1 Jun 2023

5 Tips For An Unforgettable Talk

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TagsCan Do Academy, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking, Public Speaking Tips

By Mary Eniolu | 01 June 2023

Being able to stand in public and speak before an audience will do wonders for your confidence and increase your influence and impact. Yet public speaking remains the number one fear for most people, but it’s a skill and like any skill it can be learned. In this article I’ll be sharing five tips to help you give an unforgettable talk.

1. Pick The Right Topic

Don’t just pick a topic because it’s something you love talking about or something you’re even good at. Pick a topic that is right for the audience. Like motivational speaker Les Brown says, “Don’t let what you want to say get in the way of what the audience needs to hear.”

So, think about something that will add value to the audience. Also make sure it’s something you can talk about authentically as well, so that what you are talking about matches your beliefs, your values, and your own lived experience.

2. What’s The Main Point You Want To Make?

Get absolutely clear on the main point or points you want your audience to leave with. What’s the main thing you want them to walk away with from your talk? This would appear obvious, but how many times have you walked away from a talk or presentation asking yourself “what was that all about?” So, get clear on the main point you want the audience to leave with and wrap everything else around that point.

It’s also important not to overload your audience. It’s pointless giving them three points when they will only remember one and it’s even worse giving them six points and they end up remembering none.

3. Use Stories

We all love a good story, and we tend to remember them. You might not remember all the data and even the point the speaker was trying to make, but you will remember the story, especially if it’s a good one. So, use stories to make your point. Use your own life story, use other people’s stories, use hypothetical stories, it does not really matter. Just make sure it’s making a point number. So, make a point, tell a story. Tell a story, make a point.

4. Use Humour

We all love to laugh. It makes us feel good and people learn better when they are having fun. Your audience might not remember what you say, but they will remember how you made them feel and most of us feel good when we laugh. Even if you don’t consider yourself to be a funny person, read a funny story, read out a funny joke. You might read it, and it comes out flat or dry. Don’t worry about it. People might laugh because it fell so flat, but they will still remember. So don’t be afraid to use humour, even if you don’t consider yourself to be a funny person.

5. Use The Power Of The Pause

When you’re speaking and you’re going on and on and on, it’s very easy for people to zone out and your voice just becomes background noise. However, if you pause just before you make a point or just after you make a point, it makes that point hit home. So, learn to use the power of the pause.

If you will imbibe these five tips in your next talk, whether it’s a 3-minute or 45-minute talk, you stand a real good chance of being able to give an unforgettable talk. Don’t forget public speaking is a skill and the more you practice, the better you’ll get at it.

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I hope you have found this blog helpful. Please feel free to leave your comments. I would very much love to hear from you.

Mary Eniolu – Speaker, Trainer, and Coach
Mary is a solicitor and professional speaker, trainer, and coach. She is the founder of Can Do Academy, a training and development company offering Institute of Leadership and Management approved and CPD accredited training and coaching solutions to individuals and organizations, helping them to achieve peak performance and desired outcomes.