Painless Presentations: Overcoming the pitfalls of public speaking Creating Your Content

Content AKA: What’s in your Speech No matter what your topic, you are there for a reason. You have to adopt an attitude that your content matters.

Audience is Everything 1 When Choosing Content Audience is Everything

Think about who is in the room or who might watch later What are the audience demographics ? age, gender, nationality, income, race, beliefs, education What is their level of expertise on the topic? What do you want them to do, think, or feel at the end?

Let purpose drive content 2 Let purpose drive content If you aren’t there yet, then ask two questions: So what? And who cares? What is the audience going to get from me presentations. Why does it matter and to who? If you can’t answer these two questions, you shouldn’t be speaking.

You may be combining all three in one speech The purpose guides content choice Are you informing? Are you persuading? Are you entertaining? Are you celebrating? You may be combining all three in one speech If you aren’t there yet, then ask two questions: So what? And who cares? What is the audience going to get from me presentations. Why does it matter and to who? If you can’t answer these two questions, you shouldn’t be speaking.

Most speeches combine these elements: Stories Facts and data Ideas and Opinions Be sure to cite any facts, data, or ideas that are not your own. It adds credibility and prevents plagiarism. If you aren’t there yet, then ask two questions: So what? And who cares? What is the audience going to get from me presentations. Why does it matter and to who? If you can’t answer these two questions, you shouldn’t be speaking.

3 Organize Your Content

Organize Content: Know your thesis Your thesis is your main point Your thesis should tell the audience the speech’s purpose Keep it short. Typically a single sentence. If you aren’t there yet, then ask two questions: So what? And who cares? What is the audience going to get from me presentations. Why does it matter and to who? If you can’t answer these two questions, you shouldn’t be speaking.

Organize Content: Think in Threes Restrict your speech to 2-3 main points to help audiences remember: Thesis Statement Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 If you aren’t there yet, then ask two questions: So what? And who cares? What is the audience going to get from me presentations. Why does it matter and to who? If you can’t answer these two questions, you shouldn’t be speaking.

Organize Content: Think about moving between points Thesis Presentation Body Point 1 Transition statement (“The next point I want to discuss…”) Point 2 Transition statement (“Now that we’ve thought about...”) Point 3 Transition statement (“We’ve covered…”) If you aren’t there yet, then ask two questions: So what? And who cares? What is the audience going to get from me presentations. Why does it matter and to who? If you can’t answer these two questions, you shouldn’t be speaking.

Organize Content: Don’t forget the beginning and end Introduction Thesis Presentation Body Point 1 Transition statement (“The next point I want to discuss…”) Point 2 Transition statement (“Now that we’ve thought about...”) Point 3 Transition statement (“We’ve covered…”) Repeat the Thesis Conclusion If you aren’t there yet, then ask two questions: So what? And who cares? What is the audience going to get from me presentations. Why does it matter and to who? If you can’t answer these two questions, you shouldn’t be speaking.

Finish Strong Start Strong

A good speech should flow easily Lots of speakers spend a lot of time on main points and details, but forget to grab audience attention, transition smoothly, and finish with flair. These are the things that hook the audience, maintain flow, and create lasting memory. If you aren’t there yet, then ask two questions: So what? And who cares? What is the audience going to get from me presentations. Why does it matter and to who? If you can’t answer these two questions, you shouldn’t be speaking.

Weak Starts Fiddle with technology Lengthy introductions Ask how much time you have Question the quality of your speech Have no introduction

Strong Starts Ask a question State a curious fact Tell a story Show a picture Tell a joke Relate topic to audience

Weak Endings That’s about all I have I hope that was useful I know that was a lot of information Thanks for listening I guess that’s it

Strong Endings Summarize your points Tie back to your intro Make a lasting point about relevance Provide one solid takeaway Tell a related joke Show a picture that emphasizes your point End with a call to action

Tie it Together Introductions, conclusions, and transitions should tie a presentation together to bring closure to the speech & keep a coherent message