How to Get Started as a Professional Speaker: 6 Key Steps

How to Get Started as a Professional Speaker: 6 Key Steps

Jan 2, 2023 | Public Speaking

How many times have you sat in a crowd and secretly wished you were on stage?

After giving a few presentations, you could realize that you are adept at public speaking. You might join Toastmasters and become the club’s leader. 

After some time, you begin to believe that you could support yourself by doing this. Imagine earning money by speaking!

You choose to move forward. So, what comes next?

You might begin by following these general steps to enter the field of professional speaking:

  • Choose a Lane
  • Establishing a Successful Business and Making a Great Promise
  • Create a marketing strategy.

1. Choose a Lane

You must “choose a lane” as the first stage in your adventure. Based on your area of expertise, you must select a subject matter for your focus. However, you might object, “How can I choose only one speech when I’m quite good at several of them?” 

What do you want your name to be associated with in five years? Continue giving all your presentations if you do not care about getting paid, being recognized for anything, or wanting to be renowned for anything. Pick a lane if you want to be well paid and recognized as an authority on one subject.

2. Be the Authority

Many people make the error of considering themselves only as speakers when beginning a career as a professional speaker. However, in the grand scheme of things, you are the key component in an organization that makes something happen. Your business should have a mission, whether it is to assist clients in time management, leadership, motivation, or economic education. 

You should consider speaking as merely one of the mediums through which you share your expertise. You could also run teleseminars, consult, coach, hold retreats, and publish books.

“Only the prepared speaker deserves to be confident.”
Dale Carnegie

The idea is to envision yourself as the leader of an empire that aids others in your area of expertise rather than just a professional speaker. Do not forget that you cannot fake it. Your knowledge needs to be authentic and dependable. Before going down this road, if you have not developed your expertise yet, go out and do it.

3. Do Well

Winning a speech competition is a positive step toward improving, but it does not guarantee that you will be paid. When someone approaches you after your speech and says, “I’d want to schedule you to speak in six months in Las Vegas,” that is when you will really know your speech has “made it.” 

You can stop preparing your speech when spin-off, which is king in our industry, occurs on average 2-3 times after each engagement. Work on the speech while you can. [Ed. note: a “spin-off” speaking engagement is one that results directly from a current engagement]

Action Item

Make sure to maintain your social media presence.

4. Set Up Shop: Make a Splash into Professional Speaking

Like any business, speaking is a profession. If you lack even the slightest entrepreneurial inclination, you can face difficulties. You require cash flow, or start-up capital, to get going. 

It will be more challenging if you are starting off on a tight budget. Nevertheless, given the state of technology today, things are more likely. You may, for instance, create your own website using a blog. 

If it appears sufficiently professional, you might be able to avoid paying the thousands of dollars it can cost to set up and maintain a website.

Pro Tip

Build your personal brand.

The important thing is to be able to explain your value to visitors within the first 15 seconds of their visit. You do not have much time to make an impression in our ADD online environment. Attention deficit disorder (Ed.) They will leave your website immediately if they cannot find what they are looking for.

5. Making a Magnificent Promise

The promise statement is essential for letting prospects know how valuable you are. It functions as a tagline and would be used in marketing materials and on your website. The promise statement shows prospects what they will obtain by collaborating with you in five to nine words (less is more). 

A promise like “Helping Teams Win in a Competitive Field” might be created by a speaker who conducts team-building seminars, for instance. The actual secret to getting that decision maker to lean in and say, “Yes, we need that,” is to demonstrate the consequence and the worth of your promise. You can focus on making your promise cleverer or more indicative of your personality.

6. Create a marketing strategy

Now that your website is up, you will want to generate traffic to it. Obviously, I am simplifying here. Selecting the right industries to target with your message will help you launch a marketing strategy that will establish you as an authority among those audiences.

“Speakers who talk about what life has taught them never fail to keep the attention of their listeners.”
Dale Carnegie

I frequently advise my clients to develop a 12-month marketing schedule. By getting visitors to sign up for something on your website, the objective is to build a list of followers. After that, stay connected with that list frequently so that you are top of mind when someone needs your skills. Several marketing suggestions are:

  • Creating articles for your intended audience
  • Postings on post cards
  • Email marketing
  • Tele classes using social media and direct mail

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How to Get Rid of Filler Words in Public Speaking

How to Get Rid of Filler Words in Public Speaking

Dec 26, 2022 | Public Speaking

Filler words, such as um and uh, are never included in speeches and have no purpose when used by a speaker. However, most speakers make these pernicious grammatical errors every day in most conversations.

What is attainable? Is there no hope? In this post, we will look at why using filler words reduces your efficacy and teach you a five-step plan for doing so.

Um… What Is the Issue?

When it comes to filler words, some people have a strict no-tolerance attitude because they think a few of them can destroy the delivery and undermine an otherwise strong speech.

I do not belong to that group. A fantastic message and some filler words here and there do not outweigh passion. In addition, I have heard audience members say that a filler word here and there makes the speaker feel personable (and not robotic).

However, speakers should try to use fewer filler words. They offer nothing and reduce your effectiveness as a speaker in two ways in particular:

Pro Tip

Practice in a formal setting.

  • Filler words are linguistic static that your listener must filter out. (Guest author Stacey Hanke mentions it as one of the communication difficulties in a recent essay.) Why express it if the listeners will just ignore it right away?
  • Filler words must not be used frequently or excessively to damage your trustworthiness. It could be interpreted as a sign of unpreparedness, ignorance, or lack of enthusiasm. These are all harmful perceptions for you.

Words, sounds, and phrases that are unnecessary

I have referred to three related speech fillers as “filler words” collectively throughout this essay, but this is just a handy abbreviation:

  • Filler Sounds, including um, uh, ah, and mm
  • Filler Words: actually, Filler Phrases: you know, what I am trying to express, "I think that"

These all add nothing and might be fully removed from your speech patterns without any loss of meaning. There are more in each category as well.

“Let thy speech be better than silence, or be silent.”
Dionysius Of Halicarnassus

Step 4A: Go more slowly.

Slowing down will also help you speak more clearly because it will be simpler for your brain to follow along. It does not have to be a big shift; even a slight slowing down of the pace will be beneficial. Additionally, speaking a little more slowly will help your listeners comprehend you.

It would be best if you were realistic about your time limits and the amount of material you must accomplish this. To finish their presentation on time, speakers must talk more quickly as they cram in more content. Resist the urge to do this.

Step 4B: Enjoy the silence.

Simply pausing is the best tip I have ever heard for cutting down on us and has. Leave the filler word(s) out and be silent. It will take some practice to become used to using silence instead of filler words since you have grown accustomed to using them. If you commit to the change, it will take place.

[Note: There are occasional instances where certain words or sentences do transmit meaning, but these are uncommon.]

Action Item

Make sure to practice speaking and record yourself.

A Technique for Cutting Filler Words from Speech

I wish there were an option to remove these words from a speaker’s lexicon by flipping a switch. (I would pull the plug for myself!) Here are the actions I advise taking to reduce these fillers because the magic switch is difficult to find.

Determine how frequently you use filler words in the first step.

You should evaluate how often you use filler terms in your presentations before starting a campaign to eliminate them. There are three simple methods for doing this:

  • Recruit a spectator to follow it and offer commentary. Ask them to comment on the impact in addition to providing a tally of all the fillers utilized.
  • Analyze your voice after recording it objectively. I occasionally use a digital voice recorder for this. You may do this invisibly for almost any speech you give.
  • Videotape your own performance. This is little more intrusive but offers greater advantages. You receive spoken feedback, but you also get to observe your facial expressions and the changes in your eyes as you are, uh, filling in words.

The following questions are your assessment’s primary focus:

  • How frequently do you use filler words?
  • Are they annoying?
  • Do they threaten your reputation?
  • Understand why you are doing it and why it is not necessary in step two.
“What we say is important… for in most cases the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”
Jim Beggs

Filler words, also known as filler, sounds, words, and phrases, are used when our mouth and brain need a moment to catch up. Filler words may occasionally have a little function.

A filler word in a phone conversation, for instance, signals to the other party, “I’m still thinking, and I’m not willing to transfer the conversation back to you just yet,” to the other party. The filler word fills in the empty area that would otherwise suggest that you have finished thinking.

However, this is an utterly useless signal in most public speaking scenarios. When you pause for a second, there is no chance that a member of the audience will take over. To indicate that you are pondering, you do not need to fill that area. Your audience will understand if you simply… ponder.

Step 3: Improve your level of planning.

I have noticed that when I am not prepared, I tend to use more filler words. Lack of appropriate planning has two effects:

  • Words must be "created" by your brain on the spot rather than being retrieved from (prepared) memory. This puts greater mental load on your brain, increasing the likelihood that you will fall behind.
  • Unpreparedness (generally) makes you feel more anxious. Most individuals speak more quickly when they are frightened, which increases the likelihood that your brain will not be able to keep up.
  • The significance of getting enough sleep deserves to be mentioned as another part of preparation. Your mind will be sharper, and it will be simpler for you to express your ideas clearly when you are well-rested.

Step 5: Keep an eye on things and be patient.

Take a step back occasionally to evaluate your development. Review the Step 1 assessment tasks and compare the outcomes. Have you cut back on the number of filler words you use?

Have you lessened the detrimental effects that filler words have on your effectiveness? Do you see a connection between being well-prepared and speaking without filler? Have you slowed down?

Are you just stopping while you consider your next words? Thus, the use of filler words will be decreased with adequate preparation (which has many other advantages).

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How to End Your Speech with a Bang

How to End Your Speech with a Bang

Dec 23, 2022 | Public Speaking

Your conclusion should reflect your mentality, not a platitude. Consider shooting fireworks of final, impassioned comments from the podium rather than simply saying “thank you.”

You will elicit spontaneous applause for a well-rehearsed, well-timed, and well-executed performance with the panache of a fireworks finale—a performance that embodies all the anticipation of a logger’s cry: Timbeerrrrrrr! This article demonstrates how to end your speech strongly.

Draw Attention to Your Speech's Closing

The most effective speakers do not conclude their presentations with a terse and boring “Thank you,” as is the custom of too many politicians, businesspeople, and community leaders. That is too simple. Too lazy, too.

To conclude your speech with a powerful conclusion that renders the obligatory “thank you” obsolete, it demands original ideas and engaging execution. The colonists were debating the war as the American Revolution was about to begin.

Pro Tip

Plan Your Closing Remarks Word For Word.

On March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry gave a moving speech. He ended it with the following:

  • "Is life so precious or tranquility so delicious that they must be bought with chains and servitude. God the Almighty, forbid it! I have no idea what actions other people may take, but as for me, give me either freedom or death.

William Jennings Bryan concluded his enthusiastic speech opposing the use of the gold standard as national currency at the Democratic National Convention in 1896 with these famous words:

  • We will respond to their demand for a gold standard by saying to them: You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns: You shall not crucify humankind upon a cross of gold. We have the producing masses of this country and the rest of the world behind us, supported by the commercial interests, the laboring interests, and laborers everywhere.

In response to the German threat of an invasion of England during World War II, Winston Churchill issued a warning on June 18, 1940, urging all Britons to prepare. The words he used to end his speech have since been adopted as its title:

  • Therefore, let us prepare for our responsibilities and carry ourselves in such a way that, if the British Commonwealth and Empire survive for thousands of years, people will look back and say, "This was their finest hour."

Finish your speech with a flourish.

The best speakers finish their talks on a high note both vocally and intellectually, just like the opera singer. The speaker should leave them thinking, just as the comic should make them laugh. Final remarks linger. Your final remarks should be clear and inspiring to energize your audience and galvanize your message.

To end your speech with a bang, review the ten templates below and make appropriate changes to your speech:

“The speaker should leave them thinking, just as the comic should leave them laughing.”
Peter Jeff
  • Borderline Close
  • Challenge Ending
  • Toby Close
  • Repeatedly Close
  • Name Close
  • Sing Song and End
  • Callback End
  • Movie End
  • Close with a Quote
  • Close Third Party

Initially, Bookend Close

Referring to your opening anecdote or quotation, conclude your bookend speech by saying, “We have come full circle.” Then state it one more so that your audience will remember it. This will create symmetry in the traditional three-part speech structure: tell the audience what you are going to say, say it, then tell the audience what you just said.

#2 - Close the challenge

Encourage the audience to put what you have spoken in the speech into practice.

If you had to summarize a speech about the significance of acting, you might say:

  • "Let's move from being observers to being participants. Let us think back to America's motivational remarks. Theodore Roosevelt, the president, who said:
  • “Far better it is to dare tremendous things, to gain glorious triumphs even though clouded by failure, than to remain with those wretched spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither success nor loss,” the proverb says.
  • There is too much to do for us to remain inactive. So that we can all see the beginning of a new day, we need you to emerge from the gloomy dusk and into the dazzling sunshine.

Action Item

Make sure to End A Speech With A Summary.

Third: Echo Close

Choose one word from a quotation to emphasis to reinforce your main point.

Consider, for instance, the five instances of the verb “do” in the following conclusion to a speech on the significance of participating in the educational process:

  • Confucius once stated, "What I hear, I forget; what I see, I remember; what I do, I comprehend.' This was more than 450 years before the birth of Christ.
  • Let us complete it jointly. We are aware of what needs to be done. We know what needs to be done. The moment is now, and with your help, we can accomplish this.

#4 - Repeated Closing

To end a motivational speech with a crescendo, choose a phrase and repeat it in a manner like the tempo of a drummer:

  • Only you can orchestrate it: "Architects cannot renovate it; Businesses cannot incorporate it; Churches cannot inculcate it; Developers cannot innovate it; Engineers cannot calculate it; Governments cannot legislate it; Judges cannot decide it; Lawyers cannot prosecute it; Manufacturers cannot manufacture it; Politicians cannot appropriate it; Scientists cannot formulate it; Technologists cannot generate it."
“There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.”
Alfred Hitchcock

5 - Title Finale

Give your speech a thought-provoking title that sums up your point in a memorable way. Then, reinforce the title of your speech that you mentioned before by using it as your concluding remarks to compel your audience to reflect more deeply on what they just heard. To improve the title, try composing your speech’s conclusion first.

#6: Sing a song to end.

One of the phrases you used multiple times throughout your speech should be repeated to the audience. Let us say you keep saying, “Together, we can win,” and you do it repeatedly. 

Then, when you are about to conclude, you say: “I know that all of you are talented and motivated. I am aware that none of us can accomplish this on our own, but with each other’s help (pause until the audience responds.)

“To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.”
Winston Churchill

#7: Callback End

Think back to a story you once shared about a task that was left unfinished. Then, pick up the narrative and end it with your topic in mind.

For instance:

  • "Do you still recall the bubbles the four-year-old held so delicately in his hands? The hearts of hundreds of people are now skillfully encircled by the same soft hands. He operates on hearts today.

#8 - Film Closing

Make mention to a popular film or book. For instance, an executive ended a speech with a reference to growing pangs after discussing the maturity of a product line and the necessity to move past the past to produce new and different items. The speaker made a reference to the closing sequence of the film Summer of ’42. Hermie is the primary character. 

He is thinking back on his lost adolescence as an adult.

  • "Life is composed of insignificant comings and goings. And there is something we leave behind for whatever we take with us. We conducted four raids on the Coast Guard Station throughout the summer of 1942. We watched five films. And it rained for nine days. Benji's watch was broken. Oskie abandoned his harmonica. And I lost Hermie forever in an incredibly unique way.
  • The same is true this year, as we lost our old company in a unique fashion. We are now switching to a stronger, more established company.

#9 - Close the quotation

To focus the audience’s attention like a spotlight, use a well-known quotation.

As an illustration, at the end of a speech about the value of retaining self-assurance in the face of difficulty, you might say:

  • "We must emulate the bird," wrote author Victor Hugo, "the bird that occasionally pauses in flight on boughs that are too light on a limb that is likely to break, yet sings, knowing she has wings."

Number 10: Third Party Close

The Third-Party Close will elevate the utilization of a quotation. Utilize a quotation to help convey your point of view. By framing your conclusion around the thesis of that quotation, you can use it as a springboard to raise your message to the audience’s level of understanding.

If you wanted to sum up your speech about the value of accepting change, you could say:

The pursuit of a better existence has made change a way of life. We must remember the wisdom of President Abraham Lincoln, who stood on the verge of the American Civil War and fought against the nation’s 100-year heritage of slavery extending back to George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, both of whom owned slaves. Lincoln stated while staring change square in the eye:

“A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow. Don't wait for an inspired ending to come to mind. Work your way to the ending and see what comes up.”
Andy Weir
  • "The calm past's dogmas are insufficient for the turbulent present and future. We must think and act differently because of the changing conditions we are in.
  • And we too must. To make tomorrows more rewarding, meaningful, and compelling because of the change we make today, we need to look at this old problem in a new manner. We can think and act differently about the problem at hand with your assistance.

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How to Connect with Your Audience by Moving Closer

How to Connect with Your Audience by Moving Closer

Dec 22, 2022 | Public Speaking

Most presenters start out by gratefully clinging to the lectern’s sides, content to hide behind it for a little additional security in a tense scenario. But you already know that you should not remain in front of the podium. Yet why?

How should you move in relation to the audience as you become more proficient at public speaking and at ease on stage? Is it advisable to saunter deeply into the crowd or not? What about circumstances in which it seems difficult to communicate with the audience at all, whether because of the design of the room or the placement of your listeners?

Zones for Human Interaction

Several important findings from research on non-verbal communications will be helpful in formulating a few principles for the efficient choreography of a speech. The first quotation is taken from Edward T. Hall’s seminal book The Silent Language. He outlined four areas of distance between individuals:

  • Public space is defined as twelve feet or greater.
  • Social space is from twelve feet to four feet.
  • Personal space is between four feet and a foot and a half.
  • And intimate space is from a foot and a half to zero.
  • Although these zones differ slightly in size from one culture to the next, they exist in all cultures.
  • Audience To connect, personal space is essential.
“Tell the audience what you’re going to say, say it; then tell them what you’ve said.”
Dale Carnegie

Sharing public space is low-key for us since the individuals there are simply too far away to be significant for us to be particularly interested in them. The social environment is a little cozier, but we do not really start to pay attention until someone enters our personal space. Of course, when someone is in our personal space, we are completely focused on them.

"Unless you can invade their personal space, you can't really have an impact on people."

The bottom line is that only in private and intimate spaces can important things between individuals occur. Personal space is left when public speakers are not allowed in intimate spaces because doing so violates a very deep principle. Here is how you approach it: Unless you can into someone’s personal space, you cannot really have an impact on them.

You might be thinking by this point that this zone research causes a problem for public speakers. You certainly cannot invade everyone in the audience’s personal space because if you did, you would be running around like a crazy person. Most of the audience might feel excluded.

Emotions are Shared by Your Audience

I will get to the mechanics in a moment, but first, here is some interesting new brain study that clarifies the situation. Researchers from Italy have investigated mirror neurons (See: Mirrors in the Brain: How Our Minds Share Actions, Emotions, and Experience). According to research, a unique type of neuron called a mirror neuron fire in our heads, causing us to feel whatever emotion the person next to us is feeling. It is the reason we can care for others, experience their joy and grief, and be empathic as a species.

Pro Tip

Look at people a bit longer.

In this instance, it means that everyone seated close to the lucky audience member will feel the same rush of attention if the speaker pays particular attention to them. Although the effect weakens with distance, it is still potent and eliminates the need to circle the room to pay attention to most of the audience.

As distance decreases, trust (and connection) rises

The third phenomenon is that we trust people more when they are close to us and less when they are farther away. This third phenomenon can be added to these research findings.

The only efficient approach to get beyond bland and leave an impression on people is to move into the crowd and into the personal space of chosen audience members.

By this point, you should have a clearer idea of why it is so crucial to approach an audience to connect with them and why you should not hold to the erroneous belief that doing so will make other audience members feel excluded. The only way to get beyond bland and leave an impression on people is to move into the crowd and into the personal space of chosen audience members. And changing the world is the only purpose to give a speech, right?

Action Item

Tell listeners what the topic has to do with them.

Okay, but how can you approach the audience more closely?

Okay, but there is still the coordination, you object.

  • How would I maneuver in a ballroom with numerous round tables and people facing all directions while giving a speech?
  • What happens if I am standing on a stage and leaping down would be bad for my health?
  • What about when I am being recorded for the back row and the AV crew tells me not to leave the stage because they cannot follow me? So, what do I do?

"To make your speaking more impactful and clearer, use your body as a punctuation mark."

I have worked as a speaker and a coach of speakers for more than 20 years, and I have seen about every imaginable room arrangement. Many of these make it incredibly challenging for presenters to enter the crowd. You simply must function as best you can in those circumstances. 

The best might merely be advancing to the stage’s edge. But even that will strengthen the audience’s sense of closeness and trust in you because people are quite perceptive about whether others are moving near or far from them, even in tiny movements.

“Never treat your audience as customers, always as partners.”
James Stewart

Knowing how mirror neuron’s function enables you to see why engaging the audience is beneficial even if you only interact with a small number of people. However, you do not want to spend too much time ensconced in an audience and turn your back on a sizable portion of your audience. The act of turning away from someone delivers a keen sense of disinterest or disengagement.

"Closing the distance and moving closer the audience indicates, 'This is significant.'"

This is particularly true in an area with lots of those round tables where it feels like everyone is turning their back on you. With that set up, you should spend most of your time moving toward the tables you can easily access from the front of the room. Try to visit every corner of the space. 

The audience will be grateful that you tried to connect with them and that you did not spend a lot of time getting lost in the maze of tables. Additionally, you do not want to focus too much attention on a single audience member. The precise timing will depend on the content of your speech and the nature of your interactions, but as a rule, aim for no longer than a minute. 

“To have great poets, there must be great audiences.”
Walt Whitman

If you focus on one person for too long, the rest of the audience will feel excluded. It requires (1) tact and (2) fast decision-making on the spot. Consider the size of the space, how you will move around it, and how hard you can work the audience.

When you want to accentuate a point in your speech or when you want to engage with audience members, the objective should always be to walk toward them—even if it is just a few feet. This is vital, he or she says as they close the distance and go approach the audience. Moving away implies the contrary. 

Use your body as a punctuation mark to enhance the impact and clarity of your speech. The dance should support the message being conveyed. Always.

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Bookending Your Speech: A Master Technique 9

Bookending Your Speech: A Master Technique 9

Dec 19, 2022 | Public Speaking

We’ll explain what it means to bookend your speech in this post, along with some advice on how to use this effective tactic.

Your Speech's Bookend: A Definition

Imagine a set of bookends, which are matched items used to bind a collection of books on a shelf. Practically speaking, bookends hold the books in place and provide support. But they perform a lot more in terms of aesthetics. 

For the books on display, bookends neatly (and frequently aesthetically) create visual symmetry. By doing this, they highlight the row of books and convey the idea that they are unique and deserving of admiration.

Similar support is given to the body of your speech when you “bookend your speech.” You can efficiently (and frequently creatively) create cognitive symmetry for the speech you just gave by beginning and ending with a shared element. You make your words stand out more and convey the idea that your message deserves to be heard.

The exquisite approach of bookending your speech gives the impression that it was written with great care and attention to detail. This increases your credibility since your audience is more likely to think that your entire speech was carefully produced and can be trusted as a result.

“Like bookends, we have learned to support each other when the stuff in the middle pushes us apart.”
Liane Holliday Willey

There are numerous methods you can use to bookend your speech. Pick the one that best complements your speech. Whatever method you choose, be sure that your bookending element is directly tied to your theme. It would be like putting a pair of baseballs at the ends of a collection of classic literature novels to close your speech; it would be practical but not particularly meaningful.

Pro Tip

Bookending With the Use of Visual Presentations.

1. Tell a tale in two parts.

  • Start off your speech by telling a tale. You shouldn't give the entire tale... A character and some conflict are introduced at precisely the right amount of the story. You continue with the main part of your speech after that.
  • Pick up the story where you left off and finish telling it at the conclusion of your speech.
  • Make sure the narrative has a strong connection to the speech's subject. If your speech is about following your dreams, for instance, you may share a narrative in which the main character does so. She would explain in the first part of the story why she is pursuing her dream; the second half would describe how it came out.

2. Pose a query and provide a response.

  • Asking a question to the audience will help you to start your speech.
  • Finish your speech by offering the solution.
  • You can make a hint that the solution will be provided at the end for greater impact.
  • An alternative to the question-and-answer format is to provide a challenge or solve a riddle.

3. Employ the same or comparable quotations.

  • Your speech should begin with a quotation.
  • Your speech should end with this quotation.
  • This works best if your voice message gives the quotation new vitality. You want the audience to reconsider the quotation in light of what you said.

4. Make use of quotes that contrast.

  • Your speech should begin with a quotation.
  • End your speech with a quotation that contradicts the opening one.
  • You want the audience to understand the opening phrase differently, just like when utilizing the same line as bookends. Perhaps the first quote expresses a widely held opinion, while the latter quote presents a radical notion that your audience is now more likely to adopt.

Action Item

Make use of Props to Bookend Your Speech.

5. Make use of opposing ideas.

  • Your speech should begin with an idea or theme.
  • Conclude your speech with a divergent idea or subject.
  • You might begin with a story about birth and end with a story about death, for instance.
  • Alternatively, you may begin with a narrative about your time as a student and end with a similar one about your time as a teacher.
  • Alternatively, you may begin with a tale from your youth and end with one about your own child that is related.
“The bookends of success are starting and finishing. Decisions help us start; discipline helps us finish.”
John C. Maxwell

6. Make jokes.

  • Start out your speech with a joke or witty statement.
  • Finish your speech with another light-hearted remark that either expands on or makes some reference to what you just said.
  • Use the same keywords twice when employing this bookending technique (and the others as well) to ensure that your audience understands the funny allusion. (For instance, don't end with a joke about a "ruby purse" if you opened with one about a "red handbag"

7. Employ a prop.

  • Your speech should begin with a prop.
  • Use the prop again to conclude your speech.
  • It is advisable to use this tactic in conjunction with other tactics. For instance, you might ask a question regarding the prop before introducing it. After that, you can respond to that query in your conclusion.

8. Employ a slide.

  • Your speech should begin with a graphic slide.
  • Use the same slide, or perhaps a slightly altered version of the first, to conclude your speech.
  • This is effective if your audience can interpret the image you are exhibiting differently as a result of your voice message.
  • To add a twist, you can crop your initial slide to only show a portion of the image while revealing the entire image on the final slide. This once more enables your audience to interpret the original image in new ways.

9. Use another universal component.

  • Mention a fact, a word, a phrase, a movie title, etc. to begin your speech.
  • Conclude your speech by making a significant reference to the same fact, word, phrase, movie title, etc.
“It's the fine balance of caffeine and alcohol that bookends my days.”
Tim Minchin

Whether you are an experienced speaker or a newbie, bookending your speech is a master technique that is simple to use. I recently went to a Toastmasters meeting where a new member gave his debut speech. He “confessed” that he hated umbrellas in the opening of his speech, which was funny. He then declared his desire for legislation to outlaw umbrellas as he concluded his remarks. (The speech was hilarious overall, and this particular joke worked nicely.)

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How to Use Quotes in Your Speech: 8 Benefits and 21 Tips

How to Use Quotes in Your Speech: 8 Benefits and 21 Tips

Dec 16, 2022 | Public Speaking

While not necessary in every speech, using citations in speeches requires speakers to understand why, how, and when to do so.

In this post, we will look at eight advantages of including quotes in speeches before going over twenty-one suggestions for employing quotes to their fullest potential.

The Advantages of Quotation in Speech

“Free speech means the right to shout 'theatre' in a crowded fire.”
Abbie Hoffman

Including quotations in your speech has several advantages, including:

  • The main benefit of using quotes in speeches is that they help to illustrate your points. A quotation provides a second voice supporting your assertions, but it has a greater impact than merely restating your own words.
  • Quotes typically provide a clear, memorable formulation of a concept. (Isn't that why people remember and use the quotation so often?)
  • By implying that the person you are quoting concurs with the remainder of your argument, using a citation increases your credibility.
  • Most people lack the capacity to produce pertinent quotes on the spot to back up their claims. Therefore, when you present a quotation, it illustrates your preparation and domain expertise.
  • Along with facts, figures, anecdotes, stories, metaphors, and other material, quotations are one approach to bring variety to your logical arguments. If you provide a one-dimensional string of identical arguments, audiences become disinterested.
  • You can elicit interest, suspense, or drama depending on how you present the quotation. For instance, if you start your sentence with "Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, once stated..." and then stop, your audience will undoubtedly anticipate what you will say next. Who said what? Who said what?
  • On the other hand, you may pick a quotation that, either because of its subject matter or possibly because of the person you are quoting, lends humor to your presentation.
  • You can decide to put the quotation on a slide and let your audience read it if you are presenting with visuals. Your voice delivery will pause naturally and purposefully as a result, giving you time to review your notes, sip some water, and gather your thoughts.

Pro Tip

Ask yourself if the quote is the best tool for the job.

Advice on How to Use Quotations in Speech

Okay, so you now fully understand the advantages of using quotations in your speech. But how do you go about it? You should cite who. When should the quotation be given? Continue reading to get many suggestions for incorporating quotes into presentations successfully.

Conduct research

  • Make sure your phrasing is appropriate.
  • While quoting incorrectly detracts from your reputation, doing so should strengthen it. A poor quotation makes you seem unprofessional.
  • Find a trustworthy source.
  • Wikipedia is not considered. Your reputation is at stake.
  • Avoid quoting without context.
  • When citing literature on contentious subjects, use caution. Make sure you comprehend the speaker's intention as well as their words. A quotation that has been misinterpreted or taken out of context gives the impression that you are intentionally misleading your audience.

Quote People You Know in Your Audience

  • Cite a respected authority in the area.
  • Do not just quote someone because of their notoriety or accomplishment; instead, consider their level of authority on the subject at hand. Serena Williams on tennis or Aristotle on philosophy: saying the reverse will get you into trouble.
  • Cite a lesser-known subject specialist, but merely with background information. Be discerning.
  • Do not use a well-known quotation.
  • You will not gain very much by repeating a quote if your audience has already heard it.
  • Do not go overboard.
  • Although there is no restriction on the number of quotes you should use, using too many can lessen their impact. Keep in mind that you should be telling the story in your own words, not those of another person. Only the best quotes from your research should be kept; discard the rest.
  • You should introduce the speaker and establish their legitimacy before delivering their quote if the quote you want to use is from a non-recognized source.
  • Cite a previous speaker at your gathering.
  • Consider that you are delivering a speech at a gathering where a previous speaker made some points that are important to your message. In addition to impressing your audience, bringing up their comments will help you capitalize on the previous speaker's impact.
  • Your own words (playfully).
  • I have done this a lot, and the audience always responds well to it. One strategy I use to accomplish this is to declare a crucial idea to be "Dugan’s First Law of (whatever topic I'm lecturing about)" in the introduction.

To begin and end, use your own words; use a quote in the center

  • Use a quotation to begin your speech (sparingly).
  • It can be useful to begin with a quotation, but do not assume that any quotation will pique your audience's interest. I have seen speakers begin their speeches with a weak or even unrelated quotation to their message. Typically, there are more effective approaches to engage your audience.
  • Do not end your speech with a quotation.
  • I have heard speeches end powerfully with a quotation, typically when the quote alludes to the start. I would not, however, normally suggest it. The last words you say should be your own. Using a quotation as your final sentence frequently indicates that you lack trust in your own words.
  • The body of your speech is the finest place for quotations.
  • When you need extra evidence to support one of your arguments is when a quote is most effective. Near the end of a section is one place where it works especially well. A citation that supports one of your points of contention gives your argument a strong conclusion.

Action Item

If you’re quoting someone in a speech, make sure the audience knows where the quote ends and your words begin.

Make sure to emphasize the quote in your delivery.

  • The conventional method is acceptable.
  • Most quotations begin simply: "It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I remain with difficulties longer," said Albert Einstein. This easy formula is unambiguous, straightforward, and acceptable.
  • It is acceptable to read the quote from notes.
  • I would suggest reciting the quote from memory whenever possible. However, reading it can sometimes be preferable. It is preferable to read the entire quote, for instance, if you want to be sure you are truthful. It is possible to properly read from notes even a brief quote. I once witnessed a speaker read his notes reverently while pulling the paper out of his pocket. It may be claimed that in this situation, not reading it would have been disrespectful.
  • Alternately, have the audience read the quote.
  • Putting the quotation on display if there are visuals is an option. Do not read it out to your audience when you do this. Allow them to read it. (Keep in mind that you should never read something to an audience while they can see the words.) You can stylize the slide to increase impact with this technique, which is a bonus. You may, for instance, include a picture of the speaker or choose a font that evokes a certain feeling.
  • Before and after, pause.
  • Before and after the quote, you should stop briefly to create tension and draw the audience's attention (to allow the meaning of the quotation to be absorbed by your audience.) Respect the quote and allow it to have an impact.
  • Spice up the way you sing.
  • Of course, you ought to change your tone of voice as you go along. A quotation merits a little more vocal emphasis, just like other important points in your speech. Louder or softer. Happier or sadder. Your delivery should be guided by the quote's emotion.
  • Context-setting as necessary
  • While some quotations can stand on their own, others require the context to be established before they can be used effectively. A quotation that leaves your listeners in suspense is an opportunity lost. You need to clarify the historical setting or something specific about the speaker's life. Make sure the quote has as much effect as possible.
“If you don’t have a plan for your life, somebody else does.”
Michael Hyatt

Make use of reliable sources.

  • Compilations of quotations make them accessible.
  • Each serious speaker ought to have at least one collection of quotations. I have loved Bartlett's Familiar Quotations ever since I discovered a copy of an earlier version on my brother's bookshelf thirty years ago. A well-edited compilation offers multiple sort indices to make it easier to find the ideal quotation. The fact that these sources should be dependable is a bonus.
  • The biographies of well-known figures in your field are also excellent resources.
  • For instance, a biography of Steve Jobs is certain to have several statements that can be used to illustrate his business philosophies. Biographies, like collections of quotations, are typically dependable.
  • Online search engines for quotations have an unmatched breadth.
  • Utilizing a keyword or a certain speaker, quote websites assist you in finding relevant quotations. Although it is quick and simple, the sources are not necessarily dependable. I always look for a second source to corroborate everything I learn from these sites. (Caution: Several quotation websites may be using the same invalid source.)

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