Write an article based on this "Think about your posture and body language. Use props. Know when and how to use pictures. Select people in your audience, don't scan. Vary your tone. Don't forget about pauses! Conclude by restating your message and saying a simple, "Thank you."
Standing like you have a fig leaf over your crotch is not the way to give a captivating speech. Nor should you go the opposite way and lean over the podium. It's best to stand straight, feet shoulder width apart, and use your hands as naturally as possible. Your speech conveys a certain amount of emotion, right? (Correct answer: Yes.) Take those moments and move with them. You use your hands every day to express emotion -- this speech is no different. You're still communicating to people, just on a bigger scale. Though the scale is different, the gestures remain the same. For a great example of how to move on stage and use your hands while speaking, check out Bryan Stevenson's Ted Talk on Equal Justice. Have you heard about that TED talk where the woman is talking about schizophrenia and her own brain hemorrhage? No? Well, have you heard about that TED talk where the woman is talking about schizophrenia and her own brain hemorrhage and then she whips out a real human brain, spinal cord and all? You can hear the audiences jaws dropping in the video. Talk about painting a vivid picture. This should be used carefully, though. Don't whip out a different prop every sentence. Stick to one really effective prop, like the brain. Telling a story about your dad's last burning building he ran into? Take out his burned firefighter helmet. Talking about the time you ran into Will Ferrell at your local Starbucks? Whip out your autographed grande, coffee-stained cup when you get to the part about how you fainted after asking. Use them sparingly, but effectively. A powerpoint can be a great addition to a speech (for certain topics, at least). Just make sure you use them to your advantage! You want them to listening to you, not awe-struck by the pretty pictures. Take the time to practice delivering your speech while presenting the powerpoint in order to get the timing and technical aspects down. Use graphs to illustrate your points, especially if they're hard to understand. Pictures can be more memorable than just being told factoid, regardless of how pivotal it may be. Don't face the pictures when you're talking! You know what's on there -- keep delivering the speech to your audience, not the screen. A lot of people are under the impression scanning the audience is ideal -- and if that makes you nervous, just sort of scan the back wall. No! Resist! Instead, think of it as a one-on-one conversation. Make eye contact with a person over here, a person over there, etc. Draw them in one at a time instead of making them all feel glossed over. In general, sure, you should talk at a calm, understandable rate and speak with clarity. This should be your go-to. But to keep your audience awake and to keep your speech dynamic, vary it up. The parts you feel passionate about should be clearly emphasized! Speak loudly and with vigor! Pound your fist if you need to! And then there are parts that will feel more like a lullaby. And even parts that require pauses to let the emotion set in...AND THEN RAMPED BACK UP. It's a lot more effective verbally than over text. You get it. Show emotion in your tone, too. Don't be afraid to chuckle a bit or show a bit of grief or frustration. You're human. Your audience is looking for a human connection, not a robot spitting words at them. There's just as much power in the pauses as there is in the words. Think about the sentence, "Dihydrogen monoxide killed 50 million people last year. 50 million. Let that sink in." Now think about the sentence with pauses after each period. Gets a little more serious, doesn't it? Take your speech and literally write in the pauses if it'll help you. Draw a big ol' slash through the text to indicate a break. Once you have it down, you'll be able to feel where the pauses will go. " You've gone through the speech, no one's died, and now it's time for your conclusion. Keep it to the point, lock eyes with the audience, thank them, smile, and get off the stage. Take a deep breath. You did it. Next time you'll be giving a speech on how to give speeches. What were you so nervous about in the first place?