Remember Pareto’s Principle? Where 80% of the results comes from 20% of your effort. Or 80% of your revenue generated by 20% of your customers. This principle works here in public speaking as well. If you are tight for time, and you want to know what you can do minimally to cause maximum results, this is it. The 20% work that will make a huge positive difference in your upcoming speech or presentation.
1. One Powerful Message
No point flooding your audience with too many messages as they won’t remember all of them anyway. Instead, you will have a better chance of impacting them if you focus on just one message. Find various ways (stories, demonstrations, quotes, analogies, visuals, jokes, examples) to illustrate your message.
I would also suggest that you believe in the message. There must be an inner drive/reason that is pushing you to deliver the message. Else… it will merely be a public announcement. One way to create drive/belief/enthusiasm in your speech is to ask yourself two questions:
(i) How will the audience benefit from listening to my speech/presentation?
(ii) Why is it important for them to hear it?
2. Be Authentic
Nothing beats speaking from the heart. Ask anyone and they will tell you that sincerity wins it all. Ask yourself this question: Why is it important for YOU to share this message with them?
To increase the authenticity of your speech, include stories of your own. Audience love it when speakers share personal stories as they create instant connection. As you open up to them, they too will open up to you. DO NOT use stories from the internet or worse, Chicken Soup for the Soul, for a very simple reason - they aren’t yours! ( Stories that work )
3. Strong Content
Not only must you have a strong message i.e. one that is obvious to your audience, there must be some takeaway points. These takeaway points got to be tangible and useful to them immediately. They should also feel motivated to take some action. It could be to start exercising or writing down their financial goals. At the end of the day, your audience MUST take some action. Otherwise, it will be a wasted speech.
