How to prepare your speech

The majority of your time should be spent preparing your speech. There are some important
questions to ask yourself while you’re planning:

 Who is your audience?

 What is the purpose or goal of your speech?

Both of these questions should be used to inform the kind of language you use. Whether it’s casual
or formal, to colleagues or senior staff, and whether it’s to educate or persuade, these should help
you create the tone and mood of your presentation.

At this stage, it’s helpful to write it all down roughly. Don’t edit yourself just yet; instead, focus on
getting as much information onto the page as possible.

Organising your presentation

1. A strong opening
Begin by introducing yourself and your topic. An easy opening line could be.

 Good morning/good evening/good afternoon. My name is [your name] and I am the/a(n) [your job
title] at [name of your company].

Today, I’d like to explain [introduce your topic].

Follow this with a short sentence that captures their attention. Two good techniques for doing this
include using an anecdote (a personal story), with a shocking fact or statistic. Introduce these with
a simple:

 Did you know…

 Have you thought about…
 This reminds me of a time when...

The final statement you might want to make in your introduction could outline your speech so your
audience knows clearly what you want to convey to them.

 Today, I’d like to help you understand...

 This morning, I’d like to discuss…
 I’m here to present to you…