What's your speech prep strategy?

1 Know your purpose

Before you start writing your speech, you need to define your purpose. What do you want to achieve with your speech? What action do you want your audience to take? How do you want them to feel? Your purpose will guide your content, tone, and structure of your speech. It will also help you measure your success and evaluate your performance.

2 Know your audience

Another key factor in your speech prep strategy is to know your audience. Who are they? What are their needs, interests, and challenges? What do they expect from you? How can you relate to them and build rapport? Knowing your audience will help you tailor your speech to their level of understanding, preferences, and values. It will also help you avoid any potential misunderstandings or conflicts.

3 Know your topic

Of course, you also need to know your topic well. You want to be confident, credible, and authoritative when you speak. That means you need to do your research, gather your facts, and organize your ideas. You also need to find your main message, the core idea that you want your audience to remember and act on. Your main message should be clear, concise, and relevant to your purpose and audience.

4 Know your structure

Once you have your main message, you need to structure your speech around it. A good speech has a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction should grab the attention of your audience, establish your credibility, and preview your main message. The body should support your main message with evidence, examples, and stories. The conclusion should summarize your main message, reinforce your call to action, and end with a memorable statement.

5 Know your delivery

Finally, you need to know how to deliver your speech effectively. You want to use your voice, body language, and visual aids to enhance your message and engage your audience. You also want to practice your speech several times, preferably in front of a mirror, a recorder, or a friend. You want to polish your language, improve your timing, and eliminate any errors or distractions. You also want to anticipate any questions or objections from your audience and prepare your responses.

6 Know your feedback

The last step in your speech prep strategy is to know how to get and use feedback. Feedback is essential for improving your skills and achieving your goals as a motivational speaker. You can get feedback from various sources, such as your audience, your peers, or your mentors. You can also get feedback from yourself, by reviewing your speech recordings or notes. You want to be open, honest, and constructive when you give and receive feedback. You also want to act on the feedback, by identifying your strengths and weaknesses and working on them.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?