Give Your Speech Change The World

How to Move Your Audience to Action

How much do your remember about the last presentation you attended? Not much? Don’t feel bad because the majority of people are in the same boat. In fact most audiences remember only 10% to 30% of speech or presentation content. Lot’s of times when people get up to speak to an audience it becomes more about themselves, their company or their products. They simply don’t spend enough time creating compelling and engaging content that will draw the audience in. Whenever I get up to give a speech, do training or give a presentation I always think about what I might be able to say to best communicate my message so that it’s not only memorable but also moves them to take action. That’s not an easy task.

In Give Your Speech, Change the World: How to Move Your Audience to Action Nick Morgan attempts to help solve the problems many speakers have by giving them a plan for:

• Crafting an engaging story using structures familiar to the audience
• Practicing your speech so that you can deliver it without sounding rehearsed
• Thinking through exactly what you want your audience to take away from the presentation or speech
• Connecting with Your Audience
• Communicating your passion on the chosen topic

My Take On The Book

This book isn’t really about presentations as much as it is about learning how to create a story the compels and persuades the listener. It also has a great deal of information on how to practice your delivery for maximum effect. It’s one of the best books I’ve read on giving speeches. While some of the principles in the book can carry over to training situations don’t count on being able to use everything.