As part of my role, not just as an entrepreneur, but as a Business Owner, I find myself delivering a lot of inspirational speeches to my various teams.
Of course, these will be for different purposes and in different settings but the message remains consistent.
Believe it or not, it’s not as easy as you think to leave a room full of completely different people feeling inspired and motivated. There’s definitely a knack to it, and one that I am continuing to work on to this day – even after 12 years of doing it!
With one of my businesses – The Interactive Team – we often hold large-scale networking events in various locations across the country, whereby all of our consultants and staff come together. This is generally the perfect opportunity for me to open each event with an inspirational speech.
So, how do I do it?
First, I get their attention.
With so many people sat in front of you, you need to be opening with a bang. A boring open sets the precedent for the rest of the speech and before you know it, people quickly switch off before you’ve even started. Be dramatic. Create excitement. Be loud.
Next, tell a story.
Don’t just get straight down the nitty gritty. Provide some context for your talk. I often like to refer to success stories, especially those of celebrities or famous entrepreneurs that people know of.
A good ground-up growth story gives people the hope and direction necessary to keep their eyes on the prize. Make sure it relates to the point you’re going to eventually make too!
Get into it too! Tell the story as if it were your own. Be passionate. Be proactive. Be punchy. Be proud.
Keep it short and sweet.
Not to sound too cliché when coming from a sales background, but it’s true. When you’re delivering an inspirational speech, people only remember bits and bobs that really stand out to them.
By going for the ‘information overload’ angle, those very important points you want to make will likely get lost along the way – so don’t risk it!
Decide what your main point is that you want to make and simplify your message around this. No fluff.
Close with impact!
Don’t just sign off and walk away, close with impact – and I mean impact.
If that means you’ve got everyone cheering and clapping and you’re shouting your main points at the end – then go for it!
At the end of any inspirational speech, people should want to be on their feet because they’ll be buzzing with motivation and hope and a ‘let’s do this’ attitude!
If you want to really get things going, get some music playing in the background if that’s your thing! It’s all about how you present the information to your team and how you leave them feeling.
Important Points To Note:
- Inspirational speeches are more about delivery than content
- You need to give people a REASON to listen
- Prepare thoroughly; don’t try and wing it.
- Focus on your energy level during delivery – be bold.
- Capture people’s attention with humour!
Ready for your next inspirational speech? Go!
