A motivational speech persuades the listeners to take up a particular cause or follow a course of action. Whichever the subject, it is important to have inspirational messages that will capture the hearts and minds of the audience you are targeting. Let’s learn how to write a motivational speech.
There is one aim and that is to make them act.
How to write a motivational speech?
1. Choosing Motivational Speech Topics
If you are looking for motivational speech topics, a good way to start is to look inside yourself and see what you are deeply concerned about. Whether it is about stopping a war, the environment or the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), it should be something you genuinely and strongly care about.
Once you have your topic, you can start gathering the information and facts you will need.
2. Stories Reinforce the Point
It is essential to be able to link with a person and really make them feel that your story is their story. While formulating your inspirational speeches, keep in mind that a powerful tool that reaches across is a story.
From your personal experience, or of a person you know, a story makes the messages you are conveying feel more credible. The story makes it easier to show the point you are making and can reinforce the motivational message you are trying to convey.
Besides the stories from your own experience or someone you know, you can research and find stories from the recent past or even from history to take your message across. Be sure that the story really reinforces your message, and is not just an entertaining diversion.
If is it not your own story, be sure you double-check it. Any mistaken fact or overuse of a story will only reduce your credibility as a motivational speaker.
3. Connecting to the Audience
The question “How to write a motivational speech?” can be answered in one line “Connecting to the Audience to make them inspire”. When giving motivational speeches, connecting to the audience is also vital to inspire them. To build a bridge of communication it is necessary to use the words you and I instead of we and us.
Even though you may be talking to an audience of hundreds of people, when you are asking questions, ask as if you are asking one person. For example, “how would you feel?” and ”if I can do it, you can do it”, creates in each one a reason to think about how he is connected to the issue.
4. Importance of Body Language
It’s not just what you say that matters. Your mannerisms and body language play a big role in getting your message across.
Voice control is vital because it is important not to take on the tone of being a microphone. Keep your voice steady and most importantly, keep it natural.
Eye contact is important. Look directly at your audience without retaining eye contact with the same person. If you get stuck looking back at the same person that could throw you off, that person could do something to distract you. Be alert, so you don’t end up in that situation.
Stay relaxed, and unless you are standing at a podium walk around, don’t get stuck in one place, as that will make you seem stiff.
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5. Stay with the Topic
When making inspirational speeches, try not to put in too many ideas at one time. It may be tempting to take advantage of the circumstance, but remember your aim is to give inspiration and it is crucial you stay on topic. The motivational message you want to convey could easily get diluted and not have its full effect.
A good structure you can use is the “problem-solution”. You start by explaining the problem and end with the solution. It helps to persuade people if you have examples and facts to explain and back up what you are saying.
6. Be Listener Friendly
Making your speech friendly and conversational will be more appealing to the listener. By using simple, easy to follow language instead of cumbersome formal words, you can make it easier for them to connect to your message.
Short sentences help break up your ideas into easily digestible parts which will be helpful for better understanding. These small alterations will make the listener feel closer to you.
When you rehearse the speech, reading it aloud will allow you to see immediately if it sounds natural or forced.
Also, part of your editing process should be to go back over what you have written and cut out unnecessary words. That will help make your speech clearer.
7. Be Clear about your Message and Facts
Be as concrete as possible with your message. Don’t leave things for the imagination. Your audience could imagine something completely different from what you are thinking about.
Be specific, do the research and have all your facts. Don’t take the chance of anything hindering your inspirational message.
To make a truly motivational speech you have to emphatically believe in your inspirational message.
Finally, no matter how hard you have worked to come up with all the right words, quotations and stories, it will all fall flat if there is no conviction in your voice.
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