how to start a motivational speech

Science of mind

Kickstart Your Speech: How to Start a Motivational Speech

Did you know that the first few seconds of your motivational speech can determine whether your audience tunes in or tunes out? It’s true! The way you start a speech has a profound impact on capturing your audience’s attention and setting the tone for the rest of your presentation. So, if you want to make a lasting impression and ignite inspiration, it’s essential to master the art of starting a motivational speech.

In this article, I will share effective strategies and practical tips for beginning a motivational speech that will captivate your audience from the moment you step on stage. From understanding your audience and crafting a compelling opening to engaging emotionally and structuring your speech with purpose, I will empower you with the tools you need to kick off your motivational speech like a pro.

Key Takeaways:

• Starting a motivational speech is crucial for capturing your audience’s attention and setting the tone.
• Your opening should be compelling and relevant to establish rapport and spark curiosity.
• Understanding your audience allows you to tailor your content and create a connection.
• Using personal stories and language that evokes emotion helps engage your audience on a deeper level.
• A well-structured speech with a clear beginning, middle, and end guides your audience on a journey.

Know Your Audience

Before starting a motivational speech, crafting a speech for your audience is crucial. It is essential to understand who you are speaking to and tailor your content accordingly. Conduct thorough research on your audience’s demographics, interests, and challenges. This knowledge allows you to address their specific needs and aspirations, creating a connection that fosters trust and engagement. By tailoring your speech, you can deliver a message that resonates deeply with your audience’s desires for growth and success. This level of understanding allows you to speak authentically and compassionately, creating a unique and powerful experience.

Addressing the specific needs and aspirations of your audience is key to captivate and inspire them. Tailoring your speech demonstrates a genuine interest in their concerns and shows that you have taken the time to craft a message that speaks directly to them. It is a powerful way to establish a rapport and make your audience feel understood. By doing so, you create an environment that invites reflection, growth, and action.

When you address the specific needs and aspirations of your audience, you show them that you have considered their unique circumstances and challenges. This level of personalization enhances the relevance and impact of your message. By tailoring your content, you ensure that your speech is not just a generic presentation but a transformative experience that can help your audience navigate their own paths to success.

Remember, knowing your audience well is the foundation for crafting a speech that truly resonates. It allows you to strike a chord with their hearts and minds, creating a powerful connection that can drive meaningful change. By understanding their needs and aspirations, you can deliver a message that inspires, motivates, and empowers your audience, leaving a lasting impact on their personal and professional lives.

Craft Your Story

Your personal story is a powerful tool in starting a motivational speech. It’s the heart of your message and what makes you relatable. Share your journey, the obstacles you’ve overcome, and the lessons learned along the way. Authenticity is key—your audience can sense when you’re genuine. A well-told story not only captivates but also serves as a living example of the principles you’re advocating.

Craft a compelling story that illustrates your core message, using descriptive language, dialogue, and relatable experiences. By sharing your own personal stories, you create a deep connection with your audience. These stories will resonate with them, allowing them to see themselves in your narrative and relate to the challenges they may be facing.

I remember the moment vividly. It was a dark time in my life—my business had failed, and I was on the brink of giving up. But then, I had a chance encounter with an old mentor who shared his own story of resilience and triumph. His words reignited my passion and reminded me of the importance of perseverance. Inspired by his story, I overcame my setbacks and built a successful business from the ground up.

Your story should evoke emotions and inspire others to believe in their own potential for change. By illustrating the principles you’re advocating through your own experiences, you provide tangible proof that transformation is possible. It’s through these personal stories that you can truly connect with your audience, sparking their own desire for growth and inspiring them to take action.

So, as you prepare your speech, reflect on the moments in your life that have shaped you and the lessons you’ve learned. Think about how these experiences can be translated into powerful stories that resonate with your audience. By sharing your personal journey, you have the potential to create a profound impact and ignite a fire within your listeners.

Engage Emotionally

To truly inspire, connecting with your audience on an emotional level is essential. As a motivational speaker, your words should evoke deep feelings and paint vivid images in their minds. One powerful way to achieve this is by sharing personal stories that demonstrate not only vulnerability but also triumph. By opening up and authentically expressing your own experiences, you create a sense of empathy and authenticity.

Your passion is contagious. When you genuinely express your passion during your motivational speech, your audience can feel the fire in your words. Use vivid language that stirs their emotions and vary your tone and pace to evoke specific feelings . Whether it’s excitement, determination, or hope, your delivery should be a reflection of your unwavering commitment to the message you’re conveying.

Engage your audience through eye contact and expressive body language . When you establish eye contact, you forge a connection that makes each individual in the room feel seen and heard. Your body language should be authentic and reflective of your message . By incorporating gestures and movements that align with your words, you amplify the impact of your speech.

“Sharing personal stories and expressing my passion is not just a technique; it’s a way for me to deeply connect with my audience. When I see their reaction and feel their energy, it fuels my own passion even more, creating a powerful bond that inspires action and transformation.”

A great way to facilitate interaction and make your audience feel personally connected is by encouraging participation. Ask thought-provoking questions or incorporate interactive exercises into your speech. When individuals have the opportunity to engage and share their own stories or insights, the motivational power of your speech expands beyond your words.

By engaging your audience emotionally, you create a strong connection that moves them to take action and make lasting change in their lives. Remember, your words have the power to inspire and transform, so use them with intention and authenticity.

Structure with Purpose

A well-structured speech can make all the difference in capturing your audience’s attention and delivering a powerful message. Whether you’re aiming to motivate, inspire, or educate, a well-crafted structure sets the stage for success.

Opening with a bang is essential to grab your audience’s attention right from the start. Consider sharing a personal story or anecdote that establishes rapport and relatability. This not only engages your listeners but also creates a foundation of trust and connection.

As you move forward, it’s crucial to clearly articulate the main message or takeaway of your speech. This ensures that your audience understands the purpose and direction of your talk. Incorporating engaging visuals, anecdotes, or multimedia elements can enhance your storytelling and make your speech more dynamic.

Throughout your delivery, maintaining enthusiasm and energy is key to keeping your audience engaged. Your passion and charisma will shine through as you navigate from one idea to the next, building a narrative that leads to a moment of realization or inspiration.

Incorporating a logical progression in your speech allows you to guide your audience through a journey. Each idea should flow naturally into the next, gradually building up to your main message. This creates a sense of anticipation and excitement, making your speech more impactful.

Remember, a well-structured speech not only captures attention but also leaves a lasting impression. By opening with a compelling introduction, building a captivating narrative, and leading your audience to a powerful conclusion, you can create a speech that resonates deeply and inspires action.

Practice Relentlessly

Practice is an essential aspect of starting a powerful motivational speech. By rehearsing your speech multiple times, you refine your delivery and build confidence in your abilities. Each iteration allows you to make necessary adjustments and improve your overall performance.

Recording yourself while practicing serves as a valuable tool for self-assessment. It enables you to critique your delivery objectively and identify areas for improvement. By carefully reviewing your recordings, you can refine your delivery, fine-tune your body language, and make your speech more impactful.

While practicing alone is valuable, it’s also beneficial to rehearse in front of a mirror or a small audience. Feedback from others can provide valuable insights, helping you gauge the effectiveness of your message and delivery. Their input allows you to make necessary adjustments to ensure your speech resonates with your intended audience.

Through consistent and relentless practice, you not only refine your delivery but also enhance your overall communication skills. The more familiar you become with your speech, the more confident you’ll be in delivering it with poise and conviction.

Building confidence is a natural byproduct of relentless practice. As you become more comfortable with your material, your stage presence will improve, and your delivery will exude authenticity and conviction. Your audience will sense your confidence and be more receptive to your message, allowing you to truly inspire and motivate.

Project Confidence

Confidence on stage is infectious. Your body language , eye contact , and presence set the tone for your speech. Stand tall, move purposefully, and make eye contact to establish a connection. Confidence doesn’t mean you won’t have nerves; it means you know how to channel them into energy that fuels your delivery. Your confidence reassures the audience that they are in capable hands, ready to be led on an inspiring journey. Embodying confidence is key to captivating your audience and making a powerful start to your motivational speech.

“Confidence is not ‘they will like me.’ Confidence is ‘I’ll be fine if they don’t.'” – Christina Grimmie

Additional Tips and Insights

When it comes to starting a motivational speech, incorporating these additional tips can make all the difference in capturing your audience’s attention and maintaining their engagement.

First and foremost, start with an actionable statement or disrupt the status quo. This bold approach immediately grabs the audience’s attention and sets the tone for an impactful speech.

Additionally, using personal anecdotes or experiences creates a genuine connection with your audience, allowing them to relate to your message on a deeper level. Employ meaningful pauses strategically to emphasize key points and allow your words to sink in.

To further captivate your audience, envision a scenario or refer to a historical event that sparks their interest. Incorporating humor thoughtfully can also help to lighten the mood and keep the audience engaged.

Lastly, opening with a definition can help set the stage for a focused discussion, while creating suspense throughout your speech ensures that the audience remains attentive and eager to hear what comes next. By incorporating these additional tips and insights, you can enhance the impact of your motivational speech and make it truly memorable.

Source Links

• https://myperfectwords.com/blog/speech-writing/how-to-start-a-speech
• https://www.slideteam.net/blog/13-powerful-ways-to-kickstart-your-presentation-or-speech
• https://www.linkedin.com/advice/1/what-do-you-your-first-speech-motivational-qz5re

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Motivational Speaking 101: How to Deliver a Killer Motivational Speech

Giving a motivational speech is helpful, especially for public speaking. These speeches offer new views, turn challenges into opportunities, and restore confidence. Knowing what to include is key to inspiring and persuading positive changes.

This article explains motivational speeches, guides you on writing one, and offers a glimpse at the most memorable speeches in the history.

What is a Motivational Speech?

A motivational speech aims to inspire change. It has a clear purpose and a personal story and ends with a call to action. These speeches improve personal growth , inspire action, offer new perspectives, reduce fear, build confidence, and boost work performance.

Why are Motivational Speakers Important?

A motivational or inspirational speaker inspires and motivates audiences through speeches. They encourage positive actions and offer new perspectives on challenges. Their talks often use real-life experiences for greater impact.

Entrepreneurs can hire motivational speakers to convey important messages. People often accept ideas more readily from an external source so this influential voice can reignite focus and enthusiasm, helping individuals and organizations achieve their goals and advance their careers.

4 Types of Motivational Speeches

There are 4 main types of motivational speeches:

1. The Hero

The Hero speech highlights people who have faced and overcome big challenges . It shows their courage and resilience. This inspires the audience by demonstrating the power of perseverance and bravery in tough times.

2. The Survivor

The Survivor speech honors individuals who have overcome severe hardships. It seeks to inspire others through stories of persistence and determination despite great obstacles.

3. The Religious

The Religious speech uses faith and spiritual beliefs to inspire and uplift the audience. It includes references to divine guidance, moral values, and the need to maintain faith during tough times.

4. The Success

The Success speech highlights achievements and the journey to reaching goals. It inspires by showing the benefits of hard work, determination, and effective strategies for reaching significant milestones.

What Makes a Great Speech?

If you want to become a motivational speaker, you should know that writing a good speech takes a few key steps. You need to plan carefully, know your audience well, and deliver it with impact. In this section, we’ll look at what makes a speech memorable and powerful.

Harness the Power of Eye Contact

Maintain eye contact to build trust and connect with your audience. It shows confidence and helps engage listeners, making your message more impactful.

Treat Your Speech as a Performance

Think of your speech as a performance. Use expressive gestures, different tones, and dynamic movements to keep your audience captivated.

Pay Attention to Your Posture

Good posture conveys confidence and authority. Stand tall, use open body language, and avoid slouching to project a strong, positive image.

Move Away from the Lectern

Step away from the lectern to connect more closely with your audience. This helps you engage naturally and make your speech feel more personal.

Add Stories to Your Speech

The best motivational content creators use personal stories and anecdotes to illustrate points. Stories make your message relatable and memorable, keeping your audience engaged.

Change Your Speaking Pace

Mix up the pace of your speech to maintain interest. Pause for emphasis, speed up to convey excitement, and slow down to highlight important points.

Talk About What You Know and Care About

Speak on topics you are passionate about and knowledgeable in. Your enthusiasm and expertise will make your speech more convincing and inspiring.

How to Deliver a Killer Motivational Speech

Whether you’re addressing employees, students, or a wide audience, the goal remains: inspire action and change. Let’s explore strategies and techniques that keynote speakers use to make their speeches memorable:

Introduce Yourself

Top motivational speakers start with an enthusiastic and confident introduction. Share a brief story or experience that shows your credibility and personally connects you with the audience.

Engage your audience with energy and passion. Use clear gestures, different vocal tones, and expressive body language. Keep their attention and make your message stick.

Have Fun With Your Content

Add humor and creativity to your speech. Have fun delivering your message and show your excitement. This will make your speech more relatable and enjoyable.

Practice Through Online Training Programs

You can leverage training programs to hone your speaking skills to become a professional motivational speaker. These resources offer valuable tips and feedback, helping you refine your delivery, build confidence, and advance your career as a motivational speaker.

Plan Out Main Points

Plan your main points carefully to make a clear and strong message. Use clear transitions and add stories to help your audience follow and keep the key points in mind.

The 5 Elements of a Great Motivational Speech

Crafting a motivational speech that connects and inspires involves key elements. These turn a basic talk into a powerful message that can create real change. Here, we will explore the five main components of an effective motivational speech.

1. Structured With a Beginning, Middle, and End

A great motivational speech needs a clear structure. Start with an engaging introduction to grab attention. Follow with the main message in the middle and end by tying everything together to inspire action.

2. It is Created and Delivered With a Passionate Energy

Passionate energy is crucial in a motivational speech. The speaker’s enthusiasm and conviction must be clear. This energy is contagious and engages with the audience, making the message impactful and memorable.

3. It Contains Inspiration to Make a Positive Change

Inspirational content is crucial for a motivational speech. It should prompt the audience to think about their lives and inspire positive changes. Provide hope and a vision for a better future.

4. Use of Stories Modeled After the Hero’s Journey

Stories based on the Hero’s Journey make the speech more relatable and emotional. They connect with the audience, showing that overcoming challenges is possible and that they can be heroes in their own lives.

5. It Gives the Audience an Actionable Strategy for Making Lasting Change

A good motivational speech gives the audience practical steps for making lasting changes. This helps them start working towards their goals and shows a clear path for continued progress.

The Best Motivational Speeches of All Time

Motivational speakers may change lives and inspire great change. Many famous speeches still impact people worldwide.

Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

Steve Jobs is one of the best motivational speakers of all time. His 2005 Stanford Commencement Address is renowned for its insights on life and work. He shared experiences like dropping out of college, getting fired from Apple, and battling cancer. His key messages were to do what you love, be true to yourself, and embrace uncertainties. The speech urged the audience to trust their instincts and remain bold and curious.

Winston Churchill’s “We Shall Fight on the Beaches”

Winston Churchill’s “We Shall Fight on the Beaches” speech was delivered to the House of Commons on June 4, 1940. It is one of his most famous speeches. Churchill inspired British resolve during World War II. He promised that the British people would never surrender despite the tough situation after the Dunkirk evacuation. The speech is known for its defiant tone and powerful words. It lifted British spirits during a crucial time in the war.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream”

Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech on August 28, 1963, during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. This speech is a key moment in the American civil rights movement. King dreamed of a future where people are judged by their character, not their skin color. His call for racial equality and justice had a lasting impact. The speech energized the movement and inspired many to work for a just and inclusive society. It remains a symbol of hope and a crucial part of American history.

J.K. Rowling’s Harvard Commencement Speech

J.K. Rowling’s 2008 Harvard Commencement Speech is famous for its honest look at failure and creativity. She discussed hitting rock bottom before finding success with Harry Potter. Rowling emphasized that failure can eliminate distractions, allowing focus on true passions and abilities. She highlighted the power of imagination to empathize and assist others. Her speech encouraged graduates to accept failure and use creativity to make a positive impact.

Malala Yousafzai’s Speech to the United Nations

Malala Yousafzai spoke to the United Nations on July 12, 2013, her 16th birthday. It was her first public speech after surviving a Taliban assassination attempt. Malala called for global access to education, especially for girls. She highlighted books and pens as powerful weapons against extremism. Her speech resonated worldwide, emphasizing the importance of education for peace and progress. It solidified her role as a leading advocate for children’s and girls’ rights.

How does a motivational speaker benefit my event?

A motivational speaker can enhance your event with an inspiring message that resonates with your audience. Their engaging storytelling uplifts morale and promotes positive thinking. They motivate attendees to pursue their goals.

Sharing relatable stories and valuable insights provides new perspectives and actionable strategies. Their presence energizes the event, creating a memorable experience. This fosters a sense of community and collective motivation among participants.

How is a motivational speaker different than other types of speakers?

A motivational speaker aims to inspire and uplift the audience. They use personal experiences, emotional stories, and insights. Their goal is to spark motivation and drive positive change. They empower the audience to achieve goals or overcome challenges.

Technical experts or industry leaders share specific knowledge, skills, or updates. Their talks are data-driven and informational. They aim to educate or inform. While they may offer practical advice, their primary goal is to provide information.

What is the difference between motivational and inspirational speech?

A motivational speech drives the audience to take specific actions or make changes. It focuses on overcoming obstacles, setting goals, and achieving success. Speakers use persuasive language, personal stories, and practical advice for immediate action.

An inspirational speech uplifts the audience emotionally. It provides hope and a sense of purpose. Speakers share profound stories and insights that resonate with listeners. This encourages reflection on values, dreams, and the meaning of life. Motivation focuses on the “how,” while inspiration centers on the “why,” leaving the audience with renewed passion and deeper connection to their aspirations.

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Crafting a Message That Inspires: 7 Tips for Giving a Motivational Speech

• Carolyn Manion Kinnie
• March 16, 2024

Table of Contents

We talk a lot about the business side of speaking on The Speaker Lab blog. That’s because the business side is really important–and something you won’t get a lot elsewhere. But we’re here to help you with all aspects of professional speaking–not just marketing, lead generation, and building your speaker website . Do you need some tips for how to give a motivational speech ? Not just any motivational speech, but a great motivational speech? We’ve got those for you. 

Here are seven tips for how to give a motivational speech that you can start applying right now. As you get ready to deliver your next talk, you can use these tips as a checklist to help your words make the greatest impact. As always, we’ve linked other resources to dig deeper into each of these topics. You can also check out our founder Grant Baldwin’s book The Successful Speaker which has a whole section on preparing and delivering your talk! 

1. Practice

Practicing your speech might seem obvious. All the same, in case you trust too much in your ability to improv a motivational keynote we’re going to chat a bit about it. You may have heard the phrase “practice makes perfect,” but we’re not about that. Don’t worry about practice making perfect–your talk does not, in fact, need to be perfect. We like to say practice makes peaceful instead. Being well-prepared is one of the best ways to calm your nerves and keep any last minute panic from interfering with your talk. 

Practicing is key, but memorizing your speech down to the letter shouldn’t be the goal. Instead, focus on internalizing your key arguments. Once you’re comfortable with those, you can change up the “filler” content with each delivery. This kind of non-memorization practice is really helpful when you deliver the same talk to different audiences. Imminent circumstances or different contexts might make it necessary to adjust your talk slightly to suit your audience. When you know all your main points through and through, you can rearrange them more easily, and if inspiration strikes you in the moment you don’t have to worry about messing up the flow of your talk. 

The best way to practice is to read your talk out loud. Start by reading it all the way through start to finish a few times to get a sense for the flow of your argument. Make changes as necessary if you notice any confusing transitions, non-sequiturs, or too much extraneous info. Then, go through your talk section by section, paragraph by paragraph. This is where you exhaustively internalize work of every point, story, joke, and transition. Once you feel prepared to deliver the talk from memory, try to video record yourself rehearsing so you can analyze your facial expressions, gestures, and pacing.

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2. Tell Stories

We harp on this one a lot. But storytelling is just that important. Stories are one of the most powerful ways to connect with your audience and make your point come alive. 

There are five storytelling strategies you can follow to help you master how to give a motivational speech. These strategies come straight from a podcast episode we did with speaker and coach Mike Pacchione.  

• Prime your audience. Storytelling is most effective when you have your audience’s full attention. Before you dive in, tell your audience that’s what’s about to happen. This could mean simply saying: “hey, I’ve got a story!” Or you can use a longer lead-in, like “something crazy happened to me once that illustrates this point. I’m going to tell you about it.” Once you say that, people pay attention. You don’t want to get started on your story while your audience is still trying to catch up to what you were talking about a minute before. 
• Use vivid details. Telling a story in itself doesn’t make your talk interesting. Use vivid details to help the story come alive for your audience. Try to keep them relevant though. If a detail doesn’t matter, your audience will fixate on it and be distracted from what matters. 
• Describe one of your characters in a sentence. This is really important for helping your audience really visualize what you’re talking about. Describe one character with one sentence about one trait. (You can describe more if the story calls for it, but only one is really necessary for helping your audience follow along). 
• Have a “tension” that gets released. Working backwards from the point you want to make, look at how your story fits into your overall message. Then, build up suspense, introduce a problem in need of solving, or utilize other “tension” in the story. This strategy serves a twofold goal. First of all, it keeps your audience on the edge of their seat waiting for what happens next! Secondly, the resolution should illuminate why the story is relevant to your talk. You want an “aha” moment– now they see what it’s all about!
• Declare the lesson learned in ten words or less. Whether you’re talking to 50 or 5,000, someone will inevitably zone out during your story. Wrap things up with a quick recap of what your listeners should take away before you move on with your talk. That way, if they missed the interesting part, they still get the requisite information. 

We have a few other podcast episodes about how to master storytelling here , here , and here . There’s no way out of it–storytelling is key when it comes to giving a motivational speech. 

3. Use humor 

Audiences love funny speakers. Humor is one of the easiest ways to draw your audience back into your talk. If you lose their attention, cracking a joke will often capture it again. Humor breaks the ice, defuses tension, and endears you to your audience. Unfunny speakers often come across as boring. Humor is a great fallback if you trip onstage or the mic stops working. If you’re not good at coming up with jokes, try to find ways to incorporate humorous side remarks, facial expressions, or gestures that make your audience laugh without demanding too much energy from you. 

It’s important to use humor that is well-fitted both to your niche and your audience. If you travel a lot for speaking engagements, that means doing some research about where you’re speaking and what they’re known for. Cracking a joke about Old Bay will go over well in Maryland but might leave a West Coast audience perplexed if not yawning. And we cannot stress this enough–avoid anything that might be considered offensive. If you have any doubt as to whether your audience will find something funny or inappropriate, go with a “safe” joke instead.

4. Close and open loops

This is one of our founder Grant Baldwin’s strategies for how to give a motivational speech that keeps your audience really engaged. Closing and opening loops helps your audience follow your argument and stay attentive. If you just rush into your talk making point after point, your audience might forget what you’ve already said or fail to make connections between parts of your speech. 

When you open a loop, you raise a question to which your audience wants to stick around and hear the answer. Closing that loop gives your audience closure, reminds them of what you’ve said already, and helps them connect the dots. Telling a story of which the meaning only becomes clear later on, for example, opens and closes a loop. So does saying “remember this–it will come in handy!” when you introduce a statistic, graph, or data point. Or you can hype up something that hasn’t happened yet: “in a few minutes, I’ll tell you _____.” Just make sure you close every loop you open!  

5. Involve your audience

Some of the best motivational speakers are those who use unorthodox but memorable means to engage with their listeners. Some ideas we have discussed on our podcast include magic, games, or using props in unexpected ways. Since your audience wants to make sure they catch what happens next, they’ll start paying attention (like when you start a joke, they listen for the punchline). Asking for a show of hands, leading a (serious or humorous) mental or physical exercise, and encouraging your audience to talk to those around them are all ideas for interaction.  

Involving your audience is a fun chance to think outside the box and do things that other speakers don’t do. Ideally, your audience will have a good time, really engage with the content of your talk, and remember what you have to say. We’ve had successful speakers come onto our podcast to share how they use everything from magic tricks to pop quizzes to interact with their audience in meaningful ways. 

6. Excel at your Q&A

Learning how to give a motivational speech goes beyond the speech itself. As we’ve discussed many times, you are the brand of your motivational speaking business. That means that how you handle your Q&A can affect the impact of your talk. 

Many motivational speakers dread the Q&A period. You can prepare, practice, and even perfect your speech to the best of your ability, but lose your presence of mind when someone asks a weird question. Though it’s tempting, you can’t count on planting allies at intervals in the auditorium who promise to ask questions that you give them in advance. Figuring out how to deal with questions of all kinds on the fly is part of becoming a good motivational speaker . 

Keep all your answers short and ask audience members to raise their hands before they say anything. This will start things off in an orderly and timely fashion. If an audience member rambles or gets off track, don’t feel shy about interrupting! You’re the one getting paid to speak. Gently redirect or restate the question, give your answer, and move on. It’s never a bad idea to say “I don’t know off the top of my head, but you can email me later” and share an easy way to contact you. 

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7. Win over your audience off the stage.

Interacting with people before and after your talk can make them more agreeable to what you say onstage. At big conferences, there are usually built-in opportunities like cocktail hours or welcome receptions that fulfill this purpose. In the absence of those events, small tweaks to your schedule can go a long way toward winning over your audience. You might be able to hang out during the half hour before your talk, introducing yourself and chatting with people as they walk in. By the time you go onstage, you’ll have a few friends and allies in the audience already. 

We recommend when possible to make yourself available for questions and conversations after your talk. Is that too late to make an impression on your audience? We don’t think so! Being there to address their questions and help them put your talk into action makes a huge impact. And if you announce that you will be available before you start your talk, you have already established your brand as a helpful speaker who really cares about their audience. These conversations are a great opportunity to direct audience members to other products and resources you offer, like an email list or course . It’s a win-win! 

Speakers who are very introverted or travel from gig to gig won’t want to spend much time on this so they can preserve their energy. (We have a podcast episode about speaking as an introvert right here .) If that describes you, that’s totally fine! Just find another area of your speechcraft or marketing to pour some of that effort into. Remember, while giving a great speech is the best marketing for your speaking business, it shouldn’t be the only thing you do. building a good rapport with clients and audience members helps a lot too!

These are our top seven tips for how to give a motivational speech, but it doesn’t stop here! Many other factors contribute to preparing and delivering a great talk. Becoming a great speaker is all about finding the strategies that suit your message and your mission. 

• Last Updated: March 16, 2024

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• Career , Education

How to Write an Inspiring Motivational Speech

A motivational speech is a powerful form of communication designed to inspire, encourage, and invoke a strong emotional response from the audience.

It aims to motivate listeners to pursue their goals, overcome obstacles, or change their perspectives and behaviors for the better. Unlike ordinary speeches, motivational speeches are charged with passion, energy, and a deep sense of purpose. They are imbued with passion, energy, and a deep understanding of human desires and fears, making them a powerful tool for transformation.

Motivational speeches are versatile and can be delivered in various situations and venues. These include educational institutions, where they inspire students to excel; corporate events, to boost employee morale and productivity; sports events, to invigorate teams; community and social gatherings, to foster change or support causes; and personal development seminars, to aid individuals in achieving personal growth.

• Educational Institutions : To inspire students towards academic excellence, perseverance, and lifelong learning.
• Business and Corporate Events : To motivate employees to embrace change, strive for success, and work collaboratively towards common goals.
• Sports Teams and Competitions : To boost morale, encourage teamwork, and focus on victory.
• Personal Development Seminars : To assist individuals in personal growth, overcoming personal barriers, and achieving goals.
• Community and Social Activism Events : To galvanize support for causes, inspire action for change, and foster community spirit.

Iconic Motivational Speeches

Throughout history, several motivational speeches have left indelible marks on society. Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech vividly advocated for civil rights and equality, inspiring generations. Winston Churchill’s wartime speeches, especially “We Shall Fight on the Beaches,” rallied the British public during WWII’s darkest days. It was a defiant oration that rallied British spirits during the bleakest moments of WWII. Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford commencement address, urging graduates to “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish,” continues to motivate entrepreneurs and creatives alike.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream”

This speech remains a pinnacle of civil rights advocacy, emphasizing the power of a vision for equality and justice. It offers a masterclass in motivational speaking for several reasons:

• Vivid Imagery : King used vivid imagery and metaphors to paint a picture of the injustices faced by African Americans, as well as the dream of a better, more equitable future. His references to mountains, valleys, and islands of poverty created a visual narrative that was both compelling and easy for the audience to engage with.
• Universal Themes : King tapped into universal themes of freedom, justice, and equality, making his message relevant not only to those directly affected by racial discrimination but to anyone who values these principles.
• Emotional Connection : The speech is rich in emotional appeal, with King’s delivery ranging from solemn and contemplative to passionate and pleading. This variability in tone helped to create a powerful emotional journey for his audience.
• Repetition for Emphasis : The repetitive use of the phrase “I have a dream” served to emphasize the vision of the future King was portraying, making the dream feel attainable and urgent.
• Call to Action : King did not just present a dream; he also called for action without aggression, promoting a message of nonviolent resistance and insisting on the moral high ground.

Winston Churchill’s “We Shall Fight on the Beaches”

Churchill’s speech was a beacon of hope during one of the darkest times for Britain. Its inspiration came from:

• Defiant Optimism : Amidst a dire situation, Churchill conveyed a sense of indomitable spirit and unwavering resolve. His assurance of fighting “on the beaches, landing grounds, in fields, in streets and on the hills” invoked a visceral commitment to freedom and resistance.
• Realism Coupled with Resolve : Churchill did not sugarcoat the situation Britain faced. Instead, he presented a stark assessment of the current reality while simultaneously inspiring confidence in eventual victory. This balance between realism and optimism is crucial in motivational speeches under crisis conditions.
• Rhythmic Language : The speech’s rhythm, achieved through the use of parallelism and repetition, created a memorable and compelling auditory experience. This not only made the speech more impactful but also more memorable.
• Personal Leadership : Churchill’s personal conviction and leadership style were palpable in his delivery. He embodied the resilience he was advocating for, making his words all the more powerful.

Steve Jobs’ “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish”

Jobs’ Stanford commencement address stands out for several reasons:

• Personal Narratives : Unlike typical commencement addresses that might lean on clichés and general advice, Jobs shared three personal stories from his life. This approach made his speech highly relatable and engaging.
• Embracing Failure : Jobs discussed his failures openly, including being fired from Apple, and framed them as necessary for success. This perspective was refreshing and encouraging, especially for graduates standing on the precipice of their careers.
• Philosophical Reflections : The speech was imbued with reflections on life, death, and purpose. Jobs’ contemplation on mortality (“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life”) offered a profound and unusual perspective for a commencement speech.
• Direct and Impactful Advice : The titular advice, “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish,” encapsulates the essence of curiosity and the pursuit of dreams against conventional wisdom. It’s a simple yet powerful message that encourages continuous learning and risk-taking.

J.K. Rowling’s “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination.”

Rowling, best known for her Harry Potter book series, delved into the themes of failure and the power of imagination, sharing insights from her own life experiences. The speech has been widely celebrated for its honesty, humor, and inspirational messages. Here are some of the key elements that elevated Rowling’s speech:

• The Power of Imagination: She highlighted how imagination enables us to envision ourselves in others’ lives, a crucial skill in building a compassionate society. This emphasis on empathy and understanding was a powerful message for the graduates and broader audience alike.
• Personal Anecdotes: Rowling’s use of personal stories, from her time working at Amnesty International to her struggles before achieving fame as an author, added a deeply personal touch to her speech.
• Humor and Wit: Despite the serious themes, Rowling’s speech was laced with humor and wit. Her self-deprecating jokes and light-hearted comments about her own experiences added a layer of warmth and accessibility to her message, engaging the audience in a conversation rather than a lecture.
• Call to Action: Rowling’s speech concluded with a powerful call to action, urging the graduates to use their privileged positions and education to effect positive change in the world. She emphasized the importance of living with integrity and choosing to do what is right over what is easy.

How to Structure Your Motivational Speech

Crafting the opening to your speech.

A well-crafted opener not only grabs attention but also establishes a connection, making the audience invested in what you have to say next. Let’s explore some creative strategies and insights for crafting opening remarks that resonate.

Start with a story. Humans are naturally drawn to stories because they allow us to see our reflections in others’ experiences. Begin with a personal anecdote, a historical narrative, or a hypothetical scenario that directly ties to your core message. This story should not just be interesting but also emotionally engaging, prompting your audience to embark on an emotional journey with you from the outset. The power of storytelling lies in its ability to make abstract concepts tangible, relatable, and memorable.

Ask a thought-provoking question. Questions are powerful tools that can pique curiosity and engage minds right from the start. By posing a provocative, unexpected, or deeply personal question, you challenge your audience to think critically, drawing them into a state of reflection. This engagement ensures that they are mentally present and actively participating in the dialogue you’re about to lead. The key is to ask a question that doesn’t just solicit a superficial response but encourages deeper contemplation about the subject matter.

Invoke a shocking statistic or fact. Presenting a startling statistic or an unknown fact related to your topic can immediately capture your audience’s attention. It sets the stage for the significance of your speech by highlighting the urgency or magnitude of the issue at hand. However, the challenge lies in seamlessly connecting this data point to the emotional or motivational core of your speech. It’s not just about presenting a number; it’s about weaving a narrative that explains why this statistic matters on a human level.

Relay a powerful quote. Starting with a quote from a renowned figure can lend authority and emotional depth to your message. The right quotation can encapsulate the essence of your speech in a few poignant words, creating a bridge between your audience’s existing understanding and the new insights you wish to share. Choose a quote that is not only relevant but also offers a fresh perspective or encapsulates a universal truth in a way that surprises or enlightens your audience.

Your opening remarks should not only grab attention but also succinctly hint at the transformative journey you’re inviting your audience to undertake.

Building the Body of Your Motivational Speech

The body of a motivational speech is where the heart of your message lies. It’s structured to lead the audience through a journey from recognizing challenges to envisioning a brighter future and then mapping out a pathway to achieve that future. Let’s delve into techniques and practical advice for effectively structuring each of these critical sections.

Identify the Challenge

The first step in structuring the body of your speech involves identifying the challenge. This section is about establishing a common ground with your audience by acknowledging the obstacles and issues they face. To make this part effective:

• Use Empathy : Demonstrate that you understand the depth of the challenge and its impact on your audience. Employ empathetic language to show that you’re not just an observer but someone who genuinely understands or has experienced similar challenges.
• Incorporate Real-life Examples : Bring in examples or stories of real people facing these challenges. This not only makes the problem more relatable but also helps to illustrate the complexities and nuances of the issue.
• Highlight the Stakes : Clearly articulate what is at risk if the challenge is not addressed. This increases the urgency and relevance of your message, motivating your audience to seek a resolution.

Inspire with Vision

After laying out the challenge, the next step is to inspire your audience with a vision of what overcoming these challenges looks like. This section is crucial as it transforms despair into hope and motivation.

• Craft a Vivid Picture : Use descriptive language to paint a vivid picture of a future where the challenge has been overcome. Describe what success looks like, feels like, and means for your audience on both a personal and collective level.
• Utilize Storytelling : Share success stories, either real or hypothetical, that embody the vision you’re describing. These stories should serve as proof that the vision is achievable and that the journey, though difficult, is worth undertaking.
• Connect to Higher Values : Tie your vision to universal values such as freedom, justice, love, or fulfillment. This elevates the vision from being a mere goal to a noble pursuit, making it more compelling and emotionally charged.

Provide a Roadmap

The final step in the body of your motivational speech is to provide a clear, actionable roadmap. This section bridges the gap between inspiration and action by offering practical advice that the audience can follow to achieve the vision.

• Break it Down : Present the steps or principles in a clear, organized manner. Breaking the journey into manageable steps makes the goal seem more attainable and less overwhelming.
• Incorporate Strategies and Tools : Offer specific strategies, tools, or habits that can help overcome the identified challenges. This could include practical advice, resources, or techniques that have been effective in similar situations.
• Encourage Personal Reflection : Invite your audience to reflect on how the steps apply to their personal circumstances. Encouraging individual adaptation of the roadmap makes it more relevant and actionable for each audience member.
• Instill Confidence : Throughout this section, it’s important to instill confidence in your audience. Reinforce the idea that although the journey may be challenging, they are capable of making the journey and achieving the vision.

You need to balance the weight of the challenge with the hope of the vision and the practicality of the roadmap. This not only keeps your audience engaged but also ensures that they leave feeling empowered to take action. By carefully crafting each of these sections, you can create a motivational speech that not only inspires your audience but also provides them with the tools and confidence to change their lives for the better.

Writing a Powerful Conclusion to Your Motivational Speech

Crafting a powerful conclusion is pivotal in ensuring that the core message of your motivational speech not only resonates but also sticks with your audience long after they’ve left the room. A strong closing ties all the elements of your speech together, reinforcing the key message and leaving a lasting impression that compels action. Here are insights and strategies for writing a conclusion that achieves these goals.

Echo the Opening

A compelling way to bring your speech full circle is to echo elements from your opening in your conclusion. This could involve revisiting a story, statistic, question, or statement you introduced at the beginning. Such a callback not only creates a sense of closure but also emphasizes the journey the audience has undergone during your speech. It reminds them of the initial emotions or curiosity you sparked and reinforces the key message by showing how far the narrative has traveled.

Summarize Key Points

Briefly summarizing the key points of your speech helps solidify the message in your audience’s mind. However, this should not be a mere repetition of what you’ve said but a concise encapsulation of the challenge, the vision, and the roadmap. Highlight how these elements are interconnected and essential to achieving the desired change or outcome. This recap aids in retention and ensures that your audience can easily recall the core elements of your speech.

Offer a Strong, Actionable Takeaway

Your conclusion should leave your audience with a clear, actionable takeaway. This could be a call to action, a principle to live by, or a challenge to undertake. It should be specific, achievable, and relevant to the message of your speech. The key is to make it so compelling that your audience feels inspired to act immediately. Frame this takeaway as the first step on their journey to overcoming the challenges discussed and achieving the vision you’ve painted.

Invoke Emotion

Emotions are powerful motivators. Your conclusion should aim to evoke a strong emotional response that aligns with the action you’re encouraging. Whether it’s hope, determination, courage, or a sense of urgency, choose an emotion that complements your message and use language that intensifies this feeling. A motivational speech that ends on a high emotional note is more likely to inspire action than one that doesn’t.

Create a Moment of Reflection

Allowing a moment for your audience to reflect on the message can be a powerful tool in your conclusion. Pose a rhetorical question or offer a short pause after your key takeaway to give the audience time to internalize the message and consider their next steps. This moment of reflection helps transition the inspiration from a shared experience to a personal commitment.

End with a Memorable Line

Finally, close your speech with a line that is memorable and impactful. This could be a succinct summary of your core message, an inspirational quote, or a powerful statement that encapsulates the essence of your speech. Choose something that will linger in the minds of your audience, serving as a beacon that guides their actions long after the speech has ended.

Motivational Speech Structure in a Nutshell

• Opening : Begin with a powerful, engaging element—be it a story, a striking statistic, or a rhetorical question—to immediately capture the audience’s interest.
• Identify the Challenge : Lay out the obstacles or issues that your audience is facing, making it relatable and real.
• Inspire with Vision : Share a compelling vision of what overcoming these challenges looks like. Utilize storytelling to make this vision resonate on a personal level.
• Provide a Roadmap : Offer clear, actionable steps or principles that the audience can follow to achieve the vision. This is where practical advice melds with inspiration.
• Conclusion : Reinforce the core message with a memorable closing that calls back to your powerful start. Leave your audience with a clear, motivational takeaway that encourages action.

The Delivery

• Connect Emotionally : Use eye contact, open body language, and genuine emotion to form a connection with your audience.
• Modulate Your Voice : Utilize pauses, changes in pitch, and emphasis to highlight key points and keep the audience engaged.
• Be Authentic : Authenticity resonates. Share personal stories and vulnerabilities to create a deeper bond with your audience.
• Use Powerful Language : Choose words that evoke emotions and imagery, making your message more impactful.
• End Strong : Finish with a powerful statement or call to action that leaves a lasting impression and motivates your audience to act.

Crafting and delivering a motivational speech that changes hearts and minds is no small feat—it requires empathy, clarity, and a deep commitment to the message. By focusing on the structure, preparation, and delivery techniques outlined above, you can create a speech that not only inspires but transforms.

Write a Draft of Your Motivational Speech with AI

Now that you know the way to structure your speech and have explored some of the most iconic motivational speeches, you may be inspired to start writing your own. If you would like a little help starting that first draft or even getting inspired further, you may want to experiment with our Speech Writer , an AI tool designed to help you quickly draft speeches. It simplifies the process of speechwriting by providing structure, guidance, and creative inspiration, making it easier for you to convey your passion and drive change.

• This page was originally published by Word.Studio
• on February 10, 2024
• in Career , Education

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Writing a motivational speech: A guide to inspire, engage, and transform

In moments of vulnerability, motivational speeches act as shining beacons of hope. They form a bridge between where you currently stand and the destinations you aspire to reach, reigniting your spark of hope and potential. In this article, we’ll show you how to master the art of writing a motivational speech. By following these strategies, you’ll be well-equipped to create speeches that not only captivate but also inspire.

Table of Contents

Shaping actions or shifting beliefs? The difference between motivational vs. persuasive speech

Motivational speeches and persuasive speeches both seek to influence audiences, but they do so in distinct ways. Motivational speeches are designed to ignite emotions and inspire listeners on a personal level. They often use anecdotes and stories to create a strong emotional connection, aiming to empower and motivate individuals to pursue positive changes in their lives.

On the other hand, persuasive speeches focus on presenting logical arguments, data, and evidence to convince the audience to adopt a particular viewpoint or take specific actions. They prioritize rational persuasion, aiming to change opinions, beliefs, or behaviors by providing well-structured reasoning and factual support.

To summarize, the key differences between these two speeches are as follows:

• Emotion vs. Logic: Motivational speeches evoke emotions, while persuasive speeches lean on logical appeals.
• Focus: Motivational speeches use personal stories, while persuasive speeches present information and reasoning.
• Outcome: Motivational speeches aim to inspire and motivate, while persuasive speeches seek to change minds or prompt actions.

How to Write a Motivational Speech that Ignites Change

Creating a motivational speech that truly resonates requires a thoughtful approach. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you craft an impactful motivational speech:

Step 1: Define Your Purpose and Message

Start by clarifying the purpose of your speech. What do you want to achieve? Whether it’s inspiring personal growth, overcoming challenges, or embracing change, your purpose will guide the entire speech. Define a clear, concise message that encapsulates the core idea you want to convey.

Let’s say your goal is to inspire professionals to adopt a more balanced approach to work. Your message could revolve around the theme of achieving success through work-life balance. This theme captures the core idea of balancing career aspirations with personal well-being. If your purpose is to motivate students to overcome obstacles and excel academically, your message could center around the theme of unleashing inner potential.

With this theme, you’re conveying the message that challenges are opportunities for growth and that each student possesses untapped potential.

Step 2: Know your audience

Understand your audience’s aspirations, challenges, and emotions, and tailor your message to resonate with their experiences. Consider demographics, interests, and the context of the event to create a speech that speaks directly to them.

Suppose you’re speaking to a high school graduating class. They’re on the cusp of embarking on their individual journeys, be it higher education or the workforce. Your speech could empathize with their uncertainty while emphasizing the boundless opportunities ahead.

Incorporate stories of renowned personalities who faced similar crossroads, illustrating how resilience and a willingness to embrace change led to remarkable achievements.

Step 3: Craft a compelling opening

Grab your audience’s attention from the beginning. Start with a captivating quote, a relatable anecdote, a thought-provoking question, or a surprising statistic. Your opening should set the tone and pique curiosity. As you develop your narrative, ensure it flows seamlessly from your attention-grabbing opening. The transition should feel natural, guiding your audience into the heart of your speech.

Step 4: Develop the main points

Organize your speech into a coherent structure with main points that support your message. Each main point should be a key idea that reinforces your overall theme. Use personal stories, examples, and facts to make your points relatable and engaging.

Step 5: Include inspiring stories

When you share narratives that mirror the challenges, triumphs, and aspirations of your audience, you create a connection that bridges the gap between the stage and the seats. These stories validate the experiences of your listeners, fostering a sense of empathy and understanding that cultivates an atmosphere of shared purpose.

Real-life examples hold a special allure. The accounts of ordinary people who have achieved extraordinary feats lend authenticity to your speech. These stories emphasize that success is attainable by anyone willing to invest effort, perseverance, and a commitment to personal growth. They dismantle the notion of unreachable heroes and replace it with the belief that greatness resides within the grasp of each person.

Step 6: Evoke emotions

Emotions are universal threads that bind humanity. When you share stories infused with relatable emotions, you create an immediate bridge between your experiences and those of your audience. They’ll feel seen and understood, fostering a sense of connection that enhances receptivity to your message.

Use vivid language, metaphors, and descriptive imagery to evoke feelings that resonate with your message.

Step 7: Build a climax

Build momentum throughout your speech, leading to a powerful climax. This is the moment of peak emotion and inspiration. It’s where you drive home your main message with maximum impact.

Step 8: Provide practical insights

Offer practical insights, tips, or action steps that your audience can apply in their lives. This adds value to your speech and empowers listeners to act after the event.

Step 9: Maintain positivity

Maintain a positive and hopeful tone throughout your speech. Your goal is to encourage your audience to focus on solutions and opportunities rather than dwelling on challenges.

Step 10: Craft a memorable closing

End your speech with a strong and memorable closing. Summarize your key points, reiterate your message, and leave the audience with an impression. Consider using a powerful quote, a call to action, or an uplifting statement.

Wrapping up

As you weave your speech, consider the faces before you, the dreams they carry, and the hurdles they face. Your words can be the guiding light that illuminates the path to realization, resilience, and rejuvenation.

As you conclude your motivational speech, remember that you are not just imparting words; you’re instilling hope, sparking transformation, and leaving an indelible mark on the souls of those who are fortunate enough to hear you.

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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

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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:

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Instrumental /   Motivational

A motivational speech is intended to advise, motivate, or inspire an audience. Such speeches attempt to challenge or transform their audience’s perceptions of themselves. The elements of a good motivational speech require more than just having a transformative life experience. Contrary to the belief it’s not always necessary that you need to have a successful track record, be an expert or have a ‘rags to riches’ success story. Your audience will typically be drawn to a message that is delivered with a positive attitude, energy, and encouragement.

Before you begin your journey into motivational speaking let us take a moment look at the 5 crucial components when formulating your Motivational speech.

1. Audience – Whether it is a speech intended for 1 or a conference keynote, a motivational speech is designed to change the way your listeners see the challenges facing them in the future.

2.   Credibility   – Before and during any speech you make sure you have established yourself as an authority figure. Social proof, well crafted personal stories, and working with well-established sources helps you build credibility.

3.   Delivery   - Delivering your speech with authenticity is key. If you want to stand out don’t try to fit in.

4.   Message   - Avoid a one-size-fits-all approach. Find your niche topic and deliver your message as a “try before you buy”. Let them know that if it does not fit, they don’t have to wear it.

5.   Listen   – To be heard, first you must learn to hear. Appreciate other points of view, even if you do not agree with it and acknowledge differences in opinion.

Begin with a Plan

You do not become a great motivational speaker by rehashing old ideas in the same way everyone else does. Aim to develop fresh and relevant content that your audience would like to hear. Make sure to invest some time into thinking deeply about your primary message and then focus on your deliver

The Simple Construction

When constructing your speech consider how you’ll take your audience from where they are now (A) to where you want them to be (B). Once you’ve defined the before-and-after change you want to see, build your presentation outline around that journey. What makes motivational speeches unique is that there is no right or wrong way of constructing your speech as long as you can effectively communicate the desired outcome. Think of it as poetry or composing a song. Find your beat and keep a consistent rhythm that moves people. Use these steps and write down all your answers in one or two sentences.

1.  What is your primary message? Never overwhelm the audience too much information. Stick to 1 point

2.  What qualifies you to speak about this topic? Establish your credibility or how do you intend to.

3.  What obstacles have you/they overcome? Think of a story. It can either be a personal story or an influencer story that relates to your message and connects with your audience. "In our common experience”

4.  What tools or methods did you/they use to overcome them? Place your supporting points here on the steps taken that

support your message. Make these points easy to understand.

5.  What are the advantages of your proposal? Clearly demonstrate what it will do for them

Now take the time to review your notes and let’s begin connecting the dots.

The Finishing Touches

After you have outlined your motivational speech, you're ready to add some color. Remember that what you say and how you say it can impact human feelings and behavior.

Get their Attention! Start off with an arousing opener that is sure to gain their attention. Do so by implementing one of these methods.  

Tell a joke to break the ice

Begin with a captivating or funny story

Start with a gripping quotation

Ask a “What-if” or a compelling question

Present a paradox or unusual fact

Warm them up with an activity

Remember, you can win or lose an audience in the first 60 seconds

Use your Voice and Body  to project power and magnitude. This will require a lot of practice and a deep understanding of public speaking fundamentals. Vocal Variety and Body Language are essential for a good motivational speech. Remember to utilize all 4 P’s. Pitch, Pause, Pace, Power.

As for body language act out what you're telling them. Use your whole body to communicate a thought, an image. Remember to do so sensibly, you don't go to your audience, you make them come to you

To find the right combination I would recommend researching and watching other motivational speakers.

Take your newfound knowledge and put it to the test.

Take it Home!  Give them a powerful close. Tell a dramatic story that personifies personal achievement and success. Tell them they too can do it, not to quit, that they will succeed whatever their personal goals may be. Recap and relate the success to how each of them will personally benefit. What they want to hear from you is a correlation with reality. All you have to do is show them that relationship.

Time to Deliver

Congratulations! You are now ready to deliver your motivational speech. Your closing should spark emotions in a powerful and dynamic way. Reach your audience according to what matters to them. Their importance, their personal value, what they stand to gain, and most importantly, their self-worth. You’ll know immediately if you have done a well. After your speech you won't even have to ask for their commitment. Practice what you speak and stay committed to your message that's motivation. “Motivated people motivate people”

Take your newfound knowledge and put it to the test. Practice your Motivational Speaking skills here. Or if you’d like to learn more be on the lookout for Your Voice NY workshops

Whether you are a beginner or a pro it’s always a great idea to have quick and simple material to reference. If you are interested in learning more and finding your inner motivator continue reading from here.

16 Most Life-Changing Motivational Speeches & What You’ll Gain from Them

It’s all very well reading about ways to get ahead in life, but no account will ever reach you in quite the same way as hearing someone speak about their own experiences. While these people may be household names now, it wasn’t always that way, and this collection of some of the best motivational speeches will move you and inspire you to make your own dreams come true.

From Arnold Schwarzenneger talking about how he filled every moment of every day with steps to fulfil his ambition of becoming Mr. Universe, to J.K. Rowling’s life as an impoverished single mother, these speeches will fill you with the drive and determination to reach your full potential, and not let anything stand in your way.

Some are long, and some last just a few minutes, but each one will make you want to grab life with both hands and go for what you want, whatever it is.

“Most people have done all that they’re ever going to do – they raise a family, they earn a living, and then they die.”

That’s what we’re supposed to do, right? Wrong! Life is made for greater things, and you are meant for greater things.

When Les Brown was a child, he was labeled ‘educable mentally retarded’, and until a chance encounter with another teacher, he believed that he would amount to nothing. But this one teacher planted the seeds in Les’ head which would blossom and grow, and eventually make him one of the best motivational speakers of all time.

This speech will give you permission to rise above other people’s opinions, to break free of their prejudices, and make a success of whatever you do. Watch ‘It’s Not Over Until You Win! Your Dream is Possible’ and take those first steps towards following your passion and making your dream come true.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8f0nIhDpXuU

“Stress doesn’t come from the facts, stress comes from the meaning that we give the facts.”

Life is about choices. Every day we’re faced with hundreds of choices, and this speech by Tony Robbins will help you see that it’s the choices, not the conditions, which shape our lives.

Take a moment during this speech to pause and reflect on some choices you have made in the past, and really think about the direction your life took because of them, both good and bad. Tony Robbins explains in his inimitable way that we have the choice to focus on what we want, and that when we focus, we can achieve whatever we want.

Part of Tony’s speech explains how, when the economy is down, some people thrive and some people crash and burn, and the COVID 19 pandemic is the perfect example. Small businesses took a huge hit, and while some of them threw up their hands in despair and said ‘that’s it, it’s over for us’, others adapted, and saw it as an opportunity to expand, diversify, and turn the situation to their advantage.

And that’s the cornerstone of this video – how we react, how we adapt, and how we choose is the difference between success and failure.

“So every rep that I do gets me closer to accomplishing the goal to make this goal – this vision – into reality.”

Be inspired by Arnold Schwarzenneger as he talks about his goal of becoming Mr. Universe. Never wasting a second of his day, Arnie worked in construction, spent 5 hours in the gym, and went to acting classes, all of which took him further along his journey to making his dream come true.

We all have a propensity to waste time, but if you have a goal, if you have a passion that smolders away, take a leaf out of Arnie’s book and make sure that everything you do propels you forward.

And don’t be afraid to fail.

“Your conviction and your convenience don’t live on the same block.”

If you are a fan of The Secret, you will be familiar with Lisa Nicholls. In this video, Lisa tells Tom Bilyeu how she was willing to leave everything and everyone behind in order to grow into the version of herself that she knew she wanted.

Lisa explains how, as a young mother, she was forced to wrap her baby in a towel for two days because she had no money for diapers, and how it was at that moment that she vowed never to be that broke or that broken again.

Change, success, drive…they’re all inconvenient and disruptive, and Lisa Nicholls demonstrates that wonderfully in this emotional and highly motivating interview in which she declares “your story is not meant to be your fortress, your story is meant to be your fuel.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toQmqLwNtho

Eric Thomas had a dream, a goal, and that goal was to be the best motivational speaker in the world. He didn’t achieve this by giving 70%, or 80%…he didn’t achieve it by staying in bed late in the mornings. He achieved it by giving 100% every minute of every day.

Listen to Eric’s words, hear the passion in his voice, and feel the lessons he is giving to you if you want to be the best at whatever you do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtuHZC-ObA8

“If we don’t take control of our environment, it takes control of us.”

This short piece by Tony Robbins has been designed to show you that you are in control of your own environment. Whether you realize it or not, what goes on around you has a massive influence on the way you feel and the way you act.

By taking leadership of your own life, you can defy outside influences and set your own tone for the day ahead, regardless of whatever or whoever is exerting pressure from the outside.

Follow Tony’s example of taking 10 minutes for yourself at the start of every day – for gratitude, prayer or wishes for family and friends, and a recap of what you want to accomplish that day, and your day will continue on that same path of thankfulness, hope, and goals.

“Your mind doesn’t know the difference between something you vividly imagined and something that’s real, literally!”

If you want to emulate the way successful people behave, take these 10 billionaires’ habits and adopt them yourself for 21 days.

Billed by Jim Kwik as being ‘like a magic pill’, these habits will rewire your brain into thinking and behaving like some of the world’s most successful people.

In this 8 minute clip, Jim shares how, for instance, your brain reacts the same way when you imagine your dog walking in as it does when your dog actually walks in, and this can apply to anything. What the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.

As much as this applies to positive things, it also can be applied to negative things, so if you imagine failure, that’s what you will get. Fill your mind with thoughts of success and that’s what will happen.

None of these habits are difficult to accomplish, but in doing so you will change your entire mindset into one of a hugely successful person, no matter what you want to achieve in life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fzGPwY40Cw

“Don’t leave crumbs.”

If this sounds more like a housekeeping hint and less like a motivational affirmation, you’re 50% right. Our lives do need housekeeping, and not leaving crumbs – i.e. regrets – which will come back and rob your tomorrow of joy, is one of the chores you need to do on a daily basis.

Matthew McConaughey delivers a powerful speech in a gentle way at the University of Houston Commencement Address.

Discussing the five rules he lives by, he will show you how to avoid falling into a trap of entitlement, and why ‘Unbelievable’ is the stupidest word in the dictionary.

With some invaluable life lessons contained inside a highly watchable speech, Matthew McConaughey is an unlikely but very inspiring speaker who has stayed humble despite all his successes.

“There are a lot of sharks in the world; if you hope to complete the swim, you will have to deal with them. So if you want to change the world, don’t back down from the sharks.”

Spoken with eloquence and quiet assuredness, this six-minute speech draws on US Navy Admiral William McRaven’s experience of survival in the Navy Seals.

He explains how making your bed, while seemingly insignificant and even pointless, will set a series of tasks in motion which will ensure that at best, the first job of the day is done, and at worst, you have a neat, tidy bed to fall into at the end of a trying day.

The world is full of people who want to bring you down (the sharks) but if you stand your ground, they will eventually swim away, leaving you to go on to bigger and better things.

“Sometimes life’s gonna hit you in the face with a brick…don’t lose faith.”

Steve Jobs, chairman, CEO, and co-founder of Apple Inc. was hit in the face with more than one brick during his 56 years on earth. From being given up for adoption as a baby, to being fired from the very company which he founded, he never let anything get in his way.

In this commencement speech at Stamford University in 2005, Steve explained how his love for what he did spurred him on to rebuild his life in spectacular fashion.

Life dealt a further blow when, in 2003, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

This speech focuses on three stories which, when combined, show how life offers opportunities for change and growth, no matter how dire the circumstances.

Steve Jobs never graduated college, but when he died in 2011, aged just 56, he had a net worth of US$7 billion. He achieved this by doing what he loved, and in this speech he will inspire you to do the same.

“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously than you might as well not have lived at all. In which case, you fail by default.”

Let J. K. Rowling inspire you with this 2008 commencement speech at Harvard University. Extolling the virtues of failure and imagination, she tells the graduates how being at rock bottom set her free to pursue her dreams of being an author.

As poor as it is possible to be without being homeless, she created the world of Harry Potter and went on to amass a fortune of £795 million, but that without her failures in life, she would never have had the opportunity to do so.

Let her words become your own mantra, and view every failure in your life as a future success.

“We shine, because baby you just can’t dim the sun.”

A beautiful antidote for anyone who has ever felt or been told that they are ‘too much’, Gina Hatzis’ winning Speaker Slam speech of 2018 will give you permission to be unashamedly you.

Although written by a woman for women, this powerful and sometimes humorous speech about being your own authentic self will inspire anyone – man or woman – to shine and never dim their own light to suit other people.

“The first step you need to take is just that…step.”

If you are in need of a short, sharp burst of motivation, listen to this speech by ex Navy Seal, Jocko Willink.

Running for less than three minutes, this recording will inspire you to take a step into whatever you want to achieve. Awarded both the Silver Star and the Bronze Star for service, Jocko Willink is no stranger to taking those brave steps, having come face to face with Iraqu insurgents in Ramadi. He will spur you on to put one metaphorical foot in front of the other, and will leave you in no doubt as to what you need to do to achieve your goals.

“On the other side of your maximum fear are all of the best things in life.”

If you like your motivation with a side order of laughter, watch Will Smith as he talks about fear. Agreeing to skydive on a night out with friends, Will realizes that he actually has to go through with it.

Discussing how fear ruins things (he couldn’t sleep or eat before the jump), Will also discloses that beyond fear was the most blissful experience of his life, and how that principle can be applied to anything in life.

“Only those that can see the invisible, can do the impossible.”

Tyrese Gibson knows success, and in this speech he talks about how it can be achieved, by anyone who wants it.

Actor, singer, author, model…Tyrese seems to have the Midas touch, but he didn’t get it by luck. Follow his words as he gently but passionately guides you along the path you need to take if you have goals and dreams in life.

“I refuse to be another man who lived and died, and wasn’t significant’”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bzl3CQXMRVo

“If it is written, so shall it be.”

When Steve Harvey’s teacher crushed his dreams of being on TV, the one person who believed in him was his father. He told him to put a piece of paper with his dreams on in his drawer, and to read it every morning and every night.

His dreams came true.

It didn’t always come easy for Steve Harvey though – he spent years living in his car when he had nowhere else to go, but the one thing he never lost was his ambition and determination to see his dreams through to fruition.

A firm believer in the Law of Attraction, Steve still has vision boards and still commits his dreams to writing, and encourages you to do the same in this speech that made Obama cry.

These motivational speeches, and many more like them, show how having guts, determination, and a vision will get you anywhere you want to go, no matter your beginnings in life. These inspirational speakers have suffered loss, sickness, and unbelievable hardships, but the one thing that got them through was their desire to win and their belief that they could.

Immerse yourself in their words of wisdom, and take that next step into your best life.

More on Motivation

• 8 Rituals to Cultivating True Self-Motivation That Lasts
• 10 Monday Morning Habits for a Successful Week
• Motivational Quotes

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7 Steps to an Inspiring and Memorable Speech

A great speech isn't just about soaring rhetoric. it's about structure, timing, message, and other key components. here's how to write and give a great speech the next time you're asked to do so..

Minutes last forever when you're stuck listening to a boring speaker.

We've all been there, and with the season of graduations and commencements upon us, many of us will likely be there again. So, I've pulled together the seven most important things I've learned about making great speeches .

These are the lessons I've learned from the best practitioners, and that I share with my ghostwriting clients. Learn them if you're giving a talk, and politely share them with upcoming speakers if you'll be sitting in the audience.

1. Have a point (but no more than a few).

How many times have you heard someone give a talk, and walked away asking yourself, "What was he or she even talking about?"

This is the cardinal sin of speeches. Even if your audience hasn't had to pay money to attend your talk, they're giving you something potentially more valuable: their time. Respect them by having at least one main point, but also remember that having too many messages creates the same problem as having none.

2. Think about structure.

It's a basic but oft-forgotten rule: A good story needs a beginning, a middle, and an end. So does a good speech. You'll find that an audience reacts best if you tell them early on in your speech what you plan to tell them, and give them mileposts along the way.

Thus, don't just dive into your remarks. Tell the audience up front how you plan to arrange your talk, and even perhaps what your main points are. ("Today, I'm going to talk with you about three key things...") If all else is equal, also try to spend roughly the same amount of time on each section, and use verbal cues to let your audience know where you are in the talk ( "That was the first point. The second point I want to share with you is...." )

3. Connect, connect, connect.

Even though you're doing most of the talking, it's best to think of a speech as two-way conversation. Imagine that your relationship with the audience began before you arrived and will continue after you leave.

Add all of this up, and it means you need two things: confidence in your message, and a respectful understanding of your audience. Recognize that while you've ideally put hours into crafting your message, the folks in the folding chairs get a relatively short time to hear it. Don't talk down to them, but at the same time translate your words into language they're comfortable with.

4. Write poetry, not prose.

Written text works differently. Some things that look funny on the page work well when delivered orally, while other things that seem smart on paper fall flat when spoken aloud.

Therefore, model your text after poetry, lyrics, and of course, other great speeches. If nothing else, when you prepare your final draft, write it so that each new thought (and pause) begins on a new line. The final draft should look more like a poem than a page from a book.

5. Tell a story.

If you know anything about children, I can guarantee you one thing: Nobody has ever promised to go to bed if their parents agreed to give them a "bedtime lecture" first. We're simply wired to react better to stories than to recitations.

There are many great examples of this, but the one I always point clients to is the commencement address Steve Jobs gave in 2005 at Stanford. This was a masterful speech organized around into three stories: how taking calligraphy courses later impacted the MacBook (a story about connecting the dots), being fired from and returning to Apple (a story about love and loss), and what he learned from his first diagnosis with pancreatic cancer (a story about death).

6. Rewrite and practice.

Those who give speeches often reuse the same material. That makes sense, as long as you accept that continual revision and practice is your responsibility as a speaker.

Personally, I enjoy giving updated versions of my "standard" speech about the five key things any entrepreneur must understand in order to be successful: mindset, urgency, resources, people, and happiness. I've rewritten it many times, however, and frankly I was a few dozen drafts deep into it before I realized that I could keep the audience on track by organizing the whole thing around an acronym: M-U-R-P-H. Not coincidentally, that also happens to be the nickname I've answered to since I was about 7 years old.

7. Leave them wanting more.

When my publisher contracts with me for a 100,000-word book, I give them a 100,000-word book. When someone asks me for a 30-minute speech, however, I usually prepare something that will take about 20 minutes to deliver.

This is for several reasons. First, most events run long, and schedules fall apart, so it's better to be prepared to squeeze your remarks into a shorter time frame than anticipated. Second, I often find that no matter how long I think it will take to deliver remarks when I'm rehearsing, it usually takes longer when it's "for real." Finally, wrapping up a bit early forces you to involve the audience. And that's a great way to ensure that your speech is what it's supposed to be: a two-way conversation.

Want to read more, make suggestions, or even be featured in a future column? Contact me and sign up for my weekly email .

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