Real speech preparation
means digging something out of yourself. You have to gather facts and arrange
your thoughts. As you collect the ideas, you have to nurture your ideas and
think about a unique way to express them in an organized manner.
A speech needs time to grow.
Prepare for weeks, sleep on it, dream about it and let your ideas sink into
your subconscious. Ask yourself questions, write down your thoughts, and keep
adding new ideas. As you prepare every speech ask yourself the following questions.
- In one concise sentence,
what is the purpose of this speech?
- Who is the audience?
What is their main interest in this topic?
- What do I really know
and believe about this topic as it relates to this audience?
- What additional research
can I do?
- What are the main points
of this presentation?
- What supporting information
and stories can I use to support each of my main points?
- What visual aids, if
any, do I need?
- Do I have an effective
opening grabber?
- In my final summary,
how will I plan to tell them "What's In It For Me?"
- Have I polished and
prepared the language and words I will use?
- Have I prepared a written
and concise introduction for myself?
- Have I taken care of
the little details that will help me speak more confidently?