Every time you speak, you must ask yourself, “how do I make every presentation fresh and original?” Try to avoid tired old quotes, overused anecdotes, and jokes everybody knows. In this article, I will discuss ways to find originality. I will also discuss ways to incorporate new ideas into your speech.
Your speech must be different! A monumental challenge? Have many people spoken on this topic in the past? Maybe, but not on this specific day, at this particular time. Unless you talk on the subject regularly, you have not given this speech before.
The above facts mean that there is much to draw on as you create your original speech.
Every Audience is Different
I will talk about the performance triangle in another blog post. The triangle suggests you must relate to your audience to give a good speech. You must relate to your material, and your audience must relate to the material. Your address will not hit its target if these variables do not occur.
Given that every audience is different, every audience should hear a different speech. Start with some fundamental questions;
- Who is your audience?
- What do they know about the subject?
- What does your audience know about you?
- What does your audience what to get from your speech?
- What central themes do you want to convey to this particular group?
Once you ask these questions, ideas should pop into your mind. Creating something original should become much more manageable.
What does this topic mean to you?
Many people have likely spoken on the subject you wish to discuss before. But none of these people who have spoken before is you! So one way to start finding originality is to ask yourself, what does this subject mean to me?
- How has this particular subject or topic affected my life?
- How has this particular topic affected the lives of my family and friends?
- How has it affected the lives of the audience members, their families and friend?
If you start by asking these fundamental questions, you will stop generalising. Your audience is an excellent starting point, as is your own experiences. The more you relate your speech to yourself and the lives of those around you, the more original it will become.
Why is this day important?
Considering the day on which you speak is a way of injecting originality into your address. What happened on this particular day? How does this relate to the subject on which you choose to speak?
The address itself may take a different turn if you have an original way to start your speech. You could begin by speaking about a particular person who died on this date. Adding an anecdote about what they achieved will set you on a specific path.
Follow this path without inhibition, and you will find a new and fresh approach to the words you wish to speak. Try and find a fresh angle. If you do, more ideas should follow, and your speech should become new and modern.
Why did you agree to speak?
Asking yourself why you agreed to speak is another way to allow your mind to think freely.
- For example, did you consider turning it down and if you did, why?
- Did you feel that someone was better placed to speak than you, and if so, why?
- Why do you think that you are the best qualified to speak?
These questions will help stimulate your mind, and something original will follow.
Progress
- What has happened in the last year?
- What progress has occurred on the subject of which you speak?
If there has been a breakthrough in the last few months, someone is unlikely to have talked about it before.
Any good speech writer emphasises progress. It is often the central thesis of a good speech. But, inexperienced speech writers overlook it sometimes.
Speakers regurgitate well-worn history so try to avoid it. You can prevent this by dedicating a proportion of your time to breakthroughs in the modern era.
Remember these tactics; they worked for hundreds of years.
In my post on how to start a speech of introduction, I have listed tactics that make a speech original. These tactics have worked for centuries. The ancient Greeks employed many. Remember that you can stand on the shoulders of giants.
Look for Quotes and Anecdotes. Look for birth’s and death’s of famous People. What did these people achieve? Can you link their achievements to your topic? The Lost Art of the Great Speech, is a book devoted to these ideas and many more.
Talk to those you disagree with
If you are struggling with the question, “How do I Make Every Presentation Fresh and Original?” Talking to your opponents is an interesting tactic. Suppose you are struggling to be original; find your opposers. Discuss their theories and principles. Discuss your differences and try to work out how to counter their arguments.
You must try anything to stop you from thinking in the same way as other speakers. Once you break out of this descending spiral, you will see things from a different angle. Once achieved originality will break through. Those that agree with you likely think the same way as you.
You are more likely to find originality in people who disagree with you than in those who agree.
How do I Make Every Presentation Fresh and Original – Conclusion
The speakers who know the most about their subject often struggle to be original. Their heads are so full of classic ideas that they sometimes struggle to find new ones. Make sure that you are critical in the analysis of your work.
Remember, this is a new day; this is your time and the first time someone has spoken on this subject today. Of course, you should draw on the past and stand on the shoulders of those giants. But, you must remember that yours is the freshest speech on this subject or topic.
Originality is easier to find than you make think. Most people I write for underestimate their influence on their profession. This imposter syndrome often blocks speakers from using their knowledge and expertise. Instead, they rely on those who went before them. Mistakenly thinking their predecessors have more to offer.
Remember, no one has spoken on this subject, to this audience, today.