a speech about be prepared

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How to Prepare a Speech

Last Updated: March 11, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Patrick Muñoz . Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 728,158 times.

Preparing a speech isn't difficult if you have a process you can follow. There are tried-and-true steps for putting together a talk, so relax and read on to get your speech in order and your speech anxiety under control.

Sample Speeches

Starting With Your Audience

• Personal narrative. A narrative is just another word for story. If you're asked to tell a story about yourself, find out if the intention is to use something that's happened to you in order to teach a lesson, convey a moral, offer inspiration or simply to entertain.
• Informative speech. [3] X Research source There are two kinds of informative speeches: process and expository. If you're charged with doing a process speech, the idea is for you to explain how something is done, how something is made or how something works. You take your audience step-by-step through the process. If your speech is meant to be expository, your job is to take what might be a complex subject and break it down into sections as a way of educating your audience about the topic.
• Persuasive speech. [4] X Research source If you're meant to persuade, then your job is to convince your audience to adopt a particular way of thinking, a belief or a behavior that you advocate for.
• Ceremonial speech. [5] X Research source Ceremonial speeches run the gamut from wedding toasts to eulogies, from graduation speeches to farewell addresses. Many of these speeches are intended to be short and the focus is often on entertaining, inspiring or increasing the audience's appreciation for someone or something.

• Read the newspaper. If you can find a way to link your speech topic to something that's happening in the news, you can highlight the relevance of what you have to say to your audience.
• Translate numbers. Using statistics in your speech can be impactful, but they can be even more meaningful if you translate them in a way the audience can understand. For example, you could say that worldwide, 7.6 million people die of cancer every year, but to make it more relatable, you might want to follow it up by saying that that number represents the entire population of Switzerland.
• Express the benefits. It's a good idea to let an audience know exactly what they'll get out of your speech, so that they're primed to listen. If they'll learn how to save money, tell them. If the information you're about to share will make their lives easier in some way, make that clear. If they'll gain a new appreciation of someone or something, let them know.

Researching and Writing Your Speech

• Outlines can be written in complete sentences or they can be a series of abbreviated phrases and reminders. Another approach is to begin by writing complete sentences and then transferring your outline on to note cards on which you abbreviate those sentences using just the words and memory prompts you need.
• Pull out your old English textbooks and review things like similes, metaphors, alliteration and other kinds of figurative language. These kinds of devices can add to the impact of a ceremonial speech.
• Beware one pitfall of the scripted speech: having a page full of words in front of you can cause you to fall into the trap of simply reading from your script without every looking up, making eye contact or engaging with the audience in any way. Thorough practice should help to eliminate your chances of falling into this trip.

• Offer a preview. Think of a preview as kind of the "coming attractions" of your speech. Plan to tell your audience the main points you'll talk about in your speech. There's not need to go into any detail here; you'll get to that when you come to the body of your speech. You can write a preview that's simply one sentence in length to cover what you need to say here.
• Body. The body is where the "meat" of your speech resides. The points you outlined or the information you scripted make up the body. There are several ways to organize the information within the body of your speech--in time sequence, in step order, from most important point to least important point, problem-solution, to name just a few. Choose an organizational pattern that makes sense based on your speech goal.
• Give a summary. One of the ways an audience remembers what a speech was about is through intentional repetition. In your introduction, you gave a preview of what you'd be talking about. In your speech body, you talked about those things. Now, in your conclusion, you remind your audience what you talked about. Simply offer a brief review of the main points you touched on in your speech.
• End with a clincher. A clincher is a memorable, definitive statement that gives your speech a sense of closure. One easy way to do this is to write a clincher that refers back to what you said in the attention-getter of your speech. This helps bring your presentation full circle and provides a sense of closure.

Choosing Visual Aids

• Don't write everything you plan to say on your slides. We've all suffered through speeches where the speaker did little more that read off of his or her slides. That's boring for the audience, and they soon disengage. Instead, use word charts to preview, review or highlight key information. Remember, the sides should be a supplement to what you're going to say rather than an exact copy of it.
• Make your slides readable. Use a font size that's easy for your audience to read and don't overcrowd your slides. If your audience can't see or get through the material on your slides, they won't have served any purpose.
• Use animations sparingly. Having graphics fly around, zoom in and out ,and change colors can be engaging but can also be distracting. Be careful not to overdo the special effects. Your slides should be a supporting player rather than the star of the show.

Rehearsing Your Speech

• Leave yourself time to practice. If you're given to procrastinating, you could find yourself with very little or no time to practice before you deliver your speech, which could leave you feeling unprepared and anxious.

• Look at your audience. Almost nothing does more to keep an audience engaged than eye contact from a speaker. As you rehearse your speech, be sure to look at the family members or friends who've agreed to be your audience. It takes a bit of practice to be able to look at your outline, script or note cards, capture a thought or two and then come up and deliver that information while looking at your audience. It's yet another reason why rehearsal time is so important.
• If you don't have the opportunity to practice in front of people, be sure that when you do rehearse, that you say your speech aloud. You don't want your speech day to be the first time you hear the words of your speech coming out of your mouth. Plus, speaking out loud gives you a chance to double-check and correct any mispronunciations, practice articulating your words clearly and confirm the timing of your speech (We speak more quickly when we simply recite a speech in our heads).

Reducing Speech Anxiety

• Clench and release. Ball up your fists really, really tight and hold for a second or two and then release. Repeat this a few times. You can do the same thing by squeezing the muscles in your calves very tightly and then releasing. With each release, you should feel a reduction in your adrenaline-induced symptoms.
• Take deep breaths. The adrenaline in your system causes you to take more shallow breaths that, in turn, increase your feeling of anxiety. You need to break the cycle. Take a deep breath through your nose and allow the air to fill your belly. Once your belly is full, let your breath fill and expand your ribcage. Finally, allow your breath to move fully into your chest. Open your mouth slightly and begin to exhale starting first with the air in your chest, then the air in your ribcage and finally the breath in your belly. Repeat this inhale-exhale cycle five times.

• Negative thoughts are incredibly powerful--one estimate is that you need five positive thoughts to counteract every one negative thought you have, so steer clear of them.

Expert Q&A

Reader Videos

Share a quick video tip and help bring articles to life with your friendly advice. Your insights could make a real difference and help millions of people!

• Use your own language style. Do not use the words that you have never said in your life. Take it easy. Thanks Helpful 6 Not Helpful 0
• Try to keep the majority of your topic entertaining, or at least interesting, so that the audience won't get bored. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 0
• Make sure your speech hangs together well and makes sense. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ Patrick Muñoz. Voice & Speech Coach. Expert Interview. 12 November 2019.
• ↑ https://westsidetoastmasters.com/resources/powerspeak/ch03.html
• ↑ https://www.comm.pitt.edu/informative-speaking
• ↑ https://www.comm.pitt.edu/persuasive-speaking
• ↑ https://opentext.ku.edu/speakupcallin/chapter/chapter-15-ceremonial-speaking/
• ↑ https://www.comm.pitt.edu/oral-comm-lab/audience-analysis
• ↑ https://liu.cwp.libguides.com/c.php?g=913567&p=6581500
• ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/5-most-effective-methods-for-avoiding-plagiarism/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/speeches/
• ↑ https://www.toastmasters.org/resources/public-speaking-tips/preparing-a-speech
• ↑ https://counseling.uiowa.edu/self-help/30-ways-to-manage-speaking-anxiety/
• ↑ https://fscj.pressbooks.pub/publicspeaking/chapter/benefits-of-visual-aids/

About This Article

To prepare a speech, start by writing an introduction that grabs the audience's attention with a surprising or interesting fact, quote, or question. Then, include your most important points in the body of your speech, making them as clear and easy-to-follow as possible so your audience stays tuned in. Finally, wrap up your speech with a conclusion that summarizes your main points and ends with a memorable, definitive statement. To learn the best ways to research and outline your speech, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Prepared speech: 10 effective tips on how to practice a speech

• Filed under: Featured articles , Public speaking articles , Public speaking tips and tricks , Speaking tips , Speech delivery , Speech preparation

Table of Contents

Prepared speech and proper preparation

• Why are they attending?
• How much do they know about your topic?
• Have they seen anyone else making a speech on the same topic?
• What is the main benefit they can expect to get from your presentation?
• What happens before your presentation?
• What happens after your presentation
• How old are your listeners?
• Are there any gurus in the audience?

How to practice a speech?

1. at first, practice in an empty room. if possible, in the room where you’ll be making your presentation.

2. Practice for your presentation standing

3. practice using slides and explaining their content, 4. prepared speech = make using notes smoother.

• Notes are too general or say nothing . This means that whenever you look at your notes, you’re confused, asking yourself, „What did I mean by this sentence?“
• Too much-written text . This creates a situation in which it’s difficult to search in the long text, which means long pauses or voiced sounds, e.g., „erm…“, „hm…“, etc.
• Don’t start pulling at your notes during the presentation . Hold them firmly in your hands or on the table; as soon as you start pulling at them, the audience will notice, mistaking it for uncertainty.
• Speaking to your notes, reading from paper, and not keeping contact with the audience . The listeners want to keep eye contact with you, they don’t want you to gawk at your papers (or slides on screen).
• Don’t apologize or talk nonsense during pauses . The fact that you’re using notes is nothing unusual. It’s also fine to lose trace of what you were going to say next. Never apologize for these two things. Why? As soon as you apologize for losing trace of your thoughts, the listeners will immediately think „I see, something’s wrong!“

5. Watch your body language and think about how to use it effectively

• Explore situations for using hands : show how big or small a thing is or which point you’re talking about (first, second, third, etc.).
• Use different movements , otherwise, you’ll look like a robot. Also, predictability reduces listeners’ attention.
• Put your hands in the applause position – this is the rest position to use during pauses. As soon as you start speaking, your hands will move away from each other, each time at different distances. In larger rooms, you can make wider movements; in smaller rooms, they’ll be more humble.
• Use bold gestures that show confidence and authority. If you need to express anger, show your fist; if you need to express blame, point with a finger, etc.
• Don’t memorize your movements. Think about which movements you normally use when speaking, but don’t memorize them – the audience will get it and think you’re being ridiculous.

6. Turn on a video camera and record your presentation

“90% of how well the talk will go is determined before the speaker steps on the platform.” – Somers White

How to practice a speech while using a video camera?

Watch the first recorded version without sound, 7. if there’s a time limit, use a stopwatch when practicing, 8. after practicing on your own several times, make a presentation for your friend, 9. think of the answers to potential questions in advance.

„ Don’t start arguing, but if you are in a dead end, ask a non-related question and lean on the back of your seat with a self-satisfied smirk. While your partner is trying to figure out what’s going on, quickly change the subject. “  – Murphy’s Law

10. Repeat. Repeat again. And then again.

Summary: prepared speech and question “how to practice a speech”, can the effective tips for practicing a speech also apply to teaching public speaking.

Yes, the effective tips for practicing a speech can also apply to teaching public speaking. By incorporating proven public speaking techniques such as visualization, vocal exercises, and audience interaction into the teaching process, students can develop their skills in a more structured and holistic manner.

Related questions

• Acknowledge that stage fright is a very common phenomenon
• Remember that the audience wouldn’t understand you’re nervous
• Proper preparation with proper practice
• Change your attitude to the audience
• Don’t try to impress the audience
• You don’t have to feel the urge to talk all the time
• Keep in mind that everything is in your hands

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• Tags: Art of public speaking , Effective speaking , Good speech , Impromptu talk , Making a speech , Prepare a speech , Prepared speech , Presentation skills tips , Presentation techniques , Public presentation , Speech preparation process , Speech skills , Speech tips

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How to Give a Speech: 10 Tips for Powerful Public Speaking

When we start preparing to give a speech, it can be a nerve-wracking experience. It’s completely normal—most of us feel a combination of excitement and nerves when we’re about to take the stage.

However, with some strategic planning and practical advice, you can make sure your speech is powerful and effective. In this blog post, we’ll explore how to give a speech that will leave your audience engaged and inspired.

We’ll examine 10 tips to help you build a powerful speech, from outlining your points methodically to crafting captivating introductions . Whether you’re a beginner or experienced public speaker, these nuggets of wisdom will help you take your next speech to the next level. Let’s get started!

Quick Review of Key Points

Preparing ahead of time is the key to giving an effective speech. Make sure to structure your speaking points, rehearse your delivery, and be aware of the needs of your audience for maximum impact.

How to Prepare for a Speech

Preparing for a speech is an essential step to public speaking success. It can help to build your confidence, create content that reaches the audience, and reduce performance anxiety.

Although it can be time-consuming in the beginning, preparation will ensure less stress and more comfort during delivery. Here are some tips to consider when preparing for a speech:

Practice : Before delivering a speech, practice it out loud several times. This will allow you to gain experience in speaking without an audience and increase your confidence when you do have one.

Practicing also helps to identify awkward moments in the speech or any difficult phrases which then can be changed or removed altogether. Additionally, it helps you determine where to pause for effect. Research : Depending on the topic of the speech , research should be done beforehand to gather information that is relevant and interesting for the audience. It is important to get acquainted with the language typically used by audiences to ensure a clear understanding of what is being said.

Additionally, relevant statistics and stories concerning the topic are a great way to draw in listeners and make the presentation more engaging .

Know Your Audience : When preparing your speech, be sure to consider who will be listening. For instance, if giving a presentation at work, include industry jargon that members would understand and include relevant topics from publications that might be familiar to the employees.

On the other hand, if consulting business professionals in their field then technical language may be easier for them to comprehend than laypeople or students.

By gathering valuable information about the topic and getting comfortable with a speech’s content and delivery through practice, speakers will gain more assurance during their talk as well as respect from their audience.

Preparing beforehand not only gives insight into how to engage listeners but also encourages more meaningful conversations after the event. Now that we have discussed how to prepare for a speech let us move on to creating an outline which will provide structure during delivery.

Create an Outline

After determining the audience and purpose of your speech, the next step to effective public speaking is to create an outline .

An outline serves as a roadmap to ensure that your speech has a logical flow and contains all important points. It also can help keep you on track during the speech itself, allowing you to stay focused and organized.

When constructing an outline, consider drawing up both a main point and sub-points for each portion of the speech. Both should be relevant to the goal of the presentation and backed up by facts and research.

Brainstorming can help in this process; try grouping your ideas together in clusters to make sure you cover all possible angles.

Furthermore, writing out exact quotations or figures can prove beneficial in forming a cohesive argument. At this stage, it is also wise to decide where transitions, humor, stories, or other engaging techniques will be included.

While there are differing opinions as to whether outlines should be memorized or simply used as a reference while speaking, many agree that they should serve their purpose – not only articulate the main thoughts of the speech but also assist the speaker with maintaining focus and preventing distractions.

The debate between those who advocate for memorization versus casual consulting touches upon issues such as rehearsal time, risk of errors in delivery, ease of practice versus actual performance and more.

Each side has valid arguments that should be weighed prior to deciding what type of approach best suits your needs.

Having a firmly constructed outline acts as a valuable tool when it comes time to deliver a powerful public speech. By actively utilizing this tactic, speakers may not only enhance their clarity and coherence, but also add structure and vibrance to their presentations.

Now that we have explored what goes into crafting an effective outline, let’s dive deeper into how we can best collect resources and research our topics for maximum impact.

Collect Sources and Research

Collecting sources and research is a crucial step for any public speaking engagement. It ensures that you have the necessary information to make strong points and back up your statements.

Before writing your speech, take time to research your topic to gain familiarity with different perspectives, facts, and counterpoints. This will help you to craft an argument that can stand up to scrutiny while also adding a breadth of knowledge to your speech.

Interviews can be a powerful source of evidence and anecdotes, so try to include one or two relevant interviews in your research process. Relying solely on secondary sources such as books and articles can lead to a narrow scope of understanding.

Interviews provide an opportunity to hear directly from an expert and create an interesting dynamic in your speech by adding personal experiences as well as commentary from a professional.

In research it is important to stay objective. Gather a variety of perspectives and be open-minded about their merits. Don’t forget to consider both sides of the argument when researching for your speech.

Doing this allows you to understand the opposing perspective and enables you to anticipate potential counter arguments from your audience.

By acknowledging them beforehand, you may increase the persuasive power of your speech by showing confidence in the points you make.

Once you have collected all sources, review them carefully and separate the most pertinent information from the less useful material.

Synthesising this information into concise yet impactful points is a critical part in delivering powerful talks without overloading your audience with too much data or going off track during your speech delivery.

Organizing Your Speech

Before you start putting your words together, it’s important to consider how the different parts of a speech fit together. By taking the time to organize the ideas in your speech , you’ll be able to deliver a presentation that is well-constructed and easy to understand.

One way to help with organizing your speech is to write an outline . An outline is like a map or plan that will provide you with a framework for each section of your speech.

Start by writing out your main points and then include additional details underneath each one. This will help keep your speech focused and provide direction for where you are going next.

Another approach for organizing your speech is known as the “inverted pyramid” method. This structure starts with your conclusion at the beginning of the speech, and then works backward by providing more explanation and detail as it moves toward the introduction.

This method can be helpful when speaking about topics that are unfamiliar to the audience since it doesn’t require them to wait until near the end of the presentation to learn what you’ve been talking about.

No matter which organization approach you choose, make sure to practice it before giving your speech so that you are comfortable with its flow. Lastly, remember that it’s ok to adjust things while you speak if they don’t seem or feel quite right.

Now let’s take a look at how we can use these organizing techniques to actually put our speeches together – starting with structuring our speech.

Structure Your Speech

Creating a strong structure for your speech will ensure that the audience stays engaged and understands your main points. As you are developing an outline, map out how you want to begin and end your speech.

Break up the information into smaller sections with either verbal or visual cues so that your audience can clearly see how you are transitioning between topics . Consider adding humor judiciously throughout your presentation as this could help engage the audience and lighten any tension.

The length of your presentation is also important. You will want to make sure that you include all of the necessary information without going over time.

Oftentimes less is more; if you can say it in five minutes why use ten? Make sure that you practice timed rehearsals so that you can gauge how long you’re actually speaking.

In contrast, avoid trying to pack too much content into one presentation as this could overwhelm both you and the audience. If needed, offer supplemental reading materials for those who may be interested in delving further into the subject matter.

Paragraphs can also be helpful when organizing large amounts of content within the body of your presentation. Utilizing paragraph breaks gives your audience a break and helps to highlight key ideas or summaries before moving onto a new topic area.

Finally, it is crucial to remember what your desired outcome is from the presentation; plan accordingly by ensuring that the beginning, middle, and end serve their respective purposes and adhere to that goal.

With careful deliberations, structuring a successful presentation can be achieved with relative ease.

Having established a solid structure for your speech, it’s important to focus on another key element: rehearsal. The next section will discuss the benefits of practicing before delivering a powerful public speaking performance.

Rehearse Your Speech

Rehearsing is integral to giving a successful speech. When you rehearse your presentation, you give your mind an opportunity to become familiar with the notes and concepts that you are presenting. It also increases your confidence and reduces anxiety or self-doubt.

In fact, studies have found that those who rehearsed their presentation had higher scores in public speaking performance and language proficiency evaluations.

When it comes to how much rehearsal is enough, opinions are divided. Some people believe that over-rehearsing can lead to a more robotic speech with less natural emotion and connection with the audience .

On the other hand, others argue that no matter how well-versed someone is on the topic, additional rehearsal time improves both the delivery of the speech and memorization of key points and facts.

Ultimately, it’s important to practice until you personally find the most comfortable level for yourself, as this will ultimately result in a more engaging delivery.

Finally, if at all possible, try to practice in front of a friend or colleague for honest feedback on any elements that need improvement before the big day. Rehearsal dedication may be tedious, but it results in big rewards on stage–enabling you to deliver your content with clarity, confidence, and poise.

With thoughtful preparation complete, it’s now time to step into the spotlight and give your speech!

Giving Your Speech

The key to success when giving a speech is to be well prepared and confident. Every individual’s preparation process will vary, but the basics should stay the same.

Start by studying your content, understanding the material and being able to repeat it in your own words. Clarify any potentially difficult points. Create visual aids like PowerPoint slides or handouts that supplement the key ideas in your speech.

Practice your public speaking skills with informal conversations with friends and family or rehearse it alone in front of a mirror. Use visualization; imagine yourself confidently delivering your speech. Consider addressing a practice audience if possible to become more accustomed to a live size group.

On the day of the event, arrive early and plan for any potential obstacles: What if my computer doesn’t work? What if I forget something? Allow sufficient time for setup and check-in.

When you are ready to give your speech, take some deep breaths, focus on the positives, and distract yourself from any anxious thoughts with positive affirmations. Remember you have prepared diligently for this moment, you are well prepared and you will succeed!

Start strong by engaging the audience immediately with an attention grabbing opening statement. Speak clearly and make sure that everyone can hear and understand your message.

Slow down and emphasize points as needed throughout your presentation. Be aware of pace, volume, and tone of voice: too fast/monotone can confuse/bore listeners while pauses add a dramatic effect that keeps their interest piqued.

Ultimately, giving a successful speech will depend on knowing your material well enough to speak confidently in front of your audience without hesitation or missteps.

When you do make a mistake (and they happen!) don’t panic – know that mistakes are inevitable but don’t be discouraged; get back on track as soon as possible and continue at the same energy level you had before the mistake occurred.

Having successfully given your speech, take a moment to reflect on what went well and what could be improved upon for next time before transitioning into the next step: mastering delivery.

Master Your Delivery

Mastering your delivery is the key to an effective speech. Without purposeful body language and careful emphasis on certain words , your speech may lack wow-factor and prevent listeners from tuning in. Following these simple tips can help you get started with delivering an engaging and memorable speech:

The most important part of delivery is practice. Rehearse and perfect your speech ahead of time – this allows for more natural flow and confidence during your presentation. It also helps to create pauses between sentences for clarity, emphasize key points, and not be too casual or stiff.

Practicing inflections and varying tones adds interest to your speech by keeping listeners’ attention.

Additionally, it’s important to project your voic e so everyone in the room can hear you; make sure you’re speaking loud enough but don’t feel pressure to shout or yell at any point unless that’s part of the atmosphere of the event.

It’s also crucial to maintain good posture while speaking – stand tall with both feet on the ground, keep your back straight, hold yourself up without gesturing too much or leaning against a podium if applicable.

To further engage listeners, use purposeful hand gestures as they help emphasize certain points and add visual interest – however, avoid overusing them as it can hinders communication.

Make meaningful eye contact with audience members throughout the presentation – otherwise you might come across as unenthusiastic or bored with what you’re saying which deters attention away from the content itself.

By mastering your delivery, you can boost the impact of your presentation considerably – providing a memorable experience for your audience that stands out from others’. As such, it’s worth investing time into practicing ahead of time until delivery feels comfortable and second nature.

Having said this, making use of visual aids such as PowerPoint slides can greatly improve the impact of a speech once delivery has been mastered – let’s look into that next.

Use Visual Aids

Using visual aids can help presenters express concepts more clearly and engage the audience.

Visuals are particularly useful when conveying complex information, such as data, trends, or statistics — they impart meaning at a glance. But some public speakers may wonder if visual aids can be distracting or unnecessary.

Even though visuals can attract attention away from a presenter’s verbal delivery, carefully designed visuals can actually support the speech and help provide clarity. If done well, visuals are effective for capturing an audience’s interest and helping them to better understand the content being presented.

For example, a graph or chart should relate to the points made in the speech and should be discussed in more detail during its appearance onscreen. The presentation can also include larger images that effectively reinforce the ideas conveyed in the speech.

Videos and sound clips are other powerful forms of multimedia that could be employed to make the speech more meaningful.

To ensure that visuals enhance the message of the presentation, key factors to consider include relevancy to topic, good graphic design or aesthetics, accurate size to prevent distortion or blurriness, and seamless integration into the keynote slides or printed handouts .

In this way, visuals offer an opportunity for presenters to demonstrate their creativity and keep their audiences interested in what is being said. Thus, used wisely and aptly, visuals can add tremendous value to speeches by presenting arguments more efficiently and driving home important points. Now let’s explore effective techniques for speech giving that will allow you to craft and deliver your speeches with confidence.

Effective Techniques for Speech Giving

There are a number of effective techniques for giving a speech that will help you deliver it with confidence and poise.

First, practice your delivery in advance. You should practice both in front of a mirror or recording device to check for any distracting habits such as talking too quickly or mispronouncing words.

Second, use simple, clear language and short, concise sentences. Avoid overly technical terms and jargon that may leave your audience confused.

Third, work to establish a connection with your audience by using appropriate facial expressions and hand gestures while speaking.

Fourth, utilize effective persuasive techniques such as presenting evidence, strong arguments supported by facts, personal anecdotes and vivid metaphors.

Finally, articulate an organized structure for your speech. Your speech should have an introduction, body and conclusion to clearly communicate the main point and provide the audience with the necessary context to understand it better.

While these techniques may sound intimidating at first, they can be learned over time with practice and will make all the difference in how successful your speech delivery is received by your audience.

To build on these skills further , the next section will provide tips on how to build confidence when giving a speech.

Building Confidence

Building confidence is key when giving a powerful speech, as it will enable you to deliver the speech in a more poised and credible manner.

To create this confidence , start by understanding that any hesitation or butterflies prior to your speech are completely normal and should not be feared. Instead, view them as natural states of anticipation for something exciting, knowing that you are about to give an amazing speech.

Next, understanding who your audience is and tailoring your speech to meet their expectations will help build your confidence.

Familiarizing yourself with their interests and knowledge on the subject matter ahead of time can equip you with the understanding needed to respond appropriately if questions arise or objections surface during the speech.

Further, practice is key when building confidence for a public speaking engagement . Rehearsing with friends or colleagues before hand will give you an opportunity to learn where problem areas are within the content of your speech, as well as help solidify your delivery by becoming more comfortable with each step.

Checking sound levels in the room you’re presenting in coupled with learning where exits/emergency locations are located within that space can also help alleviate stress levels and boost self-assurance while delivering the speech.

Finally, wearing comfortable clothing and dressing professionally adds an extra layer of confidence when speaking in public.

If possible, bring an additional outfit on hand during the presentation in case of spills or accidents that would require a quick change between sections of the talk. Having this back-up plan in place can aid in keeping peace of mind at ease throughout the speech.

In conclusion, building confidence prior to a public speaking event can mean the difference between a good and great delivery of your message.

By taking into account each of these tips you can ensure that this part of your preparation runs smoothly and sets you up for success when delivering powerful speeches.

With a well-crafted note card of talking points and strong sense of self-assurance, it’s time to start speaking with passion!

Speaking with Passion

As a public speaker, your audience expects you to engage not only with your words but also with your emotions. To share the most impactful message, it is important to speak passionately about your subject.

Doing so will make your speech more memorable and thereby more effective in convincing your audience of its legitimacy.

The power of speaking authentically with emotion lies in its relatability and connection. Showing feelings allows people to connect with you as a person rather than just a speaker. It opens the door to understanding through empathy and active listening .

Examples might include adding personal stories , telling jokes, or displaying your feelings openly during the delivery of your message.

However, not all topics lend themselves easily to expressing emotion. If the subject matter is overly complex or technical there may be less opportunity for emotional expression—but this doesn’t mean those conversations can’t incorporate emotion.

Even if faced with a difficult situation such as death or financial turmoil, emotions can still be conveyed in a respectful way that keeps audiences engaged.

Remember that how much emotion you show depends on the type of audience you’re sharing it with—using sensitivity when delivering passionate speeches helps avoid awkwardness or embarrassment for any attendees who may find opinionated language uncomfortable for whatever reason.

Striking the right balance between being straightforward and showing compassion takes practice, so take the time to develop a style that works best for you and improves upon each performance.

Finally, incorporating passion into a speech gives it life and makes it relatable and engaging—which are essential elements to speaking effectively.

Having passion means giving ourselves permission to take ownership over our stories, making them deeply personal in order to reach our goals and touch people’s hearts in meaningful ways. With that said, let’s move on to discussing how we should tackle dealing with challenges while giving a speech.

Dealing with Challenges

The process of delivering a speech can be challenging, but it is also rewarding. Difficulties can arise during the process that may threaten to derail your success. To ensure you are adequately prepared for these possible pitfalls it is important to consider strategies for proactively mitigating the risk of encountering these challenges. 1. Public Speaking Anxiety: Many people experience some form of anxiety when asked to speak in public. There are a number of techniques available to combat this fear and increase confidence, such as deep breathing exercises, mental rehearsal, positive self-talk and visualization of success.

Learning about the audience, creating an engaging presentation and using props or visual aids can also help reduce anxiety levels and create a better overall experience for both the speaker and the audience. 2. Unfamiliar Topics or Audiences: When presenting on unfamiliar topics or to an unknown audience it can be difficult to prepare effectively.

In this situation it is important to conduct research on the topic and familiarize yourself with the needs of your audience so that the content is tailored accordingly. It is also helpful to use humor or stories related to the topic in order to engage your audience and make them more receptive to your message. 3. Lack of Support: If you lack support from family, friends, colleagues or mentors, it can be difficult to push through difficult conversations or speeches without any additional motivation.

To overcome this challenge, seek out peer mentorship opportunities or find compatible online communities where people discuss similar topics or objectives. Here you can share ideas, provide feedback and learn from others who have experienced similar issues. 4. Time Constraints: One of the biggest challenges when giving a speech is managing your time effectively in order to deliver an effective message without going over allotted timeslots and boring your audience .

To successfully address this challenge try setting manageable goals for each section of your speech and practice regularly. Replicating real-time conditions as closely as possible will help you stay within time constraints when delivering your speech on the day itself. In conclusion, there are many potential challenges you may face when giving a speech or taking part in a public speaking event – but with proper preparation and practice they are easily managed if approached correctly.

With knowledge of techniques for dealing with such scenarios comes increased confidence when stepping up to the podium – further improving your chances of delivering an effective speech that resonates with your audience members.

Responses to Frequently Asked Questions

How should i end my speech to leave a lasting impression.

The best way to end your speech is by reinforcing your main point and summarizing the key takeaways. You should also encourage the audience to take action, whether it be to sign up for a newsletter, make a donation, or visit your website for more information. This final call to action will not only leave a lasting impression on the audience but will also help you achieve any goals you might have had when making your speech in the first place.

What techniques can I use to keep my audience engaged during my speech?

One of the best techniques for keeping an audience engaged during a speech is to keep it interactive . Ask questions throughout the presentation, as well as allowing for audience input and discussion. This can help to keep people’s attention and create a more engaging experience.

Another great tip is to use humor. Even if you don’t consider yourself a natural comedian, sprinkling in a few jokes here and there can break up the monotony of long speeches and keep people interested. Humor can also help to make points stick in people’s minds, making them easier to remember.

Finally, try to be enthusiastic about the content of your speech. If you show too much indifference or lethargic behavior, it will discourage your audience from paying attention and taking your message seriously.

Instead, be passionate about what you are saying so that the energy of your words carries into the room and engages your audience with excitement.

How can I use storytelling to make my speech more interesting?

Storytelling is a powerful tool that can be used to make any speech more interesting. Telling stories in your speech will help engage the audience and make your message stick. Here are some tips for using storytelling in your speech:

1. Choose stories that are relevant to your message and audience. Think about stories that will best illustrate the point you are trying to convey, or evoke emotions in your listeners. 2. Use vivid descriptions and visuals when telling your story. Be sure to include details such as setting, character descriptions, dialogue and plot points. This will help to bring the story to life for your audience. 3. Make sure the story you are telling has a strong conclusion or moral at the end. This will help add emphasis to your message and make it memorable. 4. Practice telling stories out loud before delivering a speech with them. Rehearsing will help you deliver your story more effectively and with more confidence in front of an audience. By using these tips, storytelling can be an effective tool to make any speech more interesting, engaging, and persuasive!

How can I prepare for my speech effectively?

Preparing for a speech effectively is essential to delivering an impactful and memorable presentation. Here are some tips: 1. Have a clear goal in mind. Before starting to prepare, ask yourself what the purpose of giving the speech is: what message do you want to convey? Defining this will help to structure your content and focus your research. 2. Research thoroughly. Make sure you understand the subject matter well, so that your delivery sounds confident and inspiring. Using facts and data will strengthen your arguments and make your talk more convincing. 3. Outline your speech. Make a rough outline of how you want it to go – from beginning to end – well in advance of the actual presentation. This will give you a strong foundation upon which you can craft an engaging talk with an effective narrative arc that keeps audiences interested and engaged. 4. Practice regularly. Rehearsing your speech out loud several times is key to ensuring that you know it well enough to feel comfortable when delivering it live in front of an audience.

5. Time yourself. Record how long it takes for you to go through your entire speech, so that you can adjust the length as needed before delivering it live – remember that most speeches should last no more than 10-15 minutes. 6. Identify potential questions from the audience and prepare answers before hand. Knowing ahead of time what kind of questions people may ask can help reduce the anxiety of not knowing what comes next, enabling you to stay confident when speaking in public. 7. Work on building up confidence levels before delivering a speech. Visualize yourself succeeding in delivering a great presentation; practice relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or positive self-talk; or use props during practice sessions such as water bottles or stress balls if needed to remain calm during the real thing!

What strategies can I use to reduce my anxiety when giving a speech?

1. Plan Ahead: Create an outline of your speech beforehand and practice it multiple times to become familiar with the content. Doing a trial run with the audience can also help you get used to speaking in front of people.

2. Visualize Success: Positive visualization is a great way to reduce anxiety before giving a speech. Imagine yourself confidently delivering the speech while feeling relaxed and composed.

3. Get Organized: Make sure you have all the materials necessary for your presentation, including notes, slides, etc., to reduce any additional stress that may come from not having what you need when you speak.

4. Take Deep Breaths: Before and during the speech, take a few deep breaths as this will help calm nerves and make sure your breathing is regulated throughout the duration of your presentation.

5. Speak Slowly: It is common to feel anxious while giving a speech and try to rush through it too quickly. Speaking slowly helps maintain composure while delivering your message effectively and clearly.

6. Pay Attention to Your Body: Your posture, stance, movements , facial expressions can all influence how confident you appear to your audience and how nervous you may be feeling inside. Check in with yourself frequently throughout the presentation and correct any tense body language or physical actions if needed.

7. Focus on the Audience: If you notice that your anxiety levels are growing as you present, shift your focus onto the audience instead of yourself as this will help refocus your attention away from negative thoughts that may arise from fear or insecurity.

8. Make Eye Contact: Establishing eye contact with your audience is a key confidence-builder for public speakers—it shows that you’re strong, engaged with them, and receptive to feedback or questions they might have regarding your speech topic .

9. Practice Positive Affirmations: Positive thoughts will boost your self-confidence as well as your mood which can help increase performance quality significantly during speeches or presentations in general—so don’t forget to tell yourself “you can do it!” several times throughout the day leading up to the event!

10. Seek Support of Friends & Family: Many experienced public speakers suggest seeking support of close friends & family members prior and during their speeches—not only does it allow helpful critique regarding content but it also creates a more comfortable atmosphere while speaking which can reduce pre-speech jitters drastically.

• Testimonials

7 steps to prepare a speech in a surprisingly short time

Most of my clients are entrepreneurs, CEOs or working in other leadership positions. I also meet many small business entrepreneurs. One common thread is that they’re very busy. Successful leaders are mindful about how they spend every single minute.

It’s no surprise then, that when these leaders are asked to speak in public, the one thing they are thinking is:

How do I prepare a speech in as little time as possible?

They realise very well that speaking well is important , and that preparation is necessary to deal with speaking anxiety . They just want to do it efficiently.

Today I’d like to share with you an excerpt of my CEO playbook for delivering speeches. The section on preparation contains tips that are useful to anyone looking to prepare a speech in half the time while doubling their impact .

I’ve compiled them into a handy list of 7 steps:

The 7 steps to efficiently prepare a speech

The steps are:

• Identify your purpose . Why are you speaking?
• Know your audience. What are their aspirations, pains, …?
• Add significance. Why should the audience care?
• Define your clear message. What should your audience remember?
• Establish your structure . Develop a middle part with one or two points supported by an anecdote, story, and preferably backed up by facts and data.
• Prepare a strong opening and a strong ending .

1. Define your purpose

For a speech to be effective, it must have a clear goal. A goal also helps you focus while creating the speech.

Ask yourself: do you mainly want to…

Note: these goals may overlap, and one does not exclude another. But one must be your main goal.

2. Know your audience

In order to connect with your audience during speeches, it is important to be able to place yourself in their shoes. Only from this perspective can you truly communicate understanding and establish rapport.

To know your audience is to engage your audience.

The Empathy Map is a handy technique from the world of user experience and marketing, where it is used to better understand potential or existing customers. It works remarkably well when you prepare a speech, too.

The big idea is to go over the different areas in the map and come up with the elements that create your listeners’ mental world in relation to the topic.

Suppose you are to deliver a speech on the use of sugar in processed foods. Some questions the empathy map would trigger are:

• What do they think about the use of sugar and how does it make them feel ?
• What do they hear about sugar from their environment or in the news?
• What do they see when it comes to sugar, e.g. in terms of advertising or packaging?
• What do they say about sugar to their peers? What do they do – what actions do they take (or not take)?
• What  pain, or significant disadvantages, do they associate with sugar?
• What  gain, or significant advantages, do they associate with sugar?

Note that the answers to some of these questions will overlap. Don’t worry about that — this is just a brainstorming tool to trigger relevant information stored in your memory. The point is not to organise information in any neat way.

Try it, even if it’s for 5 minutes! You’ll be surprised how helpful the answers are for:

• finding an angle
• finding the right words
• creating goodwill
• overcoming resistance
• and much more.

3. Add significance

Why significance is key when you prepare a speech.

Crafting any good story starts with the why . What’s the point exactly?

There’s a saying in public speaking: you win the heart before you win the mind. Knowing the  why of your speech is essential in accomplishing that.

Speakers engage an audience by being significant; by creating meaning. Audiences feel engaged when they have the feeling the talk is also about them. A great example is Martin Luther King’s famous ‘I have a dream’ speech. The audience did not come to see Martin Luther King, they came because they identified with his ideas. They felt his speech was about them, their lives, and their dreams.

That explains the importance of step 2: Know your audience. You can only add significance if you have a clear image of the receiving end of your speech.

How to find your speech’s significance

To find the significance of your speech, ask yourself the following questions when you prepare a speech:

• Why am I giving this speech?
• What do I believe, that I want to share? What do I stand for?
• So what?! Why should my audience care?

4. Define your clear message

Today, people are flooded with information. There is an image circulating on the web which goes so far to say that a person today receives more information in a day than a person in the middle ages in his entire life!

True or not, we can all agree that in a device-rich world, the information intake has never been more intense.

How does that translate to speeching? Well: to make your speech memorable, I suggest you focus on extracting one key message .

Your key message should be as simple as possible, regardless of the complexity of the issues and topics at hand. It will consist of one or two phrases that express your main point.

If that sounds daunting, let’s look at a model that can help.

The Message House model is a time-tested PR tool to condense complex stories into a thematic ‘house’. This house is made of a set of three messages that together form the overarching key message (called the Umbrella Statement in the model).

The Core Messages on the second level represent your Umbrella Statement, but in greater detail. They can be supporting arguments, sequential steps to take, conditional statements, descriptive (think: who, what, where, when, why and how), or of another kind.

Finally, the lower part of the house provides evidence, proof points and support. This is the foundation of your story.

How to use the Message House

In some cases, your Umbrella Statement (that’s your key message) will be very clear to you. If that’s so, it’s useful to come up with the 3 Core Messages that make up the Umbrella Statement.

At other times, you’ll have 2 or 3 messages in mind as you prepare a speech. In that case, consider those your Core messages and start to look for the single Umbrella Statement.

Examples of Umbrella Statements and their Core Messages

• Employees lose time and energy in traffic.
• Some employees report they feel less productive in larger office spaces.
• Candidates for jobs that are hard to fill, are not attracted to our current policy.
• First, I will introduce the idea at the annual shop owner’ meeting.
• Then, I will have the team communicate the exact steps to each shop owner.
• Finally, our sales representatives will check each shop they visit.
• The Polish and Swedish teams did exceptionally well.
• May and June were top periods for sales.
• Orange bicycles are super popular and account for a large part of the profits.

5. Establish your structure

The way you organise information is essential if you want your audience to follow and understand your speech. Ideas must be put together in an orderly manner.

I therefore recommend every speaker to use an  outline as the backbone for their speech.

An outline is simply 10,000 feet view of your speech. It’s as if you would zoom out completely and see the major turns your speech takes.

Why use an outline?

That’s easy: our brains are simply not capable of creating quality content from beginning to end.

Compare it to cooking a meal. Imagine yourself standing in front of different foods. Without thinking ahead, you grab a couple of ingredients and start cutting, cleaning and preparing them.

Unless you’re an experienced chef, that won’t result in a remarkable meal, will it? Without a gameplan to prepare a speech, the end result of your creation will be underwhelming.

Here are a few general directions your outlines can take. These are based on effective storytelling principles:

• Problem – pathway – solution
• Problem – solution – reasoning
• Situation – complication – solution
• Past – present – future

After you’ve decided on the general direction, flesh out your outline. See if you can describe your speech in ten to fifteen bullets. Refer to your Message House (see previous point) to make sure your outline includes your Core messages.

What structure works best for your purpose? Do you have a preference? Try a few structures for your speeches and choose the one that is most persuading.

Related article: How to structure a victory speech in three steps

Next, integrate even more storytelling. Your bigger picture might be represented by a story, but can you integrate ‘mini-stories’ to illustrate specific points?

6. Prepare a strong opening and strong ending

Scientific research shows it again and again. If you ask people to rate a certain experience they had recently, they will base a lot of their opinion on how it began and how it ends. Looking back at an experience, whatever happens in the middle seems to carry less weight for us.

A classic example is a visit to a restaurant. Smart restaurant owners focus extra on doing two things impeccably: the welcoming and the dessert. Although they pay great attention to the overall experience, of course, they know that a sloppy greeting of their guests, or a below-standard dessert, can easily spoil their guests’ memory of the whole evening.

For you, it means it’s smart to think twice about how you open and how you close.

Ideas for a strong opening

Here are a few angles to inspire you in crafting your opening:

• ‘Start with a bang’: use a quote, bold claim or striking fact, or ask a question.
• ‘So what?’: Go straight to the point and open with why your audience should care.
• ‘Introduce yourself’: But do it in a compelling way. Tell a juicy story. What would the tabloids write about you?
• Make the purpose clear – What impact do you want to achieve?

Ideas for a memorable ending

• Repeat your Key Message. Think ‘key takeaway’. This is a natural-feeling and effective way to make a firm point.
• Refer to the beginning. Most good stories develop in a circular way. A problem introduced in the beginning gets solved in the end. Balance gets restored; etcetera.
• Present a call-to-action . If you want your audience to take a certain action, always end with that.

7. Rehearse

1. write out, practice and tweak (optional).

At this point, you could write out your speech in full text – if you have the time.

Read your text out loud for a few times until you’re comfortable with the content. You will probably still tweak a few parts.

If you don’t have the time, or you feel comfortable working with just bullet points, feel free to skip to step 2!

I do highly recommend you write out your opening and ending.

2. Bring back to bullet points and practice again

Once on stage, you don’t want to hold the full text of your speech in your hand. You will be tempted to look at it often, which will break your connection with the audience.

So now, reduce your text to a list of main points, keywords, facts and anecdotes. And practice your speech again. Refer back your outline from step 5 for the general structure.

This will also help you memorise the speech completely by heart faster.

Do I have to know my whole speech by heart, you ask?

My answer is: not necessarily. But as just mentioned, do know your opening and ending from the inside out.

3. Take your practice to the next level

Here are my rehearsing tips for the best results:

• Record yourself . Most beginning speakers find this tough, but it’s an essential way of spotting weaknesses in your speaking and improving them.
• Practice for real people. The gap between practising in front of a mirror and practising in front of a crowd is just too large. Practice for a small group of colleagues or family members to get used to the stress that comes with having an audience.
• Ask for specific feedback. If you practice in front of people, help them evaluate you by asking them specific questions. It could be the content, your body language, or your opening. Anything you feel you need feedback on.
• Rehearse often. Once you’re happy with your speech’s content and your performance, practice your speech ten times – if you have that luxury of time. If you need more practice, go for it. There’s no better confidence booster as knowing you’ve rehearsed your speech until it hurt 🙂

That’s it!

Although I could elaborate on each on the above points, this provides you with a larger plan to optimally prepare a speech.

Are you a busy professional looking for a speaker coach to get you from good to great in the most efficient way. Look no further. I am here to help all my clients achieve exactly that.

“I knew that Elizabeth really understands what I want to achieve and whom I want to reach, and that she is a bad-ass coach with mad skills. When I was asked to give a keynote at an event, I was determined to really take my talk to the next level. So it was a no-brainer to work with her. Could I have done it on my own? Perhaps, but it would have taken me more time, stress and effort and I would not have achieved the same results. Working with a coach who you can trust, like Elizabeth, creates an extremely comfortable starting position, which made me step onto the stage on the Big Day without any nerves.” – Anouck Meier, CEO of Ampersand

Book your free call via this link. 

Moxie Institute

How To Prepare A Speech

• Posted on February 21, 2019

Preparing a speech may seem a bit overwhelming when you are first faced with the task—but the rewards of doing it right are always worth it.

Fortunately, there are proven steps you can take to prepare a speech, deliver it with impact, and impress your audience.

We are going to share with you our top seven tips so that next time you need to deliver a well-prepared speech, you’ll know just what to do!.

1. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

The most important question you must ask yourself while preparing for a speech, or any public speaking opportunity, is not “what is my topic?” but “who is my audience?”

Understanding your audience will help you prepare a presentation that will connect with them in a meaningful way.

Your first step to achieving your goals with an audience is knowing who you’re dealing with. These three questions will help you understand who you are speaking to:

• Why are they here? There are many reasons why someone could be attending your speech. You need to understand why your audience is spending this time with you.
• Who are they? Interns at a firm have different characteristics than C-Suite executives. To connect with your audience, your speech needs to relate to them.
• What are they expecting to gain? It is essential to be clear on the end goal of your speech. Does your audience want to learn from you? Are they looking to be motivated? Or do they want to be entertained? The entire tone of your speech will change dramatically depending on this answer.

It’s also essential that the content and delivery of your speech adapt to your audience’s:

• Level of knowledge/experience
• Demographic

You also need to consider how they will use the information you provide.

By doing detailed research and audience analysis, you’ll find it much easier to prepare your speech. You will present the exact content that your listeners want to hear with increased confidence, and you’ll also elevate your professional reputation as an expert.

2. DEFINE THE PURPOSE OF YOUR SPEECH

Once you understand your audience , you must determine the purpose for your speech that will resonate with them most. In short:

Build your presentation around one big idea and only one.

Think back on every speech you’ve ever heard. Can you remember what the speaker’s main point was?

If you can’t, well, in our book, that speech wasn’t a complete success.

A great speech has a central message so clear, concise, and catchy that the audience can’t help but remember it.

The Narrative – Your Story

In his book TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking, Chris Anderson writes, “One of the biggest reasons we turn down applications to speak at TED is when we’re offered compelling anecdotes but no central idea that wraps that narrative together.”

That matches our experience at Moxie. Yes, all great talks infuse clear storylines, but they also are tied intimately to the purpose and overall message.

The talk has a point, and the story provides the emotional hook that sells it to the audience.

Why? Because we all love a good story and because good stories are drawn from the heart. The ideal narrative establishes authority, captures the heart and mind, and illuminates your topic.

Like Anderson, we’ve found that compelling presentations need good stories. Narratives aren’t just something you throw in, dispensable parts of the speech—they’re the glue that binds the whole presentation together.

Whether your speech is built around your personal story, testimonials, or even new studies, dive in deep to find the human truth in the narrative.

What your audience wants is authenticity and vulnerability here. If you’re talking about difficult and painful experiences or exciting and triumphant tales, they’ll understand—and most will also relate. Most importantly, you will form a deeper connection with them.

You will be building empathy with the audience depending on the route you’ve taken, for example:

• Personal Story – “I’ve been in your shoes; I’ve had the same problems. I’m here to tell you how I figured it out so you can too.”
• Testimonials – “We’ve all experienced X before. We’ve all felt the same frustration. But what if I were to tell you that you may never have to feel that way again? Here are the stories of people who did the unthinkable and what we learned….”
• Studies – “The data has confirmed what many of you have likely believed your whole life. Not only were you right, but we uncovered something unexpected and exciting in the process that will change the entire industry. Here’s what happened…”

Drawing an audience in with a relevant, purporse-driven narrative is powerfully persuasive. Of course, that’s just what you say. How you say it is important too.

3. PLAN YOUR DELIVERY

The best presentations target both the right brain (emotion) and the left brain (logic). They inform and entertain the audience.

Consider the following three foundational steps to a great speech delivery:

Establish Credibility

Establishing credibility is essential to getting your message across. An audience’s perception of your credibility is based on three different components :

• Body language – 55%
• Tone of voice – 38%
• Content – 7%

Naturally, we can see that a big emphasis should be placed on body language, followed by your tone of voice.

It is not to say that your content is not important after all; it is the foundation of your speech. Keep in mind that your delivery can either amplify your message or undermine it.

As you prepare your speech, make sure to prioritize how you will deliver for optimum impact.

Here are some tips to demonstrate credibility while you present:

Body Language

• Maximize the space your body takes up on stage. Turn to face different sections of the audience
• If you’re telling a story, use physicality to bring it life
• Don’t hunch or get small! Use an expansive body posture to demonstrates confidence
• Do a vocal warm up to give your voice more strength before speaking
• Raise and lower your voice to match the emotions you’re conveying. Be loud and passionate, quiet and serious—vocal variety is the spice of a good speech
• Avoid using filler words or sounds. We’ve all sat through a speech where every other word is “umm” or “er” or “like” that is a sure credibility killer! The best antidote: pausing. Pauses give your brain space to catch up and add effect to your talk
• Practice so your speech is fluid and with proper enunciation.

Engage Emotions

Don’t speak like a robot. Tap into your audience’s emotions.

We lead textured emotional lives: we laugh, we cry, we bristle at injustice, we root for the hero. Your words should engage that entire emotional range.

Just remember: nowhere is authenticity more essential than with emotional appeals. The only feeling stirred by canned jokes and insincere stories is awkwardness.

So, how do you find the right emotional words for your speech? One simple and convenient way is by drawing from the core of who you are and your own emotion-related experiences.

From stoic CEOs to ex-marines, we’ve coached many people who have wrongly said they don’t feel much. But the second we ask them to think about important family, best friends, and significant memories, they realize just how significant a role emotions play in their life.

When preparing your speech, think about the emotions you want your audience to feel, and find a way to talk about it so that you feel those emotions yourself.

Because if you feel the emotions while talking, studies have shown that mirror neurons in the brains of your audience will fire off, making them feel those emotions too.

Though you may be tempted to skip the pathos, it’s also important to know that it’s emotion that triggers memory . And we know you DO want your audience to remember you after you are done.

4. PLAN THE OPENING OF YOUR SPEECH

You will gain or lose your audience’s trust and attention from the very moment you start speaking (in fact, from the very moment you step on stage.)

The introduction to your speech has one goal: to persuade the audience to give you their most precious resources—their time and attention.

Your intro doesn’t need to solve world peace or sound like Shakespeare. It simply needs to convince your listeners that you’re someone worth listening to.

This makes it even more critical to ask the question, “How should I open my speech?”

Speech writing is an art and a science. Your intuition and creativity will give you some ideas on what may work. And through experimenting and testing, you can land on the ideal opening.

So experiment. See what works for your setting and message. Maybe it’s eliciting emotional reactions through music , or maybe a poem, or maybe a shocking statistic from your latest whitepaper. Try them all out on colleagues or friends to determine what’s most effective for you.

If you need help with some ideas, try the P.U.N.C.H. method:

You’ll know your audience is hooked when they’re ready for more. When they’ve decided your message makes it worth sticking around. Another clue is when they are not looking at their phones.

The key to a killer opening, then, is this: make it worthy of your audience so that they know it’s worth their time.

5. ORGANIZE THE BODY OF YOUR SPEECH

Build the main points of the speech around your one big idea. Make sure the central idea is stated in the introduction. Support it throughout the body, and finally, restate it at your closing.

Warning: If you’re giving a presentation with slides, DO NOT start the entire process on the presentation software. Many clients start making their presentations in Powerpoint immediately, which is the worst way to order your thoughts.

For any speech, start on paper, then move to the screen only once you’ve scribbled and edited and finalized the outline and structure of your speech.

Do you want to change hearts and minds through your presentations? If your answer is yes, then you also need to think specifically how you will engage, entice, and entertain your audience.

You don’t have to immediately enroll in public speaking training or become an Oscar-worthy actor or actress. But you do need to incorporate things like:

• Improvisations
• Or literally, any other engaging ideas you have that go beyond information delivery.

You need to actively keep your audience hooked and enjoying every minute of your speech.

6. EDIT YOUR SPEECH

Once you have the initial draft of your speech, it’s time to edit. This is where you cut down your content so it is clear, focused, and concise.

When editing, avoid falling in love with any portion of your speech. You may have beautiful paragraphs you labored over, slides you poured your heart and soul into, but you must be prepared to cut them out if needed.

Follow these steps to guide you in editing your speech:

• Make sure your paragraphs and sentences are all centered around your core message
• Avoid jargon or industry terminology that may lose your audience because they don’t relate to it
• Eliminate sentences if your point can be made without them
• Cut out any words that do not add clarity of meaning to the sentence
• Use short words that are easy to understand
• Avoid abrupt transitions by using appropriate transition words and phrases to make your speech flow
• Make your speech light and engaging by breaking up long stretches with levity
• Balance theory and logical arguments with stories and practical applications
• Use rhetorical questions, analogies, and metaphors
• Create vivid images and appeal to the senses
• Active = Take charge of your life to make an impact
• Passive = Taking charge of your life can make an impact
• Simplify your sentences and make paragraphs coherent
• Condense closely related material

It may be difficult to part with some of your content but remember that your speech is not for you. Ultimately, it needs to serve its purpose and serve your audience.

7. CONCLUDING YOUR SPEECH

A good closing moves your audience. This is your final opportunity to drive the purpose of your presentation home.

This is also where you nudge them to take whatever action you may have planned for them to take.

Did you start the talk with a story about the company’s founder? Reintroduce that person at the end in a new, slightly different way and in a way that mirrors the journey you’ve led the audience through in your talk.

Has there been a recurring joke throughout the presentation? Rather than overusing it, turn it on its head at the end—it’ll be unexpected, and it’ll make the audience rethink what’s come before.

Here are five tips to end your speech:

• Be Meticulous In Planning Your Closing Don’t be the athlete who starts celebrating before they’ve crossed the finish line. A stronger conclusion is vital to your speech’s success. This will be the last thing they will remember about you; make a lasting impression.
• Summarize And Restate The Purpose Of Your Speech Summarize the big important idea and key supporting points. You are building to a crescendo so help your audience see how everything ties together.
• Finish Your Story Or Bring It Back Whatever narrative you have woven throughout your speech, it’s important that you bring it to an end or tie it to your final points. This will help everything stay in your audience’s mind..
• Use A Call To Action If your speech had a purpose that included the audience taking a step towards something, make it clear. If you’ve engaged them throughout, they will be emotionally invested and ready to take action. This is the crucial point to give them directions on exactly what they can do after your speech.
• If You Can, Stay Afterward To Talk To The Audience When people hear a fantastic speech, they often want to meet the speaker immediately. They want to ask questions, share their compliments, and sometimes offer new business opportunities. It’s always worth your time to do this as it helps grow your network and elevate your reputation.

It helps to visualize your closing. Practice in your mind the entire closing part of the speech. This will help you find your comfort level with some of these five tips. Use what is appropriate for you.

Bonus Advice: How To Speak With Clarity And Confidence

Since you spent all that time preparing an incredible speech, it would be a shame if your public speaking skills weren’t up to par to bring it to life. We have a public speaking ultimate guide that goes into greater detail, but here are some quick tips to follow below.

We have all been there, sitting in the audience, and the speaker comes to the podium. In less than 60 seconds, we are mesmerized. The speaker seems larger than life, they fill the room with their persona.

The speaker is articulate and succinct, yet effective. No word is wasted. The message is crystal clear and connects with the audience. They are leaning forward, listening intently.

That is mastery of confidence and clarity. How do YOU get there? Here are five tips:

• Let Your Voice Dance! Use the full range of tone of your voice. The highs and lows can be very effective in emphasizing parts of your speech.
• Enunciate Your Words Properly Don’t mumble or run through your words at 100 miles an hour! Pace your speech, and pay particular attention to finishing your words. Pay particular attention to words that end in “T”, “K”, “P”, “D” to make sure you finish the word and not just slide right into the next.

You need to be very comfortable with pausing. It helps you by giving you a second or two to gather your thoughts for the next sentence. Pauses, when done correctly , also help your audience digest what you just said. “Drinking from a firehose” type delivery of speeches is not the most effective.

As we mentioned previously, your tone of voice accounts for 38% of the effectiveness of your speech; using the right breathing technique can help you nail that key element of your speech!

Prepare And Deliver With Confidence

Preparing a speech will give you the confidence you need to connect effectively with your audience and deliver your message with impact.

Whether you are someone who frequently speaks in front of audiences or someone doing it for the first time, you now have a roadmap to follow.

Now that you know how to prepare a killer speech, learn how to deliver it with expert style with our Speak with Moxie e-book. Get the full ebook full of expert techniques and advice immediately at your fingertips by filling out this form !

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How to write a speech that your audience remembers

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Whether in a work meeting or at an investor panel, you might give a speech at some point. And no matter how excited you are about the opportunity, the experience can be nerve-wracking . 

But feeling butterflies doesn’t mean you can’t give a great speech. With the proper preparation and a clear outline, apprehensive public speakers and natural wordsmiths alike can write and present a compelling message. Here’s how to write a good speech you’ll be proud to deliver.

What is good speech writing?

Good speech writing is the art of crafting words and ideas into a compelling, coherent, and memorable message that resonates with the audience. Here are some key elements of great speech writing:

• It begins with clearly understanding the speech's purpose and the audience it seeks to engage. 
• A well-written speech clearly conveys its central message, ensuring that the audience understands and retains the key points. 
• It is structured thoughtfully, with a captivating opening, a well-organized body, and a conclusion that reinforces the main message. 
• Good speech writing embraces the power of engaging content, weaving in stories, examples, and relatable anecdotes to connect with the audience on both intellectual and emotional levels. 

Ultimately, it is the combination of these elements, along with the authenticity and delivery of the speaker , that transforms words on a page into a powerful and impactful spoken narrative.

What makes a good speech?

A great speech includes several key qualities, but three fundamental elements make a speech truly effective:

Clarity and purpose

Remembering the audience, cohesive structure.

While other important factors make a speech a home run, these three elements are essential for writing an effective speech.

The main elements of a good speech

The main elements of a speech typically include:

• Introduction: The introduction sets the stage for your speech and grabs the audience's attention. It should include a hook or attention-grabbing opening, introduce the topic, and provide an overview of what will be covered.
• Opening/captivating statement: This is a strong statement that immediately engages the audience and creates curiosity about the speech topics.
• Thesis statement/central idea: The thesis statement or central idea is a concise statement that summarizes the main point or argument of your speech. It serves as a roadmap for the audience to understand what your speech is about.
• Body: The body of the speech is where you elaborate on your main points or arguments. Each point is typically supported by evidence, examples, statistics, or anecdotes. The body should be organized logically and coherently, with smooth transitions between the main points.
• Supporting evidence: This includes facts, data, research findings, expert opinions, or personal stories that support and strengthen your main points. Well-chosen and credible evidence enhances the persuasive power of your speech.
• Transitions: Transitions are phrases or statements that connect different parts of your speech, guiding the audience from one idea to the next. Effective transitions signal the shifts in topics or ideas and help maintain a smooth flow throughout the speech.
• Counterarguments and rebuttals (if applicable): If your speech involves addressing opposing viewpoints or counterarguments, you should acknowledge and address them. Presenting counterarguments makes your speech more persuasive and demonstrates critical thinking.
• Conclusion: The conclusion is the final part of your speech and should bring your message to a satisfying close. Summarize your main points, restate your thesis statement, and leave the audience with a memorable closing thought or call to action.
• Closing statement: This is the final statement that leaves a lasting impression and reinforces the main message of your speech. It can be a call to action, a thought-provoking question, a powerful quote, or a memorable anecdote.
• Delivery and presentation: How you deliver your speech is also an essential element to consider. Pay attention to your tone, body language, eye contact , voice modulation, and timing. Practice and rehearse your speech, and try using the 7-38-55 rule to ensure confident and effective delivery.

While the order and emphasis of these elements may vary depending on the type of speech and audience, these elements provide a framework for organizing and delivering a successful speech.

How to structure a good speech

You know what message you want to transmit, who you’re delivering it to, and even how you want to say it. But you need to know how to start, develop, and close a speech before writing it. 

Think of a speech like an essay. It should have an introduction, conclusion, and body sections in between. This places ideas in a logical order that the audience can better understand and follow them. Learning how to make a speech with an outline gives your storytelling the scaffolding it needs to get its point across.

Here’s a general speech structure to guide your writing process:

• Explanation 1
• Explanation 2
• Explanation 3

How to write a compelling speech opener

Some research shows that engaged audiences pay attention for only 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Other estimates are even lower, citing that people stop listening intently in fewer than 10 minutes . If you make a good first impression at the beginning of your speech, you have a better chance of interesting your audience through the middle when attention spans fade. 

Implementing the INTRO model can help grab and keep your audience’s attention as soon as you start speaking. This acronym stands for interest, need, timing, roadmap, and objectives, and it represents the key points you should hit in an opening. 

Here’s what to include for each of these points: 

• Interest : Introduce yourself or your topic concisely and speak with confidence . Write a compelling opening statement using relevant data or an anecdote that the audience can relate to.
• Needs : The audience is listening to you because they have something to learn. If you’re pitching a new app idea to a panel of investors, those potential partners want to discover more about your product and what they can earn from it. Read the room and gently remind them of the purpose of your speech. 
• Timing : When appropriate, let your audience know how long you’ll speak. This lets listeners set expectations and keep tabs on their own attention span. If a weary audience member knows you’ll talk for 40 minutes, they can better manage their energy as that time goes on. 
• Routemap : Give a brief overview of the three main points you’ll cover in your speech. If an audience member’s attention starts to drop off and they miss a few sentences, they can more easily get their bearings if they know the general outline of the presentation.
• Objectives : Tell the audience what you hope to achieve, encouraging them to listen to the end for the payout. 

Writing the middle of a speech

The body of your speech is the most information-dense section. Facts, visual aids, PowerPoints — all this information meets an audience with a waning attention span. Sticking to the speech structure gives your message focus and keeps you from going off track, making everything you say as useful as possible.

Limit the middle of your speech to three points, and support them with no more than three explanations. Following this model organizes your thoughts and prevents you from offering more information than the audience can retain. 

Using this section of the speech to make your presentation interactive can add interest and engage your audience. Try including a video or demonstration to break the monotony. A quick poll or survey also keeps the audience on their toes. 

Wrapping the speech up

To you, restating your points at the end can feel repetitive and dull. You’ve practiced countless times and heard it all before. But repetition aids memory and learning , helping your audience retain what you’ve told them. Use your speech’s conclusion to summarize the main points with a few short sentences.

Try to end on a memorable note, like posing a motivational quote or a thoughtful question the audience can contemplate once they leave. In proposal or pitch-style speeches, consider landing on a call to action (CTA) that invites your audience to take the next step.

How to write a good speech

If public speaking gives you the jitters, you’re not alone. Roughly 80% of the population feels nervous before giving a speech, and another 10% percent experiences intense anxiety and sometimes even panic. 

The fear of failure can cause procrastination and can cause you to put off your speechwriting process until the last minute. Finding the right words takes time and preparation, and if you’re already feeling nervous, starting from a blank page might seem even harder.

But putting in the effort despite your stress is worth it. Presenting a speech you worked hard on fosters authenticity and connects you to the subject matter, which can help your audience understand your points better. Human connection is all about honesty and vulnerability, and if you want to connect to the people you’re speaking to, they should see that in you.

1. Identify your objectives and target audience

Before diving into the writing process, find healthy coping strategies to help you stop worrying . Then you can define your speech’s purpose, think about your target audience, and start identifying your objectives. Here are some questions to ask yourself and ground your thinking : 

• What purpose do I want my speech to achieve? 
• What would it mean to me if I achieved the speech’s purpose?
• What audience am I writing for? 
• What do I know about my audience? 
• What values do I want to transmit? 
• If the audience remembers one take-home message, what should it be? 
• What do I want my audience to feel, think, or do after I finish speaking? 
• What parts of my message could be confusing and require further explanation?

2. Know your audience

Understanding your audience is crucial for tailoring your speech effectively. Consider the demographics of your audience, their interests, and their expectations. For instance, if you're addressing a group of healthcare professionals, you'll want to use medical terminology and data that resonate with them. Conversely, if your audience is a group of young students, you'd adjust your content to be more relatable to their experiences and interests. 

3. Choose a clear message

Your message should be the central idea that you want your audience to take away from your speech. Let's say you're giving a speech on climate change. Your clear message might be something like, "Individual actions can make a significant impact on mitigating climate change." Throughout your speech, all your points and examples should support this central message, reinforcing it for your audience.

4. Structure your speech

Organizing your speech properly keeps your audience engaged and helps them follow your ideas. The introduction should grab your audience's attention and introduce the topic. For example, if you're discussing space exploration, you could start with a fascinating fact about a recent space mission. In the body, you'd present your main points logically, such as the history of space exploration, its scientific significance, and future prospects. Finally, in the conclusion, you'd summarize your key points and reiterate the importance of space exploration in advancing human knowledge.

5. Use engaging content for clarity

Engaging content includes stories, anecdotes, statistics, and examples that illustrate your main points. For instance, if you're giving a speech about the importance of reading, you might share a personal story about how a particular book changed your perspective. You could also include statistics on the benefits of reading, such as improved cognitive abilities and empathy.

6. Maintain clarity and simplicity

It's essential to communicate your ideas clearly. Avoid using overly technical jargon or complex language that might confuse your audience. For example, if you're discussing a medical breakthrough with a non-medical audience, explain complex terms in simple, understandable language.

7. Practice and rehearse

Practice is key to delivering a great speech. Rehearse multiple times to refine your delivery, timing, and tone. Consider using a mirror or recording yourself to observe your body language and gestures. For instance, if you're giving a motivational speech, practice your gestures and expressions to convey enthusiasm and confidence.

8. Consider nonverbal communication

Your body language, tone of voice, and gestures should align with your message . If you're delivering a speech on leadership, maintain strong eye contact to convey authority and connection with your audience. A steady pace and varied tone can also enhance your speech's impact.

9. Engage your audience

Engaging your audience keeps them interested and attentive. Encourage interaction by asking thought-provoking questions or sharing relatable anecdotes. If you're giving a speech on teamwork, ask the audience to recall a time when teamwork led to a successful outcome, fostering engagement and connection.

10. Prepare for Q&A

Anticipate potential questions or objections your audience might have and prepare concise, well-informed responses. If you're delivering a speech on a controversial topic, such as healthcare reform, be ready to address common concerns, like the impact on healthcare costs or access to services, during the Q&A session.

By following these steps and incorporating examples that align with your specific speech topic and purpose, you can craft and deliver a compelling and impactful speech that resonates with your audience.

Tools for writing a great speech

There are several helpful tools available for speechwriting, both technological and communication-related. Here are a few examples:

• Word processing software: Tools like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or other word processors provide a user-friendly environment for writing and editing speeches. They offer features like spell-checking, grammar correction, formatting options, and easy revision tracking.
• Presentation software: Software such as Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Slides is useful when creating visual aids to accompany your speech. These tools allow you to create engaging slideshows with text, images, charts, and videos to enhance your presentation.
• Speechwriting Templates: Online platforms or software offer pre-designed templates specifically for speechwriting. These templates provide guidance on structuring your speech and may include prompts for different sections like introductions, main points, and conclusions.
• Rhetorical devices and figures of speech: Rhetorical tools such as metaphors, similes, alliteration, and parallelism can add impact and persuasion to your speech. Resources like books, websites, or academic papers detailing various rhetorical devices can help you incorporate them effectively.
• Speechwriting apps: Mobile apps designed specifically for speechwriting can be helpful in organizing your thoughts, creating outlines, and composing a speech. These apps often provide features like voice recording, note-taking, and virtual prompts to keep you on track.
• Grammar and style checkers: Online tools or plugins like Grammarly or Hemingway Editor help improve the clarity and readability of your speech by checking for grammar, spelling, and style errors. They provide suggestions for sentence structure, word choice, and overall tone.
• Thesaurus and dictionary: Online or offline resources such as thesauruses and dictionaries help expand your vocabulary and find alternative words or phrases to express your ideas more effectively. They can also clarify meanings or provide context for unfamiliar terms.
• Online speechwriting communities: Joining online forums or communities focused on speechwriting can be beneficial for getting feedback, sharing ideas, and learning from experienced speechwriters. It's an opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and improve your public speaking skills through collaboration.

Remember, while these tools can assist in the speechwriting process, it's essential to use them thoughtfully and adapt them to your specific needs and style. The most important aspect of speechwriting remains the creativity, authenticity, and connection with your audience that you bring to your speech.

5 tips for writing a speech

Behind every great speech is an excellent idea and a speaker who refined it. But a successful speech is about more than the initial words on the page, and there are a few more things you can do to help it land.

Here are five more tips for writing and practicing your speech:

1. Structure first, write second

If you start the writing process before organizing your thoughts, you may have to re-order, cut, and scrap the sentences you worked hard on. Save yourself some time by using a speech structure, like the one above, to order your talking points first. This can also help you identify unclear points or moments that disrupt your flow.

2. Do your homework

Data strengthens your argument with a scientific edge. Research your topic with an eye for attention-grabbing statistics, or look for findings you can use to support each point. If you’re pitching a product or service, pull information from company metrics that demonstrate past or potential successes. 

Audience members will likely have questions, so learn all talking points inside and out. If you tell investors that your product will provide 12% returns, for example, come prepared with projections that support that statement.

3. Sound like yourself

Memorable speakers have distinct voices. Think of Martin Luther King Jr’s urgent, inspiring timbre or Oprah’s empathetic, personal tone . Establish your voice — one that aligns with your personality and values — and stick with it. If you’re a motivational speaker, keep your tone upbeat to inspire your audience . If you’re the CEO of a startup, try sounding assured but approachable. 

4. Practice

As you practice a speech, you become more confident , gain a better handle on the material, and learn the outline so well that unexpected questions are less likely to trip you up. Practice in front of a colleague or friend for honest feedback about what you could change, and speak in front of the mirror to tweak your nonverbal communication and body language .

5. Remember to breathe

When you’re stressed, you breathe more rapidly . It can be challenging to talk normally when you can’t regulate your breath. Before your presentation, try some mindful breathing exercises so that when the day comes, you already have strategies that will calm you down and remain present . This can also help you control your voice and avoid speaking too quickly.

How to ghostwrite a great speech for someone else

Ghostwriting a speech requires a unique set of skills, as you're essentially writing a piece that will be delivered by someone else. Here are some tips on how to effectively ghostwrite a speech:

• Understand the speaker's voice and style : Begin by thoroughly understanding the speaker's personality, speaking style, and preferences. This includes their tone, humor, and any personal anecdotes they may want to include.
• Interview the speaker : Have a detailed conversation with the speaker to gather information about their speech's purpose, target audience, key messages, and any specific points they want to emphasize. Ask for personal stories or examples they may want to include.
• Research thoroughly : Research the topic to ensure you have a strong foundation of knowledge. This helps you craft a well-informed and credible speech.
• Create an outline : Develop a clear outline that includes the introduction, main points, supporting evidence, and a conclusion. Share this outline with the speaker for their input and approval.
• Write in the speaker's voice : While crafting the speech, maintain the speaker's voice and style. Use language and phrasing that feel natural to them. If they have a particular way of expressing ideas, incorporate that into the speech.
• Craft a captivating opening : Begin the speech with a compelling opening that grabs the audience's attention. This could be a relevant quote, an interesting fact, a personal anecdote, or a thought-provoking question.
• Organize content logically : Ensure the speech flows logically, with each point building on the previous one. Use transitions to guide the audience from one idea to the next smoothly.
• Incorporate engaging stories and examples : Include anecdotes, stories, and real-life examples that illustrate key points and make the speech relatable and memorable.
• Edit and revise : Edit the speech carefully for clarity, grammar, and coherence. Ensure the speech is the right length and aligns with the speaker's time constraints.
• Seek feedback : Share drafts of the speech with the speaker for their feedback and revisions. They may have specific changes or additions they'd like to make.
• Practice delivery : If possible, work with the speaker on their delivery. Practice the speech together, allowing the speaker to become familiar with the content and your writing style.
• Maintain confidentiality : As a ghostwriter, it's essential to respect the confidentiality and anonymity of the work. Do not disclose that you wrote the speech unless you have the speaker's permission to do so.
• Be flexible : Be open to making changes and revisions as per the speaker's preferences. Your goal is to make them look good and effectively convey their message.
• Meet deadlines : Stick to agreed-upon deadlines for drafts and revisions. Punctuality and reliability are essential in ghostwriting.
• Provide support : Support the speaker during their preparation and rehearsal process. This can include helping with cue cards, speech notes, or any other materials they need.

Remember that successful ghostwriting is about capturing the essence of the speaker while delivering a well-structured and engaging speech. Collaboration, communication, and adaptability are key to achieving this.

Give your best speech yet

Learn how to make a speech that’ll hold an audience’s attention by structuring your thoughts and practicing frequently. Put the effort into writing and preparing your content, and aim to improve your breathing, eye contact , and body language as you practice. The more you work on your speech, the more confident you’ll become.

The energy you invest in writing an effective speech will help your audience remember and connect to every concept. Remember: some life-changing philosophies have come from good speeches, so give your words a chance to resonate with others. You might even change their thinking.

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

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The Ultimate Speech Preparation Checklist

by Kolarele Sonaike

You’ll have heard it all before

“fail to plan. plan to fail”, “proper preparation prevents piss poor performance”, “success is what happens when opportunity meets preparation”.

There are lots of pithy pretty quotes that big talking experts like me and others like to trot out to make ourselves seem smart about speech preparation.

In almost ever article or guide on public speaking I’ve read or written, there is always something at some point about the importance of preparation.

It’s all great advice, of course. Preparation is undoubtedly the single most determinative factor in successful public speaking. But there’s one fundamental flaw in all this advice. No one ever tells you how exactly you should go about doing this great preparation.

“What should you do? Where should you start? How long should you spend?”

No one ever breaks it down. We all just operate on the assumption that the process of preparation is obvious. That we just need to say, and it will be done.

But as we all know, when we assume, we make an ass out of u and me, so all assumptions are out.

With apologies for not getting to this sooner, here now is: The Ultimate Speech Preparation Checklist

(It’s a long one so why not DOWNLOAD THE PDF SPEECH PREPARATION CHECKLIST HERE to read later)

• DON’T PANIC. PREPARE! – public speaking is nothing more than a conversation with your audience. If you can hold a good conversation in private with a good friend, you can give a great speech in public. The techniques are almost identical, which means it’s all doable if you approach it right.
• DATE OF MY SPEECH: this will make you think about how much time you have for preparation
• TOPIC OF MY SPEECH: what am I going to speak about?
• LENGTH OF MY SPEECH: how long will I speak for?
• LOCATION OF MY SPEECH: where I’ll be speaking?
• OCCASION: what’s the occasion of my speech? e.g. after dinner speech; presentation to the council; introduction speech at a conference
• TITLE: what is the title of my speech (even if no one will know it, it’s still useful to think about one so your speech has a focus).
• TYPE OF SPEECH: what type of speech are you giving? All speeches fall into one (sometimes two) of four categories: Informative (sharing information); Persuasive (seeking to persuade people to a particular point of view); Motivational (to get your audience to do something); Entertaining (to amuse your audience).
• OBJECTIVE (for your audience): what do you want your audience to get from your speech? What do you want them to know (informative speech), or think (persuasive speech), or do (motivational speech). If you are giving a purely entertainment speech, then your goal is simply to make your audience laugh. or i as a result of your speech (have one clear goal that you can describe in 15 words or less).
• GOAL (for yourself):  what do you want to get out of giving your speech? How do you want it to benefit you personally? e.g. I want to get the respect of the room; I want to be invited to present to the board; I want to be thought of as funny.
• VENUE: what is the venue like? What’s the layout? How far away from the audience will I be? Will I use a microphone? Are there IT facilities (for a slide presentation)?
• THEME: what theme can you use to tie your whole speech together? (often this will be the one thing that your audience remembers above everything else). Think Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’ theme. As famous as that speech is, that is probably the only part you still remember. Or JFK’s ‘we choose to go to the moon’. A client of mine recently used the ‘marriage’ theme to give a great presentation about company mergers to a lawyers’ conference.
• AUDIENCE ANALYSIS: who is my audience (age, gender, ethnicity, financial circumstances, industry/profession, personality types etc); what is their attitude (what do they currently think/feel/believe about the topic of my speech); context – how many will be in the audience, how will they be seated, what state of mind will they be in (drowsy after lunch; agitated; uninterested etc).
• MY IMPRESSION: what kind of impression do I want to make? what tone will I take with my speech? how do I want to come across? (serious, funny, casual, meticulous etc).
• RESEARCH & BRAINSTORM:  identify the points you need to research & brainstorm to make sure you are an expert on your topic; find out everything you can about the topic of your speech. Work on the basis that you will only use the best 10% of what you know about the subject in your speech.
• STRUCTURE OF MY SPEECH: how will I open my speech? how will I introduce my audience to my speech topic? what are the main points I am going to make? what will my conclusion be? how will I close my speech?
• NOTES: what notes will I use? (full script; note cards; nothing at all)
• SLIDES/POWERPOINT: (if using slide presentation) are my slides ready? am I prepared to deliver my speech without them in case of an IT failure? have I practised using the slides?
• PROBLEMS: what problems could realistically occur? (not enough people show up; microphone failure; IT failure; my time is cut short etc) and how will I deal with this?
• APPEARANCE: what am I going to wear to help me give the impression I want to give?
• PRACTICE: how much practice will I do (practise as much and as often as it takes for you to familiarise – not memorise – your speech)

There you go: A step by step blue print of how to go about preparing your speech.

No way you can remember all that, so why not get it as a FREE PDF DOWNLOAD here .

Now, if you’ve got this far but you’re somehow still not convinced about the importance of preparation, I leave you with another pithy quote, this time from good ole honest Abe Lincoln.

There you are. Now you have no reason not to prepare. So go sharpen your axe!

[addthis tool=”addthis_relatedposts_inline”] Adieu!

Kolarele Sonaike

Founder, Elevator Pitch School

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How to Prepare for a Speech: Stage Setup, Aids, & Tips

This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "TED Talks" by Chris Anderson. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.

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Does public speaking come naturally to you? What is the key to delivering an effective speech?

Preparation is key to delivering an effective speech. If you aren’t an experienced speaker, consider using props. Props can be especially useful if you tend to get nervous when speaking in front of an audience as they can help you jog up your memory if nerves get in the way.

Here are some tips on how to prepare for a speech, set up your stage, and keep your anxiety at bay.

Speech Setup

If you have your speech memorized and feel confident speaking without notes, setup isn’t important—it’s just you and the stage. Anderson says this method is the gold standard because it allows for the greatest connection with the audience. However, he concedes that not everyone is able to do this, and most people feel more confident with a strategic setup in place.

Here are some tips on how to prepare for a speech, props you can use, plus some technical tips.

Advantages: Anderson believes that this is the most invisible way to reference notes. A small card held in your hand is less obtrusive than a lectern, and it’s less off-putting to the audience than your eye-line moving to a teleprompter.

Disadvantages: If you have multiple notecards, there is the risk of dropping them or getting them mixed up. For this, Anderson recommends you keep them in order on a keyring. 

(Shortform note: How much information should you include on your note cards? One expert suggests using just five cards —one for the introduction, three for your main points, and one for the conclusion. On each card, he details how to set up a keyword outline, which includes word prompts rather than full sentences. He also recommends writing on only one side of the cards; if you write on both, it’s easy to get confused about which side you should be looking at.)

Large Lectern

Advantages: Having a large lectern might give you more confidence because it provides a large physical barrier between you and the audience. There is enough space for you to spread out your notes and have a glass of water. 

Disadvantages: Large podiums, or lecterns, do two things that damage the connection between you and your audience. First, by separating you from the audience, a podium reduces your vulnerability—and vulnerability is the key to connection. Second, when your audience sees you behind a lectern as a professor or preacher might be, they feel you’re preaching to rather than speaking with them .

Small Lectern

Advantages: If you need to have your full speech available to read, Anderson says the best option is a small, unnoticeable lectern. A podium with a thin or transparent stem with enough room for a few sheets of paper is all you need.

Disadvantages: Even with a small lectern, you have an object between you and the audience, which can affect the connection. If you choose this set-up, Anderson recommends you know your speech as well as possible so that you can connect with the audience through lots of eye contact.

Comfort Backup

Anderson defines a comfort backup as placing your notes and a bottle of water on a lectern to the side or back of the stage . The idea is to deliver your speech without notes if possible, but to have them as a last resort.

Advantages: The notes are away from the audience’s view, so there’s no severed connection between you and the audience. You’ll feel less nervous knowing that you can use your notes if you freeze up, or take a sip of water if your mouth gets dry.

Disadvantages: Anderson says the only disadvantage to this method is if you have to return to your notes several times (whereas once is okay).

(Shortform note: If you’re nervous about needing water during inopportune times, strategically build “water breaks” into your speech. A great time to take a sip of water is during a pause . Often this will happen after you make a joke and the audience is laughing, or after you reveal an important statistic or revelation that you want your audience to consider seriously. During this time, plan to drink some water even if you don’t feel like you need it.)

Smart Device

Advantages: You can have your entire speech or a few notes on a phone or tablet, easily accessible.

Disadvantages: Even if you’re using your phone as a tool, your audience is conditioned to think that you’re instead distracted by it. One accidental tap can close your app, and an incoming call or text (even if silenced) can pop up on your screen and distract you. Though popular these days, Anderson strongly advises against using a smart device as a tool .

(Shortform note: Most experts agree with Anderson that using a smart device for notes isn’t a great idea. If you must use your phone, however, they say you should do two crucial things : Announce to your audience that you will be using your phone for notes, and put your phone in airplane mode.)

Confidence Monitors and Teleprompters 

Confidence monitors are screens that come up from the floor or down from the ceiling and display your slides to use for reference. Teleprompters display your written speech in scrolling format for you to follow.

Advantages: With a confidence monitor, you can see your slides with added notes (called “presenter view”) which will keep you from turning around and checking the slides that your audience is viewing. Teleprompters are advantageous in that you don’t have to find your place on a piece of paper.

Disadvantages: Anderson cautions against this set-up, as he finds that speakers tend to rely on them and don’t connect with the audience as a result. Even if you use the right vocal inflections, the audience can tell by your eye-line that you’re reading, and this is off-putting.

Visual Aids 

Anderson says that not all talks require slides—particularly if your story is already punctuated with humor or emotional storytelling. Some talks, however, are enhanced by the use of beautiful or informative images. Slide images are helpful if you are trying to explain something that is easier to show, or if your talk is about a visual topic (such as art, architecture, or photography). 

In this section, Anderson hands the “mic” to TED Community Director, Tom Rielly. If you choose to use visuals in your presentation, Rielly advises you to keep the following dos and don’ts in mind. 

Technical Tips

Anderson provides the following tips to help you navigate the technological aspect of creating a slideshow.

• Four great programs to use: PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides, and Prezi
• Use the most update
• ed version of your program.
• After sending your slideshow to the program coordinator, bring an extra copy on USB.
• Test your video and sound at the presentation site ahead of time (it helps to bring your own computer).
• Don’t be afraid to hire a presentation designer—Behance.net is a great source.

(Shortform note: Whether you should use technology in your presentation depends on a few factors: how comfortable you are with the tech, the purpose of your speech, and the audience you’re addressing. For example, if you’re presenting to a group of people who work in technology, they’re likely to expect you to use new and innovative presentation tools. If you’re presenting to a nonprofit, on the other hand, a down-to-earth approach with less technology and more human connection is a better option.) 

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Here's what you'll find in our full TED Talks summary :

• A nuts-and-bolts guide to public speaking that takes you from the initial idea to your final bow
• TED curator Chris Anderson's public speaking advice on everything from scripting to wardrobe
• A comparison of Anderson's advice to that of other public speaking experts
• ← How to Ensure Customer Satisfaction
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Darya Sinusoid

Darya’s love for reading started with fantasy novels (The LOTR trilogy is still her all-time-favorite). Growing up, however, she found herself transitioning to non-fiction, psychological, and self-help books. She has a degree in Psychology and a deep passion for the subject. She likes reading research-informed books that distill the workings of the human brain/mind/consciousness and thinking of ways to apply the insights to her own life. Some of her favorites include Thinking, Fast and Slow, How We Decide, and The Wisdom of the Enneagram.

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Module 6: Organizing and Outlining Your Speech

Methods of speech delivery, learning objectives.

Identify the four types of speech delivery methods and when to use them.

There are four basic methods of speech delivery: manuscript, memorized, impromptu, and extemporaneous. We’ll look at each method and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each.

A manuscript page from President George W. Bush’s address to the nation on the day of the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

A manuscript speech is when the speaker writes down every word they will speak during the speech. When they deliver the speech, they have each word planned and in front of them on the page, much like a newscaster who reads from a teleprompter.

The advantage of using a manuscript is that the speaker has access to every word they’ve prepared in advance. There is no guesswork or memorization needed. This method comforts some speakers’ nerves as they don’t have to worry about that moment where they might freeze and forget what they’ve planned to say. They also are able to make exact quotes from their source material.

When the exact wording of an idea is crucial, speakers often read from a manuscript, for instance in communicating public statements from a company.

However, the disadvantage with a manuscript is that the speakers have MANY words in front of them on the page. This prohibits one of the most important aspects of delivery, eye contact. When many words are on the page, the speakers will find themselves looking down at those words more frequently because they will need the help. If they do look up at the audience, they often cannot find their place when the eye returns to the page. Also, when nerves come into play, speakers with manuscripts often default to reading from the page and forget that they are not making eye contact or engaging their audience. Therefore, manuscript is a very difficult delivery method and not ideal.  Above all, the speakers should remember to rehearse with the script so that they practice looking up often.

Public Speaking in History

The fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989, owed in large part to a momentary error made by an East German government spokesperson. At a live press conference, Günter Schabowski tried to explain new rules relaxing East Germany’s severe travel restrictions. A reporter asked, “when do these new rules go into effect?” Visibly flustered, Schabowski said, “As far as I know, it takes effect immediately, without delay.” In fact, the new visa application procedure was supposed to begin the following day, and with a lot of bureaucracy and red tape. Instead, thousands of East Berliners arrived within minutes at the border crossings, demanding to pass through immediately. The rest is history.

The outcome of this particular public-relations blunder was welcomed by the vast majority of East and West German citizens, and hastened the collapse of communism in Eastern and Central Europe. It’s probably good, then, that Schabowski ran this particular press conference extemporaneously, rather than reading from a manuscript.

You can view the transcript for “The mistake that toppled the Berlin Wall” here (opens in new window) .

A memorized speech is also fully prepared in advance and one in which the speaker does not use any notes. In the case of an occasion speech like a quick toast, a brief dedication, or a short eulogy, word-for-word memorization might make sense. Usually, though, it doesn’t involve committing each and every word to memory, Memorizing a speech isn’t like memorizing a poem where you need to remember every word exactly as written. Don’t memorize a manuscript! Work with your outline instead. Practice with the outline until you can recall the content and order of your main points without effort. Then it’s just a matter of practicing until you’re able to elaborate on your key points in a natural and seamless manner. Ideally, a memorized speech will sound like an off-the-cuff statement by someone who is a really eloquent speaker and an exceptionally organized thinker!

The advantage of a memorized speech is that the speaker can fully face their audience and make lots of eye contact. The problem with a memorized speech is that speakers may get nervous and forget the parts they’ve memorized. Without any notes to lean on, the speaker may hesitate and leave lots of dead air in the room while trying to recall what was planned. Sometimes, the speaker can’t remember or find his or her place in the speech and are forced to go get the notes or go back to the PowerPoint in some capacity to try to trigger his or her memory. This can be an embarrassing and uncomfortable moment for the speaker and the audience, and is a moment which could be easily avoided by using a different speaking method.

How to: memorize a speech

There are lots of tips out there about how to memorize speeches. Here’s one that loosely follows an ancient memorization strategy called the method of loci or “memory palace,” which uses visualizations of familiar spatial environments in order to enhance the recall of information.

You can view the transcript for “How to Memorize a Speech” here (opens in new window) .

An impromptu speech is one for which there is little to no preparation. There is often not a warning even that the person may be asked to speak. For example, your speech teacher may ask you to deliver a speech on your worst pet peeve. You may or may not be given a few minutes to organize your thoughts. What should you do? DO NOT PANIC. Even under pressure, you can create a basic speech that follows the formula of an introduction, body, and conclusion. If you have a few minutes, jot down some notes that fit into each part of the speech. (In fact, the phrase “speaking off the cuff,” which means speaking without preparation, probably refers to the idea that one would jot a few notes on one’s shirt cuff before speaking impromptu.) [1] ) An introduction should include an attention getter, introduction of the topic, speaker credibility, and forecasting of main points. The body should have two or three main points. The conclusion should have a summary, call to action, and final thought. If you can organize your thoughts into those three parts, you will sound like a polished speaker. Even if you only hit two of them, it will still help you to think about the speech in those parts. For example, if a speech is being given on a pet peeve of chewed gum being left under desks in classrooms, it might be organized like this.

• Introduction : Speaker chews gum loudly and then puts it under a desk (attention getter, demonstration). Speaker introduces themselves and the topic and why they’re qualified to speak on it (topic introduction and credibility). “I’m Katie Smith and I’ve been a student at this school for three years and witnessed this gum problem the entire time.”
• Body : Speaker states three main points of why we shouldn’t leave gum on desks: it’s rude, it makes custodians have to work harder, it affects the next student who gets nastiness on their seat (forecast of order). Speaker then discusses those three points
• Conclusion : Speaker summarizes those three points (summary, part 1 of conclusion), calls on the audience to pledge to never do this again (call to action), and gives a quote from Michael Jordan about respecting property (final thought).

While an impromptu speech can be challenging, the advantage is that it can also be thrilling as the speaker thinks off the cuff and says what they’re most passionate about in the moment. A speaker should not be afraid to use notes during an impromptu speech if they were given any time to organize their thoughts.

The disadvantage is that there is no time for preparation, so finding research to support claims such as quotes or facts cannot be included. The lack of preparation makes some speakers more nervous and they may struggle to engage the audience due to their nerves.

Extemporaneous

The last method of delivery we’ll look at is extemporaneous. When speaking extemporaneously, speakers prepare some notes in advance that help trigger their memory of what they planned to say. These notes are often placed on notecards. A 4”x6” notecard or 5”x7” size card works well. This size of notecards can be purchased at any office supply store. Speakers should determine what needs to go on each card by reading through their speech notes and giving themselves phrases to say out loud. These notes are not full sentences, but help the speakers, who turn them into a full sentence when spoken aloud. Note that if a quote is being used, listing that quote verbatim is fine.

The advantage of extemporaneous speaking is that the speakers are able to speak in a more conversational tone by letting the cards guide them, but not dictate every word they say. This method allows for the speakers to make more eye contact with the audience. The shorter note forms also prevent speakers from getting lost in their words. Numbering these cards also helps if one gets out of order. Also, these notes are not ones the teacher sees or collects. While you may be required to turn in your speech outline, your extemporaneous notecards are not seen by anyone but you. Therefore, you can also write yourself notes to speak up, slow down, emphasize a point, go to the next slide, etc.

The disadvantage to extemporaneous is the speakers may forget what else was planned to say or find a card to be out of order. This problem can be avoided through rehearsal and double-checking the note order before speaking.

Many speakers consider the extemporaneous method to be the ideal speaking method because it allows them to be prepared, keeps the audience engaged, and makes the speakers more natural in their delivery. In your public speaking class, most of your speeches will probably be delivered extemporaneously.

• As per the Oxford English Dictionary' s entry for "Off the Cuff." See an extensive discussion at Mark Liberman's Language Log here: https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=4130 ↵
• Method of loci definition. Provided by : Wikipedia. Located at : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Method_of_loci . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• The mistake that toppled the Berlin Wall. Provided by : Vox. Located at : https://youtu.be/Mn4VDwaV-oo . License : Other . License Terms : Standard YouTube License
• How to Memorize a Speech. Authored by : Memorize Academy. Located at : https://youtu.be/rvBw__VNrsc . License : Other . License Terms : Standard YouTube License
• Address to the Nation. Provided by : U.S. National Archives. Located at : https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2011/09/06/911-an-address-to-the-nation/ . License : Public Domain: No Known Copyright
• Methods of Speech Delivery. Authored by : Misti Wills with Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution

16 Special Occasion Speeches

Speaking to Inspire, Entertain, or Honor

In this chapter . . .

Special occasion speeches are the umbrella term for all speeches that don’t fall into either informative or persuasive. As such there is a lot of diversity within speeches of this style. These speeches are often more personal. Additionally, they are more likely to use elements of storytelling and personal reflection. We cover the four ingredients of special occasion speeches, types of speeches in this category, and tips for delivering a special occasion speech.

Sometimes the speaking opportunities that life brings our way have nothing to do with specifically informing or persuading an audience; instead, we are asked to speak during special occasions in our lives. Whether you are standing up to give a speech at an awards ceremony or a toast at a wedding, knowing how to deliver speeches in a variety of different contexts is the nature of special occasion speaking. In this chapter, we are going to explore what special occasion speeches are as well as several types of special occasion speeches ranging from humorous to somber.

In broad terms, a special occasion speech is designed to honor, celebrate, appreciate, acknowledge, commemorate, or eulogize. Like informative or persuasive speeches, special occasion speeches should communicate a clear message, but the manner of speaking used is typically different. The word “special” in the term “special occasion speeches” is subjective in that while some speaking occasions truly are special occasions (e.g., a toast at a wedding, an acceptance speech at an awards banquet, a eulogy at a funeral for a loved one), they can also be given at more mundane events, such as the hundreds of public relations speeches that big companies give every day. The goal of a special occasion speech is to stir an audience’s emotions and make them feel a certain way in response to the situation or occasion.  The general purpose of a special occasion speech might be “to inspire,” “to celebrate,” “to honor,” or “to entertain.”

To help us think through how to be effective in delivering special occasion speeches, let’s look at four key ingredients: preparation, adaptation to the occasion, adaptation to the audience, and mindfulness about the time.

Four Key Ingredients of Special Occasion Speeches

Be prepared.

First, the biggest mistake you can make when standing to deliver a special occasion speech is to under-prepare or simply not prepare at all. We’ve stressed the need for preparation throughout this text, and special occasion speeches are no exception. You must think through the speech before you stand up and speak out. If the situation is impromptu, like a toast, even jotting down some basic notes on a napkin is better than not having any plan at all for what you are going to say.

Adapt to the Occasion

Not all content is appropriate for all occasions. Wedding toasts are often humorous. If you are asked to deliver a speech commemorating the first anniversary of a school shooting, then obviously telling a joke wouldn’t be appropriate. Commencement speeches at graduation are usually full of energy as they celebrate and inspire the audience. A eulogy, on the other hand, is typically solemn. Being a competent speaker is about being both personally effective and socially appropriate. Different special speaking occasions require different content, but also appropriate levels of formality, seriousness, tone, and demeanor.

Adapt to Your Audience

Be mindful of the time, types of special occasion speeches, speeches of introduction.

A speech of introduction is a short speech given by the host of an event or ceremony that introduces another speaker and their speech. Few things are worse than when the introducer of a speaker stands up and says, “This is Wyatt Ford. He’s going to talk about stress.” While we did learn the speaker’s name and the topic, the introduction falls flat. Just like any other speech, a speech of introduction should be a complete speech and have a clear introduction (beginning), body, and conclusion.

For the introduction element of a speech of introduction, think of a hook that will make your audience interested in the upcoming speaker. Did you read a news article related to the speaker’s topic? Have you been impressed by a presentation that you’ve heard the speaker give in the past? You need to find something that can grab the audience’s attention and make them excited about hearing the main speaker.

The body of your speech should be devoted to three main points.

• First, tell your audience in general terms about the overarching topic of the speech.
• Next, tell the audience why the speaker is a credible presenter on the topic. Has the speaker written books or articles on the subject? Has the speaker had special life events that made them qualified?
• Lastly, you need to briefly explain to the audience why they should care about the upcoming speech. This outline can be adjusted; for example, you can give the biographical information first, but these three areas should be covered.

The conclusion for this type of speech welcomes the speaker to the platform. Many introducers will conclude by saying something like, “I am looking forward to hearing how Wyatt Ford’s advice and wisdom can help all of us today, so please join me in welcoming Dr. Wyatt Ford.” At this point, you as the person introducing the speaker are “handing off” the speaking duties to someone else, so it’s common to end your speech of introduction by clapping as the speaker comes on stage or shaking the speaker’s hand.

Speeches of Presentation

• First, explain what the award or honor is and why the award is important, significant, or special.
• Second, explain what the recipient has accomplished to earn the award. Why is this person the best person for this award? Did the person win a race? Did the person write an important piece of literature? Did the person mediate conflict? Whatever the recipient has done, you need to clearly highlight their work.
• Lastly, if the race or competition was conducted in a public forum and numerous people didn’t win, you may want to recognize those people for their efforts as well. While you don’t want to steal the show away from the winner, you may want to highlight the work of the other competitors or nominees.

Speeches of Acceptance

• First, thank the givers of the award or honor, thank those who helped you achieve your goal, and put the award or honor into perspective. You want to thank the people who have given you the award or honor and possibly those who voted for you.
• Second, you want to give credit to those who helped you achieve the award or honor. No person accomplishes things in life on their own. We all have family members, friends, and colleagues who support us and help us achieve what we do in life, and a speech of acceptance is the time to graciously recognize those individuals.
• Lastly, put the award in perspective. Tell the people listening to your speech why the award is meaningful to you. If you know you are up for an award, the odds of your winning are high. In order to avoid blubbering through an acceptance speech, have one ready. A good rule to remember is: Be thankful, be gracious, be short.

At one time or another, almost everyone is going to be asked to deliver a toast. A toast is a speech designed to congratulate, appreciate, or remember. Toasts can be delivered for the purpose of congratulating someone for an honor, a new job, or getting married. You can also toast someone to show your appreciation for something they have done. Often, we toast people to remember them and what they have accomplished.

When preparing a toast, the first goal is always to keep your remarks brief. Toasts are usually given during the middle of some kind of festive event (e.g., wedding, retirement party, farewell party), and you don’t want your toast to take away from those festivities for too long. Second, the goal of a toast is to focus attention on the person or persons being toasted—not on the speaker.

As such, while you are speaking, you need to focus your attention on the people being toasted, both by physically looking at them and by keeping your message about them. You should also avoid any inside jokes between you and the people being toasted because toasts are public and should be accessible for everyone who hears them. To conclude a toast, simply say something like, “Please join me in recognizing Gina for her achievement” and lift your glass. When you lift your glass, this will signal to others to do the same and then you can all take a drink, which is the end of your speech.

• Praise. Remind the audience what made that person so special. Praise them and their accomplishments. This can include notable achievements, personal qualities or anecdotes and stories.
• Lament. To lament means to express grief or sorrow, which is what everyone at a funeral has gathered to do. You will want to acknowledge that everyone is sad, and that the deceased’s passing will be difficult to get through.
• Console. The last step in a eulogy is to console the audience, or to offer comfort in a time of grief. What you must remember (and many people often forget) is that a eulogy isn’t a speech for the person who has died; it’s a speech for the people who are still living to try to help them deal with the loss. You’ll want to end your eulogy on a positive note. Offer some hope that someday, things will get better. If the deceased was a religious person, this is where you might want to incorporate elements of that belief system.

Speeches of Farewell

Speeches for commencements.

• If there is a specific theme for the graduation, make sure that your commencement speech addresses that theme. If there is no specific theme, come up with one for your speech. Some common commencement speech themes are commitment, competitiveness, competence, confidence, decision making, discipline, ethics, failure (and overcoming failure), faith, generosity, integrity, involvement, leadership, learning, persistence, personal improvement, professionalism, reality, responsibility, and self-respect.
• Talk about your life and how graduates can learn from your experiences to avoid pitfalls or take advantages of life. How can your life inspire the graduates in their future endeavors?
• Make the speech humorous. Commencement speeches should be entertaining and make the audience laugh a bit.
• Be brief! Nothing is more painful than a commencement speaker who drones on and on. Remember, the graduates are there to get their diplomas; their families are there to watch the graduates walk across the stage.
• Remember, while you may be the speaker, you’ve been asked to impart wisdom and advice for the people graduating and moving on with their lives, so keep it focused on them.
• Place the commencement speech into the broader context of the graduates’ lives. Show the graduates how the advice and wisdom you are offering can be utilized to make their own lives better.

Special Occasion Delivery

Your delivery for a special occasion speech will skew in favor of manuscript speaking rather than extemporaneous. While it’s still vital to establish eye contact with your audience and to not sound like you are reading, it’s also important to get the words exactly right because the occasion is special.

You will need to practice your special occasion speech as much as or even more than you did for your informative or persuasive speeches. You need to know what you are going to say and feel comfortable knowing what is coming next. Knowing your speech will also allow you to counteract the flow of adrenaline into your system, something particularly important given that special occasion speeches tend to be very emotional, not just for the audience, but for you as well. Basically, knowing your speech well allows you to incorporate the emotion that a special occasion speech is meant to convey, something that is hard to do when you read the entirety of your speech. In this way your audience will sense the pride you feel for a graduating class during a commencement speech, the sorrow you feel for the deceased during a eulogy, or the gratitude you have when accepting an award.

Special occasion speaking is the most varied type of speaking to cover; however, there are some general rules to keep in mind regardless of what type you are engaged in. Remember that using good, evocative language is key, and that it’s important that you deliver your speech in a way that both conveys the proper emotion for the occasion as well as allows you to give the speech exactly as you wrote it.

Public Speaking as Performance Copyright © 2023 by Mechele Leon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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How to Prepare for a Speech: 7 Important Tips to Make Your Speeches More Effective

Almost one hundred percent of the entrepreneurs I coach to become best selling authors also want to be speakers. That’s why it’s important to know how to prepare for a speech and have maximum effectiveness when the opportunity comes. There are some obvious goals to getting on stages from a business standpoint such as growing your reach. The great thing is that because you’ve already been selected to be on stage, you are already seen as an expert.

From the audience’s standpoint, there has to be a reason to listen. So when you’re creating your keynote, follow these seven steps to maximize your effectiveness.

1. Share Your Why Story

Table of Contents

I’m going to assume you know the story of why you do what you do and why you’re passionate about the topic you’re about to share. The big mistake I see often is spending 15 to 20 minutes of a one hour speech talking about it. You’ll lose your audience if you do this.  Instead, be able to share your story in 3-6 minutes by sharing an instance rather than your whole life up until this moment. The most important part? Your big struggle, the vulnerability of that moment and the thoughts and feelings that you experienced.

Don’t make sharing your story a brag-fest. Gone are the days of sharing with an audience from a high mountain top of expertise and perfection where you almost don’t seem human. Share who you are in the world now but spend more time being WITH the audience by exposing your low points — show you’ve been in their shoes before. Then they’ll want you to also show them the way out.

2. Teach a Maximum of 3 points

It’s hard for your audience to remember more than three points. I mean, I usually can’t remember more than two items at the grocery store without writing them down. More is not better here — it’s not a brain dump. In fact, too much will be so overwhelming that your speech will be less effective. Make sure to illustrate your points with examples, case studies and your own experiences to make the teaching parts more interesting.

Depending on how much time you are allotted, you may be able to only share one point in depth while just mentioning the others. Don’t worry — it’s enough!

3. Create a Slideshow

I love an online app called Canva .  There are a lot of aesthetically pleasing presentation templates there for just about anything from cooking to real estate to business. It also allows you to change the templates to your brand colors. Then you can easily download and export the slides you create there to Powerpoint, Keynote or a pdf.

I’m one who always wants to skip the slideshow. I feel confined and I tend to worry more about clicking (or I forget to click) to the next side. But here’s the thing, sixty-five percent of the population are visual learners. By simply putting together a slideshow, you’re allowing more of the audience to be engaged in your content. Otherwise, you might as well send those people to another room and not speak at all to them.

4. Collect their Emails

Growing an email list is the name of the game in business, regardless if you have a brick and mortar operation or if you have an online service business. Offer your audience something for free so that you can continue your relationship beyond your time on stage. One thing that most attendees like to have is a copy of your slides, so offering that may be an easy choice. Alternatively, you can offer them a freebie to download. Take a look at my freebie here .

You can send them to a simple bit.ly link or use a texting service to gather their information.

5. Involve the Audience

Keeping the attention of your audience will make it a memorable experience for them. Plus, it helps them to internalize what you’re teaching. Create activities that they can do alone and with a partner so they can get to know each other better as well.

Most attendees wear name tags at events. If you’re able to see the name, mention them from time to time in your presentation. If you’ve been able to mingle prior to your speech, mentioning the names of the people you just met creates closeness with the crowd.

6. Pick the Right Outfit

Look professional and be comfortable the day of your speech. Be prepared for a cold or hot room.

Make sure to also ask what color the background of your stage will be. Wear a color that will pop against the background or you have the potential of looking like a cheshire cat.

Be aware of your sweat patterns too.  If you’re a sweat machine, wear something that won’t show your wet armpits. Additionally, if you’ve had a photoshoot or other well-seen online videos in a particular outfit, don’t wear it again. You want a variety of photos and videos that look like they were taken on different days.

7. Pitch without Pitching

Regardless if you’re allowed to pitch or not, you can pitch without pitching throughout your speech. This is called seeding your talk. What I mean is sharing examples of people in your program before they got your guidance (where they were, what they struggled with) and how using your tips helped them to get to ________. As you sprinkle these examples within your speech, I promise, people will remember and ask you later what program so-and-so was able to get those awesome benefits from. So don’t be afraid if you are told you can’t pitch from stage. You don’t need to directly pitch to get those clients from the audience.

Side note on Tedx talks: These talks are set up differently so you many not be able to implement all of the above.

If you loved this article, I’d love to hear what your top takeaways are.  Comment below!

Vickie Gould is a book coach, content marketing strategist, best selling author, and speaker. She believes that everyone has a story to share and a journey orchestrated for their positive growth — and that those experiences should be written in a best selling book.

Vickie helps entrepreneurs to share their stories, self-publish and leverage their own business books, grow their following, create more impact and turn readers into clients through her Easy Writer Program , one-on-one coaching and her free Facebook Group, Write Your Biz Book .

She has written 10 best sellers such as  Easy Writer (named after her signature program) and  Standing in the Gap , and helped nearly 100 others to become best selling authors as well.

Get her cheatsheet called 5 Secret Strategies to Write Your Book Quickly at: bit.ly/5secretstrategies .

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English Basics

How to Prepare for a Speech?

There are several different ways to prepare for a speech. You should first know your audience and determine your purpose. Once you know who you are speaking to, you can add significance to your speech and clarify your message. There are also several different methods for memorizing your speech. For example, you could write down the key points of your speech and have it ready before delivering it. But you might want to consider speaking extemporaneously, in which case you can have a rough outline of your notes on a single sheet or multiple notecards. In either case, your notes will act as a reminder of your topics and points.

Identify your purpose

Identify your purpose when preparing for a speech. A speech’s purpose depends on the topic and the audience. It may be to introduce yourself or to teach a new skill, or it could be to convince listeners to quit smoking or adopt a healthier lifestyle. Whatever the reason, it is important to identify the purpose of the speech beforehand. A clear idea of the goal will help you remain focused throughout the speech.

To start, identify your purpose. What do you want to say? Who will you be addressing? How will you achieve your goal? What is your audience’s perspective on the topic? How will you persuade them? What audience should you address? What will they be most interested in? How can you make the most of your audience’s time? Once you’ve defined your purpose, you can create a structure that will allow you to accomplish your goal and captivate the audience.

Your purpose should be clearly defined and realistic. Identifying your purpose will guide you in selecting a topic that fits your target audience. While it’s important to choose a topic based on what your audience wants to hear, you should also keep the topic as broad as possible. Remember, different audiences have different needs, so if you’re writing a speech for an audience with specific interests, you’ll want to narrow down your subject and focus.

Know your audience

When preparing for a speech, know your audience. While some audiences are very easy to identify, others may be more difficult to pin down. For example, students attending a college speech will have limited knowledge of what the world was like before the “war on terror.” However, someone in their sixties may remember the Vietnam War, social experimentation, and AIDS. It will be essential to understand their background and expectations so you can tailor your speech accordingly.

Another important aspect of speech preparation is the setting. Your audience will appreciate your efforts if you make sure that the room is comfortable. Whether you are giving a speech for a political event or a local event, it is important to know your audience. You may have to use more entertaining methods or involve them in some way during the speech. In either case, knowing your audience can make the difference between a great speech and a disastrous one.

In addition to knowing your audience’s interests and concerns, you must also understand their political mindset. For instance, if your audience is predominantly male, make sure you use language appropriate to that demographic. Avoid making sexist jokes, since these only perpetuate harmful stereotypes. In addition, be careful not to pander to the demographic interests of your audience. In addition to knowing your audience’s political views, it is essential to know their personal values.

Add significance

While preparing for a speech, you need to keep notes of facts and sources that you will use throughout the speech. This will allow you to reference them after you deliver the speech and can also prove to your audience that you have done your homework. Never copy information word for word from another source. This is considered plagiarism, which can ruin your reputation and get you expelled from a class or even fired from a job. You should keep your notes organized and easy to find during the speech. Your main argument will be the point of your speech, and you should have it ready to go.

Define your clear message

When preparing for a speech, you must first define the scope of your speech. Your speech should have a clear point and a clear goal. Then, you must group those points and organize them into a body, an introduction, and a conclusion. These three sections of your speech should have a clear focus. It’s important to use the main points of your speech to help you craft a more effective speech.

To define your clear message, make a list of points you wish to cover in your speech. Determine whether they reflect your values and beliefs. If you’re not sure about a point, your audience will sense it. Make sure your points are based on your beliefs and are passionate about them. Once you’ve determined the points you want to cover in your speech, you can then craft a more concise, focused presentation.

Establish your structure

Generally, speeches follow a set structure. These structures are based on the main points of the speech. A well-structured speech has an introduction, body, and conclusion. According to Plato, speeches are like living creatures that have a body and an introduction. In addition, the body of your speech should make sense as a whole. The next section will discuss some common organizational patterns of speeches.

As with movies, a well-structured speech will make the audience understand the main points of the speech. The climax of the speech should draw the audience in and keep them interested. Ensure that your structure builds up to a high point, and make sure to leave no gaps between major points. During the middle of your speech, you can add more details and focus to reinforce important points. Once you’ve established the overall structure of your speech, you’ll be ready to write the final draft.

To make your speech more interesting, you can introduce yourself by mentioning some of your credentials. This will give you credibility in relation to the topic. You can also mention any relevant firsthand experience you have. You can also mention previous classes or personal interests. In order to make the audience feel that you’re the right person to speak with, mention your credentials. If you’re a student, share these credentials in your introduction.

Prepare a strong opening and a strong ending

A good speech needs to have a strong opening and a solid conclusion. Unlike other forms of writing, these parts should be linked to each other in intensity and meaning. They should complement each other rather than compete with each other. In addition, you should remember to write your closing sentence at the same time you write the introduction and body of your speech. That way, you can ensure that your introduction and conclusion complement each other.

A good introduction and body will draw the audience into your speech world and hold their attention throughout the speech. A strong conclusion will bring them back into reality. The latter is important because it will make the audience remember your speech for a long time. If the speech is poorly prepared, the audience will have a difficult time remembering it. By contrast, a strong introduction and body will lay a firm foundation for a good conclusion.

The closing of a speech must be equally effective. Closings should be short, ideally no more than three sentences. These sentences should highlight your purpose and leave the audience with something they can remember. It is best to avoid using generic phrases such as “thank you” or “I’m sorry,” but try to incorporate an emotional element. Closings can be dramatic, rhetorical, or even rhetorical, but they must be connected to the topic.

There are two essential ways to prepare for a speech. One is to practice giving it a few times before you have to give it in a formal setting. Practicing your speech can make the process more comfortable and help you deliver it well on the day of the event. Secondly, you must time your speech run-through. A stopwatch is an essential piece of equipment, and you can find a good one online. Using a stopwatch will ensure that you speak for the allotted time, so make sure that you include every part of the speech in one run-through. You may run out of time and cut out some important content in the middle of delivering the speech, but this can be remedied by doing the right rehearsing.

It is important to understand the logical flow of your speech and the order of its main points. When rehearsing for a speech, make sure you memorize the points in a way that makes your speech flow. Try to create a bulleted outline to follow. Practice running through the outline, and embellish it as you go. As you go, you can gradually move from the outline to the full speech.

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“U.S. Capital Markets and the Public Good” Prepared Remarks before SEC Speaks

Chair Gary Gensler

Washington D.C.

April 2, 2024

Thank you, Erik, for that kind introduction. As is customary, I’d like to note that my views are my own as Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and I am not speaking on behalf of my fellow Commissioners or the staff.

Upon passage of the Securities Act of 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt and Congress knew their job wasn’t done. While they knew the “Truth in Securities Act” was consequential, Roosevelt and Congress understood it had not yet dealt with key problems in the securities markets.

The 1920s was a time when markets were rife with fraud and manipulation. This led to a fundamental breakdown of trust in the capital markets.

Congress responded with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. They also set up the Securities and Exchange Commission, embedding the word “Exchange” right in our name.

There was much debate about these reforms.

Sam Rayburn, then Chair of the Commerce Committee and later Speaker of the House, said the legislation was being considered “under the pressure of the most vicious and persistent lobby that any of us have ever known in Washington.” [1]

Congressman Fred Britten, speaking about Rayburn’s legislation, argued that “the real object of the bill is to Russianize everything.” [2]

Given such opposition, naturally the final bill had a series of compromises. At its core, though, it was about enhancing the integrity of and building trust in our capital markets through the oversight of exchanges, broker-dealers, and the trading of securities in secondary markets.  

As Joe Kennedy, the first Chair of the SEC said so eloquently, “[T]he community thus exposed to fraud and manipulation should welcome the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 and the Commission it created.” [3]

It was four decades later that Congress and President Gerald Ford came back with significant reforms to promote efficiency and competition in the capital markets. [4]

Congress was addressing problems related to fixed commissions. They were reacting to the back office “Paperwork Crisis” of the 1960s. There were issues resulting from emerging technologies. There also were challenges regarding how self-regulatory organizations (SROs) set their rules.

Through the Securities Acts Amendments of 1975, [5] Congress for the first time gave the SEC authority to establish a National Market System for securities transactions. They gave the SEC authority for a national quoting system for securities. They gave us authority over the clearance and settlement of securities transactions. Further, they gave us new and revised authority regarding review and setting of SRO rules.

Congress found, as articulated in section 11A, that it was in the public interest and for the protection of investors to assure “fair competition among brokers and dealers, among exchange markets, and between exchange markets and markets other than exchange markets.” [6] Congress inserted the word competition in 20 places in the securities laws.

Two Congresses and two Presidents, Roosevelt and Ford, understood how important our capital markets are to investors, issuers, and more broadly to our economy. They were focused on two key public goods: first, instilling greater trust, and second, instilling greater efficiency and competition in the capital markets.

Promoting trust in the capital markets by reducing fraud and manipulation benefits investors and issuers alike. Such trust means more investors are willing to invest in the markets with confidence. It means issuers can rely on the markets to price their offerings. Well-functioning markets provide price discovery that helps capital flow to its most productive uses.

Efficiency and competition mean the central functioning of the capital markets is less costly, so investors get better returns. Issuers can raise money more efficiently. When market participants know that they can get a competitive price when selling or buying, they are more likely to invest in the primary market in the first place. Moreover, competition and efficiency allow prices to come closest to fundamental value, aiding price discovery and capital formation. 

Efficiency and competition also promote another externality—greater depth of liquidity in the markets. As they say, liquidity begets liquidity.

Congress understood these public goods could not be achieved by private markets on their own. Private incentives are likely insufficient when it comes to setting rules for the capital markets. Well-functioning markets create positive externalities for the American public that aren’t fully internalized by private entities. Leaving it to the private markets alone would lead to under-investment in policies that best promote trust, efficiency, and competition. 

Thus, the SEC has an important role to play. The need to promote these public goods is constant. Given everchanging technology and business models, though, we have an obligation to update the rules of the road, always with an eye toward promoting trust as well as efficiency, competition, and liquidity in the markets.  

With the emergence of the internet, under Chair Arthur Levitt, the Commission in 1998 comprehensively defined “exchange” under SEC rules and adopted a framework for alternative trading systems (ATSs). [7]  

Under Chair Bill Donaldson, the Commission updated the National Market System rules in 2005. [8] Chair Donaldson said at the time: “We are addressing a complex set of problems that have lingered in the marketplace for years, that have caused substantial discord among market participants and that have resulted in inferior outcomes for investors.” [9]

Clearance and Settlement

In the 1975 reforms, Congress added Section 17A to the Securities Exchange Act and directed the SEC to fulfill an important role overseeing securities clearinghouses. Later, in 1986—after a dozen nonbank Treasury dealers failed, sending shudders into the banking system—Congress broadened the SEC’s authority to include clearinghouses in the Treasury markets.

Clearinghouses are vital to our capital markets. They facilitate what one might call the market plumbing, that which happens after you execute a transaction through the time that it settles. Standing in the middle of the securities markets, clearinghouses are the buyer to every seller and the seller to every buyer.

A bit of history might surprise everyone, but the U.S. stock market settled at T+1 well into the 1920s. It was only with increasing volumes that the market plumbing was lengthened to a business week after a transaction (T+5).

It took the Stock Market Crash of 1987 before the Commission implemented our first settlement rule in 1995. That’s when we shortened the settlement cycle to three business days after the trade date. [10] We shortened it to two business days after the trade date in 2017. [11] Last year, we adopted rules to shorten it to one business day, which will be implemented on May 28, 2024. [12]     

I would note our U.S. government securities market has been on a T+1 settlement cycle ever since we started central clearing of U.S. treasuries in 1986. We also have a T+1 settlement cycle in securities options markets, much of the derivatives markets, and as the normal practice for certain mutual funds. [13]

Thus, on May 28, we’re aligning the rest of the U.S. securities markets to T+1. I encourage all market participants to ensure that they are ready for the upcoming transition.  

We also adopted rules in December 2023 to facilitate additional central clearing for the $27 trillion U.S. Treasury markets. [14] The final rules make changes to enhance customer clearing and broaden the scope of which transactions clearinghouse members must clear. Enhanced access to central clearing can facilitate all-to-all trading, competition, and resiliency in these markets. These rules help fulfill Congress’s mandates to promote efficiency, competition, liquidity, and resiliency in the markets.

Exchanges and Alternative Trading Systems

A lot has changed in the capital markets in the 26 years since Chair Levitt’s Commission adopted Regulation ATS. Electronification and new methods of trading have advanced significantly. Much of the secondary markets in Treasuries is facilitated by interdealer broker (IDB) electronic platforms. Further, principal-trading firms have been participating to a greater degree, representing approximately 61 percent of the volume in 2019 on the IDB platforms in the Treasury markets. [15]

The growing importance to investors and the overall market structure of exempted platforms led to the Commission, under Chair Jay Clayton, to put out a proposal with regard to ATSs for government securities and a concept release on fixed-income market structure. [16]

Based upon public input, in 2022, we reproposed rules for ATSs for government securities and proposed to modernize the definition of an exchange. [17] Commenters had noted that much of secondary market trading in Treasuries and corporate bonds also were facilitated by request-for-quote (RFQ) electronic platforms between dealers and customers.

In particular, the Commission in 2022 sought feedback on whether the definition of an exchange should include platforms, such as RFQ platforms, that perform exchange-like functions in the Treasury markets and elsewhere. While they may not have central limit order books, these are venues where multiple buyers can meet multiple sellers, use structured methods to negotiate a trade, and can agree to the terms of a trade.

Ensuring that such exchange-like platforms follow our exchange-specific rules could benefit investors and markets alike.

National Market System

In terms of the National Market System, a great deal has changed since we adopted Regulation NMS in 2005. In particular, a large and growing amount of equity trading now occurs in what many call the dark markets, particularly off-exchange market centers such as wholesalers and dark pools.

Trade volumes went up about twofold to 11 billion shares per day from 2007 to 2023. [18]

The one-penny minimum increment used for quoting is outdated, and too wide for many of the securities trading in today’s markets. Thus, we proposed a rule to narrow the minimum tick size, making it smaller than a penny for many securities. [19]

The proposal also would update the more than 120-year-old definition [20]  of round lot [21] by determining the size of round lots by the share price. The proposal also would add quotes on odd-lots to core data.

Further, it would bring greater transparency to the access fees charged and related rebates paid by exchanges. In addition, it would lower what exchanges may charge investors to access protected quotes.

The Commission also proposed rules last fall regarding exchanges’ volume-based transaction rebates and fees. [22]

Currently, midsized and smaller exchange member broker-dealers effectively pay higher fees than larger members to trade on most exchanges. Members with the largest trading volume receive the largest rebates and thus pay the lowest net fees.

Best Execution

I’ve long considered broker-dealers’ best execution duty to their customers to be critical to both trust and competition in the markets.

Thus, I was surprised to learn when I came to the SEC that the Commission actually didn’t have its own best execution rule. The best execution rule was instituted, instead, by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), an SRO, and it was last updated in 2014. [23] The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB), another SRO, implemented its first best execution rule for municipal securities in 2016. [24]

I believe a best execution standard is too central to the SEC’s mandate to protect investors, not to have on the books as a Commission rule. [25] Rapid developments in our markets make best execution that much more important.

Order Competition and Execution Quality

Every day, investors turn to broker-dealers in the markets—often through brokerage apps—to build a better financial future.

How do you know, however, the quality of the broker’s execution of your order? You can turn to measures that compare the price you received with what’s called the National Best Bid and Offer at a particular time.

This information is measurable, but historically the brokers whose apps you’re using haven’t been required to disclose execution quality in that way.

Thus, last month we finalized rules to require that large broker-dealers—those with more than 100,000 customers—disclose execution quality to the public. [26]

We also proposed a rule in 2022 regarding exposing marketable orders of individual investors of a certain size to fair and open auctions. [27]

About 90 percent of individual investors’ marketable orders in NMS stocks are routed to a small group of off-exchange wholesalers, operating in the dark market. That doesn’t seem to promote the greatest competition or fairness.

We’ve received a lot of feedback on this proposal and are considering all of the comments.

The U.S. capital markets are a national asset. Trust in the markets is a public good. Capital market efficiency, competition, and liquidity are public goods.

Roosevelt and Congress understood this in the 1930s. Ford and Congress understood this in the 1970s.  

They also understood that the need for the SEC to promote these public goods is evergreen. Technology and business models, though, are everchanging.

Thus, as we have done for 90 years, we will continue to update rules of the road for investors and issuers alike.

[1] See Congressional Record, Volume 78, Part 7, 73rd Congress, second session (April 30, 1934), page 7693, available at https://www.congress.gov/bound-congressional-record/1934/04/30/house-section .

[2] See St. Louis Federal Reserve, Full text of Commercial and Financial Chronicle: May 5, 1934, Vol. 138, [No. 3593], available at https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/commercial-financial-chronicle-1339/may-5-1934-517150/fulltext .  

[3] See Joseph P. Kennedy, Chairman, address at Meeting of the Boston Chamber of Commerce (Nov. 15, 1934), available at https://www.sec.gov/news/speech/1934/111534kennedy-1.pdf .  

[4] See John G. Gillis, Financial Analysts Journal, Vol. 31, No. 5 (Sept.-Oct. 1975), pp. 12-15, available at https://www.jstor.org/stable/4477857?seq=1 ; See also Philip A. Loomis, Jr., Commissioner, address at Joint Securities Conference (Nov. 18, 1975), available at https://www.sec.gov/news/speech/1975/111875loomis.pdf

[5] P.L. 94-29 (June 4, 1975), available at https://www.congress.gov/94/statute/STATUTE-89/STATUTE-89-Pg97.pdf .

[6] See 11A(a)(1) (1) The Congress finds that—

*** (C)It is in the public interest and appropriate for the protection of investors and the maintenance of fair and orderly markets to assure—

(i)economically efficient execution of securities transactions;

(ii)fair competition among brokers and dealers, among exchange markets, and between exchange markets and markets other than exchange markets;

(iii)the availability to brokers, dealers, and investors of information with respect to quotations for and transactions in securities;

(iv)the practicability of brokers executing investors’ orders in the best market; and

(v)an opportunity, consistent with the provisions of clauses (i) and (iv) of this subparagraph, for investors’ orders to be executed without the participation of a dealer.

(D) The linking of all markets for qualified securities through communication and data processing facilities will foster efficiency, enhance competition, increase the information available to brokers, dealers, and investors, facilitate the offsetting of investors’ orders, and contribute to best execution of such orders. available at https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/78k-1 .

[7] See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 40760 (Dec. 8, 1998), 63 FR 70844 (Dec. 22, 1998), (Regulation ATS Adopting Release), available at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/1998/12/22/98-33299/regulation-of-exchanges-and-alternative-trading-systems .

[8] See Securities and Exchange Commission, “Final Rule Regulation NMS” (June 9, 2005), available at https://www.sec.gov/rules/2005/06/regulation-nms .

[9] See William H. Donaldson, “Opening Statement at Commission Open Meeting of April 6, 2005, re: Regulation NMS” (April 6, 2005), available at https://www.sec.gov/news/speech/spch040605whd-nms.htm .

[10] See Securities and Exchange Commission, “Securities Transactions Settlement” [Release No. 33-7022; 34-33023; IC-19768; File No. S7-5-93] (Oct. 13, 1993), Pages 52891-52909, available at  https://archives.federalregister.gov/issue_slice/1993/10/13/52889-52917.pdf .

[11] See Securities and Exchange Commission, “SEC Adopts T+2 Settlement Cycle for Securities Transactions” (March 22, 2017), available at  https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2017-68-0 .

[12] See Securities and Exchange Commission, “SEC Finalizes Rules to Reduce Risks in Clearance and Settlement” (Feb. 15, 2023) available at https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2023-29 .

[13] It is T+1 when trading directly with the fund family or the fund’s transfer agent. When trading a mutual fund through a broker, it is T+2 settlement.

[14] See Securities and Exchange Commission, “SEC Adopts Rules to Improve Risk Management in Clearance and Settlement and Facilitate Additional Central Clearing for the U.S. Treasury Market” (Dec. 13, 2023), available at  https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2023-247 .

[15] See Federal Reserve, “Principal Trading Firm Activity in Treasury Cash Markets” (Aug. 4, 2020), available at  https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/notes/feds-notes/principal-trading-firm-activity-in-treasury-cash-markets-20200804.html .

[16] See Securities and Exchange Commission, “SEC Proposes Rules to Extend Regulations ATS and SCI to Treasuries and Other Government Securities Markets” (Sept. 28, 2020), available at https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2020-227 .

[17] See Securities and Exchange Commission, “SEC Proposes Amendments to Include Significant Treasury Markets Platforms Within Regulation ATS” (Jan. 26, 2022), available at https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2022-10 .

[18] See CBOE “Historical Market Volume Data,” available at https://www.cboe.com/us/equities/market_statistics/historical_market_volume/ .

[19] See Securities and Exchange Commission, “SEC Proposes Rules to Amend Minimum Pricing Increments and Access Fee Caps and to Enhance the Transparency of Better Priced Orders” (Dec. 14, 2022), available at https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2022-224 .

[20] See Merriam-Webster, “Round Lot,” which places the first known use of round lot circa 1902, available at https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/round%20lot . See also DeCoppet & Doremus, “Buying and Selling Odd-Lots” (1933), available at https://www.bullmarketgifts.com/Buying-and-Selling-Odd-Lots-1933-p/od326.htm .  As the bookseller explains, “This booklet was published in 1933 by DeCoppet & Doremus, who were Odd-Lot Dealers on the New York Stock Exchange and member of the Exchange. At the time, shares on the NYSE were traded in multiples of 100, known as ‘Round-Lots.’”

[21] Round lots are quotes for 100 shares.

[22] See Securities and Exchange Commission, “SEC Proposes Rule to Address Volume-Based Exchange Transaction Pricing for NMS Stocks” (Oct. 18, 2023), available at https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2023-225 .

[23] See FINRA, “Best Execution,” available at https://www.finra.org/rules-guidance/guidance/reports/2021-finras-examination-and-risk-monitoring-program/best-execution .

[24] See MSRB “Implementation Guidance on MSRB Rule G-19, on Best Execution” (Nov. 20, 2015), available at https://www.msrb.org/sites/default/files/Best-Ex-Implementation-Guidance.pdf .

[25] See Securities and Exchange Commission, “SEC Proposes Regulation Best Execution” (Dec. 14, 2022), available at https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2022-226 .

[26] See Securities and Exchange Commission, “SEC Adopts Amendments to Enhance Disclosure of Order Execution Information” (March 6, 2024), available at https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2024-32 .

[27] See Securities and Exchange Commission, “SEC Proposes Rule to Enhance Competition for Individual Investor Order Execution” (Dec. 14, 2022), available at https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2022-225 .

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Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Delivers Remarks on Lawsuit Against Apple for Monopolizing Smartphone Markets

Washington , DC United States

Remarks as Delivered

Good morning. Earlier today, the Department of Justice, joined by 15 states and the District of Columbia sue Apple in the U.S. District Count for the District of New Jersey for violating Section 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

Over the last two decades, Apple has become one of the most valuable public companies in the world. Today, its net income exceeds the individual Gross Domestic Product of more than 100 countries. That is in large part due to the success of the iPhone, Apple’s signature smartphone product.

For over a decade, iPhone sales have made up a majority of Apple's annual revenue. Today, Apple's share of the U.S. performance smartphone market exceeds 70%, and its share of the entire U.S. smartphone market exceeds 65%. Apple charges as much as nearly $1,600 for an iPhone.

But as our complaint alleges, Apple has maintained monopoly power in the smartphone market not simply by staying ahead of the competition on the merits, but by violating federal antitrust law.

Consumers should not have to pay higher prices because companies break the law.

We allege that Apple has employed a strategy that relies on exclusionary, anticompetitive conduct that hurts both consumers and developers.

For consumers, that has meant fewer choices; higher prices and fees; lower quality smartphones, apps, and accessories; and less innovation from Apple and its competitors.

For developers, that has meant being forced to play by rules that insulate Apple from competition.

And as outlined in our complaint, we allege that Apple has consolidated its monopoly power not by making its own products better — but by making other products worse.

Apple carries out its exclusionary, anticompetitive conduct in two principal ways: 

First, Apple imposes contractual restrictions and fees that limit the features and functionality that developers can offer iPhone users.

Second, Apple selectively restricts access to the points of connection between third-party apps and the iPhone’s operating system, degrading the functionality of non-Apple apps and accessories.

As a result, for most of the past 15 years, Apple has collected a tax in the form of a 30% commission on the price of any app downloaded from the App Store as well as on in-app purchases. Apple is able to command these fees from companies of all sizes.

Apple has also suppressed the emergence of programs like cloud streaming apps — including gaming apps — as well as super apps that could reduce user dependence on Apple's own operating system and expensive hardware. 

And, as any iPhone user who has ever seen a green text message, or received a tiny, grainy video can attest — Apple's anticompetitive conduct also includes making it more difficult for iPhone users to message with users of non-Apple products.

It does this by diminishing the functionality of its own messaging app and by diminishing the functionality of third-party messaging apps.

By doing so, Apple knowingly and deliberately degrades quality, privacy, and security for its users.

For example, if an iPhone user messages a non-iPhone user in Apple Messages, the text appears not only as a green bubble, but incorporates limited functionality:

• The conversation is not encrypted;
• Videos are pixelated and grainy; and
• Users cannot edit messages or see typing indicators.

As a result, iPhone users perceive rival smartphones as being lower quality because the experience of messaging friends and family who do not own iPhones is worse — even though Apple is the one responsible for breaking cross-platform messaging.

And it does so intentionally.

For example, in 2013, a senior executive at Apple explained that supporting cross-platform messaging in Apple Messages, “would simply serve to remove [an] obstacle to iPhone families giving their kids Android phones.”

In 2022, Apple’s CEO was asked whether Apple would fix iPhone-to-Android messaging. The questioner added: “not to make it personal but I can’t send my mom certain videos.”

Apple's CEO responded, “Buy your mom an iPhone.”

In addition to selectively controlling app distribution and creation, we allege that Apple is violating the law by conditionally restricting developers’ access to the interface needed to make an app functional on the Apple operating system.

For a product like a smartwatch or a digital wallet to be useful to an iPhone user, it must be able to communicate with the iPhone’s operating system. But Apple creates barriers that make it extremely difficult and expensive for both users and developers to venture outside the Apple ecosystem.

When it comes to smartwatches, Apple not only drives users to purchase an Apple Watch — which is only compatible with an iPhone — it also uses its technical and contractual controls to make it harder for someone with an iPhone to use a non-Apple smartwatch.

And when it comes to digital wallets, Apple’s exclusionary conduct goes a step further. Digital wallets allow users to store and use passes and credentials in a single app — including credit cards, personal identification, movie tickets, and car keys. Apple Wallet is Apple’s proprietary digital wallet on the iPhone.

Apple actively encourages banks, merchants, and other parties to participate in Apple Wallet. But it simultaneously exerts its monopoly power to block these same partners from developing alternative payment products and services for iPhone users.

For example, Apple has blocked third-party developers from creating competing digital wallets on the iPhone that use what is known as tap-to-pay functionality. That is the function that makes a digital wallet — well, a wallet.

Instead, Apple forces those who want to use the wallet function to share personal information with Apple — even if they would prefer to share that information solely with their bank, medical provider, or other trusted third party.

When an iPhone user puts a credit or debit card into Apple Wallet, Apple inserts itself in a process that could otherwise occur directly between the user and card issuer. This introduces an additional potential point of failure for the privacy and security of Apple users.

And that is just one way in which Apple is willing to make the iPhone less secure and less private in order to maintain its monopoly power.

The Supreme Court defines monopoly power as “the power to control prices or exclude competition.”

As set out in our complaint, Apple has that power in the smartphone market.

Now, having monopoly power does not itself violate the antitrust laws.

But it does when a firm acquires or maintains monopoly power — not because it has a superior product or superior business acumen — but by engaging in exclusionary conduct.

As set out in our complaint, Apple has maintained its power not because of its superiority, but because of its unlawful exclusionary behavior.

Monopolies like Apple's threaten the free and fair markets upon which our economy is based. They stifle innovation; they hurt producers and workers; and they increase costs for consumers. 

If left unchallenged, Apple will only continue to strengthen its smartphone monopoly.

But there’s a law for that.

The Justice Department will vigorously enforce antitrust law.

Enforcing the law protects consumers from higher prices and fewer choices. 

That is the Justice Department’s legal obligation.  That is what the American people expect. That is what they deserve.

I am grateful to the attorneys and staff of the Department’s Antitrust Division for their tireless work on this case on behalf of the American people. I will now turn the podium over to the Deputy Attorney General.

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Remarks by President   Biden on the Collapse of the Francis Scott Key   Bridge

12:46 P.M. EDT   THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, folks.  Sorry to keep you waiting.  I was waiting to talk to the last member of the delegation in the region.   Good afternoon.  Before I leave for North Carolina, which I’m going to do in a few minutes, I want to speak briefly about the terrible incident and accident that happened in Baltimore this morning.    At about 1:30, a container ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which I’ve been over many, many times commuting from the state of Delaware either on a train or by car.  I’ve been to Baltimore Harbor many times.  And the bridge collapsed, sending several people and vehicles into the water — into the river.    And multiple U.S. Coast Guard units, which are stationed very nearby, thank God, were immediately deployed, along with local emergency personnel.  And the Coast Guard is leading the response at the port, where representatives from the Federal Highway Administration, the FBI, the Department of Transportation, the Army Corps of Engineers, as well as Maryland officials and Baltimore Police and Fire — they’re all working together to coordinate an emergency response.   Officials at the scene estimate eight people were unaccounted for still — not still, were unaccounted for.  That number might change.  Two have been rescued — one without injury, one in critical condition.  And the search-and-rescue operation is continuing for all those remaining as we speak.   I spoke with Governor Moore this morning as well as the Mayor of Baltimore, the County Executive, United two — both United States senators and the congressman.  And my Secretary of Transportation is on the scene.    I told them we’re going to send all the federal resources they need as we respond to this emergency, and I mean all the federal resources.  And we’re going to rebuild that port together.     Everything so far indicates that this was a terrible accident.  At this time, we have no other indication — no other reason to believe there was any intentional act here.    Personnel on board the ship were able to alert the Maryland Department of Transportation that they had lost control of their vessel, as you all know and have reported.  As a result, local authorities were able to close the bridge to traffic before the bridge was struck, which undoubtedly saved lives.    And our prayers are with everyone involved in this terrible accident and all the families, especially those waiting for the news of their loved one right now.  I know every minute in that circumstance feels like a lifetime.  You just don’t know.  It’s just terrible.   We’re incredibly grateful for the brave rescuers who immediately rushed to the scene.    And to the people of Baltimore, I want to say: We’re with you.  We’re going to stay with you as long as takes.  And like the governor said, you’re Maryland tough, you’re Baltimore strong, and we’re going to get through this together.  And I promise: We’re not leaving.   Here’s what’s happening now.  The search-and-rescue operation is our top priority.  Ship traffic in the Port of Baltimore has been suspended until further notice.  And we’ll need to clear that channel before the ship traffic can resume.  The Army Corps of Engineers is on the spot and is going to help lead this effort to clear the channel.    The Port of Baltimore is one of the nation’s largest shipping hubs.  And I’ve been there a number of times as a senator and as a vice president.  It handled a record amount of cargo last year.  It’s also the top port in America for both imports and exports of automobiles and light trucks.  Around 850,000 vehicles go through that port every single year, and we’re going to get it up and running again as soon as possible.   Fifteen thousand jobs depend on that port.  And we’re going to do everything we can to protect those jobs and help those workers.   The bridge is also critical to — for travel, not just for Baltimore but for the Northeast Corridor.  Over 30,000 vehicles cross the Francis Scott Key Bridge on a daily basis.  It’s virtually th- — well, it’s one of the most important elements for the economy in the Northeast and the quality of life. My Transportation Secretary is there now.  As I told Governor Moore, I’ve directed my team to move heaven and earth to reopen the port and rebuild the bridge as soon as hu- — humanly possible.  And we’re going to work hand in hand with the support of Maryland — to support Maryland, whatever they ask for.  And we’re going to work with our partners in Congress to make sure the state gets the support it needs.   It’s my intention that federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge, and I expect to — the Congress to support my effort.

This is going to take some time.  And the people of Baltimore can count on us, though, to stick with them at every step of the way until the port is reopened and the bridge is rebuilt.    You know, we’re not leaving until this job gets done — not leaving until then.      So, I just want to say God bless everybody who — everyone harmed this morning and their families.  And may God bless the first responders, who — many of whom risking their lives.

And I’m going to — the reason I’m not going to take a lot of questions — there’s remaining issues that are open that we got to determine what’s going to happen in terms of — of the rescue mission and the like.  But I’ll — I’m —

Q    Do — do you plan to go to Baltimore, sir?  And if so, how quickly?

THE PRESIDENT:  I do and as quickly as I can.  That’s what we’re working on —

Q    You said the federal government is also going to pay for the repairs.  I’m just curious — this was a ship that appears to be at fault.  Is there any reason to believe that the company behind the ship should be held responsible?

And then, also, you mentioned —

THE PRESIDENT:  That could be, but we’re not going to wait if that happened.  We’re going to pay for it to get the bridge rebuilt and open.

Q    What did you make of Israel’s decision not to attend this meeting this week?

THE PRESIDENT:  Oh, I don’t want to get into that now.

Q    Regarding Rafah.

THE PRESIDENT:  We’ll have plenty of time to talk about Rafah.

Q    You mentioned the port — 

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Thank you.

Q    Can I ask about cars?

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.    12:51 P.M. EDT

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'this is a day to be very, very careful': ohio governor urges preparedness ahead of potential severe weather.

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Ohio Governor Mike DeWine is urging Ohioans to be prepared ahead of possible severe weather Tuesday evening.

According to WLWT's weather team, the severe threat Tuesday afternoon is expected to come between 3-10 p.m., with hail, strong winds and tornados all possible.

At a press conference Tuesday, Gov. DeWine stressed the importance of being prepared.

"This is a day to be very, very careful. It's a day to stay close to your communication, whether it's TV, radio, whether it's your device," DeWine said at a press conference Tuesday.

With the forecasted severe weather headed to Ohio, I encourage everyone to monitor the storm conditions throughout the day and be prepared if you need to take cover. pic.twitter.com/rftErYiPMA — Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) April 2, 2024

"You need to have a place where you're going to go if you get the report that you have to shelter," DeWine added. "[You] need a place to go. So, figure that out now before we get into the situation later today."

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Prepared Remarks of CFPB Director Rohit Chopra for CBA Live

Good afternoon and thank you for the introduction. One of the primary missions that Congress gave the CFPB is to ensure that consumer financial markets are fair, transparent, and competitive.

I want to focus on that third word, competitive. Competition creates the structure that both demands – and rewards – providing great products that meet real needs. Competition drives lower prices, better service, and progress that moves people’s lives and the economy forward.

Today, I want share some thoughts on competition in one of our most important and ubiquitous consumer finance markets, credit cards, and why the CFPB is sharpening its focus and attention.

Let me rewind a couple years to 2020, when the CFPB issued a report under my predecessor Director Kraninger. The report revealed that, in a pretty short period of time, a handful of large credit card players made some big changes to how they furnished credit card information on consumers' credit reports. Instead of showing the actual payments that consumers made, which is common in the other largest lending markets such as auto finance or mortgages, those companies started obscuring the information a little bit.

And the reason that many people believe this took place is because those issuers did not want to reveal which of their customers were carrying a balance from month to month, and which of them were paying off their balance every month.

We asked those credit card issuers whether they were going to revert back to the full and complete way of reporting. We got some responses that suggested they didn't want to be at a competitive disadvantage, that revealing this information would allow upstart and other challenges to offer consumers lower rates. I don't know if that's necessarily a sign of a competitive market.

More recently, the CFPB issued an analysis and report about Apple and Google's regulations when it comes to tap-to-pay transactions, and the use of near-field communication technology for payments at the point of sale. Many banks have come to the CFPB to tell us why they see Apple's policies as unfair, why the policies lead to higher barriers to developing bank-specific apps and solutions, and how this leads to unfair costs for credit card issuers and consumers.

Last week, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit charging that Apple's practices with respect to tap-to-pay harm consumers, as well as credit card issuers.

Credit card industry issues

Obviously, credit cards occupy a central role in American consumer finance. Families use credit cards to earn rewards on purchases, to get protection from unauthorized charges and fraud, and of course, as a source of liquidity when they need to afford a purchase today and pay for it later. Credit cards can be a tremendously useful and attractive product, and indeed the market for credit cards has grown explosively since the days of Diners Club, BankAmericard, and MasterCharge. That growth was fueled by advances in automated underwriting that allowed banks to extend lines of credit to new customers with confidence, and the introduction of new inventions, from magnetic strips to near-field communication technology. Today more than 190 million Americans use credit cards.

Yet for all the success, it also is true that credit card fees and interest have never been higher for consumers. Total outstanding credit card debt has surpassed $1 trillion, and CFPB data shows that consumers paid more than $130 billion in interest and fees in 2022, including more than $25 billion in fees. And persistent debt is a growing problem: many households are paying more in interest and fees than they pay toward the principal each year.

The fact that prices have risen, or that consumers are struggling, merit a closer look by the CFPB. And recent data and research has raised serious questions about how competition is working, or not working, in the credit card market. Given the size of the market and its importance in consumers’ lives, the stakes are high.

That interest rates are high is not news to anyone in this room, or for that matter to any American household or business. But CFPB research has found that today’s record-high credit card interest rates are more than just a reflection of the Fed’s recent hikes. In fact, the margin between the Prime Rate and the average APR on purchases has sharply increased over the past decade, particularly in the past several years. Compared to the 9.6% APR margin in 2013, major card issuers charged about $25 billion in additional interest in 2023 by raising that margin to 14.3%. That excess interest adds up to about $250 in additional annual charges for the average cardholder with a revolving balance. This shift happened at a time of falling charge-off rates, nor was there an increase in the proportion of subprime cardholders. Indeed, the other trend accompanying the shift is an increase in the profitability of revolving balances.

These higher interest rates are not evenly distributed. Congress has required card issuers to share data about their cards and costs for decades under the Fair Credit and Charge Card Disclosure Act of 1988. Pricing data submitted to the CFPB by 150 banks and credit unions shows that, across all credit tiers, the smaller institutions tend to offer lower interest rates compared to the largest 25 card issuers. The difference is striking, with an average APR spread of between 8 to 10 percentage points. That translates to $400 to $500 in interest savings for a consumer with an average balance of $5,000.

These price differences were not something you would expect to find in a competitive marketplace. There are about 4,000 banks and credit unions across the country, yet despite countless smaller institutions offering essentially identical products at dramatically lower cost, we see nearly all credit card accounts concentrated in a few dozen issuers.

One factor driving this concentration is that it is currently very difficult for consumers to shop for credit cards by comparing interest rates.

Part of the problem is that digital comparison-shopping sites may be steering consumers to favored cards because of kickbacks, a practice that violates federal law. We recently issued guidance to other law enforcement agencies about how to recognize these illegal practices, such as accepting payments from financial firms to manipulate results or suppress options that better fit a consumer’s stated preferences.

But reliable information about interest rates is also just hard to come by. So, we instead see people comparing cards by annual fee, or rewards, or perhaps just signing up for a card from the same bank where they have a checking account, assuming the interest rate they’re charged will be competitive. To help make this process easier, we are assembling a pricing data set for third-party comparison websites and others to use to help consumers find the best deal for them. This will rely on data submitted under existing requirements of the 1988 law. I hope to share more about those plans in the coming months.

As I mentioned a moment ago, many consumers are shopping for cards on the basis of rewards. This makes sense – with signup bonuses and cashback or miles redemptions, credit card rewards can easily be worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year for a household.

We are concerned that some providers are using bait-and-switch tactics to make these rewards programs work. Major providers, who must offset the upfront costs of offering these rewards, often bury in their terms and conditions higher interest rates and penalty fees, and can revoke rewards offerings or make redemption of rewards difficult. Our most recent comprehensive credit card report found that consumers with revolving balances had been charged far more in interest and fees than they were earned in rewards. That doesn’t negate the value of the rewards, but it suggests they would be better served by switching to a lower rate – if only they could.

Steps toward a more competitive credit card marketplace

More broadly, we are working to finalize a rule that will jumpstart competition across banking.

Last October, the CFPB proposed a Personal Financial Data Rights rule to accelerate competition and decentralization in consumer finance by making it easier for consumers to switch to a new provider. The rule activates a dormant authority under Section 1033 of the Consumer Financial Protection Act, which gives consumers rights to access their data. It will help innovative firms of all sizes gain customers, by offering better services and more favorable rates.

The CFPB’s proposed rule would require that financial firms offering transaction accounts – like checking accounts, prepaid cards, credit cards, and digital wallets – give the consumer access to their own personal financial data, so they can share or transfer the data to another provider. The proposed rule would also allow consumers to more easily walk away from companies that offer bad terms and service, which itself creates a fresh incentive for companies to treat consumers well. And, importantly, the rule guards against exploitation of personal data. Companies receiving data can only use it to provide the product people asked for, and for nothing else. When a consumer permits their private data to be used by a company for a specific purpose, it is not a free pass for that company to exploit the data for other uses.

We expect these changes will help create more competition, similar to what happened with wireless phone service after the FCC required number portability. Consumers will no longer feel locked into a longtime checking account or credit card, as they will maintain their transaction history when they switch to a new provider that offers a better deal.

The rule will help accelerate the shift to what is known as “open banking,” a more decentralized market structure we are already seeing emerge in some other countries around the world.

Addressing excessive credit card late fees

I will take a moment to talk about another credit card related initiative. Earlier this month, the CFPB finalized a rule to eliminate excessive credit card late fees, help consumers keep more of their money, and hold credit card companies to the original intent of the CARD Act. The CFPB’s rule will apply to larger issuers and limit most late fees to $8, saving consumers more than $10 billion annually in late fees once the final rule goes into effect.

Consumers pay more than $14 billion in late fees every year. Consumers are charged these fees even when their payment is a little bit late or when it’s out of their control. This is on top of extra interest charges, negative credit reporting, and a slew of other consequences. Our rule closes a loophole that allowed large issuers to charge far in excess of their costs – in fact our research shows current late fee revenue is about five times the issuers’ associated costs. The rule only applies to very large card issuers, with more than over 1 million open accounts. We did not find evidence that smaller banks and credit unions are employing the fee churning business model, and in fact they charge much lower fees overall.

Large issuers are free to charge a higher amount if they demonstrate that they need to charge more to cover their actual collection costs. The rule also eliminates an automatic inflation adjustment, which was added by the Federal Reserve Board and is not required by law.

The final rule is the product of years of thoughtful work and research, and reflects the CFPB’s careful consideration of thousands of comments we received on the proposal. Several industry lobbying groups, including the Consumer Bankers Association, have challenged the rule in court, and we will vigorously defend it.

Credit cards can be a tremendously valuable and useful product for a family, and I think all of you in the banking industry should want to make sure that people with credit cards have a good experience. How people experience their credit card or their deposit account is often their primary way of experiencing the banking and financial system.

We need to be able to show American consumers that the banking system is as essential to our economy as the electric grid, the telecommunication system, and our roads and bridges.

If we don't have a strong banking system, the rest of the economy simply will not work. So, I want to encourage you to make sure that we have a very competitive market where consumers have a lot they can do when they vote with their feet.

The actions the CFPB has taken are going to be good for every single innovative and competitive firm in the banking industry. The actions we are taking are just a start. There is more work to do, and we really appreciate all of you who have contributed to this work.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is a 21st century agency that implements and enforces Federal consumer financial law and ensures that markets for consumer financial products are fair, transparent, and competitive. For more information, visit www.consumerfinance.gov .

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Area colleges prepare to address Gov. Greg Abbott’s call to review free speech policies

Board of regent chairs will have 90 days from the order’s filing to address the request.

Mason Hickok , Digital Producer Trainee

Nearly a week after Governor Greg Abbott issued an Executive Order aimed at addressing an increase in antisemitism on college campuses, most area institutions say they are taking steps to address the request.

“Many Texas colleges and universities also acted quickly to condemn antisemitism, but some radical organizations on our campuses engaged in acts that have no place in Texas,” Abbott said in a press release.

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Abbott’s order will require all higher education institutions in the state to review their existing free speech policies and establish what the governor calls “appropriate punishment for antisemitic rhetoric.”

The governor’s action comes as pro-Palestine and pro-Israel demonstrations have occurred on college campuses across the state and in San Antonio in the months following the Israel-Hamas war.

Student newspapers at the University of Texas at San Antonio and Texas A&M-San Antonio reported on the walkouts, with some asking their universities to issue calls for ceasefires to the ongoing crisis.

In his Executive Order, the governor singled out two groups: the Palestine Solidarity Committee and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).

SJP, listed as a registered student organization at UTSA, is pinned on a joint statement from Texas Students for Justice in Palestine, which says, in part, “We see the Executive Order for what it is—a masked, targeted attack to slow the student movement for liberation across the nation’s college campuses.”

Board of Regent chairs will have 90 days from the order’s filing to address the request before being asked to submit a report to the governor’s office. Their report must include documentation verifying revisions made to existing free speech policies and evidence they are being enforced.

Also, per the order, institutions must include the definition of antisemitism — as stated in Section 448.001 of the Texas Government Code — to “guide university personnel and students on what constitutes antisemitic speech.”

KSAT attempted to reach several area colleges and universities, asking them to address their policies and whether changes could be expected.

Jayme Blaschke, director of media relations at Texas State, emailed the following statement:

“Texas State University is reviewing the Governor’s executive order and will take the necessary steps to ensure compliance in a timely manner.”

Kristi Wyatt, the associate vice chancellor of communications and engagement, said:

“The Alamo Colleges District is reviewing the Governor’s Executive Order to assess its impact on our organization as well as clarity on implementation. The district, including our five colleges, remain dedicated to providing campus environments that are welcoming and safe for all individuals. We value diverse opinions and robust debate, but that expression must be conducted respectfully and in accordance with relevant laws, policies, and procedures including our student code of conduct.”

Sam Boykin, a senior communications manager at A&M-San Antonio, said in an email:

“As a public university, A&M-San Antonio is bound to follow Texas law. We don’t anticipate making any policy changes. The University does not have any language specific to ‘antisemitic rhetoric.’”

Joe Izbrand, UTSA’s chief communications officer, said in an email:

“UTSA is committed to fostering free speech and constructive discourse on campus where students, faculty and staff can share differing ideas and points of view in a safe environment. We do not tolerate hateful acts against any group or individual. We fully intend to comply with the governor’s executive order regarding anti-Semitism on college campuses.”

Abbott’s full executive order can be read below.

Governor Greg Abbott's Executive Order Addressing Antisemitism in Institutions of Higher Education by Mason on Scribd

Also on KSAT:

• As Texas students clash over Israel-Hamas war, Gov. Greg Abbott orders colleges to revise free speech policies

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About the Author

Mason hickok.

Mason Hickok is a digital producer trainee at KSAT. He graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a communication degree and a minor in film studies. He also spent two years working at The Paisano, the independent student newspaper at UTSA. Outside of the newsroom, he enjoys the outdoors, walking his dogs and listening to podcasts.

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