By Leyya Sattar and Roshni Goyate

Last week Leyya shared the first of a three-part series on public speaking. And here’s part two! This week, we’re zoning in on the content of your public speaking moment – how to choose what your message is, how to structure it and how to make it memorable. 

And remember, even though the phrase ‘public speaking’ might evoke a visual of someone on stage giving a keynote, these are transferable skills that will serve you in a number of ways. For now, here are nine ways to nail your content.

1. Pin down your purpose

Roshni: Most talks will fall into one of three categories: inspire, educate or entertain. A keynote speech will probably fall under the category of ‘inspire’. Most workshops or training sessions will come under ‘educate’. A standup routine most definitely falls under ‘entertain’. Figuring out the purpose of your talk will help you get the vibe right. 

2. Know Your Audience

Leyya: Knowing the size and demographic of your audience is important. Confirm with the event organiser who your audience is going to be so you can tailor your talk/discussion points accordingly. For example, when I’m doing events with the TOB Community, my goal is to empower and inspire. When delivering talks to corporate companies I code-switch and my goal is to educate and raise awareness. 

3. Hook them in from the start 

L: I always start my talks with a question, it’s a great way to engage your audience right away.

R: If you don’t have the audience at the very start, it will be a challenge to pull it back for the remainder of the talk – not impossible, but definitely tough. You could start with a really quick interactive exercise, a show-of-hands quiz, or tell a story with an unlikely twist or ending. More on storytelling below. 

4. Remain clear and concise

L: Pick your main ideas (depending on how much time you have) and try not to overload too many ideas in your talk: 

• Give an overview of what you’re going to talk about

• Deliver the talk 

• Share the top three things you want the audience to take away from your talk

Also remember that as you’re well-versed in your topic - things that seem obvious to you, may not be to your audience, so check who your audience is and break things down so the information is accessible.

5. Tell a story

R: Maya Angelou once said: “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Stories are the opportunity to tug at heartstrings, to show your humanity, vulnerability, humour; they are what will make you relatable and memorable. So rather than simply regurgitating stats and facts, attach a story to the point you want to make, and bring it to life. 

6. Give value

L: Provide solutions and key takeaways for your audience. Don’t be afraid to give away juicy details and value - it will make the audience want to know more! 

R: To make this really obvious to your audience, you could make it a numbered list, and clearly signpost the takeaways in your script with a sentence as instructional as ‘Get your pens ready, I’m about to share 3 actions you can do as soon as you leave this room.’ Speaking of scripts...

7. Script it 

R: This one divides opinion, as it’s quite trendy these days to arrive at a talk and say ‘I haven’t prepared anything, so I’m just gonna go with the flow and see what happens’. Fair enough, but if you’re not a naturally extroverted or charismatic public speaker, preparing a script will serve to anchor you and keep you on track. I like to write my script out first, edit it, then I transcribe it into 3 to 5-word bullet points, which act as prompts, rather than having the full script in front of me. Yes, this takes time, but it goes back to last week’s tip of ‘Practice, practice, practice!’ With enough practice and rehearsal, you will familiarise yourself with the material well enough to internalise the script. 

8. Get a second opinion

R: Rope in a friend or family member to be your guinea pig and give you honest feedback on your content. Ask questions like: 

• Can you sum up my talk in one sentence? 

• Is it clear what the takeaways are? 

• Is it within the given time limit? 

9. Take up space

R: Have a clear standpoint and don’t be afraid to be provocative. Sometimes this means using short, punchy sentences to get your point across. 

L: You’ve been asked to share your expertise and experience for a reason, so don’t be afraid to take up space - you deserve to be up there! Be bold and confident with your opinion, and share a balanced, well-researched view of your topic. 

Remember, you don’t have to do it alone. Workshop your ideas, share drafts with people you trust, and give yourself enough time to refine your content so that you’re totally confident you’ve got down all the ideas you want to share, in a way that will stick with the audience. 

We’ll be back next week with advice on how to design the perfect presentation deck. 

Do you have any tips to add? Follow us @_TheOtherBox and share your pointers with us there!