The Ideal Way to Prepare a Great Speech or Presentation

Most people start their presentation or speech as a literary document. Although that makes sense to a certain extent, it's not the best method.

Since your talk will be in a verbal form, that's how you should approach it. You will speak to the audience; that dictates the pace, tone, and elements of your presentation, which is something trained performers know well.

Therefore, the first step toward preparing your talk is discarding public speaking misconceptions. - It is more than merely putting words together, standing in front of the public, and reciting your ideas.

Instead, public speaking requires you to be fully committed to your speech in those moments and to prioritize your listeners. Those are the only things that matter when you start talking, but you set the grounds for presentation in the preparation stage.

Here's how to do it effectively.

How to Prepare Your Presentation or Speech

Think of your audience

Preparing your speech is about making your ideas come alive. But to a large extent, how you'll present them depends on who your audience is.

That's why you should avoid doing what most people do - thinking about what points you want to make, writing them down, and then turning them into a verbal presentation. But that is often wrong because you might have limited time for practice or forget parts of your speech, which could distort your structure.

Even if you practice, you don't know how the atmosphere will be until you're there. At that moment, building a rapport with your listeners is crucial.

However, your literary document can't help you at that moment, so you must prepare your presentation with the audience in your mind. That's why your speech preparation shouldn't start as a written document but as a hypothetical conversation with the public.

Imagine your presentation as a conversation

Start your speech as a scenario where you're talking with your audience instead of solely writing your ideas. That way, it will be easier to connect with them during the actual presentation.

Moreover, many speakers fail to engage their listeners because they lack presence. Rather than conversing with those in front of them, they speak out loud the words they had on the preparation paper.

As a result, the audience has nothing to respond to and might have the impression that the speaker is only there to recite their presentation and leave. To prevent that from happening, you should simultaneously think and speak out loud what you will talk about.

Hearing yourself will help you put yourself in your audience's shoes and consider how your voice might sound to them and whether you have the proper posture and approach. If you know your public, tailor your presentation to them.

Consider whether they would prefer an upbeat or formal tone. Is your speech sophisticated enough, or does your audience expect something simpler?

To understand that, think of their industry, demographic, background, and professional occupation. These insights will help you identify whether your remarks are adequate and if your transitions should be stronger.

The goal is to ensure your audience will understand and resonate with your points. Moreover, this method will remind you that, sometimes, your thoughts won't sound right when expressed out loud and that you must adjust the wording, tone, or language.

If you imagine how the public will react to your presentation, your ears will tell you when something requires improvements. That's how you prepare a great speech and ensure you don't forget parts of it while presenting.

Conclusion

Even though it might seem like a complex literary undertaking, preparing a presentation is much simpler than that. It is about tailoring the style, wording, and tone to your audience and imagining you talking with your listeners while practicing.

Think and speak simultaneously and pay attention to whether that will resonate with others. However, you don't have to do that alone.

Atlanta Public Speaking LLC can help you understand how to approach your presentation and prepare it. Contact us to discover how you can benefit from our programs and workshops and which would be the best for you.