Today speakers need to work harder to keep audiences engaged. Thanks to online influences and increased digital interaction, attention spans are lower than ever.
If you are delivering a motivational speech, keep in mind that people will only recall 2 or 3 ideas, so be selective about your message. Don't overwhelm people with information or facts; they won't stick.
Build a motivational speech in layers, adding in facts, relevant supporting content, analogies, interaction, activities, and humor as you go. I like to create a speech in modules and add in these elements throughout. Remember to stick to one theme and build your statements around that, forming structure throughout. Make sure you write a speech like you would talk. They are not the same thing, speaking is more informal and uses shorter, conversational sentences.
Below are some of the element to write a Quick and Compelling Motivational Speech
Usually, a speech has an opening, body and a close. The opening establishes the objectives; the body develops the argument and the close sums it all up.
Decide on your Objective.
Audiences will remember only a few points, so you have to be clear on what those points are. What main objective are you trying to accomplish with this talk? Are you trying to persuade people? Are you trying to scare them? Are you trying to educate them about something? Is your objective to entertain them or make them laugh? Be clear on what you want the audience to do differently after your speech.
Create Structure.
Once you know what you want to accomplish through your speech, build a structure around different modules that will move people towards that goal.
Find elements that will grab people's attention. It may be startling facts, humor or comedy, a poignant story or some quick audience interaction. Any motivational speech should keep using different elements to engage people.
Audiences have three basic learning styles to keep in mind as you build your speech:
Auditory. Some people learn best by listening to information. They can absorb information best just by hearing it spoken aloud.
Visual. Some people like to see the information. Tools like powerpoint and photos can help illustrate ideas. I wouldn't say I want to use powerpoint. Instead, I use stories that paint a picture that allows audiences to remember. Also, your body language can help visual learners follow your message.
Kinesthetic. Some audience members learn best through interactive, hands-on engagement. Techniques like surveying the crowd, quick interaction and group discussion can liven up the speech and keep Kinesthetic learners engaged.
Relate to the Audience.
Why should this audience care about this message? Why is it important to them? Ask yourself what brings a meeting together? What shared purpose do people in the audience have? Understand the group's fears, pain points and what motivates them most. Tie your message to these challenges to make the speech customized and relevant. Use language or buzzwords your audience understand and articulate the needs of your audience throughout your statements.
You can talk on the same subject to several different audiences if you cater the examples and context to each group.
As a funny motivational speaker, I often use the same comedy pieces, but I would alter the content to the audience challenges and lifestyles. I find humor is subjective, so I chose the type of humor I use carefully based on what different audience types prefer.
Be Energetic.
One of the biggest mistakes I see guest speakers make it they downplay their energy because they are nervous or they don't want to come across as fake. However, you are not talking to one person, but many. Every guest speaker needs to give life and energy to his message. This energy must radiate throughout the whole room. If a speaker looks bored or unenergized giving a speech, the audience will do the same. When I was starting as a motivational speaker, I latched onto the idea that you fake it until you make it.
This means you fake energy, enthusiasm, confidence, etc until eventually, your body catches up and it becomes a more natural part of your delivery. After a short period, it will feel more authentic to be energetic, funny or confident.
Close your Speech.
The end of the motivational speech should quickly summarize ideas. Include a call to action that compels the audience to do something different.