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How To Give a Killer Speech

I’m the guy who runs TED Talks. Here’s the inside scoop.

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Episode Notes

We all have to give a presentation at some point in our lives — on a stage, in a conference room, and, these days, on Zoom. So what makes a good speech? On this episode of How To!, we bring on Chris Anderson, the head of TED Talks and author of TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking . Chris gives us the inside scoop on the famous speaking series and breaks down some of the greatest speeches of all time. Then we present Chris with an unusual challenge from a 6th-grader named Lucy. She wrote in asking for help with a speech she is planning to give to her school board about improving her school. Can the head of TED help our 6th-grade listener with the biggest speech of her young life?

If you liked this episode, check out our episode featuring Guy Raz, the former host of TED Radio Hour : “ How To Become Your Own Boss With Guy Raz .”

Do you have a problem that needs solving? Send us a note at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. Subscribe for free on Apple , Spotify or wherever you listen.

Podcast production by Derek John, Rachael Allen, and Rosemary Belson.

About the Show

We all need advice, but sometimes it’s hard to know where to turn. Each week, Courtney Martin and Carvell Wallace bring a listener on to the show to solve their toughest problems with the help of world-class experts. It’s free therapy, and you’re invited.

David Epstein is a science writer and host emeritus of How To! He is the author of the No. 1 New York Times bestseller Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World and of the bestseller The Sports Gene . He was previously an investigative reporter at ProPublica and senior writer at Sports Illustrated.

• @DavidEpstein on Twitter

9 Killer Speech Openers to Start a Talk or Presentation.​

Danny Riley 8 min read

What you’ll learn:

• The importance of a “killer” speech opening.
• 9 powerful speech openers and how to use them.
• Examples from great speakers you can learn from.

Great speech openers hook your audience.

“ Well begun is half done” – Mary Poppins.

A killer speech opener will make the difference between a presentation that makes you soar or your audience snore .

I’ve researched the whole web to find nine killer speech openers to make your audience lean in and listen rather than tune out and daydream.

You’ll see how masters of the craft have used them, and how you can too.

Number seven takes hutzpah to pull off. Ready for the whole list of killer speech openers?

The Shock Opener

One of the best ways to open your speech with a buzz is to startle or shock them.

You can shock an audience in many ways, but they all rest on the major senses of VAKS:

• Kinesthetic (touch) 

We don’t want your audience tasting your talk, but it should leave a good taste in their mouths.

Changing Minds suggests asking if the audience is awake after appearing from a flashbang and a cloud of smoke, and this might work for you if you’re a magician or playing some kind of character for your speech like a genie.

Suppose you aren’t going for the magic angle. 

In that case, you can shock them on a psychological level instead, as Conor Neill recommends, and tell your audience a surprising fact or statistic that makes them question their thinking or beliefs.

“Did you know that half the water on earth is older than the sun?”

Questions like these will shake an audience awake and turn on their critical thinking nervous-system.

Don’t take my word for it; you can see an incredible demonstration of the shock opener in Mohammed Qahtani’s speech, The Power of Words .

Qahtani opens by taking out a cigarette and placing it into his mouth before trying to light it. The audience is so shocked that they gasp and tell him to stop.

Remember, if your audience is shocked, they are listening.

Your audience doesn’t always have to be jolted to attention with a shock opener, though you can use a more subtle approach to grab their focus. 

Ready to speak with confidence ? Explore our training options...

The story opener.

You can set the tone of your speech instantly with a story .

In Hollywood, filmmakers and directors use an ‘establishing shot’ to set the tone and theme of the entire film.

When creating your speech, think of a short story that sums up your talk.

Maybe you tell half the story to begin with, and then the other half at the end. 

The important thing is your tale must be relatable . If your audience can’t imagine themselves in the story, they won’t be engaged.

We all experience very similar things in life: 

• We all went to school and had a teacher we loved
• We all have parents who loved us or made mistakes in our upbringing
• We all had a first crush.

We are all cut from the same cloth, so it’s good to be reminded that others are going through what we face or think as we do.

Bryan Stevenson does a stellar job of recounting his mischievous grandmother in his TED talk, We need to talk about an injustice .

The best thing is, you can combine a story-opener with any other speech opener in this list.

It’s truly versatile.

One of my favourite speech openers is next, though.

The Intrigue Opener

I love this speech opener.

What better way to hook your audience than to intrigue them with mystery or a juicy secret?

Take a look at Daniel Pink’s TED Talk The puzzle of motivation . After he begins, Pink, looking like a guilty man sent to the gallows tells his audience:

“I need to confess something, at the outset here. A little over 20 years ago, I did something I regret. Something I’m not particularly proud of”.

Wow. How intriguing, right?

You have to admit; you want to know what he’s about to confess.

Choose every sentence, every word, and every mark of punctuation to increase the tantalisation temperature.

Whether it’s a secret or confession, the Intrigue Opener piques just enough curiosity in your audience to keep them from checking Whatsapp.

As humans, we need closure. 

We do not like open loops. 

That’s why it is both enthralling and aggravating when someone plays on our need to be sure.

Just as we cannot stand an open loop, we are instantly engaged when someone gives us a puzzle to solve.

You’ll notice the best speeches, books, tv shows, and films do not spoon feed you all of the information.

I’ve always liked the way Malcolm Gladwell writes his non-fiction books because they contain puzzles that you solve as a reader.

This puzzle needs to be related to the speech or presentation you’re delivering, of course. It cannot be a random puzzle and will ideally be impossible or extremely difficult to solve at first.

After the speech begins and the puzzle is revealed, you should slowly drop hints on how to solve the mystery.

Up next, speech openers that use a physical object to create curiosity in the audience’s mind.

The Prop Opener

One of the most potent ways you will captivate your audience is to use a powerful prop in your opening address.

What better way to capture an audience’s imagination than to show them a mysterious or beautiful object?

If you’ve never seen the Prop Opener done well, then take a look at one of the greatest speeches of all time:

Dananjaya Hettiarachchi’s, See Something .

Danajaya enters with a simple rose in his breast pocket, takes it out, gazes at it nostalgically, smells it and then begins to speak.

This same prop appears again right at the end of his speech to end his talk with a flourish.

There are many different props you can use.

JJ Abrams used a Mystery Box to absorb the audience’s attention and used the box as a metaphor for his entire career.

If you think the prop opener is just for TED Talks and Toastmasters Final Speeches, remember that most company product launch centre around one or more props.

Steve Jobs revealed his new products in ever-innovative ways.

Still, while the last two speeches I’ve mentioned opened with physical items, most of Jobs’s presentations built intrigue through the sight of the product.

So remember, you can use an object, or tease your audience with the absence of a prop, but make that prop integral to your talk.

You don’t always have to use a prop, of course. 

A more minimalist approach to opening your speech uses the best audience reaction a speaker can receive: laughter.

The Funny Opener

Using laughter to win over your audience is the golden ticket to immediate rapport with your audience.

Jack Schafer, PhD at Psychology Today, said that People Will Like You If You Make Them Laugh , which seems obvious, but at least you know we have scientists on the case. 

He also mentions that constructing humour requires and projects a high level of intelligence .

Of course, laughter is subjective, but it is also infectious, and if you get enough members of your audience to titter, it will spread across the whole group.

If you want to see just how quickly you can win an audience over with humour, take a look at Ken Robinson’s subtle but delightful ability to raise a chuckle in his speech Do Schools Kill Creativity? 

Ken’s ability to speak conversationally to an audience of thousands is genuinely remarkable.

If you break down his humour, it is easy to see how you could include similar content in your presentations. 

Whether you can pull it off as well as Ken is another story.

Not everyone feels like they can be a comedian, though; I get that. 

Well, that’s alright because there are other ways to open your talk that play on other strong emotions.

You can inspire your audience too.

The Inspirational Opener

One of my favourite ways to help beginner speakers to open their presentation is with a quote.

A quote acts like a story in that it sets the tone and theme of your speech, but it takes much less effort and even less skill.

An effective quote is usually only one line long and supported by the credibility of the original author who uttered those words.

Watch the way Clint Smith opens his TED Talk  The Danger of Silence .

Using Martin Luther King’s voice to start his speech gives Clint what psychologists call the transference effect .

Just by citing someone else, especially someone admired and famous, you redirect the emotions an audience have towards that person onto yourself.

One caveat to using quotes, though:

Fact check them . I cringe whenever I see someone incorrectly quoting someone.

Have you ever heard the quote by Albert Einstein:

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results”?

A great quote, isn’t it?

But Albert Einstein never said those words .

A quick check on Reuters will help you add more credibility to your inspirational opener.

Finally, try to use a quote few people have ever heard. Inspiring words have been filling the archives of history for millennia, so seek out something that has been left dusty on the shelf rather than the same recycled iterations.

Next, let’s look at a type of bold speech opener that take real hutzpah to land well.

The Perspective Shift Opener

A powerful speech opener that will take confidence is the perspective shift opener.

This opener will lead the audience in one direction before changing direction and setting a new pace for the speech.

Cameron Russel does a fantastic job of controlling the frame in her TED Talk Looks aren’t everything. Believe me; I’m a model.

Russel takes to the stage dressed in a skimpy dress and begins to tell the audience about her career, but then does a rapid wardrobe change on stage in front of the entire audience. 

This change of dress sets a new tone, feel, and direction for the speech.

If you can change the audience’s perspective or frame of reality, you are in the driving seat.

One of the best things you can hope for as a speaker is moving hearts and changing minds. 

If you aren’t a confident speaker, start small.

Vanessa Van Edwards suggests never mentioning how nervous you are. 

It’s distracting and makes the audience pick up on all the subtle nervous energy and cues you give off. Control the frame instead and act cool and confident: they will buy into it.

Another great way to hold frame control over an audience is by using the power of silence .

The Silence Opener

Silence is a valuable commodity in today’s noisy and distracting digital world.

Creating silence at the beginning of your talk can profoundly affect your audience and their focus.

Did you ever have a teacher at school who used silence effectively?

When my English classmates were noisy, our teacher Mr Rylance would hold up his hand in silence. 

Slowly we would settle down and focus on his raised hand. 

A few would giggle, but that would peter out until we all wrapt in a hypnotic stillness.

If you want to see an example of how to use silence, then look at Neal Glitterman’s speech The Power of Silence .

You can see how much gravity silence can have , especially as a speech opener.

The final killer opener I want to introduce you to is the big promise opener.

The Big Promise Opener

I believe that all speeches and presentations should contain a big promise as it tells your audience why they should keep on listening.

Ideally, your big promise will be your speech title or phrase that pays which is a recurring foundational phrase you will use throughout your presentation.

A big promise is your way of making a deal with the audience : you listen to me, and you’ll get something in return.

Creating a big promise at the beginning of your speech is like adding a teaser trailer to the beginning of a TV show. It suggests a reason you should stick around.

When Arthur Benjamin introduces his talk Faster than a calculator by announcing:

 “I am a human calculator!”

You know that proof is on the way.

Remember the essential rule of the Big Promise Opener: make it big and keep your promise.

WOW your audience with these killer speech openers.

I hope you feel that I kept my promise of sharing nine killer speech openers to start a presentation.

Did you notice any other speech openers at the beginning of this article?

Don’t forget; these openers can be mixed and matched.

You can include a number of these speech openers in the same presentation to create more impact.

Let me know which of these killer openers was your favourite, and let me know if you have any more you’d like to share.

– Danny Riley

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How to make a great presentation

Stressed about an upcoming presentation? These talks are full of helpful tips on how to get up in front of an audience and make a lasting impression.

The secret structure of great talks

The beauty of data visualization

TED's secret to great public speaking

How to speak so that people want to listen

How great leaders inspire action

How to Give a Killer Presentation: 18 Top Tips

People attend presentations to learn and gain useful insight. But way too often, we see the audience yawn, scroll on their phones or check their watch, wishing that the time would go faster.

Is it that the content of the presentation isn’t interesting enough, or that the speaker doesn’t know how to engage the audience?

Whatever the reason, delivering an engaging presentation is an art that takes some time to master.

Based on my own experience from the stage, and from observing other speakers at industry-leading conferences, I’ve collected these 18 top tips. May they help you give a presentation that will wow your audience:

• Plan your storyline
• Use the rule of three
• Simplify your slides
• Include numbers
• Use the power of visuals
• Practice relentlessly
• Greet the audience in their local language
• Break the ice at the start
• Engage your audience with live polls
• Move around the stage and make gestures
• Smile and make eye contact
• Consider using props
• Go among the audience
• Give rewards for participation
• Prompt a discussion in the audience
• Build in time for Q&A
• Crowdsource questions from the audience
• Gather feedback

1. Plan your storyline

A powerful story can make your whole presentation. Take TED talks, for instance. They’re all based on captivating stories that support the main argument or line of thought of each speech.

Give your presentation a concept. Use a classic narrative structure, from a gripping outset to an impressive end. A presentation designer Nancy Duarte advises presenters to spend twice as much time on framing the storyline than creating the actual slides.

Also, don’t forget to add emotional details and power words. These will make your audience feel much more connected to you. People will eventually forget your slides and your presentation, but they will not forget how you made them feel.

2. Use the rule of three

People can usually remember only three main points from presentations, so take advantage of this psychological phenomenon.

While creating your storyline, think of three key messages that you want your audience to walk out of the room with. To make these three key points stick, you need to make them short, memorable and attention-grabbing.

On the other hand, if your presentation revolves around one main argument, make use of the Aristotelian “triptych” method: “Tell them what you’re going to tell them. Tell them. Then tell them what you told them.” In a nutshell, you should properly introduce the point you will be making, then make your point, and then wrap up with summarizing the main point.

3. Simplify your slides

No matter how rich in content your slides are, if they’re too crowded, nobody is going to read them. Too much text on slides actually takes your audience’s attention away from your presentation, which hinders the learning process.

Make your slides as simple as possible and try to present only one idea per slide. Sometimes, one powerful sentence, a number, or even one word, can say more than a slide full of bullet points.

4. Include numbers

When used sensibly, numbers can strengthen your point and back up your arguments. To make data easy for your audience to digest, you need to make it specific, relevant and contextual.

When Steve Jobs introduced the first iPod , he did not emphasize its 5GB storage and 185g weight. Instead, he repeatedly said that it could hold 1,000 songs and physically manifested that he could fit it into his pocket. This number was easy for the audience to remember, and called even more attention to its tiny size.

5. Use the power of visuals

Videos or images not only engage the audience but also help to evoke emotions that are otherwise super difficult for speakers to elicit by themselves.

Make sure that the visuals you use support the main point of your presentation, or demonstrate what you’re talking about. This works very well in the creative industry, where visual aids are often necessary to complement the main content.

However, if you’re going to use video, be cautious. A too lengthy or unengaging video may put people to sleep rather than keep them attentive.

6. Practice relentlessly

Attending a presentation where the speaker keeps looking down at his notes is painful so don’t underestimate this point. For instance, Winston Churchill rehearsed for hours, even days, to deliver a 10-minute long speech.

Memorize your presentation flow by heart if need be. Do it to the extent that you won’t need the notes.

During your rehearsals, use a video camera to record yourself in order to see where you stutter, where you seem nervous and how you work with your body language. Don’t be afraid to ask a friend to give you feedback.

Tim Ferris , the author of The 4-Hour Workweek, follows a Spartan’s preparation for his public speeches. He splits his presentation into several segments and he goes through each one of them up to ten times.

7. Greet your audience in their local language

As a speaker, you often find yourself addressing an international audience, whether it is at a big conference or an internal company meeting joined by remote teams.

Greeting international participants in their local language gives a nice personal touch to the offset of your presentation. It helps you create a connection and the feeling of intimacy with the people sitting before you.

I always memorize how to say “Hello” and “How are you?” in the local language, and use them as soon as I come onstage. You can even take it a step further and adjust your presentation ad hoc to the audience, by making local references.

For example, Google’s Digital Marketing Evangelist, Avinash Kaushik , started his talk at the Marketing festival by showing pictures from his tour around the hosting city of Brno, Czech Republic. Moreover, he used the Czech websites that the audience was closely familiar with, instead of international ones, to get his point across.

8. Break the ice at the start

Hook your audience right off the bat. Using an effective icebreaker will help you set the stage and energize your attendees.

Here’s an inspiration for you: At the 2018 World Education Congress (WEC) , I asked people to close their eyes and think of a presentation session that had recently impressed them. After 30 seconds, I invited them to share their dream session with their neighbor and describe it using one word, before submitting it to a Slido word cloud poll.

Next, I asked them to picture the usual experience of attending a presentation and describe it again, using a single word. Seeing the differences in the two consequent word cloud polls was very thought-provoking and sparked up a discussion among the attendees.

Other than using technology, you can liven up your audience with a classic show of hands or other brisk icebreaking activities , such as rock, paper, scissors or live barometer.

Related story: The Complete List of 200 Icebreaker Questions and Tips On How to Use Them

9. Engage your audience with live polls

Once you win your audience over, keep up the pace by creating enough interaction points throughout your presentation.

Live polling is your best bet here. When smartly used, live polls will keep your attendees engaged during the whole length of your presentation. They also help you to effectively collect your audience’s insights, which you can then showcase on screen. This multiplies the learning element of your presentation.

In general, I follow the human attention span and use a poll every 8-10 minutes, which is 5-6 polls for a 60-minute talk, maximum.

To give you an example, during the latest webinar I led, I asked the participants a simple rating poll: “How would you rate interaction in the classroom today?”

The results set a good ground for the main argument I was going to make about insufficient interactivity in education, and really helped me make my point.

On top of that, this strategy allows me to break the long content deliveries into more digestible chunks, regain the audience’s attention, and ignite conversations based on the results.

The last point is particularly important. Live polls make sense only when you facilitate their use. So make sure to always follow up on the results, share your thoughts on them, or get the audience to share why they voted the way they did.

Related story: The Complete Guide: How to Use and Facilitate Slido Polls in Your Presentation

10. Move around the stage and make gestures

If you stand rigidly in one spot or behind a speaker’s stand, you will only appear unconfident and nervous. Think of yourself as an actor on stage, and your presentation as your performance. Use open, big gestures, point in the direction of the audience, or slowly walk about the stage. 

At this year’s Festival of Marketing , Mark Ritson – who was opening the event – reminded me of the importance of using body language. He kept pacing the stage in a natural way and was gesturing throughout the entire length of his speech. It was definitely one of the most engaging sessions I’ve attended this year.

11. Smile and make eye contact

The way you communicate with your audience through your facial expressions makes a huge difference. So don’t look down at your notes, don’t look at your slides, but keep your eyes set on your audience.

Lisa Wentz, a public speaking expert, advises to pick 3 people in the audience that you like, each one at a different corner of the auditorium, and make eye contact with them throughout your presentation. However, avoid staring at one person for too long. Use the selected people only as navigation points that will help you scan the room.

12. Consider using props

Demonstrating the point with the use of props is a powerful way to help the attendees visualize what is being described verbally. Showing a prop at the right moment can help you catch your audience’s attention and enforce your story.

Neuroscientist Jill Bolte Taylor brought a real human brain on stage during her emotional TED talk to explain what had happened to her when she had a stroke. She touched the audience with this demonstration and left them in complete awe.

13. Go among the audience

Asking people questions may feel impersonal if you stand onstage. On top of that, large auditoriums often make it difficult to create intimacy with your audience.

Draw inspiration from rock singers here and “jump” off the stage. Going among the audience will help you build a stronger bond with them and your presentation will feel more personal.

This approach is invaluable if you hope to collect impromptu answers after you have asked your question. Move slowly around the room, and when someone shuffles or raises a hand, approach them with a mic and elicit an answer.

When another hand shoots up, move to that corner of the room, and so on. The point here is to be as close to your audience as possible.

If possible, check the room advance to get used to the space arrangements. This will help you move around more naturally and with more confidence.

14. Give rewards for participation

Despite all your efforts, the audience might need a bit of a nudge. Giving out small rewards can bring another interactive element to your presentation. You can go with the event merchandise or small treats, like chocolates and candy.

For example, at the Eventex conference , one of the speakers, Victor Neyndorff , encouraged people to share their thoughts by handing out chocolate from the Netherlands, his home country.

To give you another idea, at the Jam London conference , the organizers decided to give away books to those attendees who were the most active in asking questions via Slido. This really helped incentivize the audience to participate and improved the dialogue in the room.

15. Prompt a discussion in the audience

You can give audience engagement another spin by giving your attendees an activity that they can participate in.

For example, you can present a statement for the participants to discuss, or give them a task to solve in groups. Where appropriate, walk around the room, join the conversations, and encourage people to talk to each other.

At the Conventa Crossover conference in Slovenia, moderator Jan-Jaap In der Maur put people in small groups and asked them to share the technological trends that they believed will have the biggest impact on the industry in the near future.

Then he collected a few comments from the floor to open a discussion with the whole room.

Simple. Engaging. Useful.

If facilitated properly, activities like these can work equally well with an audience of 20 people as they can with 2,000.

Related story: 5 Essential Pieces of The Audience Engagement Puzzle

16. Build in time for the Q&A

Even if you incorporate interactive elements to your presentation, your audience will surely have additional questions.

For that reason, don’t be scared to allocate as much as 10-20 minutes to the Q&A, depending on the length of your presentation slot.

After I finish my talk, instead of asking, “Are there any questions?” (which typically leads to silence), I like to ask, “What are your questions?”, or say, “Now, let’s get to your questions.” In case I don’t get an instant reaction from the audience, I get off the stage and walk among the audience to encourage the discussion.

In rare moments when no questions come up, I kick off the Q&A by saying: “What people usually ask me is…” and then give an answer. In 9/10 times, the discussion catches on.

17. Crowdsource questions from the audience

Lack of audience questions doesn’t necessarily mean that your audience doesn’t have questions. They may just be uncomfortable with speaking up in public.

Live Q&A tools like Slido allow you to effortlessly crowdsource questions from your audience throughout your presentation via an app. 

Compared to passing the mic amongst the people in the audience, you will give everyone an equal chance to ask questions, regardless of their level of shyness.

If you’re using a Q&A app, it’s important that you introduce and facilitate it properly. I often say something like: “Take a minute and think about what you’ve just heard. Come up with a question that you have, and submit it to Slido.” It works every single time.

Then, just take a look at the screen, or a confidence monitor, and address the questions that have the most upvotes.

If you display the crowdsourced questions on the screen, read each question out loud when addressing it. It will help your audience – even the ones sitting at the back – to know which question you are answering. 

Extra tip: Sometimes, you get way more questions from your audience than you can answer during your time-limited Q&A slot. Don’t leave them hanging in the air. Here you’ll find 5 tips on what to do with unanswered questions after your Q&A .

18. Gather feedback

Feedback is priceless for improving your presentation skills. There’s never enough of it. You can collect feedback easily via Slido feedback survey . Combine rating polls for quick assessment and open text polls to give your participants space for more in-depth comments.

Your feedback survey could look something like this:

• How would you rate this presentation? (rating poll)
• What is your main takeaway from this session? (open text poll)
• What would you improve? (open text poll)

To boost the response rate, make sure that you ask your attendees to fill out the survey while they’re still in the room.

With the tips I’ve listed above, you’ll be able to turn your presentation or lecture from a one-way content broadcast into an exciting conversation between you and your attendees.

Engage your attendees with Slido live Q&A and polls.

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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

• Carmine Gallo

Five tips to set yourself apart.

Never underestimate the power of great communication. It can help you land the job of your dreams, attract investors to back your idea, or elevate your stature within your organization. But while there are plenty of good speakers in the world, you can set yourself apart out by being the person who can deliver something great over and over. Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired together are more memorable); don’t underestimate the power of your voice (raise and lower it for emphasis); give your audience something extra (unexpected moments will grab their attention); rehearse (the best speakers are the best because they practice — a lot).

I was sitting across the table from a Silicon Valley CEO who had pioneered a technology that touches many of our lives — the flash memory that stores data on smartphones, digital cameras, and computers. He was a frequent guest on CNBC and had been delivering business presentations for at least 20 years before we met. And yet, the CEO wanted to sharpen his public speaking skills.

• Carmine Gallo is a Harvard University instructor, keynote speaker, and author of 10 books translated into 40 languages. Gallo is the author of The Bezos Blueprint: Communication Secrets of the World’s Greatest Salesman  (St. Martin’s Press).

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How to Give a Killer Presentation – Lessons from TED

On the Harvard Business Review website presenters can find a true gem:  Lessons from Chris Anderson , curator of the TED conference series. While it was originally published in the magazine in 2013, I find this timeless insight for anybody who wants to improve presentation skills.

Chris starts out with a story to demonstrate that  giving a good talk is highly coachable.

He recalls meeting Richard Turere, a 12-year old Masai boy, who came up with a solution to one of the biggest challenges livestock farmers in Kenya face: protecting their animals from lions and other wild animals. He devised a system of lights that created a sense of movement that scared off lions at night. The lights worked as imagined by Richard and soon villagers in other part of Kenya started installing Richard’s “lion lights”.

This is the kind of inspiring story that is perfect for a  TED Talk . The only problem: Richard seemed not an ideal candidate to give a presentation to a large audience used to listening to polished speakers like Bill Gates and Al Gore. Richard was painfully shy and when he tried to explain his invention, the sentences came out incoherently. Despite of this, Chris invited Richard to tell his story at at the 2013 TED conference.

In the months prior to his presentation, the team at TED coached Richard to frame his story – to find the right place to begin, and to develop the story into a killer presentation.

Chris Anderson writes in the HBR article, “When he finally gave his talk at TED, in Long Beach, you could tell he was nervous, but that only made him more engaging — people were hanging on his every word. The confidence was there, and every time Richard smiled, the audience melted. When he finished, the response was instantaneous: a sustained standing ovation.”

So how does the TED team coach their presenters to frame, practice, and deliver their stories? The process to create a killer presentation starts six to nine months before the event. That’s right!

A real killer presentation requires lots of planning, devising, rehearsing, and lots of fine tuning along the way.  The actual task of transforming a presentation from muddled to mesmerizing is a matter of hours…spread over a longer period of time.

How to Give a Killer Presentation Anywhere – Not Only at TED

Frame your story.

We all have good stories to tell. The most vital part of making your story compelling is to conceptualize it and put it in a frame that people want to hear.

Think about taking your audience on a journey. As with any journey, how you start it and where you finish it is vital to the entire experience.  The most engaging speakers quickly introduce the topic, explain why they care so deeply about it, and convince the audience members that they should as well.

Don’t cram everything you know into your presentation. Instead, use a few specific examples to highlight your ideas. Your presentation won’t be rated by how broad it is, but rather by how deep you can involve your listener into a few well explained details about the problem you are solving.

Plan Your Delivery

There are three main ways to give a talk. You can read it off a script or teleprompter. You can develop a set of bullet points that map out what you’re going to cover in each section. Or you can memorize your talk to deliver it word for word as you have practiced it.

Of course, the last method is the most time consuming during your preparation. It will require hours of rehearsing. Memorizing your talk, however, is also the most effective once you are in front of your audience. It is the one the TED team recommends to their presenters for a good reason: many of their best and most popular talks have been memorized word for word.

What if you don’t have the time or the presentation is not as significant as a TED Talk with 1,400 people in the audience and millions behind their computer screens? Go with bullet points on flash cards. As long as you know what you want to say to each point and transition well from section to section, you’ll be fine.

Another point Chris makes in the HBR article is to sound natural. Present your information and story in a conversational tone. Don’t orate, don’t lecture. Be as natural as if you would talk to a group of your friends.

Develop Stage Presence

Just the thought of standing in front of an audience can be extremely frightening. To take off some of this edge, always remember that your words, story, and substance is much more important to the audience than the way you stand or if you are visibly nervous.

Richard seems quite nervous in his presentation about the “lion lights”, but people in the audience didn’t care at all about that. In fact,  he built better rapport because the audience members could identify with this nervousness.  Furthermore, they sensed that he is confident talking about his experience and story. That’s one of the reasons his talk was receiving such a positive feedback.

One of the biggest mistakes the TED team sees in early rehearsals is that people move their bodies too much. They sway from side to side or shift their weight from one leg to the other. They coach their presenters to keep their lower bodies motionless, which can dramatically improve stage presence. Although there are some presenters that are able to walk around the stage during their presentation (the late Steve Jobs was very natural doing it), the majority of presenters is better off standing still and relying on hand gestures and facial expressions.

The one aspect that will do most for your successful presentation is eye contact.   Pick a few audience members and imagine them as friends you haven’t seen in a while.  Make solid eye contact with them while you update them on your work.

Plan the Multimedia

You probably have heard the advice about PowerPoint (or similar presentation software): Keep it Simple!   Don’t use your presentation deck as a crutch, as a substitute for notes. And never, ever read from your slides.  It will only make the audience think that they could do that themselves in the comfort of their home or office. Instead, use powerful images that visualize the key points of your presentation.

In Richard’s presentation about his “lion lights” there are no text slides. They are not needed. There are, however, many photographs that engage the audience to take a short journey into Richard’s world.

Putting it Together

The TED team starts helping their presenters at least six months in advance so that they’ll have plenty of time to practice. They want people’s talks in final form one month prior to the event. Why? The more practice the presenters can put in during the final weeks, the more compelling the presentation will be.

The most important thing to keep in mind though is that  presentations rise and fall on the quality of ideas, the narrative, and the passion of the speaker.  It’s about substance, not speaking style or multimedia pyrotechnics. If you have something to say, you can build a great talk.

Remember, there is no one good way to give a killer presentation. The most memorable talks offer something fresh, engaging, and relevant.

Read the full article on the Harvard Business Review website.

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HOW TO WRITE A KILLER SPEECH IN 6 SIMPLE STEPS

Writing a speech can be a very daunting task. You feel overwhelmed with ideas, you don’t know where to start, how to end, what to talk about it, how to develop your ideas and the list goes on. The good news is writing a killer speech is really easy when you keep in mind the following six simple steps:

1. Be very clear about the topic of the speech 2. Answer the main question with two to five key points… Ideally three 3. Elaborate on these answers 4. Nail the introduction 5. Have a strong conclusion 6. Pay special attention to transitions

1. BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT THE TOPIC OF THE SPEECH

This is the number one and most important element of any speech. It is the foundation that the entire speech rests upon. If you are not clear about your topic then writing the speech will be extremely difficult and the end result will be a speech which is difficult to understand.

So how do you make sure that the topic is very clear?

The best way to make sure that your topic is very clear is to ensure it answers one of the following questions:

WHAT? WHY? or HOW?

For example, suppose you want to write a speech about “Travel”. Travel is a very broad topic. Writing a speech about it without being very clear about what aspect of travel you want to talk about will be like going down a rabbit hole.

Here are some examples that demonstrate how you can use the method of WHAT, WHY, HOW to get really clear on your speech topic.

• What are the best countries to visit this year?
• What are the best methods of travel?
• What are the most important things to keep in mind when travelling with kids?
• Why is travelling the best form of education?
• Why is it important to travel to places you have never been to before?
• Why travel on a train, rather than on a plane?
• How travelling can change your life?
• How to travel on a budget?
• How to travel without leaving your home?

It is important to note that the title and the topic of the speech need not be the same. For example, if you choose the topic: “why travel on a train, rather than on a plane”, you could for example have the title: “Trains not Planes”. Or, “Ditch the Plane, Jump on the Train”, etc.

2. ANSWER THE MAIN QUESTION WITH TWO TO FIVE KEY POINTS… IDEALLY THREE

Once you have a very clear question in mind, it is time to find answers to it. Preferably you want to answer the question in using two to five key points. Anything less will come across as too little, and anything more will come across as too much.

Whilst anything between two and five key points is recommended, the ideal number is three. Three is the magic number in public speaking, it is just right. It is not too little and not too much..

For example, let’s say you chose the speech topic: “why travel on a train, rather than on a plane”. You can for example have the following three answers:

• Trains are usually cheaper
• Trains make you appreciate the distances
• In trains you experience a gradual shift of culture

The same principle applies to any other speech topic questions you choose.

3. ELABORATE ON THESE ANSWERS

You now have a main speech question and two to five key answers. Next is to elaborate on these answers. You can elaborate by explaining what you mean by each point, by using examples, stories, statistics and other relevant supporting information.

For example, building on the three answers from the previous point.

1. Trains are usually cheaper

A while ago I had a deep desire to explore the world. There was one problem: I was on a very tight budget! A quick calculation made me realise that airplane tickets will cost me more than half of my travel budget. I started thinking of ways to save money: cheaper hotels, camping, cooking at home. I then realised that I could save a lot of money by travelling by train rather than always going on a plane.

2. Trains make you appreciate distances

A great thing about travel is that it widens your horizons and helps you see the world in a whole new light. One of the biggest things I realised when I travelled in trains was how big the world is! In an airplane we travel halfway across the world in around 10 hours. The same journey will take days if not weeks in a train. This experience alone made me see the world in a totally different light.

3. In trains you experience a gradual shift of culture

When I travelled in trains I witnessed how cultures gradually change across countries, towns and villages. It was an incredible experience that I would not have had had I travelled in planes.

In the examples above, I provided just a few lines of elaboration for each point for demonstration purposes. However, in practice you can elaborate further by adding more stories, examples and explanations.

4. NAIL THE INTRODUCTION

Although the introduction is the first element of the speech, it is not necessarily the first one to be written. In fact it is recommended that you write the introduction after you have decided on the topic and written the body of the speech. The reason for this is the purpose of the introduction is to let the audience know what the speech is about. Before deciding on the topic and writing the speech you usually have a hazy idea of what the entire speech is about and therefore the introduction tends to not be very clear and focused when written first.

A crucial part of the introduction is the first sentence. The first sentence is the most important sentence in the entire speech. It sets the energy, pace and feel of the rest of the speech.

There are four recommended ways to start a killer speech.

• Did you know that it is possible to travel from Portugal to Vietnam solely by train?!
• If time was unlimited, I would choose to travel by train instead of plane every single time!
• I love trains!

2. A  question : A powerful way to gain insight about the audience can be by starting with a question. There are a couple of things to keep in mind when doing this:

• Make sure it is a closed question( Yes or No question). You don’t want to ask a question that has an elaborate answer. For example, an effective question would be:  Who here has ever used trains to travel between continents?  A example of a ineffective question:  what is the longest train route in the world?  A closed question ( Yes or No question) is personal, easy to answer, and will engage the audience as everyone can answer it.. An open question is difficult to answer and will engage only a certain members of the audience.
• Indicate to the audience that you want an answer. Either by putting your hand up to let them know that you would like a response or by using a phrase such as: “by show of hands”
• A  quote : A powerful way to start a speech is by using a quote. You can find a quote by googling quotes online relevant to your topic. For example, you can start the speech by saying:  Anna Funder once said: “I like trains. I like their rhythm, and I like the freedom of being suspended between two places, all anxieties of purpose taken care of: for this moment I know where I am going.”
• A  story . This is a very engaging way to start a killer speech. A personal favourite of mine. It is preferable to share a personal a story but you can also tell a story you have heard.

After the first sentence, whether it is a statement, question, quote or story, you can let the audience know what the point of the speech is. For example:

Did you know that it is possible to travel from Portugal to Vietnam solely by train? It is a 17,000 km trip that takes an estimated 275 hours. The same trip takes around 16 hours by plane, yet I will share with you why it is a great idea to do this journey travelling by train..

5. HAVE A STRONG CONCLUSION

The conclusion has a precise role in speeches. In the conclusion you want to remind the audience of what you have covered in the body of the speech and/or have a call to action.

For example, you can conclude the speech as follows:

• If you have the luxury of time, I highly recommend to travel by train. It is cheaper, it makes you appreciate distances and it exposes you to the gradual shift in culture.

In the previous example the conclusion was both a summary and a call to action. You reminded the audience of the three key points you mentioned in the speech which in turn were calls to action themselves.

There are few things to consider when writing the conclusion:

• Make sure you end on a strong note. You don’t want to end your speech they saying something like:  Yeah and that’s it , or,  I think I have covered everything , or,  shall I finish here or do you want me to tell you about an awesome story I once happened to me on the train?
• Make sure you do not add a new point. Adding a new point that was not covered in the body of the speech usually leads to confusion and incoherence of ideas. For example the following conclusion is not ideal:  If you have the luxury of time, I highly recommend travelling by trains. I did not mention also how when you take the train you don’t need to be at the station hours before departure . In this example a new point has been introduced that was not mentioned in the speech.
• Make sure you do not sabotage the main topic by contradicting yourself. Here is an example of contradicting oneself:  While trains are sometimes better than planes. If you do not have the luxury of time just use the plane instead.  In this example a point that was not inline with the purpose of the speech has been added. This sabotages the main purpose of the speech which is encouraging people to use trains

6. PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO TRANSITIONS

Transitions are the sentences that connect one element of the speech to another. Transitions are needed to make any speech flow smoothly. Think of them as the lubricants of the speech. Without transitions the speech will be clunky, disjointed and robotic. Always remember to pay special attention to transitions because it is very easy to forget about them, not place enough importance on them or miss them out altogether. In fact, when clients ask me: “Should I memorise my speech?” My answer is: You do not have to memorise the entire speech word for word. However, I always recommend you memorise the introduction, the conclusion, the structure of the body (the 2 to 5 key points) and the transitions between each of these sections.

Start getting better at public speaking today!

We distilled the art of public speaking into three concise and easy to read chapters: Character Development, Speech Preparation and Speech Delivery.

If you want to overcome your fear of public speaking, learn how to write engaging speeches and read about the speech delivery concepts then this book is for you. Start getting better at public speaking by clicking the button below.

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How to Give a Killer Presentation [2024]

January 05, 2024

When you give a killer presentation, you stand a much greater chance of making it easy for your audience. And if you make it easy for your audience they are more likely to respond.

What does creating a killer presentation mean in reality.

By killer presentation, I mean:

• A presentation that can be remembered.
• A presentation that positions you as someone of note within your organisation.
• A presentation that creates action, change in behaviour or change in thinking

To create a killer presentation you need to be different, and you need to take a few risks. (If there was a simple formula, then everyone would be doing it.) But when I say take risks, I mean doing things that are done outside the typical business setting but are actually best practice presentation skills training shortcuts. Shortcuts that have been tried and tested for hundreds if not thousands of years. You want to follow the cardinal rule of ‘Don’t be boring’.

An Example of a Killer Presentation

John is the COO of a large utilities company. We trained him to improve his presentation skills.  To deliver killer presentations. He has thousands of employees working daily in dangerous conditions, keeping water running for millions of customers. People have to work at heights, at depth, in the middle of the road, day and night, winter and summer. They work in every dangerous situation you could imagine.

And it is hard keeping everyone safe. Teams are scattered over several hundred square miles and they work autonomously, going to emergencies as and when they happen.

Health and safety is important to the business; it takes up a large part of senior management time. Every year the senior team gathers, and this year safety was again one of the main topics of the day.  

John, was new as COO and determined to make an impact. He know that the presentation skills he learned in his training would be critical.

His HR team had pulled together a big presentation deck discussing health and safety. It had the company history, the key imperatives, the company values, best working practices and updates on recent legislation. It was a comprehensive pack and it had taken weeks to put together. They even brought in professional designers to make sure the presentation looked as important as it was.

John knew from his presentation skills training at Benjamin Ball Associates that starting his presentation with slides – no matter how good – would not work. So he used a story from his early career. He started his killer presentation like this:

“When I was in twenties I was put in charge of a building site. In my first week on that job we had a crane collapse. “That night, I had to knock on a woman’s door and tell her that her husband had been killed on a site where I was in charge. “I don’t want any of you to have to go through what I went through that day. That’s why we are talking about health and safety today.”

In less than 80 words John had grabbed his audience’s attention, had appealed to their emotions and made them realise that he knew what he was talking about.

That was a great example of a killer presentation using advanced presentation skills.

While not every presentation you do will be a killer presentation, it is something that you should aim for. Much better to aim high and fall short than aim low and fall short anyway.

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Why is it hard to create killer presentations?

One of the big challenges we face in business is that The Presentation has become a standard way of communicating. Unfortunately, the average presenter and the average presentation is not very good. As a result, time is wasted, money is wasted and we are not as clear and inspiring as we should be.

The average business presentation is completely forgettable. I often challenge clients to count the number of presentations they have seen in the last year, and then to describe any memorable ones. I am lucky if they can speak about one.

Too many people, when they hear the word “presentation”, reach for their computer and start creating slides. They feel as if they are making progress.

They pull information together, they lay it out into a PowerPoint document and admire their handiwork. Then they start to think about how to tell the story. You’ll never give a killer presentation like this.

“Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.” – Alexander Graham Bell

What you need – A story, a script and a plan to create a killer presentation

BUT…the process for creating a great presentation should be more like that of making a movie. When you make a movie, filming (the equivalent of creating slides) only happens after you have a story, a script and a plan.

The better you have planned your presentation, the easier the process of giving it. At first, it may feel frustrating that you are not writing or creating slides. But when you invest in proper presentation planning, you will benefit many times over.

In the end you will spend less time playing with PowerPoint. You will spend less time editing and you will spend less time searching for a way to link the sections of your presentation together. You will probably find that practising and rehearsing is also easier and more enjoyable.

The other great advantage of improving your presentation skills is that you have formal check points where you can share your work to check that you are on track. This will help with timekeeping and, where necessary, make sure your colleagues are onside.

“There are three things that are important for a film. Number one is story, number two is story, number three is story. Good actors can save a bad script and make it bearable, but good actors can’t make a bad script good – they can just make it bearable.” – Mark Strickson, TV producer & acto r

Summary – how to improve your presentation skills for success

Start by planning, not by writing. This may feel counter intuitive, but you’ll make progress faster.

How do you give a killer presentation? Try these steps:

• Use AIM as the first stage of preparing your presentation
• A – Audience: Analyse your audience and understand their needs
• I – Intent: Be clear on the single purpose of your presentation.
• M – Message: Decide your one take-away message from your presentation
• Decide the three parts of your presentation
• Create and perfect a 90 second summary of your presentation before fleshing it out
• Answer the WHY questions in your presentation before the WHAT or HOW questions
• Imagine your audience asking So What? and What’s in it for me? throughout.
• Check your presentation summary against your Audience, Intent and Message.

Create a killer presentation. Step #1 – Have you taken AIM?

Summary – aim is an easy-to-apply planning tool that makes your business presentations and talks easier to prepare..

What typically goes wrong? Most people create presentations without proper planning. They start writing or creating visual aids before they have decided what they want to say.

Why does this matter? Without an effective tool for preparing a business presentation you waste time and will be less effective.

So, instead, Use AIM.  Start with a blank sheet of paper and write the three letters AIM across the top. In each of these columns start writing what you know about A: Your Audience, I: Your intent, or Purpose and M: your take-away Message. For Audience ask yourself searching questions about why they are here and what they want from your presentation. For Intent, summarise your intent into one clear line. And for message identify the single message that you’d like your audience to take away from your business presentation. See the next sections for more detail on A, I and M.

“90% of how well the business presentation will go is determined before the speaker steps on the platform.” – Somers White

Improve your presentation skills tips

• Use the AIM approach before all communications.
• Keep working at AIM until you are happy.

Create a killer presentation. Step #2 – AIM Part 1: Who’s your audience and what do they need?

Summary – your audience, not you, should be centre of attention in your presentation. the better you understand your audience, the better your business presentation will be..

What typically goes wrong?  When people give presentations about their latest project, they talk about their latest project. If they are reporting quarterly results, they report quarterly results. If they are speaking about their new business, they tell the audience about their new business. If explaining a new piece of regulation, they talk about elements of that regulation.

The problem with this approach is they are not including their audience in their presentation. And if they don’t include the audience, The audience will be less engaged.

Why does this matter?  Audiences are selfish. They like being talked about.

Instead, to improve your presentation skills your presentation should be about what your subject means for your audience. For example:

• “What you can learn from our latest project.”
• “Our quarterly results and what they mean for your department next quarter.”
• “How our new business can make you money.”
• “What the new regulations mean for you and your clients”

To do this, you must understand your audience. That means asking questions about them and getting under their skin. For example, some questions you may have could include:

ABOUT BACKGROUND

• Who is coming to this business presentation?
• What common reference points can I use?
• What experiences have they shared?

ABOUT MOTIVATION

• Why are they coming?
• What problems do they have?
• What do they need and want?
• What will make life easy for them?

ABOUT EXPECTATIONS

• What would they like me to business presentation about?
• What would a win feel like for them?
• What will make them sit up?

ABOUT CONNECTING

• What can I say that will show them I am on their side?
• What stories will resonate?
• How can I add value?

ABOUT EMOTIONAL POSITION

• What frame of mind will they be in?
• What should I avoid talking about?
• What will make them feel good?
• What can I say at the start to win them over?

ABOUT MAKING IT EASY FOR THEM

• What specific language should I use?
• How should I position what I am talking about for this audience?
• What phrases will resonate?

The more you learn about your audience, the better you know them and the better you can plan your presentation for them.

“Designing a presentation without an audience in mind is like writing a love letter and addressing it: To Whom It May Concern.” – Ken Haemer, presentation designe r

Top Presentation Improvement Tips

• Before any presentation, analyse your audience
• Research them
• Make sure you really know them and their needs before you start planning what to say

Create a killer presentation. Step #3 – AIM Part 2: What are you trying to achieve?

Summary – decide early the intent or purpose to your presentation. this will help you direct your efforts and target your presentation so that you achieve your goals..

What typically goes wrong?  “I’m going to talk about…” is a typical answer to the question “Why are you doing this business presentation?” But presenting about something is of no use to anyone. It is pointless.

For example:

• “I’m presenting about our new project”
• “I’m presenting about the new regulations”
• “A pitch about our new fund”
• “An introduction to ABCX co”
• “Monthly board report”

Why does this matter?  For a presentation to work it requires a clear purpose. When you know your purpose you can harness your presentation to achieving just that.

So, instead, decide your intent. For example, when I asked a Chief Financial Officer recently what was the intent of his presentation, he was clear: he said that he “Wanted to look like the next CEO of this business.” This clear purpose made it easy to help him prepare what he said, how he said it and how he positioned himself.

Someone recently, when giving a presentation about new regulations, was clear that she wanted “to help companies use the new regulations to run better, more profitable businesses”.

An HR director who was introducing a new expense system was clear that her intent was to “get people to use the new system by next month so they can get paid faster and with less effort.’

A fund manager who was pitching a first time fund to new investors had a clear intent of “getting onto their radar screens and securing a second meeting.”

A company looking for a trade buyer had crystallised their intent into “creating excitement about the potential value of buying this business and demonstrate the risk of others buying it.”

“An accountant at an FMCG firm had the intent with his monthly board reports to “Get them to recognise the value my team adds.”

Having a clear intent will make it easier for you to plan your presentation. Identifying that intent is also one of the harder parts of planning a business presentation.

“A presentation is a voyage with purpose and it must be charted. The man who starts out going nowhere, generally gets there.” – Dale Carnegie

• Be absolutely clear on the intent of your presentation.
• Summarise your intent in one line
• Use your intent as your North Star to guide everything you say and how you say it.

Create a killer presentation. Step #4 – AIM part 3: What’s your one big take-away message?

Summary – your presentation needs a take-away message. this means one simple message so when someone asks “what was that presentation about” a listener can confidently answer what you want them to say., what typically goes wrong.

Many presentations have titles such as:

• “Quarterly strategy report”
• “Project X”
• “Manufacturing update”
• “Annual results”

These are all topics, not messages

Why does this matter?  These titles do not help the audience. It only tells them something they already know. With a topic title you miss the opportunity of preparing your audience and getting them in the right mindset to be ready for your presentation.

So, instead, identify a message that summarises your presentation that you can use as its title. Keep improving the title until it properly captures what you want to say. For example:

• “Our strategy remains on track”
• “Launching Project X by December could double revenues next year”
• “Manufacturing: three problems we must address”
• “Profits up 5% this year despite Covid headwinds”

Then test your title on other people. Check if it generates the reaction you want.

“If you can’t write your idea on the back of my calling card, you don’t have a clear idea.”  – David Belasco, theatre producer

• Decide the title of your presentation early.
• Check it generates the reaction you want.
• Use this to build the rest of your presentation.
• Re-test your message against A.I.M.

Create a killer presentation. Step #5 – What are the three parts of your presentation?

Summary – your brain is naturally tuned to hearing things in sets of three. if you can break your presentation into three parts that work together then it’s more likely to be successful..

What typically goes wrong?  Many presentations are like shopping lists. The presentation covers multiple topics and jumps from one idea to the next.

What’s wrong with a shopping list approach? In the end, a huge amount of information has been transmitted but little has been received.

So, instead, remember that Less is More in a presentation. Help your audience by giving them a structure. A three part structure is one of the most useful planning shortcuts that you can use.

Once you are completely clear about your intent and your message, start developing a three part structure for your presentation. For example, if I wanted to give a presentation that shared advice on how to present, I would consider using one of the following structures:

Mistakes other people make / Tips you can use / How to become a great speaker or How to define your messages / How to structure your presentation / How to deliver your presentation or What bad looks like / what good looks like / what you can do differently

“ In writing and speaking, three is more satisfying than any other number. “ – Carmine Gallow, author

• Find your three part structure early.
• Use the structure to focus your efforts and guide your planning

Create a killer presentation. Step #6 – What is your story?

Summary – to improve your presentation skills you should underpin your presentation with a story or a narrative. no matter how dry your subject, by using a story it will be more memorable and more effective..

What typically goes wrong?  As an expert, a typical presenter wants to share knowledge. For example, A few years ago, I helped a lawyer give a business presentation to investors. This audience was made up of private equity investors in businesses who also sat on their boards. The subject was the 2006 Companies Act and the Duties and Responsibilities of a Director. A dry subject.

In her first draft, she reviewed sections of the Act and highlighted problems that directors may face. For example, “Section 172 of the Act, sets out your overarching duties as a director. You must act in the way you consider, in good faith, would be most likely to promote the success of the company for the benefit of its members as a whole.”

As you can imagine, it was not the most exciting of business presentations.

Why does this matter?  A precise business presentation may not be an interesting business presentation. And an uninteresting presentation will not be heard.  Your job as a presenter is to make your business presentation interesting and easy for your audience.

What to do instead

What this means is that you need to find a story that fits what you want to talk  about. This is key to improving presentation skills.

For example, for the investor director presentation above, we decided to title the presentation “How to keep your nose clean and yourself out of jail”

Then the presentation was based around a series of situations that anyone in the audience might face. She did not refer to any particular section of the Companies Act at all. Her text was:

“Imagine this situation. You turn up for a board meeting. You are a 10% shareholder and you are a director. At that board meeting the CEO announces that the company is near bankrupt and needs more funding. What should you do? Do you absent yourself, having a connected interest. Or do you declare your interest as a shareholder? Or do you carry as normal assuming business as usual?”

By framing it as a story you involve your audience and you make it easier for them to process what you say.

“Sometimes reality is too complex. Stories give it form.” – Jean Luc Godard, film director

• Find stories to tell, narratives to bring your facts to life.
• Tell the story behind the numbers.
• The dryer your subject matter, the more important stories become.

Create a killer presentation. Step #7 – Have you asked WHY?

Summary – ‘why’ comes before ‘what’ comes before ‘how’.

What typically goes wrong? When a speaker knows a subject well, it is easy for them to assume knowledge and talk about the nuances of what they know. I often describe this as the ‘How’ of a subject.

For example, when speaking about a new engine you have developed, you might say that we made the pistons more accurately, that you mix petrol more precisely and you have added a new technique of managing engine performance.

Why does this matter?  This is one of the most common mistakes that experts make when giving presentations. They spend too much time explaining HOW something works, rather than explaining WHAT it is they are presenting about and WHY it is important.

Instead, to improve your presentation skills, phrase it like this, answering the WHY question:  “We have designed a car engine that is more efficient and will get 100 miles to the gallon.”

“Start with Why” – Simon Sinek

• Check that you are clear why the audience will be interested.
• Imagine someone in the audience asking “What’s in it for me?” (WIIFM)

Learn about our executive presentation coaching courses

Create a killer presentation. Step #8 – Can you give a 90 second summary of your presentation?

Summary – the best way to test your planning and improve your presentation skills is by speaking a c 100-200 word summary of your presentation. this summary will test the rigour of your thinking, the clarity of your ideas and the robustness of your plan..

What typically goes wrong?  The average poor presentation meanders from topic to topic and is more like a data dump than a well organised business presentation. It is rich in information but poor in story, structure and planning. It will not easily fit into a short sharp clear summary.

Why does this matter?  Lack of planning = Lack of story = hard on your audience.

So, instead, Create a short summary of your presentation to test your thinking

• You can use it early in your planning to test your ideas.
• If you are working with colleagues you can share your thinking.
• If you are preparing a presentation for someone else, you can share your summary to test their reaction.
• If someone else is preparing your presentation, you can use a summary to check they are on track.

This is one of the most powerful of all shortcuts and will save you a huge amount of wasted time.

“If you can’t write your message in a sentence, you can’t say it in an hour.” – Dianna Booher, Author

• Test your ideas with a short summary.
• Use a critical audience.
• If it is not tight enough, keep refining your summary.

Summary – how to plan your presentation for success

• Use AIM as the first stage of preparing any presentation
• Answer the WHY questions in your presentation before the WHAT or HOW questions.

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We can help you present brilliantly. Thousands of people have benefitted from our tailored in-house coaching and advice – and we can help you too .

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Speak to Louise on +44 20 7018 0922 or email [email protected] to transform your speeches, pitches and presentations.

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6 Examples of Killer Speech Openings That You Can Use

Think about a speech you saw or heard that stuck with you. What is it about that speech that makes you remember it long after you’ve heard it? The speaker was probably dynamic and engaging or the topic was compelling and of particular interest to you. The speech probably had a killer opening as well.

The introduction to a speech is one of its most crucial aspects. It’s where you grab your audience’s attention and set the tone for the rest of the speech. If your speech opening isn’t memorable, the rest of your speech probably won’t be either.

To help you understand the impact a good opening can have, here’s a list of six killer speech intros. The fact that these speeches are so memorable shows why public speaking is important and why your introduction should be strong.

Julian Treasure: Start with a question 

“The human voice: It’s the instrument we all play. It’s the most powerful sound in the world, probably. It’s 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. And why is that? How can we speak powerfully to make change in the world?”

Julian Treasure’s speech “How to speak so that people want to listen” showcases a tried and true speech opening technique: asking a question. You shouldn’t ask just any question, though. It should be a compelling, thought-provoking question that doesn’t have a straightforward answer.

Asking the audience what they had for lunch that day isn’t compelling, unless you have an interesting reason for asking it that you follow up with. Treasure’s compelling question doesn’t require an immediate answer but instead asks you to think.

Ric Elias: Incredible story

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

One way to grab the attention of your audience right away is to tell an exciting or unbelievable story. Ric Elias’s speech about surviving a plane crash goes straight into the action, asking the listener to imagine unbelievable situation he was in. With an opening like that, who wouldn’t want to keep listening to find out what happens next?

To make your intro story more effective, don’t finish it right away. Come back to it later in the speech so that your audience is held in anticipation.

Dan Pink: Make a “confession” 

“I need to make a confession at the outset here. A little over 20 years ago, I did something that I regret, something that I’m not particularly proud of.”

Dan Pink’s speech grabs your attention right away because he makes a confession. He’s letting you in on a secret about himself or something he did and you want to listen because you want to hear it.

Letting your audience know a secret or confessing information about yourself makes them feel exclusive, like they have access to something that others don’t. Exclusivity always piques interest.

Jane McGonigal: Provocative statement 

“I’m a gamer, so I like to have goals. I like special missions and secret objectives. So here’s my special mission for this talk: I’m going to try to increase the life span of every single person in this room by seven and a half minutes. Literally, you will live seven and a half minutes longer than you would have otherwise, just because you watched this talk.”

Starting a speech with a provocative statement is similar to starting with a question. You make the audience think. You surprise them or say something unexpected and they keep listening to hear an explanation.

Jane McGonigal uses this tactic in her speech , claiming she will expand the life span of every audience member by seven and half minutes. It’s intriguing, provocative, and makes you wonder instantly how she’s going to do it.

Pamela Meyer: Set up a problem (then solve it) 

“Okay, now I don’t want to alarm anybody in this room, but it’s just come to my attention that the person to your right is a liar. Also, the person to your left is a liar. Also, the person sitting in your very seats is a liar. We’re all liars.”

People love hearing about a big problem and then knowing the solution — it’s a common framework from literature that you can borrow for your speech. By telling her entire audience that they are liars, Pamela Meyer sets up a problem that seems difficult to solve: how to know who is a liar. She unravels the solution in the rest of her speech , explaining how to become a liespotter.

Sir Ken Robinson: Humor  

“Good morning. How are you?” (Audience replies “Good”) “It’s been great, hasn’t it? I’ve been blown away by the whole thing. In fact, I’m leaving.”

Humor can be an impactful way to start a speech, but it’s also risky. Your joke might fall flat and leave everyone feeling uncomfortable. If you tell the right joke, however, it can go over well.

Sir Ken Robinson’s speech , “Do schools kill creativity?” is one of the most watched TED Talks of all time and for good reason. His speech is engaging and dynamic, centering on a topic that almost everyone can easily relate to. What could’ve been a boring start — “Good morning. How are you?” — becomes a funny and memorable speech opening thanks to Robinson’s timing and deadpan delivery.

Make your speech opening memorable

If you want to deliver an engaging address that your audience members will speak about years later, be sure to craft an unforgettable opening. By using any of the above techniques, you’re likely to have a more solid start to your speech. Who knows? Maybe your speech opening will be so good it’ll end up on a list just like this one.

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20 Great Quotes To Help You Deliver A Killer Speech

Want to make your next speech more powerful ? Use superb quotations and use them well. In this article, I will share 20 of my favorite quotations for beginning and professional speakers. And I will tell you when and how to use them.

But before we get into these specific sayings, here are a few introductory suggestions for using quotations when you are a keynote speaker , giving an inspirational message, annual report, sales presentation, after-dinner talk, Sunday sermon, teaching lesson, or any speech you are preparing.

• Use no more than 3 to 5 quotations in your speech. Remember that a quotation is like seasoning on a fine meal. Don’t overuse quotations in your talk. That’s like dumping an entire saltshaker worth of salt on top of your meal. Think of quotes as delicious flavor additives, not the main dish.
• Avoid using quotes that are already well known to your audience. The real (secret) power of a great quotation is its ability to surprise your listeners.
• Take the time to find the ideal quotes for your talk. Go deeper than a google search. Read inspiring books, check out relevant articles, visit your local bookstore or library. Keep a journal and collect the sayings, proverbs, quotations, and bits of wisdom that move your heart and mind.
• Whenever possible, cite the source of your quotation. Give credit where credit is due. And be sure your source is accurate. You will lose credibility if you quote George Washington as an expert on social media! If you cannot track down the original source of your quote, you can simply say, “It has been said…”
• Make sure your quotations support your main message . Sometimes it’s tempting to sneak a great quip or quote into your talk because you love it. First decide if it’s apt for what you want to communicate.

Here Are 20 of the Best Quotations for Your Next Speech Use One of These Great Quotes When You Want to…

Create laughter.

Quoting a comedian, famous wit, ancient proverb, or even a child’s wisdom can generate an instant laugh during your presentation. And trust me, your audience wants to laugh! Here’s the key: Pause before and after you share the funny quotation or short joke. A humorous quotation will surprise, shock, exaggerate, and often convey a tough truth in a way that delights.

“If you’re looking for a helping hand, there’s one at the end of your arm.” ~Yiddish Proverb

Make them THINK

A powerful quotation will give your audience food for thought. First of course, you must determine what you want your audience to understand, believe, and embrace. Then, choose a quotation that packs a punch.

“He not busy being born, is busy dying.” ~Bob Dylan

Grab their ATTENTION

Usually the shorter the quotation, the more powerful the punch. Long quotes, like long speeches, will leave your audiences yawning. To open your speech, you may want to grab your listener’s attention with a short quotation or aphorism. If you are giving a talk about dream casting or goal-setting for example, here’s a fine quotation:

“If you know what you want, you can have it.” ~RH Jarrett

Prove your POINT

You don’t have to agree with every source you quote. Sometimes who you quote, is as important as what you quote. Here’s an example. Though I obviously detest this famous leader, this quotation makes a powerful point. When I am stressing the power of passion, I sometimes share this one. Note: After I give the source—which always shocks the audience—I remind them that he was evil and that we must use the power of passion for good.

“Only a storm of hot passion can turn the destinies of people. And he alone can arouse passion who bears it within himself.” ~Adolf Hitler

Illustrate an IDEA

A good quotation is like a good story. It’s a window in your house. Use it to let the light in. Help your audience see what you are saying. A good metaphor is one of the most helpful tools in a speaker’s toolbox. To get your idea across, use a strong word picture. Imagine giving a talk to a group of schoolteachers. Your goal is to affirm them for the great work they are doing. You want to remind them that what they do—educating children—matters forever.

“A school is a building with four walls, with tomorrow inside.” ~Lon Watters

INSPIRE your audience

The best speeches lift hearts! If your goal is to motivate your audience, insert a quotation designed to inspire the dreams of your audience members. Connect with their emotions. Choose a statement that is filled with hope and encouragement. Here’s one of my favorites, because it strikes such an emotional chord:

“If your heart is in your dream, no request is too extreme.” ~Jiminy Cricket, Pinocchio

Issue a WARNING

You can use a quotation to sound an alarm. You may want to shake your hearers into stopping/starting a behavior. The key here is choosing a quotation that lights a fire under your people. What mindset do you want them to change? What do you want them to do?

“Unassertive salespeople have skinny kids!” ~Zig Ziglar

Make people CARE

Many speakers make the mistake of thinking that their talk is primarily about content. While content is important, the best speakers transfer their conviction to an audience. Your group doesn’t want more information. They are looking for takeaways and transformation.

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ~Maya Angelou

Capture an INSIGHT

Many times the quotes that will rock your speech are what I call “zingers.” What is a “zinger”? It’s a pithy statement that expresses a flash of insight. Zap your audience with a truth in capsule form. People love to read the fortune inside their fortune cookie—and often the words apply to their lives. When I am giving a speech that talks about how we learn, I love to share this one:

“I respect wisdom but I obey pain.” ~12 Step Recovery Saying

EDUCATE your attendees

Don’t make the mistake many speakers make. Never confuse a statistic with a quotation. Remember: facts tell, stories sell. Search out stories and quotations for your talk that provide “teaching moments.” Tip: Do an Amazon search for aphorism. You’ll discover some great gems and nuggets for your next speech. An aphorism, like a proverb, teaches a memorable lesson-in-a-few-words.

“Don’t expect your ship to come in—unless you’ve sent one out.” ~Belgian Proverb

STRENGTHEN your case

Know exactly what you want to say to an audience. Then you will be in a position to find the perfect quote(s) for your next keynote speech, workshop or seminar. If you are giving a talk on leadership, select a quotation from an inspiring leader. Are you motivating athletes? Choose a motivational saying from an accomplished football, basketball, or soccer player. Most importantly, know your audience. This will help you know which quotation will best support your speech.

“We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are.” ~Anais Nin

Make your speech MATTER

A good question to ask yourself is: “Who cares about what I am saying?” By the way, this is the very question your audience is asking when you start your speech. How does this matter to me ? Reverse engineer your speech. Think about the big takeaway you want your group to get from your presentation. Then craft your message—and the quotes that will make it pop—based on the actions you want your audience to take.

“The meaning of communication is the response you get.” ~NLP maxim

Use the power of REPETITION

One of the great speeches in U.S. history is Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. And one of the factors that makes it so powerful? MLK’s repeated use of his awesome title: “I Have a Dream.” Consider repeating a strong quotation again and again during your talk. This can help you re-state your core message. You can also hammer home a big point with a quotation that repeats certain words to great effect. Notice how Winston Churchill did this often. (“Never, never, never give in…”), He and MLK are two of the greatest orators of the 20th century. Both leaders repeated words to maximize the impact of their language.

“We are all worms. But I do believe that I am a glow-worm.” ~Winston Churchill

Enhance a CELEBRATION

Maybe you will give your speech at a wedding, an anniversary party, or an awards program. You can pump up the proceedings with a special quote. Identify a sparkling statement that will raise spirits…and maybe wine glasses. Here’s the key to doing this well: Keep the focus on who/what is being celebrated. Your quotation should amplify the purpose of the event. Honor the bride, toast the award-winner, congratulate the champion. Get clear on the reason for festivities. Your quotation should put a spotlight on what your guests are celebrating together.

“Life is short, wear your party pants.” ~Loretta LaRoche

Want to make sport of a competitor? Handle a heckler? Or lampoon an idea you don’t like? A good quote can work wonders. Just be careful about coming across as mean-spirited. Humor helps.

“Lord, help me make my enemies look ridiculous.” ~Voltaire (French Philosopher)

Increase your AUTHORITY

Don’t get the wrong idea here. Quotations are not the source of your authority, you are. But a compelling quote can boost your credibility as a speaker. Select a quote that comes from a recognized name or organization that will resonate with your audience. Quote an expert. Better yet, become one.

“I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.” ~Muhammed Ali

Speak with CONFIDENCE

Want to know a speaking secret? Your listeners aren’t paying that much attention to what you say. But they are tuned in to how you say it. They are listening for your confidence. What do you do if you don’t feel confident? Act like you are. And to take it to the next level—instill confidence in your audience too. Model it.

“Feel the fear and do it anyway.” ~Susan Jeffers

Bring CLARITY

One of the gifts you can bring people via your message is clarity. Help your audience see the path, cut through the clutter, and take decisive action. Make a statement, or share a quotation, that simplifies things for people. Sometimes this can be phrased as a question like, “What would you do if you knew you could not fail?” Other times you will want to give them the answer straight up. A great quote can help you do just that. You want to communicate with great clarity. And show your audience the way forward.

“If you don’t have a plan for your life, somebody else does.” ~Michael Hyatt

Issue a call to ACTION!

You can wrap-up your speech with a mighty quotation to finish strong. Make sure that your final phrase captures the heart of your main message. Don’t end on something cliché like, “Thanks for listening” or “My name is Blah Blah.” Your end quote, if you use one, should empower your audience and echo the main thrust of your talk. And get this: You want to invite your audience to take action.

“The way to get started is to quit talking and start doing.” ~Walt Disney

Create your own CATCH PHRASE

Few people remember speeches, but many people remember speakers. Can you create an original quotation that fits your personal brand? Tap into what makes you unique. What makes your message special? The final words of your speech can remind people about who you are and what you had to say. What is your signature “sign off” sentence? It might be a parting piece of advice. It could also be a statement you design to capture the way you want the group to remember the experience you created for them.

“The tribe has spoken.” ~Jeff Probst, “Survivor”

By finding and utilizing quotations that appeal to you, you will heighten the impact of your speech. Plug one or two of the above quotations into your next speech or special presentation. Better yet, discover the pitch-perfect quotes for your talk. Weave them into your speech and speak with gusto. You’ll be glad you did. And your audience will be pleased too. You can quote me on that.

Adam Christing is a professional keynote speaker, master of ceremonies , and author . He has written four humor and personal transformation books including: Comedy Comes Clean 1 & 2: A Hilarious Collection of Wholesome Jokes, Quotes, and One-liners, Your Life is a Joke: 12 Ways to Go from Ha Ha to AHA! and Bob Dylan Can Change Your Life: 61 Ways to Invent a Legendary You.  Adam has been studying and collecting quotations for more than 25 years.

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How to give a killer conference speech

• May 16, 2023
• By Lucy Bloom

1. Respect your audience . If you are speaking for 30 minutes to an audience of 500, that’s 250 collective hours of time you are about to spend on behalf of those people. This means you need to create value with every minute you are on stage. Value can be a good belly laugh. It can be a meaningful story. It can also be easy to follow points that your audience can note down. Check with the conference director or boss of the show on what value means to your specific audience. It doesn’t matter if you’re a hot shot CEO, respect your audience and their time.

2. Minimise slides . I haven’t spoken with a slide presentation since 2015. The AV team loves me for it because there is one less thing that can go wrong. Most importantly my audience is not distracted with a bunch of text. No one can read and listen to you at the same time so you are dividing your audience’s attention with words and voice. A slide preso also subtly says to your audience, this content is going in one direction only and every audience I meet gets the same lineal journey. Only use slides that dramatically enhance what you have to say and have people snatching up their phones to take a pic. If you really want to give them some written info, give a QR code at the end for downloads or have the conference folks drop it digitally to all delegates as you walk off stage.

3. The funnier you are, the more memorable you will be . It’s how the brain works. However, don’t try to be funny if that’s not your usual jam and never try new jokes from the stage. I always test my stories and funny content in conversation first. If people roar laughing over lunch, only then I may work it into a speech. Enthusiasm for your subject is better than trying to be a comedian. And I am here to tell you in no uncertain terms, no one likes a dad joke. Ever. Write that down. No dad jokes from the stage. It makes your audience groan which is only one step up from being booed.

4. Watch the time. If you are scheduled to speak for 25 minutes. Do not speak for 17 minutes or for 35 minutes. Speak for 25 minutes. You will give a long line of people an ulcer by messing with their run sheet if you are not professional about timing. The only way to know your timing is to plan and practice. Record your speech on your phone and know how long each section takes. Then do not go freestyling from the stage. Re-read point one. Time is precious and you are not to wing it.

5. Keep your tone conversational. This is important for two reasons. It is easier to listen to someone for longer if their tone is like a good chat. Elevated or institutional language will elevate you to an institution level but will only alienate you from the audience. A casual, conversational approach is also far more forgiving. You can say ‘Whoops, I’m just going to back track to something important before I move on,’ and it won’t seem out of place. 

6. Never read . Crap on a cracker, if I see another speaker read for an hour I will cry hot tears of dread. If you have to read, do not speak at conferences or events. Your voice moves in a very different way when you read from a page and it is much harder to listen to. You could save everyone the time and just email them your speech. Written and read speeches are for heads of state only. 

7. Get out from behind the lectern. You will only be able to do this if you have taken on point 4, have practiced your content and know your timing well. If you need notes, leave them on the lectern and stroll back there as required. I stopped using notes in 2020 when I knew my content so well and could add new content with practice. It’s ideal if you can have just one phrase to prompt you for each new section of your speech. No notes – even better.

8. Be yourself. Not even going to explain this one. It’s a no-brainer. 

9. Ditch high heels . I shall not make the mistake of assuming only women wear heels so this point is for everyone. I saw an MC recently struggling in heels. It was agonising to watch her repeatedly negotiate the stairs to the stage and her ankles were lucky to make it through the night. I learned this rule from comedian Ali Wong. Unless you’re a stripper, don’t perform in heels. There are often gaps in the stage and less can go wrong. You need firm feet on the ground.

10. Record your speech on your phone . I record every speech I ever give on my phone which I leave in my back pocket or on the lectern. I do this for a few reasons. If this is the best speech you’ve ever given in your whole life, you’ll want a record. If someone says they heard your speech was epic, you can say, ‘Cool, I can send you the voice recording if you like.’ If someone says, ‘That speech you gave two years ago, can you whop it out again for the new cohort?’ you have a record on file to check what you said. You can also listen back and learn to improve.

After all that, if you would rather chew razor blades than give a speech, that’s ok. As Seinfeld famously said, more people are afraid of public speaking than death, so at a funeral they’d rather be in the casket than giving the obituary. If this sounds like you, you can hire me to give speeches instead. I am a professional conference speaker who motivates and inspires audiences all over the world. Click on the link above for my most popular topics.

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We all have to give a presentation at some point in our lives—on a stage, in a conference room, and, these days, on Zoom. So what makes a good speech? In this episode from How To! science writer David Epstein turns the microphone on Chris to find the answer. Chris breaks down some of the most famous talks of all time and solves an unusual challenge from a 6th-grader named Lucy: can he help her prepare for the biggest speech of her young life? This is an episode of How To!, a podcast from Slate. For more episodes, find it wherever you're listening to this.

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7 tips for giving a great speech.

Published: July 05, 2022

A great speech presents clear, relatable content in an engaging way. Use these seven techniques to calm your nerves and prepare for giving a great speech.

Whether it's designed to share a brand message with an unfamiliar crowd or to inspire employees during difficult times, a great speech can prove to be a critical tool in a business leader's communication toolkit. 

What Makes a Great Speech?

One of the most important qualities of a great speech is that it’s relatively short.

Consider Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Both are powerful but brief, clocking in at two minutes and 17 minutes, respectively.

However, a speech’s length is only one factor. A great speech must also captivate the audience, be presented clearly and confidently, and have a well-defined message.

Here are some techniques you can use to deliver a great, memorable speech, whether it's for work or elsewhere.

1. Consider Your Speech a Performance

A speech is primarily about the words, but a performance is so much more. It’s inflection, gesture, tension, resolution, and suspense.

But it doesn't have to be overwhelming, and you don't have to be an Oscar winner to do it well.

Go see a one-person play, and you’ll instantly understand what I mean. Performers work hard at capturing and  keeping an audience’s attention , and words are only one tool in their arsenal.

This means after you finish writing a speech, the work isn't done. Make sure to rehearse the speech in front of a few people, the mirror, or a recording device. You'll feel more confident after you've practiced, even if it's just a few times.

2. Harness the Power of Eye Contact

When nerves take over, you might naturally want to look at the floor, your slides, your hands, or the back of the room. But remember that you're in a room with humans who want to connect with you and your words.

If you try to make eye contact with people while you deliver your speech, they're more likely to feel personally engaged and gain your trust. Eye contact communicates confidence and authority – two traits key to conveying your point effectively.

3. Let Go of the Lectern

The lectern can be a crutch. It’s a physical barrier between you and your audience, and you may want to consider stepping out from behind it. Not only will your movement help create a livelier presentation, but it will help the audience perceive you as more open and accessible. Movement can also help ease your nerves.

To help you stay focused when delivering your speech, map out where you want to be on stage for each key point you want to make. You can record videos of your practice sessions to pick up on subconscious nervous gestures or ticks and work to correct them.

4. Pay Attention to Your Posture

Your  body language conveys confidence . Slouching can make you look like you aren't confident. Practice standing up straight, keeping your shoulders back and your head steady. However, don't worry too much because your body will tighten, making you look and feel nervous. Remember to relax.

Additionally, breathing is important for calming your nerves. Slouching leaves less room for your lungs to fully breathe. Even if your speech is short, it’s critical to optimize your breathing habits so you feel better both mentally and physically.

Take deep, calm breaths as much as you need to beforehand. Don't forget to pause and breathe during the speech too. Taking care of yourself is crucial.

5. Spice Up Your Speech with Stories

The power of storytelling lies in the images that audience members create in their heads as you spin your yarn.

Try not to overload your speech with data points, unless it's primarily a data-driven topic. Listeners will be more likely to remember pertinent anecdotes that inspire compassion, elicit laughter, or simply intrigue them.

Stories – especially brief, relevant ones – are a powerful tool for delivering a great speech. Weaving them into your presentation can transform your listeners into active participants.

6. Vary Your Speaking Cadence

When delivering a speech, it’s important to deliberately mix up speaking patterns such as volume, speed, and tone. 

When in doubt,  slow down your speech  to let your audience catch up – especially if you tend to speak quickly. Remembering to pause can be very helpful in steadying the speech.

If you know you’re naturally a fast talker, build some pauses into your speech. Determine points at which to take a breather, or incorporate statements like “Now think about that for a moment” or “Let that sink in.” It takes an audience more time to process your points than it will take for you to articulate them.

Remember that you're the expert. Give people time to ponder your brilliant message.

7. Discuss What You Know and Care About

If you're asked to give a speech, you're probably already an expert on the subject.

Passion translates to energy and authenticity, which help engage an audience. Emotion pulls the audience in and gets them invested in hearing more. Take them with you on this journey from the start by talking with passion.

If you find you’re not moved by your topic, modify it so it's more relevant to you and your audience. The more relevant it is, the more engaging your speech will be, and the more confident you'll feel delivering it.

As an expert worthy of giving a great speech, you'll likely excel at providing the main content points. But using these techniques can help you get your message across in a compelling and memorable way. Focus on crafting a clear, concise message that’s rife with relevant anecdotes. Practice the performance, adjust any small habits as needed, and remember that you deserve to be up there. Remember to breathe.

A version of this article was originally published on September 08, 2014.

Photo: Getty Images

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Classic public speaking: how to give a killer speech at your next business meeting.

An average organization spends 15% of its time  conducting business meetings. A meeting might involve a sales pitch, employee motivation, or a public speaking event. Since people attend so many meetings, how can you make your next speech stand out?

Business meetings have a bad reputation. But that's because many hosts provide nervous, meandering speeches that miss the mark. With some preemptive preparation and classic public speaking tips, your speech will surely be a success.

Communication skills are an asset in every business. Use them to your advantage.

Public Speaking Tips for More Effective Speeches in Meetings

Captivate the audience and enhance your reputation with these seven tips for giving an impactful and memorable speech.     

1. Focus on the Key Point of the Business Meeting

Every business meeting has a purpose. So too should your speech. The first step of any successful speech is to determine its key point.

You might be doing something simple, like relaying quarterly information. Even if you're just talking numbers, your speech serves a purpose. Should the audience be proud of their achievements, or look for ways to improve?

2. Everyone Loves a Story

Data points and statistics are a powerful portion of any speech. But they are hard to remember. No matter what your speech is about, jazz it up with a story.

Why? Stories are memorable. They provide the perfect vehicle to attach key takeaways and elicit an emotional response from the audience.

Few people will recall even the most fascinating statistics. But with stories, you can stitch data points together through the magic of causality.

From TED talks to college commencement speeches, most presenters include three distinct stories. A trio of smaller stories ensures your speech will have variety and won't linger too long on a single anecdote.

Like Neopolitan ice cream, the best things come in threes.

3. Practice Makes Perfect

Don't scoff at the old adage. It's persisted for a reason. Yes, you should practice your speech in advance.

Some presenters worry that too much practice will harm the delivery of a speech. Or instead, they believe a speech is only genuine if it's done on the fly. Both of these beliefs are flawed.

One of the best tips for public speaking nerves? Practice, practice, practice. Most people who suffer from presentation anxiety will benefit from a lengthy rehearsal.

Few things can go wrong when you've memorized the entire speech in advance. You won't even have to think when you're on-stage. Reciting a memorized speech only requires you to go through the motions.

And there's nothing artificial about a well-practiced speech. All types of discourse require significant preparation in advance. By doing so, you'll discover additional opportunities for improvement -- and you can work on your delivery to boot.

4. Take Your Time

If you're nervous, you may be tempted to fly through your speech. Or maybe you just want to get it over with. Whatever the case, make a conscious effort to slow down.

The average person speaks at a rate of 120 words per minute. But effective speakers perform at a slower speed.

Remember that a speech is not a conversation. With a slower pace, your audience will have more time to decipher and consider your talking points. By using poignant stops, you're indicating to the audience that they should thoroughly consider your words.

Don't be afraid of pauses. Talented speaker Kate Adie cleverly halts throughout a speech and is known for her superb public speaking skills.

5. The Three Modes of Persuasion

Thousands of years ago, Aristotle proposed the three key elements that create a successful speech.

The first is logos , or logic. This refers to using facts and data during a speech to sway the audience.

The second is pathos , or emotion. Many people consider pathos to be the most important element of any speech. If you can convince your audience to feel a certain way, you've likely won them over to your side.

Ethos is the last Aristotelian appeal. It's an ethical appeal that refers to you, the speaker. You need to establish yourself to the audience and make it clear why they should listen to you.

Of course, in a business meeting, most people will know who you are. There's no need to put an emphasis on  ethos .

Even in modern times, talented speakers still rely on all three of these elements to form a cohesive and convincing speech.

6. Brevity is Key

Keep it simple. A tight, brief speech will clearly convey your key message. If you spend too much time talking, you'll lose the audience in the process.

Do you have a lot to talk about? Make an effort to distill these messages into simple concepts. No matter what you're talking about, your key points should be no longer than a Twitter post.

If they are, then it's time to cut them down to size.

7. Conclude with a Call to Action

Your conclusion serves two purposes. The first is to sum up the key takeaways of your speech. This aids the audience in digesting its contents.

But the most important part of your conclusion is a call to action.

You just spent five or ten minutes holding your audience captive. What was the point? Your speech served a purpose to either inform the audience or spur them to act in a certain way.

With your final words, ask the audience to do something based on the information they learned during your speech. It could be something simple, like asking the audience to thank themselves for their hard work.

Go Make a Splash at Your Next Business Meeting

Business meetings are one of the few opportunities to leave a lasting impression. Since communication skills are important , a fantastic speech is one way to propel your career forward. And when you get down to its basics, it's as simple as telling a few stories related to a central theme.

Don't let a fear of public speaking control you. Impress your boss and coworkers by making your next speech something to remember.

Alexis Davis is a senior staff writer at WebWriterSpotlight.com . She covers social media and other digital media news affecting creative writers and online entrepreneurs.

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5 quick steps to a killer ted speech.

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I spend a fair amount of time these days as a communication coach helping people prepare for TED speeches.  Even people who never prepared a speech before, preferring to wing it, suddenly get coaching religion when it comes to TED.  There’s something about knowing that 18 minutes of you will be there, forever, on the Internet, to compare to all those other geniuses, that gives even confident b*llsh*t artists pause.

So, in order to push the conversation forward, here are my 5 quick steps to a killer TED speech.  Yes, it’s important, and yes, everyone from here to Alpha Centauri will be able to watch the speech forever, but let’s get this done anyway and have a little fun in the process.

1.  Pick an idea that you know something special about.    Maybe you know how fire-walking works, or sword-swallowing, or you have a method to predict the direction of the stock market.  There’s something you know in a way that no one else does.  Make it something you’re passionate about, because if you’re going on record, it better be something that gets your heart racing.

2.   Connect a bit of your own story to the subject.    Now we need a little bit of your biography woven in to the subject.  Did you learn fire-walking from a crazy uncle?  Were you briefly in the circus, and had to swallow swords to survive?  Or did you dream up that stock market racket while bored in 5 th  grade math?  We want to know.  But we only want to know a little.  A TED talk is not about you; it’s about the idea, made human through you.

3.  Now make your passion, and your story, universal.   When I was young, my grandmother used to scold me if I talked about subjects that were “not of general interest.”  From her I learned not to gossip, and not to talk about my buddies in school unless they had done something earthshaking – of general interest.  It’s an idea that still hold merit, and here it means finding the universal problem that your passion, and your story, speaks to.  One recent TED talk wove the speaker’s own shyness together with some research on introversion together with a universal problem:  extroverts can’t solve all the challenges facing us.  The result was a perfect TED talk.

4.  Start with the universal problem, then move to your story.   You can also do it the other way around.  But only if it’s very well constructed.   We have a low tolerance for other people’s personal stories when they natter on with irrelevant details.  But when they put us on a ledge, high in the Himalayas, or skydiving from 15,000 feet, or facing a man-eating tiger, and they do it with economy and a touch of cool, then we’re hooked.  Nonetheless, we always want to know what the point, the moral, or the lesson is.  So start with the universal, or the individual, but get to the universal before very long.  Don’t bore us with your holiday snaps, metaphorically speaking, unless you were visiting the Dalai Lama .

5.  End by telling us how we can join together to combat, surmount, or erase the universal problem.   Always close with a call to action, because, what the heck, you’ve got the world’s attention.  Don’t waste it!  And don’t make it self-serving, because the whole point of TED is that it’s not about marketing yourself, it’s about sharing ideas.  Really, really interesting ideas.

There are lots of universal subjects left, and an infinite number of personal stories to connect to them.  We’ll be watching TED forever.

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How To Write A Killer Best Man Speech (With Templates)

A funny, heartfelt speech from the best man is one of the most memorable parts of a wedding. Here’s how to give a great toast (without embarrassing yourself).

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A best man speech is the perfect way to send your brother or friend the best wishes in their marriage, but standing up in front of the crowd can be super nerve-wracking. If you’ve been invited to be the best man at a wedding but have no idea what to say in your speech, you’re not alone! 

Over 75% of the population cites public speaking as one of their biggest fears. Thankfully, it’s a people skill that anyone can develop. A great event toast can be a game-changer and make you feel like a celebrity amongst the wedding guests. 

Watch our video to learn the best (and worst) speech openers:

Here’s how to overcome your public speaking anxiety and give a knockout best man speech that will incite laughter, smiles, or even sentimental tears. 

Quick Answer: How to Write a Best Man Speech Fast (with Template!)

A killer best man toast has a formula:

• Start with a funny or complimentary introduction
• Lead into a short story
• Add a dash of vulnerability
• End with genuine congratulations to the bride and groom. 

You won’t want to wing the speech after you’ve had a few drinks when you feel strapped for time before the wedding. Instead, take just 30 minutes of planning and note-making to save you (and the bride & groom) the embarrassment of an excessively long or inappropriate ramble. 

If you want to write a best man speech fast, follow this brief template for a great toast. Your toast should be roughly 3 to 5 minutes long. You can use numbered index cards to jot down the highlights of each section. Then, rehearse a few times in the mirror in the days leading up to the event. 

The most straightforward speech outline includes seven main components: 

• A great one-liner : This could be a funny joke, a compliment, or an inspirational quote about brotherhood or marriage. The first 15 seconds of the toast should capture the audience’s attention and leave them excited for more. Modify this:

“I’d like to begin by congratulating the groom for his superb taste in choosing the best man [chuckle].” 

• Compliment the wedding : Build your respect with the guests by highlighting things you like about the wedding. For example, you can compliment the beauty of the venue, the delicious food, or the great choice of music. Modify this:

“All jokes aside, this is a beautiful wedding. The bride and groom look like a movie star couple together. And if you didn’t taste the cake, you are missing out!” 

• Express gratitude : Say “thank you” to those who made the wedding possible and show appreciation to the groom for choosing you as his best man. Modify this:

“I am so grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Zimerman for hosting us here today, and thank you to the bride and groom for inviting me to be part of their special day.” 

• Tell a story : Did you and the groom meet as kids on the baseball field? Were you there when he first met his bride? Did you share a funny experience in college that is appropriate to share? The “meat” of the speech will be a short story about your relationship with the groom. A great story sounds like this:

 “When I first met Jeff, he was in a period of transition in life, like we all go through. He had just started a new job at my office in San Francisco, and we met because of our mutual addiction to double shot espressos (iced with a little cream) at 6 AM every morning from the corner coffee shop Bob’s Cup O’ Joe. When we both arrived at the office at the same time, 3 days in a row with eyes like this [widen eyes big], I knew we would be friends for life. A million espressos, meetings, and after-work beers later, I am so proud to call Jeff my best friend. When he told me about meeting a beautiful blonde named Anne at Bob’s Cup O’ Joe a few years later, I knew something would become of it. She even drank the same double shot espressos, iced with a little cream!”  

• Admire the couple : Strengthen your bond with the newlyweds by expressing your support for their marriage. If you know a bit about the bride and groom’s relationship, list a few things you admire about their bond. You may emphasize how the bride has positively impacted the groom’s life or how they make a great team. 

“Jeff and Anne are a perfect pair, and it seriously warms my heart to see a couple so amazingly in love. They compliment each other in every way and radiate joy when they are together.” 

• Summarize your thoughts : Before you wrap up your speech, go back and highlight your key ideas. You can pre-write 2-3 crisp sentences summarizing your support of the couple’s marriage. Modify this:

“I wish I could say I predicted this day would come, but Jeff’s incredible character and charm won Anne over. I am so grateful to be friends with both of them and to join you all in this celebration.” 

• Toast to the future : At the end of your speech, raise your glass for a toast to the couple’s love. Modify this: 

“Please join me in raising our glasses to a lifetime of happiness and espressos for Jeff and Anne Allison!” 

Here is an awesome example of a short and sweet 4-minute toast that left the crowd cracking up:

It’s best to memorize your speech, but there is no shame in bringing a few index cards in your pocket to reference if you get nervous. Don’t forget to prepare and rehearse in advance. 

For a more in-depth speech, see our step-by-step guide below. 

What to Say in a Best Man Speech (Do’s and Don’ts)

A best man’s speech traditionally takes place at the wedding reception after the maid of honor gives her speech. The best man’s speech should be positive, respectful, and congratulatory. It can last 3 to 5 minutes and should focus on a central theme or story about the groom. 

Remember, a best man speech is not the time to “wing it.” If you do that, there may come the point when everything suddenly goes silent, and a crowd of 50-100+ people is staring at you, waiting for what you’re going to say about the groom. You probably don’t want to end up with a cringing audience while telling a story about the groom’s previous relationships:

Instead, remember these key best man speech tips for a successful toast: 

Here are a few examples of what you should say in a best man speech:

• How did you meet the groom?
• What is one of your favorite memories with him?
• How did the groom meet the bride? Were you there?
• What is special about the groom?
• What do you like most about him? 
• What are his positive traits? 
• Playful banter : You don’t want to be too corny and cheesy with your bro. Depending on your relationship with the groom and the culture of the wedding, you may want to throw in a little banter with your dude. For example, you might make a funny joke about how much the groom loves going out to eat:

You should also avoid some key topics in a best man speech. 

Do not mention:

• The groom’s past relationships
• Sexual jokes
• Drugs, alcohol, or past mistakes
• Insecurities of the groom
• Financial or personal information 
• Insults to the bride or the wedding guests 
• Overly embarrassing stories
• Teasing the bride
• Anything that could potentially harm your friendship

Keep things positive and lighthearted. While a little witty banter or playful teasing can be fun (depending on your relationship with the groom), you should avoid insulting him or highlighting any major insecurities. The “playful” part of the speech is an excellent fun icebreaker, but it shouldn’t hurt anyone’s feelings or make them feel publicly embarrassed in front of their wedding guests.

How to Write a Best Man Speech for Best Friend or Brother: Easy Step-by-Step Guide

If you’re ready to prepare something more in-depth than the quick ideas above, this step-by-step guide can help you write a thoughtful speech that the groom may remember forever. After all, being named the best man at your friend or brother’s wedding is a tremendous honor. But like any honor, it comes with some responsibilities. After you finish all your bachelor party and wedding duties, an epic best man speech can be like the fireworks at the show’s end. 

Here are 5 simple steps to make it count:

#1 Start with a theme

Before you start writing and rehearsing your speech, it helps to decide on a theme for your talk. This will give a nice flow to the speech. A theme ensures that you stay on track to communicate your congratulations and appreciation to the groom. 

What is the main message you want to get across? A few theme ideas include:

• Anecdotes : Best man toasts center around storytelling. This theme is the easiest way to stay on track because you are telling a simple story from beginning to end. 
• Humor : Whether you’re naturally funny or working on your jokes ,  your speech is the perfect opportunity to get the audience laughing. Best man speeches are known for getting a little saucy, but you must be careful about offending the crowd or making crude jokes that might insult the bride and groom. If you want to tease the groom with some witty banter, it helps to make fun of yourself or reference an appropriate inside joke.
• Inspirational : Have you and the groom achieved an important business goal or accomplishment together? Do you have a shared role model or favorite motivational book you both read in college? This speech theme can leave the audience feeling inspired.
• Morality : Use your speech to highlight the great person the groom is. Perhaps you give examples of his integrity, trustworthiness, or generosity. You can emphasize how lucky you are to know the groom and how glad you are that he found a woman to spend his life with. 
• Sentimentality : When humor and storytelling aren’t your fortes, it doesn’t hurt to get a little corny. Sentimental speeches require a level of emotional vulnerability, but they can leave a huge impact on the newlyweds and their attendees.

#2 Create an outline

You wouldn’t go on a road trip without a navigation system, so don’t go into your speech without a plan. The best toasts and speeches follow the same structure. Pull out a piece of paper and brainstorm some ideas using this format, then use the following steps to fill in the details:

• Hook/Opening statement : The opening statement should be a 1 to 3-line description about the groom. The first 7 seconds of the speech should hook the audience immediately. It warms them up to you and makes them want to pay attention to the amusing stories. You’ll find an abundance of opening-line ideas in the next section. 
• Background context : Now comes the why of your speech. This is where the context of your relationship with the groom comes in. You can throw in some funny jokes and a few details about your experience with him. Use this intro to build up the anticipation for the story to come. Write down a few ideas of stories you can tell. 
• Tell the story : Choose 1-3 short stories about the groom that is funny, slightly embarrassing, or interesting. Jot down a few of the sensory elements you want to reference, like the smelly locker room or the squeaking of tire wheels. Most stories follow a bell-curve pattern—they start with an intro, lead to rising action, peak with a capstone moment, then tie back to the beginning. Keep this in mind as you brainstorm and follow the story-planning steps below. 
• Take-home message : After you get a good laugh or “awww” out of the audience, you’ll want to bring the story back to the beginning. What do you want them to remember about your speech and friendship with the groom? 
• Thank the wedding party : Use a quick sentence to thank the wedding party and hosts. Express your genuine gratitude for being invited. 
• Closing toast and congratulations : After wrapping up the story and thanking the wedding party, you should invite the audience to toast the bride and groom with you. For an extra cheery finale, act as if you are speaking on their behalf and include lots of well-wishes for the newlyweds. 

Pro Tip : Before filling in your outline details, watch this video for an overview of how to give a memorable toast. Human behavior expert Vanessa Van Edwards explains the most common mistakes (don’t start with “I,” “me,” or “my”) and a few secrets to getting the audience to perk up in their seats. 

#3 Nail the opening line 

Once you have your outline, it’s time to dig into the details. People decide their first impression of you within 7 seconds, so it’s extra important to nail the opening line of your speech. Best men use this opportunity to crack a joke, compliment the wedding, or set a sentimental tone for the speech. 

Avoid making the first lines about you. No “me”, “I”, or “my”. Instead, start with a juicy or mysterious line about the groom, for example:

If you need a little inspiration, here are some hilarious and quirky best man speech opening lines: 

• “Caring, loyal, honest, good-looking, and an all-around-great guy… OK, enough about me, onto the groom…!” 
• “This is the perfect chance to tell you about [Groom] and how talented, special, smart, good-looking, and… sorry, man, I can’t read your handwriting here.” 
• “I’d like to give a toast to the bride and groom.” [pull a piece of toasted bread from your pocket and give it to them]
• “[Groom’s name] is the kind of person you call when you lock yourself out of the dorm bathroom without any clothes on.” 
• “The bride and groom asked me not to share embarrassing stories or crude jokes during my speech… so that’s it from me! Thanks for listening, everyone.”
• “I’d like to start by congratulating the groom for his excellent taste in choosing the best man.” 
• “[Groom] had a tough time choosing his best man. First, he called his most handsome friend, but he said no. Then, he called his smartest friend, and he said no. Then, he called his most successful friend, who also said no. Then he called me, and I said, ‘Bro, I can’t say no to you four times.'”
• “What can I say about [Groom]? I guess I’ll start at the very beginning. He was born on [groom’s birthday]. Our parents were hoping for a girl, but I’ve always said… close enough.”

Here is a genuinely funny opening line from a best brother wedding speech:

Pro Tip : Don’t forget to pause for laughter. If it doesn’t come, you can chuckle at yourself and cue the audience that they are supposed to laugh by saying, “This is where you are supposed to laugh,” or joking, “Sound guy, can you please cue the laugh track?” Then, keep going with your speech.

Don’t worry. You need not be a jokester to give a great opening line. If you want to go the nostalgic or tearjerker route, be sure it is highly personalized and thoughtful. Here are some sentimental opening line ideas:

• “There are friends, and there is family, but friends also become family. This is so true for [Groom] and me. We’ve been best friends since we were X years old, and I’ve always considered him my brother.” 
• “There’s an old Irish proverb that says a good friend is like a four-leaf clover—hard to find and lucky to have. I think that’s true. Good friends are hard to find, and I’m lucky to have called [Groom] my best friend for the last X years.” 
• “I’ve heard that the best relationships come from the foundation of a deep friendship. Experts say that laughter, mutual respect, and enjoying each other’s company are the ingredients for a long-lasting, joyful marriage. After knowing [Groom] and [Bride] for X years, there is no doubt in my mind that they will make a great pair.” 
• “In Good Will Hunting , Robin Williams said, ‘It doesn’t matter if the guy is perfect or the girl is perfect as long as they are perfect for each other.” Anyone who has seen [Groom] and [Bride] together can agree that this is true for them. I haven’t seen a perfect pair, and I’m happy to be part of this celebration of their love.” 

To learn more about the best speech openers, use this guide on How to Start a Speech: The Best (and Worst) Speech Openers . Some top tips include:

• Avoid starting with a lackluster nicety like “thanks for having me.” 
• Don’t mention your nervousness.
• Avoid mentioning technical difficulties like the microphone or saying, “Can you hear me?” 

Bonus Tip: Learn the Art of Stage Presence

Did you know that public speaking is actually a skill? Many people struggle with stage anxiety because they feel they ‘missed the memo’ on public speaking or they are lacking because they do not have a natural stage presence. Not true!

Stage presence and public speaking are skills you need to be taught—very few people have them naturally. 

Watch our video to learn 7 steps to overcome stage fright and beat performance anxiety:

Here are all the aspects of public speaking you can master.

• How to make a first impression with an audience
• How to have stage presence
• Powerful body language
• How to speak with a commanding voice
• What to do with your hands while speaking

For every speaking skill you add to your toolbox, the less speaking anxiety you will feel.

If you want help really diving into your presentation skills, be sure to sign up for our course…

Master Your People Skills

• Create a Memorable Presence
• Communicate with Confidence
• Achieve Your Goals

Have a question about the presentation or People School? Email Science of People support .

#4 Background context

Now that you’ve grabbed the audience’s attention, it’s time to give them a little background on why you are giving a speech in the first place. This is another sneak peek at some details you’ll cover in the speech. 

The whole point of this part is to tell them how you know the groom—but it isn’t about you. You’ll often hear wedding speeches that start with a drab, “I met the groom in college” or, “My name is ___, and I’m the best man.” You can do better than that! Try saying:

• “The groom was the first friend I made on the high school football team. I had no idea we would become roommates in a bachelor pad throughout college.” 
• “As little kids, the groom and I were known to be a dangerous duo in the neighborhood. He always carried the eggs and toilet paper, then instructed me where to throw them. But you can guess who always took the blame for his antics….” 
• “The groom and I have been friends and business partners for X years, and as you’ll hear shortly, he is the main reason I broke my arm during the last office basketball game. But first, I want to tell you a less embarrassing story….” 

Pro Tip : Focus on the groom, and don’t make it about you. One of the biggest mistakes people make during wedding speeches is talking too much about themselves. Your speech shouldn’t discuss where you’re from, what you think, or how you ended up at the party. The best man’s speech is a time to focus on the groom and his bride. 

#5 Tell the story  

After your punchy opening line and background info, it’s time to tell the perfect story about the groom. Depending on the length of your speech and the details of your story, some best man speeches cover 1 to 3 short stories. 

Reference back to the memories you wrote when brainstorming. Pick a story that includes the most of these captivating elements:

• A little bit of embarrassment : Whether it’s you, the groom, or a mutual friend, it helps to poke some fun at someone in the story. If you fear being offensive, the best person to joke about is yourself.  
• Audience member references : You can get major bonus points if you bring wedding guests into the storytelling moment. You might say, “Mom, you might want to close your ears on this one!” or, “Brian, we’re talking about you!” 
• Sensory details : What did the scenery look like? What were the prominent smells, sounds, and tastes at the moment? A great story should make the audience feel like they were with you. Don’t forget to mention the frigid cold lake you jumped into or the outrageously spicy food that left you both panting and crying for water. 
• A final punch line : Ideally, the best story ends with a shocking moment or funny line. It should leave the audience laughing, crying, surprised, or even gasping. For example, in an epic adventure story about you and the groom on a hunting trip, you may end with, “Just as the shark was about to bite the line, Joe reeled in the massive bluefin and yelled, ‘I think we’re gonna need a bigger boat!’”

Pro Tip : If you have to ask, “Is this appropriate?” it probably isn’t. Some stories are better for late-night beers than they are for weddings. Avoid telling stories related to sexual topics, drugs, alcohol, illegal activities, or anything you wouldn’t want grandma to hear. 

#6 Take-home message

When the story finishes, you’ve hopefully elicited some laughter or maybe some tears. All jokes aside, there is a reason you were the best man, and you are probably a significant person to the groom. This is a great time to emphasize the best qualities of the groom and why you’re so happy for his new love. 

Here is an excellent example of tying together the opening and closing lines with a heartfelt message about finding the perfect soul mate:

#7 End your speech with a heartfelt toast

We’ve all heard “let’s raise a glass to [Bride] and [Groom]” before. You can do better than that! The final toast is like the fireworks at the end of your best man speech. Instead of something mediocre, invite the audience to join you in a genuine, thoughtful congratulations. Examples include:

• “Please join me in raising our glasses to the beautiful bride and handsome groom. May your lives together be long, healthy, and happy. We love you so much and are excited for you. Cheers!” 
• “Lift your glasses to thank Mr. and Mrs. [Bride’s Parents] for hosting this beautiful wedding. Let us all toast to the perfect union of the bride and groom. We wish you a bright and beautiful future. Cheers!”
• “Here’s to the past, for all you’ve learned. Here’s to the present for this beautiful moment we all share. Here’s to the future for all you’ve got to look forward to. Cheers to the happy couple!” 

Pro Tip : Make your toast inclusive and communal, so the audience feels like they’re cheering for the couple with you. Use words like “we”, “lets”, and “us”. This congratulation invites them to join as if you are speaking on their behalf. 

#8 Use a best man speech template

A template makes things simple if you’re still feeling uneasy about writing your best man speech. You can take the structure of an example speech and incorporate your ideas and stories to make it your own. 

Best man speech example for a best friend :  

“Tonight, you’ll learn why the groom was destined to marry [Bride]. The year was 2002, and we were all in a bar with friends on New Year’s Eve in New York City. Snow was falling outside, and we were sipping champagne, waiting for the big ball to drop. Seemingly out of nowhere, a woman with a red dress entered the room, and everything seemed to stop. All the bachelors in our group were captivated, but only [Groom] had the guts to walk up to her. Rumor has it that his first opening line was ‘

Everyone talks about a woman’s glow when she’s falling in love, but I swear that [Groom] was smiling from ear to ear from the second they met. We could hardly get him to stop talking about her by the following week. We’d be watching football and drinking beers only to have [Bride’s] name brought up every 5 minutes. 

Fast forward 3 years, and we’ve all seen how much [Bride] has positively impacted his life. When he came to me to tell me he was proposing, my only response was, ‘ Finally, dude !’

There’s something extra special about these two. They go together like peanut butter and jelly. They love and respect each other so much. [Bride] was the one for [Groom] from the second they locked eyes in that hazy NYC bar. We are all so happy to be here for your big day. Let’s raise our glasses to the beautiful bride and groom! Cheers!” 

Another Best man speech example for a best friend :  

“The groom was the first friend I made on the high school basketball team. He wasn’t very good [pause for laughter]. I was the tallest player and obviously had the best free throw, but I was majorly lacking in the ladies department. Thankfully, [Groom] took me under his wing and showed me how to be a true gentleman. That includes opening doors for women and carrying their bags instead of just running in with my own. What would I have done without you, man?

Even though he was no good at basketball, [Groom] always had his head on his shoulders. He’s a respectful, intelligent, and relatively clean-cut guy. All joking aside, it’s no surprise that he ended up with a woman as intelligent and beautiful as [Bride]. You both deserve a lifetime of love, happiness, and success together. Please raise your glasses and join me in congratulating the bride and groom! We love you!” 

#9 Practice your body language

Public speaking isn’t only about what you say but how you carry yourself. Your body language can drastically affect your confidence, your delivery, and how the audience perceives you. Use these body language hacks to take your speech to the next level: 

• Signal “friend” : Smile and show your open palms to send the message that you are the audience’s friend. This makes people feel more comfortable with your presence and more likely to listen.
• Stand up straight : When you look confident, you also feel more confident. Check your posture if your voice is a little shaky before the speech. Roll back your shoulders and tuck your shoulder blades down towards your back. Slightly lift your chest and chin as you speak. 
• Make eye contact: Throughout the speech, you should change your eye contact with different audience members. As you mention specific compliments or thanks, make eye contact with the bride, groom, groomsmen, bridesmaids, and the bride’s father.
• Genuinely smile : Smiling may seem obvious, but it’s easy to forget when you feel so focused on a perfect delivery. At the same time, you don’t want to look like you’re fake smiling throughout the speech. Use these 9 Simple Tips to Smile Better (in any situation!)
• Use your hands : It’s easy to let your nerves get the best of you and feel like a “deer in the headlights.” Instead of tucking your hands in your pockets, widen your stance and take up space. Use your hands and gestures while you talk to show that you are comfortable and happy during the speech. 

Want more tips? Here are 17 Body Language Presentation Cues to Use in Your Next Speech . 

#10 Rehearse before the big day

Experts say you should rehearse a speech 10 times before performing it. Research also shows that people who mentally prepare themselves before a speech by imagining it going well are more likely to perform fluently and easily. So before you get in front of an audience, be sure you’ve gone over your speech at least 10 times, either in your head or out loud. Better yet, practice in the mirror, on camera, or in front of a trusted friend. 

It also helps to review the gist of the speech with the groom (without giving away any secret details) to make sure it’s alright with him. A few weeks before the wedding, you may pull him aside and ask, “Hey man, is it OK if I tell the story about ____ in my best man speech? I think it’ll get some good laughs.” 

Although this example is long, this best man very clearly rehearsed his speech for a near-perfect performance without any notes:

Key Takeaways: Express Gratitude and Sentimentality in 3-5 Minutes

Ultimately, a best man speech is an opportunity to make your best bro look good in front of all his friends and family. Your speech should demonstrate how much you value your brotherhood or friendship. At the same time, you can enjoy 5 minutes of wedding fame without making things all about you. A great toast can make you a memorable celebrity at the wedding and have people laughing at your

Before jumping up at the reception and speaking off the cuff, remember to:

• Outline and plan your speech ahead of time. Use notecards if needed.
• Focus on the groom and his bride. Don’t go on and on about yourself. 
• Nail the opening line with a funny joke, quote, or teaser that leads into a great story. 
• Avoid inappropriate or cringey topics that could embarrass the groom.
• Express gratitude to the groom and wedding hosts. 

Giving a toast or speech is an essential social skill that can make you one of the most likable people in a room. If you want to learn more about the art of giving showstopping toasts, read this guide on How to Give an Awesome Toast: Advanced Strategies for Speeches . 

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Fans React After Usher's Speech Gets Muted at 2024 BET Awards

Usher was honored with the lifetime achievement award at the 2024 bet awards, but his speech was plagued with sound issues. .

Usher was up in the club with his homies—but no one could hear.

The singer took home the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 BET Awards on June 30, but his acceptance speech suffered from major tech issues . Fans noticed that large portions of his 10-minute speech were muted for unknown reasons.

As one fan wrote on X, "How they silence Usher’s whole speech like that."

Although some theorized that the network may have been muting expletives, one social media user quipped , "I know Usher ain’t cussing that much that they’re muting his whole speech. Like WTF!"

The silent speech sparked speculation about what the "Yeah!" artist could possibly have been expressing on stage.

"Why did BET put Usher on mute for the majority of his acceptance speech? Must have been some piping hot tea spilled!" one person said, as another user joked, "Is Usher telling industry secrets because the censoring is crazy."

Ultimately, many fans simply wished they could have heard the message the eight-time Grammy winner wanted to give after 30 years in the music industry.

"Usher is a living legend," one social media user shared . "I’m happy he got to get his flowers. While he’s still here to receive them. He dead deserves all the love. He’s still here killing it."

And the 45-year-old was grateful for the recognition, writing on Instagram ahead of the show, "30 years of U and I…My Day 1s! Thank U  @bet for honoring me with the Lifetime Achievement Award and a tribute performance."

BET, meanwhile, addressed the sound issue the following day. 

“Due to an audio malfunction during the live telecast, portions of his speech were inadvertently muted," a spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter . "We extend our sincere apologies to Usher as we couldn’t be more grateful for his participation in culture’s biggest night. Fans can catch his full uninterrupted speech across BET platforms and tonight’s encore on BET.”

Earlier in the evening, Usher also took home the award for Best Male R&B/Pop artist, using his moment to shoutout his fellow fathers . 

@myhoodmagazine Usher speech gets muted on BET AWARDS! #myhoodmagazine #betawards2024 ♬ original sound - My HooD Magazine

“It’s important to understand that fatherhood is so important,” Usher shared from the podium. “For all the fathers tonight at home or in the audience I would like for y’all to stand up just for two seconds for me. Far too often, we get to this moment and we say to our mothers, ‘Look Ma, I made it.’ We don’t get a chance to say enough, ‘Dad I did it.’"

He continued, "So, this one is for all of the men out there being generals to their sons, and motivation for our future Black leaders—young men.”

Read on to see all the stars in attendance to celebrate Usher and Culture's Biggest Night.

Halle Bailey

Victoria Monét

Taraji P. Henson

Killer Mike

T.I. (L) and Heiress Harris (R)

Keke Palmer (LC) and DivaGurl

Colman Domingo

Ty Dolla $ign

DC Young Fly

Karol Conká

Dominique Perry

Tamar Braxton

Kadeem Hardison (L) and Sophia Hardison (R)

Angela Simmons

Eric Bellinger (L) and La'Myia Good (R)

Marsha Ambrosius

YBN Almighty Jay

DJ Diamond Kuts

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• Entertainment

Alleged killer of ex-Japan PM Abe loaded homemade gun, aimed to shoot day before incident

July 3, 2024 (Mainichi Japan)

Japanese version

Tetsuya Yamagami, the man indicted for the murder of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Nara in 2022, said that he had loaded bullets into a handmade gun and planned to shoot him in another city a day earlier, the Mainichi Shimbun learned from sources close to the investigation.

It was revealed that Yamagami, now 43, explained that he was waiting outside for Abe, then 67, to arrive at the location in the west Japan city of Okayama where he was going to give a speech. Yamagami added that he had entered the building, but his plan failed because he could not get close to the former prime minister. Although the details of his movements were not revealed by security camera footage in the investigation, authorities believe that he was preparing to shoot Abe and was persistently targeting him.

At the time of the assassination, Abe was on a nationwide tour giving speeches to show support for candidates in the House of Councillors election. On July 7, 2022, the day before the shooting, he was scheduled to attend a campaign event at a civic hall in Okayama, which has since been closed down.

It is believed that around that time, Yamagami had narrowed down his target to Abe and was researching the politician's schedule. Learning about the date of Abe's speech, Yamagami headed to Okayama from Nara where he lived, with a homemade gun in his bag.

The sources revealed that Yamagami had stated that he was "waiting outside for Abe to enter the civic center" after arriving in Okayama. He also explained that he had loaded the gun and kept ready to fire it.

Yamagami did not know which entrance the people involved in the event would use, and shortly after learning that Abe had entered the hall, he also entered the building. However, including those standing, there were about 2,000 people in the audience, and he reportedly stated, "There were too many people and I could not approach Abe." Until now, it had been believed that Yamagami gave up approaching the politician at the Okayama event due to the security situation.

Just before that, Yamagami stopped by a convenience store near the civic hall and posted a letter in the store's mailbox implying that he was going to kill Abe. It has been known that after abandoning the attack, he tried unsuccessfully to retrieve the letter.

It is thought that on a bullet train home from Okayama, Yamagami learned on the internet that Abe would be visiting Nara the following day. Investigators believe that the combination of the abandoned attack in Okayama and the failure to retrieve the letter caused him to grow impatient, and as a result, he decided to shoot Abe in Nara.

Yamagami is thought to have arrived at Abe's stump speech venue, Kintetsu Railway's Yamato-Saidaiji Station, at around 10 a.m. on July 8, about an hour and a half before the speech, and carefully checked the security situation. At around 11:30 a.m., he allegedly jumped out onto the roadway, approached the speaker from behind and fired the gun from a distance of 5 to 7 meters.

After his arrest, Yamagami told investigators that his mother, who had become a follower of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, formerly known as the Unification Church, had repeatedly donated money to the religious group, causing his family to collapse. As his resentment toward the church grew, he watched a video message that Abe had sent to a group affiliated with the church in around the spring of 2022, and he was motivated by the belief that Abe had spread the activities of the organization in Japan.

(Japanese original by Fumika Kiya and Takeshi Kawabata, Nara Bureau; and Mizuki Hayashi, Osaka City News Department)

Related Articles

• Psychiatric exam finds ex-Japan PM Shinzo Abe shooter mentally fit
• The 10-second blind spot that sealed ex-PM Abe's fate
• Unification Church-linked group paid Trump $2.5 mil. for video messages: Mainichi exclusive
• Editorial: 1 year on from Abe's murder, let us renew our resolve to protect democracy

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Killer mike gives fiery speech at bet awards, references recent legal woes and urges viewers to get politically involved.

"Technically, I was not supposed to be here," the rapper said onstage while accepting the award for album of the year. "I was put in handcuffs, and I was marched out of this building."

By Kimberly Nordyke

Kimberly Nordyke

Managing Editor, Digital

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Killer Mike gave a passionate speech at the BET Awards on Sunday night while accepting the award for album of the year, referencing his recent legal issues and encouraging viewers to get politically involved.

Related Stories

Espn responds to criticism over prince harry's espy award honor, bet apologizes to usher, says "audio malfunction" led to portions of his speech being "inadvertently muted".

“Technically, I was not supposed to be here,” Killer Mike, real name Michael Santiago Render, said onstage Sunday night. “I was put in handcuffs, and I was marched out of this building. But I wanna tell you, look at God because I’m back, baby, I’m back.” (The Grammys and BET Awards both took place in Downtown Los Angeles.)

He went on: “I wanna tell Black people that it’s because of BET I’m back, not ’cause of no white person. … A Black man runs this business, a Black company puts this show on, and they got my Black ass back in here. Thank you.”

“I’m moved and compelled to say this in this moment, a lot of people gonna say, who was he?” he continued. “Who is he? Why did he get it? I am a representation of one of the finest things God has ever made. And that’s one-half of the Black family. Black men and women, I am you. Whether you’re young, whether you’re old, whether you like me, whether you don’t like me, I am absolutely you, and this win is absolutely ours.”

He then urged viewers not only to vote at the polls in November but also to get politically involved.

“They’re gonna tell you who we vote for is important and it is,” he said “Who we vote for on the big stage is important, but it’s more important that you know who your city council person is, who your prosecutor is, and if you don’t like the people who are running, run your Black ass to the polls and run yourself.”

Also on Sunday, he released a new single, “Humble Me,” in which he references the Grammys arrest.

Taraji P. Henson is hosting the 2024 BET Awards, where Usher will be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award. The show is airing live on BET from Downtown Los Angeles.

See a list of 2024 BET Awards winners.

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