how to make your speech more attractive

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How to Have a Nice Voice

Last Updated: August 15, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Patrick Muñoz . Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 617,508 times.

Do you think your voice sounds weird? Do you not like your voice cracking? Believe it or not, you're not stuck with the voice you have now, even if you're an adult. Almost every aspect of your voice, from its deepness to its volume, can be altered with enough practice. The way you speak is just a matter of vocal habits, which can be changed, and improved.

Examining Your Current Voice

• Volume: How loud do you speak?
• Articulation: Do you slur your words or mumble?
• Voice quality: Is your voice nasally, breathy, or raspy?
• Overall pitch: Do you speak in a shrill, high tone or a deep, low pitch?
• Pitch variation: Do you speak in a monotone voice?
• Speed: Do you speak too quickly or slowly?

• Recording and listening back to your voice will allow you to get an enlightening, objective look at what your really sound like to others. Take note of the flaws in your speaking voice, from mumbling, to filler words, to a nasally quality, and more. Write down everything you notice.

Projecting Your Best Voice

• Another breathing exercise you can do is to read a paragraph with a mix of long and short sentences. Use just one deep, single breath for each sentence, exhaling gradually as you read out loud. Then take a breath and start the next sentence. This is just an exercise to improve breath strength. This isn't how you should try to talk normally. [5] X Trustworthy Source Cleveland Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source

• Practice saying a two syllable word over and over with varying pitch changes. There are four types of pitch changes, rising pitch, falling pitch, rising up then down, and falling down then up.
• Repeat a sentence over and over and change which word gets the emphasis. For example, say "I didn't steal the bike," first by emphasizing that it wasn't you who stole the bike, then by emphasizing the "didn't," then by implying that you did something to the bike besides stealing it, and then by implying that you stole something other than the bike.

• Start by placing your hands on your throat and talking normally, noting any tightness in your throat and jaw.
• Make a big yawn and let your jaw fall as low as it will comfortably. End the yawn by saying "ho-hum." Continue the "hum" for several seconds with your lips shut, and as you do so, move your jaw from side to side and let it hang a little. Do this several times.
• Say the words "hang," "harm," "lane," "main," "lone," "loom." Exaggerate your facial movements as you do so. Yawn again whenever your throat gets a little tired.
• Use your fingers to softly knead your throat muscles.
• Relax your throat as your repeat the following sounds slowly: "nay," "nay," "nee," "no," "noo."

Improving Your Voice Further

• Do this exercise often to target the specific things about your voice that you want to improve the most.

Patrick Muñoz

What should I drink to have a good voice? Patrick Muñoz, a voice and speech coach, explains: "You should drink a lot of water, at least 64 ounces a day. You also want to avoid drinking too much caffeine, which can tighten your voice, and acidic drinks, which can dry out your voice. Dairy products can add a coating to your throat, affecting your voice."

Expert Q&A

• If your voice cracks, drink more water, not only will it help, but it's good for you too. Thanks Helpful 17 Not Helpful 1
• Be confident in your voice! Don't let insecurity about the sound of your voice keep you from talking. The more people hear your voice, the more they will start to love it. Thanks Helpful 11 Not Helpful 3
• Don't drink too much cold water as this will crack your voice, instead, drink room temperature water. Thanks Helpful 13 Not Helpful 5

Tips from our Readers

• Avoid trying to fake an accent during your normal speech because it may sound odd if it didn't develop naturally.
• Be confident that you have a great voice. Don't worry about what other people say about your voice.
• Be careful not to strain your voice because it will crack and could hurt your voice box.

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/communication-success/201406/how-to-strengthen-improve-the-sound-of-your-speaking-voice
• ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/communications-matter/202101/why-you-need-pitch-your-voice-lower
• ↑ https://www.scienceofpeople.com/speak-with-confidence/
• ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/communication-success/201401/how-improve-the-sound-your-voice
• ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9445-diaphragmatic-breathing
• ↑ https://www.scienceofpeople.com/how-to-talk-slower/
• ↑ https://www.helpguide.org/articles/relationships-communication/nonverbal-communication.htm
• ↑ https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/relaxation-techniques-for-stress-relief.htm

About This Article

If you want to have a nice voice, strengthen your breath by taking 1 deep breath for each sentence you say, and releasing that breath slowly as you speak. Then, practice relaxing your voice by exaggerating the way you articulate words and opening your jaw more when you speak. At that point, you can start practicing with your pitch and tone by emphasizing different words in a sentence like, “I didn’t steal the bike,” so it means different things. Read more to learn the common areas that need improvement and where you can find voice lessons! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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15 Powerful Speech Opening Lines (And How to Create Your Own)

Hrideep barot.

• Public Speaking , Speech Writing

Powerful speech opening lines set the tone and mood of your speech. It’s what grips the audience to want to know more about the rest of your talk.

The first few seconds are critical. It’s when you have maximum attention of the audience. And you must capitalize on that!

Instead of starting off with something plain and obvious such as a ‘Thank you’ or ‘Good Morning’, there’s so much more you can do for a powerful speech opening (here’s a great article we wrote a while ago on how you should NOT start your speech ).

To help you with this, I’ve compiled some of my favourite openings from various speakers. These speakers have gone on to deliver TED talks , win international Toastmaster competitions or are just noteworthy people who have mastered the art of communication.

After each speaker’s opening line, I have added how you can include their style of opening into your own speech. Understanding how these great speakers do it will certainly give you an idea to create your own speech opening line which will grip the audience from the outset!

Alright! Let’s dive into the 15 powerful speech openings…

Note: Want to take your communications skills to the next level? Book a complimentary consultation with one of our expert communication coaches. We’ll look under the hood of your hurdles and pick two to three growth opportunities so you can speak with impact!

1. Ric Elias

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

How to use the power of imagination to open your speech?

Putting your audience in a state of imagination can work extremely well to captivate them for the remainder of your talk.

It really helps to bring your audience in a certain mood that preps them for what’s about to come next. Speakers have used this with high effectiveness by transporting their audience into an imaginary land to help prove their point.

When Ric Elias opened his speech, the detail he used (3000 ft, sound of the engine going clack-clack-clack) made me feel that I too was in the plane. He was trying to make the audience experience what he was feeling – and, at least in my opinion, he did.

When using the imagination opening for speeches, the key is – detail. While we want the audience to wander into imagination, we want them to wander off to the image that we want to create for them. So, detail out your scenario if you’re going to use this technique.

Make your audience feel like they too are in the same circumstance as you were when you were in that particular situation.

2. Barack Obama

Opening: “You can’t say it, but you know it’s true.”

3. Seth MacFarlane

Opening: “There’s nowhere I would rather be on a day like this than around all this electoral equipment.” (It was raining)

How to use humour to open your speech?

When you use humour in a manner that suits your personality, it can set you up for a great speech. Why? Because getting a laugh in the first 30 seconds or so is a great way to quickly get the audience to like you.

And when they like you, they are much more likely to listen to and believe in your ideas.

Obama effortlessly uses his opening line to entice laughter among the audience. He brilliantly used the setting (the context of Trump becoming President) and said a line that completely matched his style of speaking.

Saying a joke without really saying a joke and getting people to laugh requires you to be completely comfortable in your own skin. And that’s not easy for many people (me being one of them).

If the joke doesn’t land as expected, it could lead to a rocky start.

Keep in mind the following when attempting to deliver a funny introduction:

• Know your audience: Make sure your audience gets the context of the joke (if it’s an inside joke among the members you’re speaking to, that’s even better!). You can read this article we wrote where we give you tips on how you can actually get to know your audience better to ensure maximum impact with your speech openings
• The joke should suit your natural personality. Don’t make it look forced or it won’t elicit the desired response
• Test the opening out on a few people who match your real audience. Analyze their response and tweak the joke accordingly if necessary
• Starting your speech with humour means your setting the tone of your speech. It would make sense to have a few more jokes sprinkled around the rest of the speech as well as the audience might be expecting the same from you

4. Mohammed Qahtani

Opening: Puts a cigarette on his lips, lights a lighter, stops just before lighting the cigarette. Looks at audience, “What?”

5. Darren Tay

Opening: Puts a white pair of briefs over his pants.

How to use props to begin your speech?

The reason props work so well in a talk is because in most cases the audience is not expecting anything more than just talking. So when a speaker pulls out an object that is unusual, everyone’s attention goes right to it.

It makes you wonder why that prop is being used in this particular speech.

The key word here is unusual . To grip the audience’s attention at the beginning of the speech, the prop being used should be something that the audience would never expect. Otherwise, it just becomes something that is common. And common = boring!

What Mohammed Qahtani and Darren Tay did superbly well in their talks was that they used props that nobody expected them to.

By pulling out a cigarette and lighter or a white pair of underwear, the audience can’t help but be gripped by what the speaker is about to do next. And that makes for a powerful speech opening.

6. Simon Sinek

Opening: “How do you explain when things don’t go as we assume? Or better, how do you explain when others are able to achieve things that seem to defy all of the assumptions?”

7. Julian Treasure

Opening: “The human voice. It’s the instrument we all play. It’s the most powerful sound in the world. Probably the only one that can start a war or say “I love you.” And yet many people have the experience that when they speak people don’t listen to them. Why is that? How can we speak powerfully to make change in the world?”

How to use questions to open a speech?

I use this method often. Starting off with a question is the simplest way to start your speech in a manner that immediately engages the audience.

But we should keep our questions compelling as opposed to something that is fairly obvious.

I’ve heard many speakers start their speeches with questions like “How many of us want to be successful?”

No one is going to say ‘no’ to that and frankly, I just feel silly raising my hand at such questions.

Simon Sinek and Jullian Treasure used questions in a manner that really made the audience think and make them curious to find out what the answer to that question is.

What Jullian Treasure did even better was the use of a few statements which built up to his question. This made the question even more compelling and set the theme for what the rest of his talk would be about.

So think of what question you can ask in your speech that will:

• Set the theme for the remainder of your speech
• Not be something that is fairly obvious
• Be compelling enough so that the audience will actually want to know what the answer to that question will be

8. Aaron Beverley

Opening: Long pause (after an absurdly long introduction of a 57-word speech title). “Be honest. You enjoyed that, didn’t you?”

How to use silence for speech openings?

The reason this speech opening stands out is because of the fact that the title itself is 57 words long. The audience was already hilariously intrigued by what was going to come next.

But what’s so gripping here is the way Aaron holds the crowd’s suspense by…doing nothing. For about 10 to 12 seconds he did nothing but stand and look at the audience. Everyone quietened down. He then broke this silence by a humorous remark that brought the audience laughing down again.

When going on to open your speech, besides focusing on building a killer opening sentence, how about just being silent?

It’s important to keep in mind that the point of having a strong opening is so that the audience’s attention is all on you and are intrigued enough to want to listen to the rest of your speech.

Silence is a great way to do that. When you get on the stage, just pause for a few seconds (about 3 to 5 seconds) and just look at the crowd. Let the audience and yourself settle in to the fact that the spotlight is now on you.

I can’t put my finger on it, but there is something about starting the speech off with a pure pause that just makes the beginning so much more powerful. It adds credibility to you as a speaker as well, making you look more comfortable and confident on stage. 

If you want to know more about the power of pausing in public speaking , check out this post we wrote. It will give you a deeper insight into the importance of pausing and how you can harness it for your own speeches. You can also check out this video to know more about Pausing for Public Speaking:

9. Dan Pink

Opening: “I need to make a confession at the outset here. Little over 20 years ago, I did something that I regret. Something that I’m not particularly proud of. Something that in many ways I wish no one would ever know but that here I feel kind of obliged to reveal.”

10. Kelly McGonigal

Opening: “I have a confession to make. But first I want you to make a little confession to me.”

How to use a build-up to open your speech?

When there are so many amazing ways to start a speech and grip an audience from the outset, why would you ever choose to begin your speech with a ‘Good morning?’.

That’s what I love about build-ups. They set the mood for something awesome that’s about to come in that the audience will feel like they just have to know about.

Instead of starting a speech as it is, see if you can add some build-up to your beginning itself. For instance, in Kelly McGonigal’s speech, she could have started off with the question of stress itself (which she eventually moves on to in her speech). It’s not a bad way to start the speech.

But by adding the statement of “I have a confession to make” and then not revealing the confession for a little bit, the audience is gripped to know what she’s about to do next and find out what indeed is her confession.

11. Tim Urban

Opening: “So in college, I was a government major. Which means that I had to write a lot of papers. Now when a normal student writes a paper, they might spread the work out a little like this.”

12. Scott Dinsmore

Opening: “8 years ago, I got the worst career advice of my life.”

How to use storytelling as a speech opening?

“The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.” Steve Jobs

Storytelling is the foundation of good speeches. Starting your speech with a story is a great way to grip the audience’s attention. It makes them yearn to want to know how the rest of the story is going to pan out.

Tim Urban starts off his speech with a story dating back to his college days. His use of slides is masterful and something we all can learn from. But while his story sounds simple, it does the job of intriguing the audience to want to know more.

As soon as I heard the opening lines, I thought to myself “If normal students write their paper in a certain manner, how does Tim write his papers?”

Combine such a simple yet intriguing opening with comedic slides, and you’ve got yourself a pretty gripping speech.

Scott Dismore’s statement has a similar impact. However, just a side note, Scott Dismore actually started his speech with “Wow, what an honour.”

I would advise to not start your talk with something such as that. It’s way too common and does not do the job an opening must, which is to grip your audience and set the tone for what’s coming.

13. Larry Smith

Opening: “I want to discuss with you this afternoon why you’re going to fail to have a great career.”

14. Jane McGonigal

Opening: “You will live 7.5 minutes longer than you would have otherwise, just because you watched this talk.”

How to use provocative statements to start your speech?

Making a provocative statement creates a keen desire among the audience to want to know more about what you have to say. It immediately brings everyone into attention.

Larry Smith did just that by making his opening statement surprising, lightly humorous, and above all – fearful. These elements lead to an opening statement which creates so much curiosity among the audience that they need to know how your speech pans out.

This one time, I remember seeing a speaker start a speech with, “Last week, my best friend committed suicide.” The entire crowd was gripped. Everyone could feel the tension in the room.

They were just waiting for the speaker to continue to know where this speech will go.

That’s what a hard-hitting statement does, it intrigues your audience so much that they can’t wait to hear more! Just a tip, if you do start off with a provocative, hard-hitting statement, make sure you pause for a moment after saying it.

Silence after an impactful statement will allow your message to really sink in with the audience.

Related article: 5 Ways to Grab Your Audience’s Attention When You’re Losing it!

15. Ramona J Smith

Opening: In a boxing stance, “Life would sometimes feel like a fight. The punches, jabs and hooks will come in the form of challenges, obstacles and failures. Yet if you stay in the ring and learn from those past fights, at the end of each round, you’ll be still standing.”

How to use your full body to grip the audience at the beginning of your speech?

In a talk, the audience is expecting you to do just that – talk. But when you enter the stage and start putting your full body into use in a way that the audience does not expect, it grabs their attention.

Body language is critical when it comes to public speaking. Hand gestures, stage movement, facial expressions are all things that need to be paid attention to while you’re speaking on stage. But that’s not I’m talking about here.

Here, I’m referring to a unique use of the body that grips the audience, like how Ramona did. By using her body to get into a boxing stance, imitating punches, jabs and hooks with her arms while talking – that’s what got the audience’s attention.

The reason I say this is so powerful is because if you take Ramona’s speech and remove the body usage from her opening, the entire magic of the opening falls flat.

While the content is definitely strong, without those movements, she would not have captured the audience’s attention as beautifully as she did with the use of her body.

So if you have a speech opening that seems slightly dull, see if you can add some body movement to it.

If your speech starts with a story of someone running, actually act out the running. If your speech starts with a story of someone reading, actually act out the reading.

It will make your speech opening that much more impactful.

Related article: 5 Body Language Tips to Command the Stage

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Final Words

So there it is! 15 speech openings from some of my favourite speeches. Hopefully, these will act as a guide for you to create your own opening which is super impactful and sets you off on the path to becoming a powerful public speaker!

But remember, while a speech opening is super important, it’s just part of an overall structure.

If you’re serious about not just creating a great speech opening but to improve your public speaking at an overall level, I would highly recommend you to check out this course: Acumen Presents: Chris Anderson on Public Speaking on Udemy. Not only does it have specific lectures on starting and ending a speech, but it also offers an in-depth guide into all the nuances of public speaking. 

Being the founder of TED Talks, Chris Anderson provides numerous examples of the best TED speakers to give us a very practical way of overcoming stage fear and delivering a speech that people will remember. His course has helped me personally and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to learn public speaking. 

No one is ever “done” learning public speaking. It’s a continuous process and you can always get better. Keep learning, keep conquering and keep being awesome!

Lastly, if you want to know how you should NOT open your speech, we’ve got a video for you:

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"Be a voice not an echo." - Albert Einstein

How to Make Your Speeches Exciting

Let's continue the topic of becoming a more memorable speaker that I previously discussed here , here , here , and here .

Among the things I said was, the moment you strop trying to be a memorable public speaker is the moment you're able to become one . I also discussed knowing clearly what you want to share, ways to turn your passion into a powerful speech, externalizing physically what's inside you (like actors do), and "just" having a conversation with your audience.

If you speak with this level of control, you'll connect with and inspire listeners! Learn more in my new book ,  now available ,  Speak for Leadership . 

Make Your Speeches Exciting and Rewarding

Now let’s go one step further—by making your speeches exciting.

First, let’s discuss an essential component of the learning experience for anyone listening to a speech. It’s really an amplifier in terms of how your speech is received (and how you are perceived). It’s dopamine .

Want to know more about how to connect with audiences? Download my Free resource , "Great Speaking? It's About Performance Over Content."

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter released in the brain when you experience a reward of some kind. If you discover something new and interesting, dopamine is released. Similarly, if you’re setting out on an adventure (as an exceptional speaker will get audience members to feel), again, dopamine is present. Thrill-seekers, gamblers, and those addicted to chemical substances crave this strong stimulus-and-reward response.

So do learners —provided that they perceive what they’re being taught as new and exciting. Those experiences then become “sticky” and therefore memorable. And conversely, where dopamine levels remain low, the experience is eminently forgettable. As neuroscientist Martha Burns tells us, “the more motivated and interested we are in an activity the more dopamine is released and the better we remember it.” She recommends the acronym NEAR to understand this response: N ew, E xciting, a nd R ewarding. 6

Here's great news: you can learn how to develop this type of strong relationship with audiences! Learn how in my Free Guide , "6 Rules of Effective Public Speaking."

Now think about this in terms of public speaking. A major reason most presentations are forgettable is because the speaker plays it safe. He or she may think, “Presentations are always done this way in my industry, and so I’m going to go along.” Basically, these speakers are hoping to get through their talk with their skin intact. Doesn’t sound like a new, exciting or rewarding approach, does it?

Hey, Wanna Have Some Fun ?

Of course, just as with financial investments, your tolerance for risk plays a part in terms of how far you as speaker are willing to go in terms of newness and creating excitement. But at least think about how you might do things differently!

For instance, do you know how to use PowerPoint effectively? Most presenters don't. Find out how in my Free cheat sheet , "5 Rules for Succeeding With PowerPoint."

If a slide deck is used in every presentation in your department, what would happen if you didn’t use one in yours? Or vice versa. Other questions to ask yourself: “What would my talk be like if it were shorter than the norm, or conversely, more comprehensive?” “Would some discussion between me and the audience be productive?” “What might happen if this became a team presentation rather than just me speaking?” “What if I invited an audience member on stage for a demonstration?”

Any of these approaches—or others you might come up with on your own—may seem like a new path forward to an audience. And that, as they say, is a good thing!

And of course, to make a presentation more exciting and rewarding, always base your approach as closely as possible on the needs of the group. Remember, your goal is always to help listeners be better off for having listened to you. The best way to be memorable isn’t to be considered a smooth talker. It is to improve your listeners’ lives in some small or big way.

And have fun! To see how being excited yourself can help make you compelling to watch, catch Hans Rosling or Benjamin Zander in their passionate TED talks.

6   Martha Burns, “Dopamine and Learning: What the Brain’s Reward Center Can Teach Educators,” Scientific Learning, September 18, 2012. https://www.scilearn.com/blog dopamine-learning-what-brain%E2%80%99s-reward-center-can-teach-educators.

The above article is excerpted from my new book,  Speak for Leadership . Click   here   or below to learn more and to get your copy !

You should follow me on Twitter   here .

Gary Genard  is an actor, author, and expert in public speaking training and overcoming speaking fear. His company, Boston-based The Genard Method offers  live 1:1 Zoom executive coaching   and  corporate group training  worldwide. In 2021 for the eighth consecutive year, Gary has been ranked by Global Gurus as  One of the World’s Top 30 Communication Professionals .  He is the author of the Amazon Best-Seller  How to Give a Speech . His second book,  Fearless Speaking ,  was named in 2019 as "One of the 100 Best Confidence Books of All Time." His handbook for presenting in videoconferences, Speaking Virtually   offers strategies and tools for developing virtual presence in online meetings. Contact Gary here.   

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10 Tips for Improving Your Public Speaking Skills

Few are immune to the fear of public speaking. Marjorie North offers 10 tips for speakers to calm the nerves and deliverable memorable orations.

Marjorie North

Snakes? Fine. Flying? No problem. Public speaking? Yikes! Just thinking about public speaking — routinely described as one of the greatest (and most common) fears — can make your palms sweat. But there are many ways to tackle this anxiety and learn to deliver a memorable speech.

In part one of this series,  Mastering the Basics of Communication , I shared strategies to improve how you communicate. In part two, How to Communicate More Effectively in the Workplace , I examined how to apply these techniques as you interact with colleagues and supervisors in the workplace. For the third and final part of this series, I’m providing you with public speaking tips that will help reduce your anxiety, dispel myths, and improve your performance.

Here Are My 10 Tips for Public Speaking:

1. nervousness is normal. practice and prepare.

All people feel some physiological reactions like pounding hearts and trembling hands. Do not associate these feelings with the sense that you will perform poorly or make a fool of yourself. Some nerves are good. The adrenaline rush that makes you sweat also makes you more alert and ready to give your best performance.

The best way to overcome anxiety is to prepare, prepare, and prepare some more. Take the time to go over your notes several times. Once you have become comfortable with the material, practice — a lot. Videotape yourself, or get a friend to critique your performance.

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2. Know Your Audience. Your Speech Is About Them, Not You.

Before you begin to craft your message, consider who the message is intended for. Learn as much about your listeners as you can. This will help you determine your choice of words, level of information, organization pattern, and motivational statement.

3. Organize Your Material in the Most Effective Manner to Attain Your Purpose.

Create the framework for your speech. Write down the topic, general purpose, specific purpose, central idea, and main points. Make sure to grab the audience’s attention in the first 30 seconds.

4. Watch for Feedback and Adapt to It.

Keep the focus on the audience. Gauge their reactions, adjust your message, and stay flexible. Delivering a canned speech will guarantee that you lose the attention of or confuse even the most devoted listeners.

5. Let Your Personality Come Through.

Be yourself, don’t become a talking head — in any type of communication. You will establish better credibility if your personality shines through, and your audience will trust what you have to say if they can see you as a real person.

6. Use Humor, Tell Stories, and Use Effective Language.

Inject a funny anecdote in your presentation, and you will certainly grab your audience’s attention. Audiences generally like a personal touch in a speech. A story can provide that.

7. Don’t Read Unless You Have to. Work from an Outline.

Reading from a script or slide fractures the interpersonal connection. By maintaining eye contact with the audience, you keep the focus on yourself and your message. A brief outline can serve to jog your memory and keep you on task.

8. Use Your Voice and Hands Effectively. Omit Nervous Gestures.

Nonverbal communication carries most of the message. Good delivery does not call attention to itself, but instead conveys the speaker’s ideas clearly and without distraction.

9. Grab Attention at the Beginning, and Close with a Dynamic End.

Do you enjoy hearing a speech start with “Today I’m going to talk to you about X”? Most people don’t. Instead, use a startling statistic, an interesting anecdote, or concise quotation. Conclude your speech with a summary and a strong statement that your audience is sure to remember.

10. Use Audiovisual Aids Wisely.

Too many can break the direct connection to the audience, so use them sparingly. They should enhance or clarify your content, or capture and maintain your audience’s attention.

Practice Does Not Make Perfect

Good communication is never perfect, and nobody expects you to be perfect. However, putting in the requisite time to prepare will help you deliver a better speech. You may not be able to shake your nerves entirely, but you can learn to minimize them.

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About the Author

North is a consultant for political candidates, physicians, and lawyers, and runs a private practice specializing in public speaking, and executive communication skills. Previously, she was the clinical director in the department of speech and language pathology and audiology at Northeastern University.

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Public Speaking Success: Three Ways to Make a Speech More Interesting

The good news is that there are a few ways to make a speech more interesting and they simply require a little extra planning up front. So let’s look at three things we can do to make a speech more interesting.

1. Research your audience:

You’ve probably heard it a million times, but spending a little bit of time trying to get to know your audience will help you tremendously when you give your speech. Just like in conversation, when you know more about the people you’re talking to, you can speak to their needs more easily. And when you speak to your audience’s needs, you engage them better.

As part of your speech preparation , ask the following questions about your audience:

• Why are they gathered together?
• What are they hoping to gain by listening to the speech?
• What common interests do they have?
• What are some recent events that the audience is interested in?

If you’re unable to answer these questions, try asking the person who invited you to speak. You can also get some good information by working the room prior to your talk, but keep in mind that you’ll have limited time to work with what you learn. What you’re looking for are things to relate the key points from your speech to. Just like you want to state your qualifications during a job interview in a manner that interests the company, you want your points and examples to resonate with your audience. If you’re speaking to a corporate audience, try to relate your topic to that company’s culture, products or industry. If you’re speaking to an organization, tie your points into the organization’s events and activities.

2. Paint a picture:

Many speakers make the mistake of presenting raw data such as statistics in a manner that the audience can’t relate to. They say things like “you’ll increase sales by 50%” or “600,000 people are suffering from this ailment.” Numbers are especially difficult for people to conceptualize so here are some examples of ways to describe numbers:

• Saying that taking a particular action will increase sales by 8.5% is less effective than saying that it’s like giving you an extra month’s worth of revenue each year.
• Instead of saying 400,000 people die from a certain disease each year, say that it’s like two 747 jets full of people crashing every day.

Along the same lines, be descriptive about the things you’re talking about. Don’t describe just what you want the audience to imagine visually, touch upon all five senses. Talk about the sounds, the tastes and the smells. Include how you feel, both inside and out. Maybe you’re describing your first visit to a big city so you talk about the sounds of cars scrambling through traffic, the smell from a nearby hotdog vendor or the feeling of the hot sun on your neck. The big caveat is to not overdo it and get into every detail on something that is only a small part of your talk.

3. Tell a story:

It’s great to give people useful information during your talk, but if you’re simply reciting advice, it’s likely that the audience will tune out. Instead, try to tell a story or a series of stories to illustrate each point. Each story should be relevant to the point you’re trying to make and should not be overly elaborate. The basic formula is that your story should show the audience that taking the action you suggest will provide them with a result that they want. In other words, you’re illustrating your point.

For example, a commencement speaker might want to explain that toughing it out in the early part of your career will lead to success later on. The speaker can simply say “it worked for me” and then move on to the next point, but that’s not exciting. Instead, he or she can talk about the long hours, the financial struggles and the tight schedules that he or she experienced. Perhaps there’s a story about falling asleep at his/her desk one night and not waking up until the next morning. Or maybe there’s a story about ducking the landlord to get another few days to pay the rent. These stories drive the point home since the audience can visualize the speaker asleep at a desk or hiding behind a curtain to avoid the landlord.

The level of detail depends on the situation. Major points can be backed up by more elaborate or multiple stories where smaller points can be backed up in a sentence or two. Leave out parts of the story that are irrelevant to your point and if you can use a short story to make one of your important points, go for it.

All in all, making a speech interesting really just takes a little creativity and some work. You may need to experiment with different techniques to figure out what works best for you. Some people are naturally good at stories while others are quick to make connections between their talks and the audience’s situation. Lastly, keep in mind that there is such a thing as a dull audience and audiences that have just consumed food, alcohol or have already endured several hours of talks may have a difficult time being interested in any talk.

James Feudo owns the Boston Web Design Agency JVF Solutions and loves blogging about personal development and communication in his spare time.

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6 thoughts on “ Public Speaking Success: Three Ways to Make a Speech More Interesting ”

Pingback: Public Speaking Success: The Power of Audience Reactions | Overnight Sensation

Great blog on how to make speeches interesting to audiences. I like the suggestions. I’d add one point, inspired by the story: pay close attention to the time of day. Audiences have shorter and shorter attention spans as the day wears on, so vary your speech accordingly. If you are the after-dinner speaker, follow Ronald Reagan’s rule: 12 minutes max, less if the audiences has had alcohol.

Nick Morgan

Thanks for the comment. I agree completely – after dinner talks when alcohol is severed are the most challenging.

Great advice from President Reagan. He was a fantastic speaker – I watch his speeches frequently as he really knew how to connect with an audience.

Thanks again,

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