A few weeks ago, I wrote an article about Public Speaking as an Alternate PR tactic; now I want to help you choose a topic. Public speaking is something you learn as you go, and eventually the butterflies dissipate. You might even find that you enjoy public speaking because it’s a great way to help your business flourish. But what on earth should you talk about?
Know Your Audience
The first step in choosing a public speaking topic is to analyze your audience. You wouldn’t give the same speech to a group of college students as you would an assembly of high-powered business men; it just wouldn’t work. Factors that might influence your topic would include demographics such as age, education level, income bracket and profession as well as their potential interests. Your goal is to relate to your audience, not to talk above or below them.
Know Your Time Limit
The topic of your speech will also be directly related to the length of time you have to talk. Obviously, a speech on the fundamentals of fusion marketing would be a far shorter speech than one on quantum mechanics. You don’t want to get halfway through your speech and realize that time’s run out. Be sure to factor in questions that your audience might ask, because that will take up time as well.
Choose an Interactive Topic
One of the best ways to get your audience engaged during a public speaking event is to choose a topic that allows you to interact with the crowd. You don’t have to act like a rock star and crowd surf, but you do want to get your audience involved. This might be something as simple as taking a poll by asking people to raise their hands, or it might be more complex, such as asking for volunteers to assist with a demonstration. Your topic should allow you to get involved with your audience.
Choose a Topic You Know
This should be number one on your list (even though it’s number four on mine) because you’ll regret speaking on a topic about which you know little or nothing. Even if the audience isn’t well-versed on your topic, they can smell a rat, and vague statements or inaccurate statistics will be a red flag that you don’t know what you’re talking about. So choose a public speaking topic with which you are familiar, and if you want to know more information, research it beforehand.
Choose a Comfortable Topic
Until you get into the swing of public speaking, you’re going to be uncomfortable to begin with. If you choose a topic that makes you nervous, the experience simply won’t be positive. So choose a topic that you’ve been studying for years, one about which you could give a speech without any notes or pre-written data. This is the best way to acclimate yourself to public speaking.
Try Out a Few Topics
You really won’t know if you can write a speech about a topic until you put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). Take a few ideas and write opening paragraphs, getting the feel for how the speech would progress. If one sounds to stilted or if you can’t think of much to say, move on. When you are using public speaking to promote your business, your topic should always leave your audience wanting more; in other words, your speech shouldn’t include everything there is to say on the subject.
