. The sessions are also filmed and recorded for the participants to have as a visual and audio reference.
For more information regarding Speaking in public contact us at
00-972-54-7774440