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5 MAGIC KEYS TO CREATING ANY SPEECH!

Knowing the answers to these Five Questions will enable you to create a fabulous speech for almost any occasion.  Download your Free Report now and make creating your next speech so much easier! 

          One of the hardest decisions a speaker has to make when preparing any presentation is, "How much should I say?" Not "How much do I know about the subject?" or "How much do I want to tell them?", but specifically how much can the audience comfortably listen to without descending into a state of irritated overwhelm and falling sleep, or worse, walking out in protest?

           Most audiences will listen politely to almost anything, but when you give them too much of a good thing, even the most interested group will show signs of information fatigue. Have you ever listened to a speaker who gave you so many facts and figures that you figuratively threw up your hands and just stopped listening? Or one that droned on and on about a point that was obviously fascinating to him, but you got it after the first two minutes and were more than ready to move on? Or have you ever wanted to tune out the speaker who seemed to love the sound of his own voice and couldn't stop talking about stuff that was redundant, not relevant or just plain boring?

            My friend, Melissa, recently heard a speaker whose only reason for getting behind the podium was to thank the participants in the 2-hour program she'd just heard. The information she'd learned was valuable and she was glad she'd come. She had lots to take away with her and make a part of her life, and she was quite ready to go home and get started. Unfortunately, the moderator of the program seemed glued to the microphone and wouldn't, or couldn't, stop talking! He thanked everyone he could think of, from the keynote speaker to the hotel staff that set up the chairs. Then he told a few anecdotes about the difficulties he'd encountered in pulling this program together and how helpful his committee, the sponsoring organization, his family and even his mother-in-law had been in making it happen. And just when Melissa thought he was finally wrapping up, he added another five minute monologue on how meaningful the program had been to him and how excited he was to do it again next year. Melissa made a mental note not to come back next year, or if she did, to be sure to slip out before the 'thank you' speech!

            Nothing irritates an audience more than having to sit through too much information that is not really relevant to them. It leaves a bad taste in their mouths. What had been a very enjoyable and meaningful program to Melissa was soured when the moderator hogged the spotlight and made it all about him.

            Whenever you get up to speak, the key thing is WIIFT: What's In It For Them? Whatever you plan to say, will it be important to your listeners? Can you say it smoothly and succinctly? How will your listeners benefit by it? Do they really need to have this information? Will it make a difference in their lives?

            Whenever you speak, remember that it's not about you. It's all about them. Concentrate on feeding the audience what they came to hear, what they need to know. Leave a good taste in their mouths. When you focus on them, they'll remember more of what you say, and they will remember you!