30 Reasons to Give a Speech

Random Observation/Comment #485: The process of writing and practicing a speech is more valuable to learning than delivering it.

Why this List?

There’s a certain mystical power behind preparing for a speech. All of a sudden, you’re put on the spot knowing your colleagues, friends, and bosses will be listening intently to you for the next 5–7 minutes. All your words will be yours — unfiltered and fully planned to communicate your message and ideas. A message that represents your opinion on that subject and your expertise about that other world.

Scary? Probably. Even if you’re prepared, you will inevitably feel those sweaty palms and butterflies. However, your attitude, body language, and poise can fake everyone into believing you deserve to be there. In fact, you do deserve to be there.

Why should you actively put yourself in this position? Why should you volunteer and torture yourself with anxiety? Why should you go outside your comfort zone?

1. It’s a challenge! Why not?
2. Finding the right topic for the speech will help you sort your priorities and personal expertise (everyone has one).
3. Organizing the speech will help with understanding how people learn things in a logical manner.
4. Writing your speech will help with using conversational grammar
5. Explaining complex concepts in your speech helps with finding the right wording to appeal to the audience.
6. Thinking about the audience will help you relate better to different learning methods.
7. Planning the message behind your speech will inspire yourself.
8. Doing the research for your speech will dive you deeper into an interesting topic.
9. Revising the speech will help you focus.
10. Analyzing a full speech will help you see the overall energetic ups and downs to a good speech.
11. Writing conclusions will help with confirming your message got across.
12. Creating call-to-action items will back up the words with easy take-aways.
13. Making visuals (if you use them) will help with keeping things simple and uncluttered.
14. Making clean visuals will also help with connecting with the audience different emotions.
15. Memorizing your speech will help you develop new techniques.
16. Outlining your speech will help you with remembering and summarizing better
17. Sharing with your friends will give yourself a new brand.
18. Practicing the delivery will help with body language and eye contact.
19. Watching other speeches will help you notice good techniques and common distractions
20. Recording yourself speak will not only make you self conscious of your voice, but also show you some of your nervous ticks.
21. Noticing and reducing filler words will help you in real life with removing those ums and ahs distractions (verbal pollution).
22. Summarizing your speech for when you tell others about what you’re talking about helps you with elevator pitches.
23. Speaking loudly and walking the stage will help with confidence.
24. Giving yourself pauses will help with drawing people’s attention better.
25. Using set-up phrases like “the most important reason for listening to my speech is…” will help you get people’s attention better.
26. Repeating introductions will help with networking.
27. Speaking with gravitas and articulation will help with telling more exciting stories.
28. Giving the speech itself will give you more topics for small talk and casual conversation.
29. Prepping for questions will help with listening and speaking off the cuff.
30. Finishing the speech will make you ready for the next one.

So, yes. Prepare for a speech. Even if you don’t have one, write it out and tell people about it. If you need a platform, toastmasters can provide the resources, mentors, and tips to get you through it.

Once you finish one speech, you’ll find the next to be easier and the stage to be your voice for sharing what’s important to you.

~See Lemons Prepare for Speeches

Originally published at seelemonslive.com on December 6, 2014.