How to give better speeches?

“Why do some of them (classical composers) get more pages in encyclopedias than others and also have their compositions rerecorded more times? One of the best predictors is the sheer volume of compositions that they generate. The more output you churn out, the more variety you get and the better your chances of stumbling on something truly original. Even the three icons of classical music — Bach, Beethoven, Mozart — had to generate hundreds and hundreds of compositions to come up with a much smaller number of masterpieces.” – Adam Grant, The surprising habits of original thinkers (TED Talk)

How to give better speeches?

Do more speeches. A ton more.

I often hear: “I don’t have the time. It’s not worth investing so much of it into speeches.”

See, the benefit writing a speech goes beyond the impact of your Toastmasters presentation. Picking a topic, preparing a 7-minute speech about it, presenting it in front of a group of bright people who are willing to discuss it with you afterward and give you feedback: That’s an investment into your own clarity of thinking.

“I write stories to find out what I think about things.” – Neil Gaiman, The View from the Cheap Seats

Where do you need to clarify your thinking?

Pick a topic worth exploring. Start writing. Give the speech. Take feedback. Repeat.

Your masterpieces are waiting.

Other posts about Presentation Skills or Toastmasters.