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Here’s the most common question I get when I teach speechwriting or presentation skills workshops: “What can I do to make my speeches more interesting?”
My answer is: “Vary your research.”
It’s not enough to give the audience statistics – no matter how terrific you think your stats might be. (Truth be told, statistics can be downright boring – but that’s a topic for another day and another blog.)
Instead, you need to give the audience a wide range of research details. Consider some of your options:
* anecdotes
* audio clips (Even a 20 second sound clip can bring new life to a presentation)
* charts/graphs
* comparisons/contrasts
* date in history (Speaking on September 22? Cite something relevant that happened on the date 10, 25, 50+ years ago)
* definitions
* demonstrations
* endorsements (If someone has good words to say about your organization, find a way to work in this endorsement)
* examples
* expert opinions
* interview excerpts
* letters (from colleagues, customers, officials, clients … )
* news stories
* polls
* pop culture references
* props (Don’t overlook this option. People sit up and pay more attention when they see real objects used to make a point)
* quotations
* statistics
* studies (from academia, associations, foundations …)
* visual support