Study Your Topic
The better you know the topic you will be talking about the more confident you will be and the less likely it will be that you lose your place or stumble in the middle of the speech. If it is possible, you should always go with a topic that you like or that you are very interested in. Research the topic and make sure you understand those parts that you are not too familiar with. Showing vast knowledge of your topic will give you confidence and authority when you speak.
Reason
Once you have your topic, know why you are giving the speech. You give a speech to inspire, entertain, persuade, or provoke. Have the purpose of your speech clear before you start to even write it. If you don’t have a clear motive to give your speech, then your audience doesn’t have a clear reason to listen.
Practice. Practice. Practice.
Now that you have figured out the subject of your speech, the best thing you can do is practice. Practice in front of the mirror, in the shower, or wherever you are comfortable speaking out loud. Always practice your speech in front of friends and family to see their reactions and receive feedback. This will help you make corrections, see what parts of your speech you are not fully comfortable with, and you are also familiarizing with your speech.
Be welcoming
Start of your speech with a warm welcome. This can come in form of a quick joke or story that they can relate to. Not only will it help you calm your nerves a bit but you will also grab the audience’s attention.
Know your audience
Knowing your audience before writing the speech will help you speak to their emotions and address them properly. This way you will be able to speak to them directly about their interests, goals, or needs. Before the event starts, you can try and mingle with the audience so that you feel a bit more at home once you have to give the speech. If you are nervous during the speech, finding a nice, warm smile from a familiar audience member can really make a huge difference.
Use imagery
To maintain the attention of the audience, try using stronger words compared to the usual bland ones to create a picture in people’s minds. It, of course, needs to be focused on your central theme, but imagery can be a very powerful concept when giving speeches.
Visualize yourself giving an epic speech
To truly be able to give that epic speech, it is more than just writing it. You have to visualize yourself giving the speech of your dreams. This is beneficial for a confidence boost and can be useful for practicing and reinforcing your speech. If you can see yourself giving an amazing talk, then your audience will live it.
End Strong
Every great speech has a strong ending. End with a line that people will remember and that it contains a message that you want them to remember. Apart from the opening line, this is the most important line. Use it well.
