to make your speech entertaining you may

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18.1 Understanding Entertaining Speeches

Learning objectives.

Understand the purpose of entertaining speeches.
Explain the four ingredients of a good entertaining speech.

Chris Hill – Chris Hoy – Acceptance Speech – CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

In broad terms, an entertaining speech is a speech designed to captivate an audience’s attention and regale or amuse them while delivering a message. Like more traditional informative or persuasive speeches, entertaining speeches should communicate a clear message, but the manner of speaking used in an entertaining speech is typically different. Entertaining speeches are often delivered on special occasions (e.g., a toast at a wedding, an acceptance speech at an awards banquet, a motivational speech at a conference), which is why they are sometimes referred to as special-occasion speeches. However, they can also be given on more mundane occasions, where their purpose is primarily to amuse audience members or arouse them emotionally in some way. Remember, when we use the word “entertain,” we are referring not just to humor but also to drama. The goal of an entertaining speech is to stir an audience’s emotions.

Of all the types of speeches we come in contact with during our lives, the bulk of them will probably fall into the category of entertainment. If you spend just one evening watching a major awards show (e.g., the Grammys, the Tonys, the Oscars), you’ll see dozens of acceptance speeches. While some of these acceptance speeches are good and others may be terrible, they all belong in the category of speaking to entertain.

Other speeches that fall into the entertaining category are designed to inspire or motivate an audience to do something. These are, however, different from a traditional persuasive speech. While entertaining speeches are often persuasive, we differentiate the two often based on the rhetorical situation itself. Maybe your school has hired a speaker to talk about his or her life story in an attempt to inspire the audience to try harder in school and reach for the best that life has to offer. You can imagine how this speech would be different from a traditional persuasive speech focusing on, say, the statistics related to scholastic achievement and success later in life.

Entertaining speeches are definitely very common, but that doesn’t mean they don’t require effort and preparation. A frequent trap is that people often think of entertaining speeches as corny. As a result, they don’t prepare seriously but rather stand up to speak with the idea that they can “wing it” by acting silly and telling a few jokes. Instead of being entertaining, the speech falls flat. To help us think through how to be effective in delivering entertaining speeches, let’s look at four key ingredients: preparation, adaptation to the occasion, adaptation to the audience, and mindfulness about the time.

Be Prepared

First, and foremost, the biggest mistake you can make when standing to deliver an entertaining speech is to underprepare or simply not prepare at all. We’ve stressed the need for preparation throughout this text, so just because you’re giving a wedding toast or a eulogy doesn’t mean you shouldn’t think through the speech before you stand up and speak out. If the situation is impromptu, even jotting some basic notes on a napkin is better than not having any plan for what you are going to say. Remember, when you get anxious, as it inevitably happens in front of an audience, your brain doesn’t function as well as when you are having a relaxed conversation with friends. You often forget information. By writing down some simple notes, you’ll be less likely to deliver a bad speech.

Be Adaptive to the Occasion

Not all content is appropriate for all occasions. If you are asked to deliver a speech commemorating the first anniversary of a school shooting, then obviously using humor and telling jokes wouldn’t be appropriate. But some decisions about adapting to the occasion are less obvious. Consider the following examples:

You are the maid of honor giving a toast at the wedding of your younger sister.
You are receiving a Most Valuable Player award in your favorite sport.
You are a sales representative speaking to a group of clients after a mistake has been discovered.
You are a cancer survivor speaking at a high school student assembly.

How might you adapt your message and speaking style to successfully entertain these various audiences?

Remember that being a competent speaker is about being both personally effective and socially appropriate. Different occasions will call for different levels of social appropriateness. One of the biggest mistakes entertaining speakers can make is to deliver one generic speech to different groups without adapting the speech to the specific occasion. In fact, professional speakers always make sure that their speeches are tailored for different occasions by getting information about the occasion from their hosts. When we tailor speeches for special occasions, people are more likely to remember those speeches than if we give a generic speech.

Be Adaptive to Your Audience

Once again, we cannot stress the importance of audience adaptation enough in this text. Different audiences will respond differently to speech material, so the more you know about your audience the more likely you’ll succeed in your speech. One of our coauthors was once at a conference for teachers of public speaking. The keynote speaker stood and delivered a speech on the importance of public speaking. While the speaker was good and funny, the speech really fell flat. The keynote speaker basically told the public speaking teachers that they should take public speaking courses because public speaking is important. Right speech, wrong audience!

Be Mindful of the Time

The last major consideration for delivering entertaining speeches successfully is to be mindful of your time. Different entertaining speech situations have their own conventions and rules with regard to time. Acceptance speeches and toasts, for example, should be relatively short (typically under five minutes). A speech of introduction should be extremely brief—just long enough to tell the audience what they need to know about the person being introduced in a style that prepares them to appreciate that person’s remarks. In contrast, commencement speeches and speeches to commemorate events can run ten to twenty minutes in length.

It’s also important to recognize that audiences on different occasions will expect speeches of various lengths. For example, although it’s true that graduation commencement speakers generally speak for ten to twenty minutes, the closer that speaker heads toward twenty minutes the more fidgety the audience becomes. To hold the audience’s attention and fulfill the goal of entertaining, a commencement speaker would do well to make the closing minutes of the speech the most engaging and inspiring portion of the speech. If you’re not sure about the expected time frame for a speech, either ask the person who has invited you to speak or do some quick research to see what the average speech times in the given context tend to be.

Key Takeaways

Entertaining speeches are speeches designed to captivate an audience’s attention and regale or amuse them while delivering a clear message. Speakers engage in entertaining speeches generally at special occasions (e.g., weddings, funerals) or are asked to deliver a keynote address.
Entertaining speeches should include four key considerations: preparation, adaptation to the occasion, adaptation to the audience, and mindfulness of the time. As with all speeches, speakers need to prepare the speech. Second, speakers need to think about the specific occasion. Third, speakers need to adapt their speeches to the specific audience. Lastly, speakers need to think about how long they should speak.
Type in the word “roast” into YouTube and watch a few minutes of a roast. Did the speaker clearly exhibit the four clear ingredients of an entertaining speech?
Watch several toasts and acceptance speeches on YouTube. Can you identify specific ways in which each speaker adapts the speech to the occasion and the audience?

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Entertaining Speech: 6 Tips for Amusing your Audience

An entertaining speech is not a mere joke, it’s the art of delivering valuable information in an amusing and interesting way. Many people make the mistake of thinking of it as just another joke, while in fact, you could very well entertain people in all sorts of ways. Let’s start with a clear definition of an entertaining speech…

This is one of our posts on the types of speech series, should you be interested in learning about other types of speeches, please click on of the links below when you are done reading this article. For now, let us dive into how to deliver a memorable and effective entertaining speech first.

Part II . 9 Tips for Writing and Amazing Informative Speech and 120+ Topic Ideas

Part VI. 6 Key Tips for a Memorable Entertaining Speech + Topics and Ideas

Part VII. Explanatory Speech: 7 Key Tips to Help You Deliver an Effective Speech

Part X. Public Speaking Contests: 7 Ways to Nail at Forensic Speech Competitions

Part XI. 80+ Impromptu Speech Topics & 7 Ways to Nail One

Part XIV. Eulogy Guide: How to Give a Heartfelt Funeral Speech (with 4 Eulogy examples)

HOW TO GIVE AN EFFECTIVE ENTERTAINING SPEECH? 6 Basic Tips

Here are some tips to consider in giving an entertaining speech, 1. set the tone.

However, there is no one size fits all, your opening might not appeal to everyone in the room, but if you have a majority on your side, you are set. The fun energy will hopefully transfer to the other “less-impressed” members of the audience as the speech goes on.

2. STRUCTURE IS STILL IMPORTANT

3. engage the audience.

When it comes to delivering entertaining speeches, its all about confidence. Your audience needs to see you as someone who is worth listening to. If you believe you have no confidence, then fake being confident when giving an entertaining speech, who knows? That confidence might stick you.

4. USE SIMPLE LANGUAGE

Use language and words that your audience will have no trouble understanding. You don’t want your audience trying to figure out what the words you are speaking mean instead of enjoying your speech. Avoid touchy subjects. An entertaining speech shouldn’t be used to advance any agenda your audience may not agree with. All in all, keep it simple.

5. USE TIME AS AN ALLY

6. a memorable ending is the way to go, entertaining speech topics.

Rules and principles aside, it’s important that you be yourself. Sincerity and honesty will always crack any audience, any day, anytime. Be sure to enjoy every moment of your speech and hopefully your audience will too. Draw upon your unique strengths and abilities in giving an awesome speech that your audience won’t forget in a hurry.

Entertaining Speech Topics [195 Ideas To Keep Audience Engaged]

How to Write an Entertaining Speech for Any Occasion

When we hear the word “entertainment,” the first association that comes to mind is laughing and smiling. Jokes, comedies, stand-up — we consider these genres to be entertaining.

However, entertainment isn’t only about fun and laughter. Horror stories, tragic plays, and sad movies are also aimed at entertaining the audience. Therefore, entertainment is about holding the attention of your audience and triggering strong emotions.

Giving entertaining speeches requires confidence, well-developed public speaking skills, and, of course, charisma. You can improve all these skills and abilities and deliver great speeches on any occasion. We hope that our guide on how to write an entertaining speech will be helpful.

Read our instructions, tips, and example and entertain your audience like a professional!

How to Write an Entertaining Speech Step by Step

As we’ve mentioned, entertaining speeches aren’t necessarily funny. You may give an entertaining speech at a wedding, birthday party, or Christmas party — these speeches are called special-occasion speeches.

But this kind of speech is very specific — every company and group of friends needs an individual approach. That’s why we’ll give you recommendations on how to write an entertaining speech for an unknown audience, for example, for a contest.

1. Pick the topic

If the topic isn’t specified, you may pick it by yourself. We recommend you to choose a theme that is related somehow to your experience and worldview. In such a manner, you’ll sound more persuasive and confident.

2. Generate and select the best ideas

Brainstorming works well even if you don’t have a team, but work on your own. Think about all the associations related to your topic. Read a few articles, or watch inspirational movies. Write down all your ideas (even the weirdest) and then choose the best ones.

3. Make an outline

Your entertaining speech, like an essay, should be well structured. Compose an outline and think about smooth transitions between different parts of your entertaining speech.

4. Think of examples

Examples make any speech more understandable and exciting. Think about real-life stories or episodes from popular movies/books that may help to illustrate your speech.

5. Write jokes and test them

Entertainment isn’t only about laughter; entertaining speeches are mostly aimed at amusing your audience. And jokes are an effective way to make someone smile. Before giving a speech, we recommend you to test your jokes and make sure that they are fun not only for you.

6. Practice and note the time

Public speeches have time limits — you can’t talk forever. Read your speech out loud and write down the time. Make sure that you don’t go beyond the specified limits.

7. Mind your gestures and body language

Your speech might be brilliant, but you won’t be able to make a good impression if you don’t control your body and gestures. Practice in front of the mirror and mind your gestures.

8. Use various intonations

Your voice is your main tool. Slow down, make emphasis on concrete phrases, or talk quietly — every change in your intonation will attract the attention of your listeners.

9. Compose a motivating and memorable ending

Your audience will get a general impression from your speech, but the only thing that they probably will remember is the ending. You have to do your best while composing your final sentences.

10. Give a test speech

Even professionals rehearse before going on stage. Practice at home, with your friends, and in front of the mirror to make sure that you’re ready for a bigger challenge.

How to Write an Entertaining Speech: Quick-Fire Tips

A good plan isn’t enough to write an impressive entertaining speech. You need some tips to make it smooth and memorable. Below, you’ll find tips both about the writing process and public speaking:

Start with a greeting

An unusual greeting will grab the attention of your audience and make them interested. Instead of a standard “Hello everyone,” you can say something unexpected or ask a question to make contact with your listeners.

Keep in mind your audience

Although you don’t know everyone in your audience personally, you are probably aware of some basic characteristics — average age, interests, level of education, etc. You should understand that entertaining speeches for college students, adolescents, and grown-ups are totally different. Students won’t understand jokes about raising kids, while adults won’t get your superhero movies quotations.

This tip is basic, but amateur speakers frequently find it challenging. Smiling is an indispensable part of your charisma. Remember that even though your listeners don’t know you as a person, they can still see the difference between a sincere smile and a forced facial contortion. So, forget about your worries and give your audience your best smile!

Visual aids

Pictures are much easier to memorize than words. If you want to entertain your audience but also teach them something at the same time, prepare a presentation for your speech.

Be confident

Being confident is key to a successful speech. You should worry about how you speak, look, and move before your performance. As soon as you walk on the stage — forget about your anxiety. Be 100% confident about your words, clothes, and gestures. And you’ll rock it!

Engage with the audience

Engaging with the audience is crucial for an entertaining speech. There are three basic methods to build a connection with your listeners. The first and most classy technique is eye contact. You can’t look at all the faces simultaneously, but you should never look at the ceiling or floor. Imagine that you’re serving champagne to your listeners:focus on one guest, then move to the next.

The second standard way to interact with your audience is to ask questions — rhetorical or real. The third technique is to make your listeners do something, for example, raise hands or clap. That will keep them awake!

Forget about complex sentences

You’re not at an exam! Forget about complexity. Use simple words, expressions, and sentences. Don’t make your audience google every single word you say.

Adopt your speeches

When you’re giving a speech, you always need a back-up plan. If your audience seems bored — add some humor. If your audience is eager for communication — don’t be afraid of asking some extra questions.

Keep an eye on time

Inspiration and adrenaline may take you far, but don’t forget that you have time limits. If you’re bad at sensing the time, then you should take care of it before the presentation. You may wear a watch or ask an assistant to give you a sign.

Enjoy your speech

Sincerity is the key to the heart of your audience. Your entertaining speech is your opportunity to share your emotions and worldview with the general public. It might be scary, but you’ll enjoy it – we promise!

How to Write an Entertaining Speech: Example With Comments

The best way to explain something is to give a good example. Below, you’ll find an entertaining speech provided by one of our writers. We’ve also added comments so that you can learn more about the proper structure of entertaining speeches.

Click the images to see their full size.

how to write an entertaining speech example

Now, you know how to write an entertaining speech and amuse your audience! We hope that our guide, tips, and example are enough to inspire you for writing your own speech. Remember that entertaining speeches require as much hard work and preparation as a speech at a conference or wedding.

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A Guide To Making Your Speech Interesting

Hrideep barot.

Speech Writing

Everyone knows how to talk, but only a few know how to speak .

The words, however clichéd they might sound, are true.

As is the fact that, even if you know how to speak , no one’s really going to recognize it unless you manage to spark enough interest to make them actually listen to your speech.

Listen to. Not hear .

Just like the words ‘talking’ and ‘speaking’, there’s a subtle but important difference between listening to something and merely hearing it.

Delivering a speech that’s both powerful and persuasive is a tricky job. Add interesting to the mix and to most people (especially if you’re an introvert by nature) the task begins to sound downright torturous.

But, worry not!

The secret to both, delivering an interesting speech and cooking a lip-smacking dish is the same: it’s not a single ingredient, rather an amalgamation of them that makes it magnificent.

An interesting speech needs not only to pique your readers’ interest but also to sustain it. There are a variety of factors that go into its making, ranging from the length and phrasing of your speech to your skill with storytelling techniques and using props.

Still confused? Stick till the end of this article and I guarantee you’ll be out of your quandary.

What Makes A Speech Boring?

Before we delve into how to deliver a speech that’s going to leave your audience speechless, let’s skim over the other side of the equation: what makes a speech boring?

Continuing with the lip-smacking dish metaphor, a boring speech isn’t the consequence of a single but multiple elements that go into the making of it. A few of them are:

You’ve messed up the beginning

The beginning of the speech is one of its most important components. It’s also where most people tend to mess up.

While introducing yourself is important, you don’t want to spend a quarter of your allotted time providing information about yourself or telling your life story. Try to get to the point as quickly as possible.

Many inexperienced speakers tend to start off their speech by thanking someone. While showcasing your gratitude as a speaker is important, save your thanks for the end of your speech instead of its beginning.

It’s Too Complex

Another factor that makes a speech boring is making it too long or too complex or worse: both. Try to keep your speech to the time limit or slightly under it. Whatever you do, don’t exceed the time limit.

You haven’t structured it properly

Another common ingredient in boring speeches is the structure. Or rather, a lack of structure. A lot of speakers tend to throw points around without tying them together.

Or they might end the speech abruptly, perhaps after realizing that they’ve run out of time, pilfering the audience of a satisfactory conclusion. Just like beginnings, endings matter too, and this is another area where most speakers tend to make mistakes–or downright ignore it.

There’s nothing unique about it

If there’s nothing in your speech that stands out or makes it unique, then the odds are in the favor of your viewers forgetting about the speech the moment you finish delivering it. You can practice your speech a hundred times, but if there’s nothing distinctive about it, then your efforts are for nothing as nobody’s going to be actually hearing it.

So, next time you’re practicing your speech in front of the mirror, ask yourself: what’s different about my speech than the hundreds of other speeches that are delivered everyday?

No Storytelling

Churning out information without giving it some form of a narrative structure is another factor that guarantees for a boring speech. If you’re simply mentioning facts and figures, you’re going to lose your reader’s interest before it’s even piqued. If you wish to captivate your audience’s attention, then one of the best ways to do it is delivering your speech like you’re telling a story.

After all, who doesn’t like a good story?

Steps To Make Your Speech Interesting

If you’ve ever daydreamed through a drab speech delivered by insert-the-name-of-a-random-authoritative-figure in your school days, you know exactly how long a thirty (or if it’s your lucky day, sixty) minute talk can be.

I’ve been there. You’ve been there. We’ve all been there.

And I’m certain that none of us want to be there again.

Especially not if we’re the ones delivering the speech.

To make sure you land on the sweet spot named ‘the-most-interesting-speech-I’ve-ever-heard’ and keep you from stumbling into the deep, deep pit of ‘a lecture’, I’ve listed out some points for you below.

1. Keep It Short & Sweet

Studies have shown that the optimal attention span for an audience (that is, the attention span that can be retained by an interested human listening to a speaker) is about twenty minutes.

This doesn’t mean that people will be unerringly focused on your speech for twenty minutes and then promptly lose interest the moment the time is up. What it means is that you need to structure your speech in such a way that you can optimize your audience’s attention span.

Look, I know that most speeches are going to last longer than twenty minutes. However, you don’t have to necessarily speak for twenty minutes non-stop. To get around the 20 minute barrier, you can break your talk into different components, with each constituent lasting for around twenty minutes.

Make a smooth transition between the different components by giving your audience enough time to relax and then begin to refocus their attention on what you’re saying.

This way, not only will you be able to hold their interest for longer, but you will also increase the chances of them remembering important bits of your speech long after you’ve finished speaking.

2. Choose your words wisely

“ Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

These words by Martin Luther King Jr. are a great example of how a sentence doesn’t necessarily have to be long and employ eloquent language to be powerful.

On the contrary, concise sentences where no word is redundant but rather every character is handpicked so that it adds to the overall meaning have a far greater impact as well as reach.

I’m not asking you to cut down on important points or to use banal words in order to fit the above description.

Rather, I’m asking you to ask yourself while you’re writing the speech: is there anything that I’ve said in fifty words that could be better said in ten or five words?

Go through your speech multiple times to make sure that no word or sentence is redundant. If you find a paragraph or sentence that you feel doesn’t really add anything impactful to your speech, cut it out. It may actually be taking something away from your speech, and after deleting the extra part, you might find that your speech sounds better.

You can also take the use of Thesaurus or other online dictionaries to discover new words or phrases that might help you express your ideas more concisely.

3. Grab Their Attention In The Beginning

I’ve got a question for you: how do you decide whether you want to buy a particular book?

Most people (many more than who care to admit it, anyway) either choose the much-denounced path of judging-a-book-by-it’s-cover or they read the synopsis at the back of the cover or skim through the first couple of pages to glean an idea of whether it’s worthwhile to spend their precious time or money on a particular title.

Because authors/agents are smart, they know that if they can’t hook you in the beginning, you’re going to drift away. This is why the first line in a book is always an attention-grabber.

The same rule can be transcribed to a public speech: grab their attention in the beginning or stand to lose it before you even reach the end of the beginning.

Make the opening lines of your speech one of the most—if not the most—intriguing parts of it. There are many ways to do this.

You could start with an anecdote, for one. Or you could ask your audience a question. You could even go with a joke or a fun-fact.

What matters is the shock-value. You want to give the audience a taste of what the rest of your speech is going to be like. You want them to feel like the time and/or money that they’ve invested is going to be worthwhile.

4. Make Them Laugh

A day without laughter is a day wasted.

While I certainly agree with Charlie Chaplin’s famous words, I have altered them into my personal motto: a speech without laughter is an opportunity wasted.

Now, I’m not saying that you want your audience to be rolling on their stomach throughout your speech (unless you’re doing a stand-up comedy). I understand that might be counter-productive. I also understand that sometimes cracking a joke during a speech might not even be encouraged or even appropriate.

However, if there is nothing to stop you from adding a dose of humor to your speech but uncertainty about your own comic timing, then my friend, you have wasted a glorious opportunity.

Some of the best speeches in the world, which have been viewed by millions of people all around the globe besides standing the test of time, have humor in them. A majority of the most successful public speakers in the world have natural charisma, charm, and a good sense of humor.

Take Barack Obama, for instance. Many of his speeches are punctuated with comic jabs and funny anecdotes, and that is a key factor that makes his speeches so interesting to hear, besides making him more relatable—more human, like them—to the audience.

5. Tell Them Stories

Who doesn’t love a good story?

Stories not only help make your speech more interesting, but they might also strike a personal chord with your audience, thus making you more relatable and increasing the chances of cementing your speech in their minds.

Anecdotes, when used as examples, can also make it easier for your audience to understand a complex message or point.

Besides, you can use stories as a transition when you’re moving from one important or critical component of your speech to another. This will give your audience a break from the more serious bits of your speech and allow them to return to the next part in a fresher state of mind.

Stories make you more human in your audience’s mind. Especially if they resonate with the audience’s own experiences, they might make the onlookers think of you as one of them.

However, make sure that your transition into storytelling territory is smooth. Don’t randomly add a story to any part of your speech. This will not only make your speech sound awkward but might also throw off your audience and confuse them.

A good place to add an anecdote is at the beginning of your speech or the end of it (the middle also works, but as I mentioned before, provided that your transition is smooth). If you add a story to the beginning of your speech, it can act as an attention-grabber

If you add it in the end, try to choose something that will resonate with your audience and make your speech linger in their minds long after you’ve finished speaking.

6. Express Yourself Expressively

If there’s one thing that’s worse than a sixty-minute uninterrupted speech, it’s a sixty-minute uninterrupted speech with a speaker that is as expressive as a rock.

Speaking isn’t the only component of a good speech.

How you speak is just as important as what you speak.

Facial gestures, hand movements, body language, the pitch and timbre of your voice…all these are as crucial to the delivering of an interesting speech as the speech itself.

No matter how intriguing the contents of your speech, if you deliver them monotonously and in an unanimated way, then you can kiss capturing your audience’s attention goodbye.

To understand, try remembering a speech that really moved you. Now recall the most boring speech you’ve ever heard in your entire life.

Ask yourself: what makes these two speeches so different?

Chances are, one of the key points that made the first speech especially interesting and memorable and the second speech especially uninteresting and drab was the manner in which the speaker delivered the talk.

7. Use Concrete Evidence & Simple Language

An important thing to keep in mind is using concrete evidence. This includes things like numbers, statistics, real-life incidents, facts, photographs, etc. If you don’t ground your story in real life, then it might be too abstract for your audience to connect with.

While using grandiose language might make you sound impressive, using complex grammar or words plucked from some random page off of a thick dictionary is going to make it difficult—if not impossible—for the general public to connect with you. If they cannot understand what you’re saying, how will they remember it?

Thus, it is always wise to be cognizant of your audience’s intellectual capacity or their familiarity with the particular language you’re going to be delivering your speech in. If your audience is not native to the language, try to keep your word-choice as humble as possible. And even if they are, it’s best not to flaunt your verbosity.

8. Know & Understand Your Audience

What’s your audience going to consist of? Is it going to be mainly comprised of college-going adults or school-going kids? Do a majority of them belong to a minority community or do they share some common privileges?

By doing prior research on your audience, you can structure your speech in such a way as to incorporate things that they are familiar with and will be able to relate to. This will help them formulate a connection with you, the speaker, and thus increase chances of them remembering you in the future.

9. Interact With The Audience

The more involved your audience is in your speech, the greater the chances that they will remember it. People like being made to feel like their opinions—and they—matter. Try to ask questions to your audience, and also to encourage them to ask questions to you. You can do this by adding a question-answer round at the end of your speech.

Tell funny stories and ask them to share their own experiences with you. As mentioned before, cracking jokes is another good way of connecting with your audience.

10. The Ending Matters Too

The ending of your speech is just as important as the beginning. While the beginning helps set the tone for your speech and give the audience an idea of what to expect from their speaker, the ending is the big takeaway after you’ve finished speaking.

The note that you end your speech at is going to determine whether your audience thinks and discusses about your speech long after you’ve finished speaking or if they mumble a few words and forget about it a couple of moments after it finishes.

Like disappointing book or movie endings, a substandard end to a speech can leave a bitter taste in your mouth—to make matters worse, a bad ending might also ruin everything that came before it. On the contrary, a good ending can have the exact opposite effect and make your story resonate in your audience’s mind long, long after you’ve finished speaking.

Need some inspiration for a resonant ending? Check out our article on 15 Powerful Speech Ending Lines (And Tips to Create Your Own) for some inspiration!

7 secret ingredients to spice up your speech

“Memory is a strange thing. It doesn’t work as I thought it did.”

These lines, enunciated by the amazing Louise Banks in the movie Arrival, perfectly capture the elusive nature of human memory. We remember things we’re supposed to forget. We forget things we’re supposed to remember (like where you kept those goddamned car keys). The human brain works in mysterious ways, period.

Since we’re not yet smart enough to out-smart our own brain (if that makes any sense), how do we side-step the obstacle of the ever-changing nature of memory and cement your awesome speech in your audience’s mind for years to come?

Well, for starters, the above-listed points are a good means to not only make your speech interesting but also interesting enough to be memorable. But there are a few additional things that you can do to increase the chances of immortalizing (or getting as close to it as possible, anyway) your speech in your audience’s mind.

A few other things you can do to make your speech memorable are:

1. Using Props

The apt use of a well-suited propped can add that extra kick that can catapult your presentation from good to awesome. For example, if you’re giving a speech on environmental degradation, you can take the model of a forest with you to physically demonstrate the effects of the degradation of forests.

However, while using props, you need to keep a few things in mind. Make sure that the prop that you use is relevant to the message. Also, don’t use too many of them. Another thing to keep in mind is that your prop is appropriate for and clearly visible to your audience.

2. Playing a game

Adding a short game round in the middle of your speech is another great way of making yourself stand out, besides giving the audience a chance to promote themselves from mere spectators to active members of the event.

However, just like while using props, make sure that the game you choose is appropriate and relevant to the topic. Another thing to keep in mind is to not make the game too long or complicated. Remember that you want whatever game you chose to add to your speech and not distract your audience from it.

3. How about a video?

While you can certainly include an interesting video or clip that you found on YouTube or from the internet, one way to make your speech stand out is to record something beforehand and include it in during your speech.

The video can comprise anything, from a factual documentary to a short movie to a speech that you’ve given in the past to a personal attempt at stand-up comedy! Not only will it give your audience a break from listening, but it will also allow you a chance to breathe and grab a quick sip of water or just a moment to yourself before you dive into the next part of your speech.

4. Using Different Storytelling Approaches

As mentioned before, telling stories are a great way of engaging your audience. You can also take this advice a step further by specifically incorporating various storytelling techniques in your presentation.

For example, the Rags to Riches Approach is focused on portraying a certain character (generally the protagonist) rise from poverty to achieving, not without a good deal of struggle, wealth, and status.

By inculcating this technique in your speech or presentation, you increase the chances of connecting with your audience, as life struggles are something that most people can resonate with. For more similar techniques, check out our article on 9 Storytelling Approaches For Your Next Speech Or Presentation.

5. Adding Impromptu Activities

An impromptu game is exactly what it sounds like: it’s a spontaneously chosen game that hasn’t been predetermined by you, the speaker. Instead, any time during course of your speech, ask your audience members to pitch in with any game suggestions that come to their mind.

If there are many suggestions, then go with the one that gets the most number of votes. Let the audience be the decision makers for once!

6. Use Audience Polls

This is another great way to increase increase the audience’s involvement even further! Not only this, but an audience poll can also help you glean an insight into your audience’s mind! You can use the poll to ask a variety of questions. For eg. if you’re delivering a speech about facing racism at workplace, you could ask the audience if any one of them has faced racism in their own workplace before.

7. Get People To Join You On The Stage

You can do this in two ways. First, you could invite other experts of or people related to your topic.

For instance, if you’re launching a beauty product, you could invite on the stage people who’ve used your product in the past and can vouch for it. Another way to do this is to invite members of the audience to join you on stage!

This will take your audience’s involvement to another level, as you are inviting them to be a part of the space that’s been traditionally reserved for speakers. You could ask them for their feedback, or ask if they’ve got any questions for you, or even if they want to pitch in with a short speech on the topic themselves!

Examples of Interesting Speeches

I’ve linked below videos to some of the most popular speeches in world history. As you watch them, focus on how the speaker is delivering the speech. Note their body language and facial expressions, their hand-gestures, and intonations. Study the videos and try to inculcate what you learn from them into your own speech.

1. T he Speech That Made Obama President :

Without a doubt, Barack Obama is one of the most gifted orators of our time. This is one of the best speeches that he delivered.

As you watch it, notice how he interacts with his audience, keeping them engaged throughout the speech and making them feel involved in it.

Use what you learned from your observation of the former president to understand how you can keep your audience involved in your speeches and make it a better experience for them overall.

2. Martin Luther King Jr.: I Have A Dream :

This remains one of the most-watched and admired speeches throughout history. And for good reason! The speech employed flawless rhetoric. Not a word used in this speech was redundant. Although it lasted merely sixteen minutes, it got across more information in that time than speeches that last twice as long. Listen to the words used in the speech very carefully.

For a more in-depth analysis of the language, you can also lookup the transcript of the speech online.

Use the information gleaned from this analysis to learn how to use language more effectively as well as efficiently in your speech.

Check out our article on Drawing Public Speaking Lessons From ‘ I Have A Dream ‘ for a more detailed analysis of the speech.

3. Michelle Obama Final First Lady Speech :

This is one of the best speeches that I’ve heard.

As you watch it, keep an eye on Michelle’s body language and facial expressions throughout the speech. For example, the way she uses hand gestures to emphasize a point, or how her expression changes when she’s talking about something serious versus when the topic is something lighter.

You can use this as a guideline to understand how to effectively employ body-language during your speech to increase it’s impact.

4. Inside The Mind Of A Master Procrastinator :

This is one of the most interactive Ted Talks I’ve come across.

Especially notice how the speaker makes use of comic caricatures and other attractive visual imagery on the screen behind him to make his presentation more engaging.

Also, notice how he keeps involving his audience in his speech, making frequent references to them and mentioning things that are easily relatable, to make it a more lively experience. You, too, can make use of visuals that your audience can easily relate to in order to make it easier for them to connect to what you’re saying.

To sum it up, an interesting speech is a result of a successful combination of factors. These include having a powerful opening as well as ending, the effective employment of language, humor and storytelling techniques, respecting the time limit as well as your audience, and adding sprinkle of uniqueness to make it truly memorable.

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Entertainment Speech Maker

✅ 6 Benefits of the Tool

💬 What Is an Entertainment Speech?

🔢 entertaining speech types, 📍 how to write an entertainment speech, 💡 top 21 entertaining speech topics, 📝 4 world-famous entertainment speech examples, 🔗 references.

Do you have a pending entertainment speech assignment but aren’t sure how to write it well? No need to worry because our instant AI entertainment speech generator can help you with this critical school task.

You can use it to create the most entertaining and persuasive speeches. Try our free online entertainment speech maker today.

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We will focus on the 6 essential benefits:

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Broadly, we can define an entertainment speech as one that seeks to captivate or entertain listeners’ attention while delivering a crucial message.

This speech exploits an audience’s emotions and communicates to it in a manner that melts the ice of formalities.

Speakers often deliver entertainment speeches on special occasions.

These events include:

Award ceremonies
Conferences

That’s why entertaining speeches are also called special-event or occasion speeches. However, speakers give them in more mundane events, intending to amuse listeners. Remember, the main focus here is entertainment, which stirs an audience’s emotions.

Entertainment speeches come in 3 main forms:

After-dinner speeches	Here, speakers make serious speech topics that can either be . Orators take these moments and infuse their speeches with humor to remove the “formal face” that accompanies traditional speeches.
Ceremonial speeches	Here, a speech’s specific contexts are its driving force. These types of speeches include toasts, , and introductions. For instance, a speaker can make an introduction speech to welcome a ceremony’s guest speaker. Also, a friend or relative can eulogize a departed person at a funeral. In other settings, events’ context and not merely the desire to convince or inform usually determine these speeches and their purpose.
Motivational speeches	Here, a presenter’s main goal is to inspire listeners. These speeches focus on emotions as the main tool for motivating an audience to change their lives towards a particular goal.

Do you want to master how to draft a long or short 3-minute entertainment speech? Here is a detailed explanation to make you a master speech writer.

Below are the steps to prepare an amusing entertainment speech.

Determine your speech’s purpose . Clarify what the aim of your speech is before embarking on its creation. While this speech is amusing, don’t confuse it with a stand-up comedy strip. Therefore, you should understand clearly why your audience has gathered before drafting a speech.
Identify your audience’s laughter points . Research what makes your listeners laugh. This stage requires an in-depth understanding of your audience because what amuses you may not sound funny to your listeners.
Match your topic with your listeners . Do sufficient audience research and match your topic with it. Your title should be as simple as possible. Therefore, just include enough amusement in your speech to make it more palatable and drive your message home.
Avoid insults . Don’t make comments that could insult anyone, even if they sound funny. A safe choice is to make funny comments that make listeners laugh at you instead of saying things that make them feel you are insulting them.
Use plain language . Use plain everyday language everyone understands. Avoid all jargon and the “big word” syndrome.
Be precise . Be precise and keep your presentation short and sweet.
Use your personal experiences . When possible, use the examples related to your life to illustrate your message.
Involve your listeners . Let your audience ask questions, answer questions, and make comments.
Be yourself . Draft your speech to portray the original you and not a clone. Remember, your listeners came to listen to you and want to see the real you.
Finish on a witty note . End your speech on a witty, amusing note.
My best joke.
My first day in marriage.
How I got my nickname.
My first lie.
My worst holiday.
Humour and jokes: what’s so funny?
My first international visit.
The first day I boarded a plane.
Humor as a way to cope with stress .
The first day I swam alone in the ocean.
How to live with teenagers.
Humor in the workplace: does it help?
Maximizing the benefits of teenage period.
Optimizing your singlehood.
Different tastes of humor .
How to be the best employee.
Why truth is better than lies.
Comedy and humor in world literature .
My secret to happiness.
The best alternative to exams.
Sense of humor: how does it help?

Below are descriptions of entertainment speeches focusing on inspiration and acceptance.

Sandra Bullock - 2010 Oscar Acceptance Speech

Sandra Bullock delivered this acceptance speech in 2009 when she won an academy award in the Actress in a Leading Role category. She won it based on the role she played in the film The Blind Side. The emotionally charged speech appreciated all who helped her scoop the award.

Will Smith - The Best Things in Life Are on the Other Side of Fear

Will Smith made this speech while discussing why and how to face one’s fears as the key to getting the best things lying beyond the comfort zone. The speech’s moral is that the best things in life arrive after you stop being afraid and move on.

Frances McDormand - 2018 Oscar Acceptance Speech

This speech focused on Frances’ quest for gender equality in the entertainment industry after accepting the Oscar for Best Actress at tonight’s Academy Awards.

Ray Lewis - The Two Sides of Pain

This speech focuses on Ray’s life story . He used it to share his inspiring childhood, where he learned the two sides of pain. He discussed suffering and examined what pain drives one to do. His moral is that success is the end of pain.

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Updated: Oct 25th, 2023

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This free online entertainment speech maker will quickly generate an exciting speech example for you. Just follow the prompts and add the details so that your result will fully meet your requirements. As a bonus, find here entertaining speech examples and topics.

The Writing Center • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

What this handout is about

This handout will help you create an effective speech by establishing the purpose of your speech and making it easily understandable. It will also help you to analyze your audience and keep the audience interested.

What’s different about a speech?

Writing for public speaking isn’t so different from other types of writing. You want to engage your audience’s attention, convey your ideas in a logical manner and use reliable evidence to support your point. But the conditions for public speaking favor some writing qualities over others. When you write a speech, your audience is made up of listeners. They have only one chance to comprehend the information as you read it, so your speech must be well-organized and easily understood. In addition, the content of the speech and your delivery must fit the audience.

What’s your purpose?

People have gathered to hear you speak on a specific issue, and they expect to get something out of it immediately. And you, the speaker, hope to have an immediate effect on your audience. The purpose of your speech is to get the response you want. Most speeches invite audiences to react in one of three ways: feeling, thinking, or acting. For example, eulogies encourage emotional response from the audience; college lectures stimulate listeners to think about a topic from a different perspective; protest speeches in the Pit recommend actions the audience can take.

As you establish your purpose, ask yourself these questions:

What do you want the audience to learn or do?
If you are making an argument, why do you want them to agree with you?
If they already agree with you, why are you giving the speech?
How can your audience benefit from what you have to say?

Audience analysis

If your purpose is to get a certain response from your audience, you must consider who they are (or who you’re pretending they are). If you can identify ways to connect with your listeners, you can make your speech interesting and useful.

As you think of ways to appeal to your audience, ask yourself:

What do they have in common? Age? Interests? Ethnicity? Gender?
Do they know as much about your topic as you, or will you be introducing them to new ideas?
Why are these people listening to you? What are they looking for?
What level of detail will be effective for them?
What tone will be most effective in conveying your message?
What might offend or alienate them?

For more help, see our handout on audience .

Creating an effective introduction

Get their attention, otherwise known as “the hook”.

Think about how you can relate to these listeners and get them to relate to you or your topic. Appealing to your audience on a personal level captures their attention and concern, increasing the chances of a successful speech. Speakers often begin with anecdotes to hook their audience’s attention. Other methods include presenting shocking statistics, asking direct questions of the audience, or enlisting audience participation.

Establish context and/or motive

Explain why your topic is important. Consider your purpose and how you came to speak to this audience. You may also want to connect the material to related or larger issues as well, especially those that may be important to your audience.

Get to the point

Tell your listeners your thesis right away and explain how you will support it. Don’t spend as much time developing your introductory paragraph and leading up to the thesis statement as you would in a research paper for a course. Moving from the intro into the body of the speech quickly will help keep your audience interested. You may be tempted to create suspense by keeping the audience guessing about your thesis until the end, then springing the implications of your discussion on them. But if you do so, they will most likely become bored or confused.

For more help, see our handout on introductions .

Making your speech easy to understand

Repeat crucial points and buzzwords.

Especially in longer speeches, it’s a good idea to keep reminding your audience of the main points you’ve made. For example, you could link an earlier main point or key term as you transition into or wrap up a new point. You could also address the relationship between earlier points and new points through discussion within a body paragraph. Using buzzwords or key terms throughout your paper is also a good idea. If your thesis says you’re going to expose unethical behavior of medical insurance companies, make sure the use of “ethics” recurs instead of switching to “immoral” or simply “wrong.” Repetition of key terms makes it easier for your audience to take in and connect information.

Incorporate previews and summaries into the speech

For example:

“I’m here today to talk to you about three issues that threaten our educational system: First, … Second, … Third,”

“I’ve talked to you today about such and such.”

These kinds of verbal cues permit the people in the audience to put together the pieces of your speech without thinking too hard, so they can spend more time paying attention to its content.

Use especially strong transitions

This will help your listeners see how new information relates to what they’ve heard so far. If you set up a counterargument in one paragraph so you can demolish it in the next, begin the demolition by saying something like,

“But this argument makes no sense when you consider that . . . .”

If you’re providing additional information to support your main point, you could say,

“Another fact that supports my main point is . . . .”

Helping your audience listen

Rely on shorter, simpler sentence structures.

Don’t get too complicated when you’re asking an audience to remember everything you say. Avoid using too many subordinate clauses, and place subjects and verbs close together.

Too complicated:

The product, which was invented in 1908 by Orville Z. McGillicuddy in Des Moines, Iowa, and which was on store shelves approximately one year later, still sells well.

Easier to understand:

Orville Z. McGillicuddy invented the product in 1908 and introduced it into stores shortly afterward. Almost a century later, the product still sells well.

Limit pronoun use

Listeners may have a hard time remembering or figuring out what “it,” “they,” or “this” refers to. Be specific by using a key noun instead of unclear pronouns.

Pronoun problem:

The U.S. government has failed to protect us from the scourge of so-called reality television, which exploits sex, violence, and petty conflict, and calls it human nature. This cannot continue.

Why the last sentence is unclear: “This” what? The government’s failure? Reality TV? Human nature?

More specific:

The U.S. government has failed to protect us from the scourge of so-called reality television, which exploits sex, violence, and petty conflict, and calls it human nature. This failure cannot continue.

Keeping audience interest

Incorporate the rhetorical strategies of ethos, pathos, and logos.

When arguing a point, using ethos, pathos, and logos can help convince your audience to believe you and make your argument stronger. Ethos refers to an appeal to your audience by establishing your authenticity and trustworthiness as a speaker. If you employ pathos, you appeal to your audience’s emotions. Using logos includes the support of hard facts, statistics, and logical argumentation. The most effective speeches usually present a combination these rhetorical strategies.

Use statistics and quotations sparingly

Include only the most striking factual material to support your perspective, things that would likely stick in the listeners’ minds long after you’ve finished speaking. Otherwise, you run the risk of overwhelming your listeners with too much information.

Watch your tone

Be careful not to talk over the heads of your audience. On the other hand, don’t be condescending either. And as for grabbing their attention, yelling, cursing, using inappropriate humor, or brandishing a potentially offensive prop (say, autopsy photos) will only make the audience tune you out.

Creating an effective conclusion

Restate your main points, but don’t repeat them.

“I asked earlier why we should care about the rain forest. Now I hope it’s clear that . . .” “Remember how Mrs. Smith couldn’t afford her prescriptions? Under our plan, . . .”

Call to action

Speeches often close with an appeal to the audience to take action based on their new knowledge or understanding. If you do this, be sure the action you recommend is specific and realistic. For example, although your audience may not be able to affect foreign policy directly, they can vote or work for candidates whose foreign policy views they support. Relating the purpose of your speech to their lives not only creates a connection with your audience, but also reiterates the importance of your topic to them in particular or “the bigger picture.”

Practicing for effective presentation

Once you’ve completed a draft, read your speech to a friend or in front of a mirror. When you’ve finished reading, ask the following questions:

Which pieces of information are clearest?
Where did I connect with the audience?
Where might listeners lose the thread of my argument or description?
Where might listeners become bored?
Where did I have trouble speaking clearly and/or emphatically?
Did I stay within my time limit?

Other resources

Toastmasters International is a nonprofit group that provides communication and leadership training.
Allyn & Bacon Publishing’s Essence of Public Speaking Series is an extensive treatment of speech writing and delivery, including books on using humor, motivating your audience, word choice and presentation.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Boone, Louis E., David L. Kurtz, and Judy R. Block. 1997. Contemporary Business Communication . Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Ehrlich, Henry. 1994. Writing Effective Speeches . New York: Marlowe.

Lamb, Sandra E. 1998. How to Write It: A Complete Guide to Everything You’ll Ever Write . Berkeley: Ten Speed Press.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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PRDV008: Preparing and Delivering Presentations

Entertaining speeches.

Read this chapter to learn about presentations whose general purpose is to entertain.

The final general purpose people can have for public speaking is to entertain. Whereas informative and persuasive speech making is focused on the end result of the speech process, entertainment speaking is focused on the theme and occasion of the speech. An entertaining speech can be either informative or persuasive at its root, but the context or theme of the speech requires speakers to think about the speech primarily in terms of audience enjoyment.

Why We Entertain

Entertaining speeches are very common in everyday life. The fundamental goal of an entertaining speech is audience enjoyment, which can come in a variety of forms. Entertaining speeches can be funny or serious. Overall, entertaining speeches are not designed to give an audience a deep understanding of life but instead to function as a way to divert an audience from their day-to-day lives for a short period of time. This is not to say that an entertaining speech cannot have real content that is highly informative or persuasive, but its goal is primarily about the entertaining aspects of the speech and not focused on the informative or persuasive quality of the speech.

Common Forms of Entertainment Topics

There are three basic types of entertaining speeches: the after-dinner speech, the ceremonial speech, and the inspirational speech. The after-dinner speech is a form of speaking where a speaker takes a serious speech topic (either informative or persuasive) and injects a level of humor into the speech to make it entertaining. Some novice speakers will attempt to turn an after-dinner speech into a stand-up comedy routine, which doesn't have the same focus. Roye, S. (2010). Austan Goolsbee a funny stand-up comedian? Not even close… [Web log post]. After-dinner speeches are first and foremost speeches.

A ceremonial speech is a type of entertaining speech where the specific context of the speech is the driving force of the speech. Common types of ceremonial speeches include introductions, toasts, and eulogies. In each of these cases, there are specific events that drive the speech. Maybe you're introducing an individual who is about to receive an award, giving a toast at your best friend's wedding, or delivering the eulogy at a relative's funeral. In each of these cases, the speech and the purpose of the speech is determined by the context of the event and not by the desire to inform or persuade.

The final type of entertaining speech is one where the speaker's primary goal is to inspire her or his audience. Inspirational speeches are based in emotion with the goal to motivate listeners to alter their lives in some significant way. Florence Littauer, a famous professional speaker, delivers an emotionally charged speech titled "Silver Boxes". In the speech, Mrs. Littauer demonstrates how people can use positive comments to encourage others in their daily lives. The title comes from a story she tells at the beginning of the speech where she was teaching a group of children about using positive speech, and one of the children defined positive speech as giving people little silver boxes with bows on top.

Sample: Adam Fink's Entertainment Speech

The following speech, by an undergraduate student named Adam Fink, is an entertainment speech. Specifically, this speech is a ceremonial speech given at Mr. Fink's graduation. As with our earlier examples, while this speech is written out as a text for purposes of analysis, in your public speaking course you will most likely be assigned to speak from an outline or notes, not a fully written script. Notice that the tenor of this speech is persuasive but that it persuades in a more inspiring way than just building and proving an argument.

Good evening! I've spent the last few months looking over commencement speeches on YouTube. The most notable ones had eight things in common. They reflected on the past, pondered about the future. They encouraged the honorees. They all included some sort of personal story and application. They made people laugh at least fifteen times. They referred to the university as the finest university in the nation or world, and last but not least they all greeted the people in attendance. I'll begin by doing so now.

President Holst, thank you for coming. Faculty members and staff, salutations to you all. Distinguished guests, we are happy to have you. Family members and friends, we could not be here without you. Finally, ladies and gentlemen of the class of 2009, welcome to your commencement day here at Concordia University, Saint Paul, this, the finest university in the galaxy, nay, universe. Really, it's right up there with South Harlem Institute of Technology, the School of Hard Knocks, and Harvard. Check and check!

Graduates, we are not here to watch as our siblings, our parents, friends, or other family walk across this stage. We are here because today is our graduation day. I am going to go off on a tangent for a little bit. Over the past umpteen years, I have seen my fair share of graduations and ceremonies. In fact, I remember getting dragged along to my older brothers' and sisters' graduations, all 8,000 of them – at least it seems like there were that many now. Seriously, I have more family members than friends.

I remember sitting here in these very seats, intently listening to the president and other distinguished guests speak, again saying welcome and thank you for coming. Each year, I got a little bit better at staying awake throughout the entire ceremony. Every time I would come up with something new to keep myself awake, daydreams, pinching my arms, or pulling leg hair; I was a very creative individual.

I am proud to say that I have been awake for the entirety of this ceremony. I would like to personally thank my classmates and colleagues sitting around me for slapping me every time I even thought about dozing off. Personal story, check and now, application!

Graduates, don't sleep through life. If you need a close friend or colleague to keep you awake, ask. Don't get bored with life. In the words of one of my mentors, the Australian film director, screen writer, and producer Baz Luhrman, "Do one thing every day that scares you". Keep yourself on your toes. Stay occupied but leave room for relaxation; embrace your hobbies. Don't get stuck in a job you hate. I am sure many of you have seen the "Did You Know?" film on YouTube. The film montages hundreds of statistics together, laying down the ground work to tell viewers that we are approaching a crossroad. The way we live is about to change dramatically. We are living in exponential times. It's a good thing that we are exponential people.

We are at a crossing point here, now. Each of us is graduating; we are preparing to leave this place we have called home for the past few years. It's time to move on and flourish. But let's not leave this place for good. Let us walk away with happy memories. We have been fortunate enough to see more change in our time here than most alumni see at their alma mater in a lifetime. We have seen the destruction of Centennial, Minnesota, and Walther.

Ladies, it might not mean a lot to you, but gentlemen, we had some good times there. We have seen the building and completion of the new Residence Life Center. We now see the beginnings of our very own stadium. We have seen enough offices and departments move to last any business a lifetime.

Let us remember these things, the flooding of the knoll, Ultimate Frisbee beginning at ten o'clock at night, and two back-to-back Volleyball National Championship teams, with one of those championship games held where you are sitting now. I encourage all of you to walk out of this place with flashes of the old times flickering through your brains. Reflection, check!

Honorees, in the words of Michael Scott, only slightly altered, "They have no idea how high [we] can fly". Right now you are surrounded by future politicians, film critics, producers, directors, actors, actresses, church workers, artists, the teachers of tomorrow, musicians, people who will change the world. We are all held together right here and now, by a common bond of unity. We are one graduating class.

In one of his speeches this year, President Barack Obama said, "Generations of Americans have connected their stories to the larger American story through service and helped move our country forward. We need that service now". He is right. America needs selfless acts of service.

Hebrews 10:23–25 reads, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching".

Let us not leave this place as enemies but rather as friends and companions. Let us come back next fall for our first reunion, the Zero Class Reunion hosted by the wonderful and amazing workers in the alumni department. Let us go and make disciples of all nations, guided by His Word. Let us spread God's peace, joy, and love through service to others. Congratulations, graduates! I hope to see you next homecoming. Encouragement, check!

18.1 Understanding Entertaining Speeches

Learning objectives.

Understand the purpose of entertaining speeches.
Explain the four ingredients of a good entertaining speech.

In broad terms, an entertaining speech Speech designed to captivate an audience’s attention and regale or amuse them while delivering a clear message. is a speech designed to captivate an audience’s attention and regale or amuse them while delivering a message. Like more traditional informative or persuasive speeches, entertaining speeches should communicate a clear message, but the manner of speaking used in an entertaining speech is typically different. Entertaining speeches are often delivered on special occasions (e.g., a toast at a wedding, an acceptance speech at an awards banquet, a motivational speech at a conference), which is why they are sometimes referred to as special-occasion speeches. However, they can also be given on more mundane occasions, where their purpose is primarily to amuse audience members or arouse them emotionally in some way. Remember, when we use the word “entertain,” we are referring not just to humor but also to drama. The goal of an entertaining speech is to stir an audience’s emotions.

Be Prepared

Be Adaptive to the Occasion

You are the maid of honor giving a toast at the wedding of your younger sister.
You are receiving a Most Valuable Player award in your favorite sport.
You are a sales representative speaking to a group of clients after a mistake has been discovered.
You are a cancer survivor speaking at a high school student assembly.

How might you adapt your message and speaking style to successfully entertain these various audiences?

Be Adaptive to Your Audience

Be Mindful of the Time

Key Takeaways

Entertaining speeches are speeches designed to captivate an audience’s attention and regale or amuse them while delivering a clear message. Speakers engage in entertaining speeches generally at special occasions (e.g., weddings, funerals) or are asked to deliver a keynote address.
Entertaining speeches should include four key considerations: preparation, adaptation to the occasion, adaptation to the audience, and mindfulness of the time. As with all speeches, speakers need to prepare the speech. Second, speakers need to think about the specific occasion. Third, speakers need to adapt their speeches to the specific audience. Lastly, speakers need to think about how long they should speak.
Type in the word “roast” into YouTube and watch a few minutes of a roast. Did the speaker clearly exhibit the four clear ingredients of an entertaining speech?
Watch several toasts and acceptance speeches on YouTube. Can you identify specific ways in which each speaker adapts the speech to the occasion and the audience?

How to Make a Speech Memorable: A Guide for Beginning Speakers

Anyone can get up on stage and give a speech. To make a speech memorable takes a bit more effort. Yes, natural charisma helps, but delivering a memorable speech that sticks with your audience happens by practicing strategies that work. That’s what today’s blog article is all about.

We’ve collected five fantastic strategies from established pro speakers that will help anyone make a speech memorable. These successful, experienced speakers know what works and what doesn’t, and if you follow what they’ve learned, you won’t have to make the same mistakes they did. Helping one another succeed is all part of the spirit of NSA.

In this guide for beginning speakers, you’ll find tips for how to make a speech memorable, along with links to dive deeper into each topic. Once you’re done with this article, you’ll know exactly what to do to make your speech stand out.

Tip #1 How to Make a Speech Memorable: Engage, But Don’t Overthink it

Audience engagement is the best way to make a speech memorable. Many speakers utilize games and other activities to ensure their audience is involved and paying attention.This is a great approach (more on that in the next tip!), but this first tip is about using more subtle ways to create engagement.

Because you don’t need to have tons of complex activities throughout, nor do you need to ask your audience to hug their neighbors every 7 ½ minutes to make your speech memorable.

Instead, you can try to bring in moments of reflection to keep your audience engaged. A great tip for this is to say something like, “You’re going to want to write this down,” right before you share a juicy tidbit. Or, if you’re talking about leadership, you can say something along the lines of: “Take a moment to write down three goals that you have for yourself as a leader,” — a tactic which can be applied to almost any topic or industry.

For those who are already engaged and paying attention, they will become even more enthralled. And for those who may have gotten distracted — this is a moment that will pique their interest and bring them back into the fold.

Tip #2 How to Make a Speech Memorable: Simple Games That Work

This tip for improving your games and engagement activities comes from entertaining keynote speaker and master of ceremonies, Rob Ferre . For virtual events, because the chat function is readily available, he likes to do an “all play” kind of game that he can easily make specific to each industry.

As an example of an easy-to-create game, Rob Ferre described a game for an audience of dentists he called, “Name that Smile,” featuring different celebrities' teeth and smiles. This little game had everyone guessing, interested and engaged. And all he had to do was gather famous smiles, place them on a few slides and keep clicking through. “Reveal” games such as these are easy to do and can be catered to your audience.

It’s also an effective game with a live audience. For live crowds, you can either have the entire crowd yell out the answers, or you can do it “verses” style, which includes calling a few people up to answer onstage. If you want to increase engagement even more, when you call people up on stage, try assigning different sections of the audience to be their “team.” Team 1, Team 2, Team Blue, Team Red — whatever you want. This gives each side a vested interest in the outcome. Most likely, they’ll pay attention and cheer on their representative like you’ve never seen.

For even more simple, yet exciting, engagement activities ideas, listen to the entire Speakernomics episode “ Next Level Engagement with Robb Ferre .”

Tip #3 How to Make a Speech Memorable: Never Underestimate the Power of SWAG

Consider giving out prizes or SWAG (or Stuff We All Get) to your audience. These items can be used as prizes for certain activities or just given out to all attendees. The bottom line: people love free stuff!

So, what product of yours can you give away as a prize? Whatever it is, the key to make it that much better in the eyes of your audience is to give it some weight and excitement. For example, say you have written a book. You can give away a hardcover copy to the “winner” of a game, and you can give the runner up the audiobook version. This way everyone walks away with something and that feels good. Now, if you really want to be the hero, take another tip from Rob Ferre, and have an “Oprah moment” where you give everyone in the audience a PDF version of the book for free,

No matter what you end up giving away, people will love it! The big tip is to give the leadup to the prize a little bit of drama and increased value. This will keep everyone interested and make your speech more memorable.

Tip #4 How to Make a Speech Memorable: Bring the Audience Into the Story

We’ve talked about how stories can help to make a speech memorable before. Whenever you tell a story, you want your audience to be inside of your story. You want them to be nodding their heads and thinking, “That’s me!”

How do you accomplish this?

By using as much you-focused language as possible. This will bring your audience into your story. Phrases such as: “How often have you…” or “Think back to when…” are great little intros that will have the audience inserting themselves into your story, keeping them engaged and hanging on to your every word.

These examples (and more speech-improving tips) come from “THE Presentation Skills Expert,” Patricia Ripp, CSP, CPAE . For more phrases to use to increase engagement with your audience read this article we created covering some of the best ones: “ Improve Your Presentation: 3 Ways to Take Your Speech from Good to Grea t.”

Tip #5: Curate the Experience How to Make a Speech Memorable

Peter Katz , a singer/songwriter (and one of the featured speakers at this year’s Influence conference) provided a few tips on how to enhance the setting to make your speech more memorable. He recommends utilizing semiotics , which is something he learned when studying theater. Semiotics is all about signs, symbols and meaning-making.

For example, when you go to the theater to see a play or the opera, there will be an entire range of symbols on stage — colors and props that feed into your experience before you’ve heard one note from the symphony or one line from the actors. What all those symbols do — the chandelier, the red carpet, the vase of flowers — is they signal to the audience that something special is happening here, or, something dangerous is happening over there, and so on.

As a beginning speaker, you too can utilize semiotics to elevate the experience. If you have a knack for creating beautiful environments, then bring a few props with you to create an instant mood. If you’ve never set a scene before or if it’s not your strong suit, consider bringing a bag of twinkle lights to use if the lighting isn’t great. And if you don’t like the arrangement of the stage, and you have some freedom to re-arrange a little bit to make it more appealing — then do so! It will be worth it.

Curating the experience is a subtle, yet important way you can make a speech memorable. For more tips, check out the complete Speakernomics episode “ Maximizing Your Performance with Peter Katz .”

In Closing…

As a beginning speaker , you might have a great story and plenty of charisma, but to take your speech skills to the upper echelon, it pays to get some tips from those who have “been there, done that!”

We hope a few of the pro insights shared here stood out to you. Incorporate all of them and you will most certainly make every speech memorable!

Speaker Follow-Up Strategies For More Profitability

So you hit a home run with your speech. Now what?

How to Make a Speaker Reel That Attracts More Opportunities

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Giving an Entertaining Speech

If you need to give a speech in the near future and it needs to be an entertaining ones, consider our product. Many people are afraid of public speaking, but even those who do so on a regular basis get nervous about delivering a speech to entertain. That is because these speeches not only need to convey information to and in front of an audience, it also has to be entertaining. This can be tough to calibrate and even harder to practice. Fortunately, our product can walk you through the whole process and even provide you with some of its own entertainment. Speech samples are provided as well so you know exactly what to aim for. With our service, you will be sure to produce a speech that is as entertaining as it is informative.

Choosing a Topic

All entertaining speeches need a topic. While we will provide you a list of entertaining speech topics, you may not have a say in the matter. Your topic may already be decided and you simply need to find a way to combine this topic with some entertainment. Speech topics, no matter what they are, can almost always be injected with some kind of humor or theatrics. Our product will show you how to take the topic you are given and look for the entraining angle, while still being appropriate for the audience and covering all the pertinent material. We show you how to balance entertainment, speech basics and delivery into a confident talk you will be proud of upon completion.

Outlining the Idea

All good speeches, even those aiming to entertain, begin with a solid outline. Your outline helps keep you focused on the task at hand and making sure you cover all your important points. It also helps balance the informative side of the speech with the part that provides entertainment. Speeches with a solid outline are better organized and better written. As such, they will make you more confident beforehand which will show during your speech. It also makes it easier to add in the entertainment in appropriate places that are spread out well.

Though giving a speech can be tough, giving one that is entertaining can be even harder. Do not let the challenge at hand keep you from doing your best. Our product will provide you with the instruction necessary to speak well and entertain at the same time. We will take you though picking your topic and even provide a list of entertaining speech ideas. The outline that comes with it will make sure you plot out the subject matter you are covering in such a way that no important point goes missing, while at the same time, keeping it full of entertainment. Speech ideas and the outline are only part of what you will receive though. You will also get samples of other entertaining and informative speeches so you have a goal to aim for and measure yourself against. With our service you will approach your speech with the confidence to deliver it perfectly and make it entertaining at the same time.

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Types of Speeches: The Entertaining Speech

In the context of this series, an entertaining speech is one whose sole purpose is to have the audience enjoy the presentation. The purpose of an entertaining speech is not to educate, inform or inspire … it is to make the audience smile, relax, enjoy and maybe even laugh their heads off. (Figuratively, of course … real heads falling off would cause a nasty mess!)

If you decide to become a professional speaker or use speaking as an integral part of your marketing strategy, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the various types of speeches you might be asked to give. In this series of posts, I’ll give you the basics of a variety of types of presentations you can prepare. At the end of this post, I’ve listed previous articles in this series.

Let’s be honest here, entertainment truly is in the eye of the beholder. What one person finds entertaining, another may find duller than dishwater. So, you really have to know your audience in order to entertain them.

But what does that mean?

Although many — if not most — entertaining speeches are funny, they do not need to include humor to be entertaining. Dramas are entertaining but not funny, right? Here are some tips for creating an entertaining speech:

How to write an entertaining speech

There are many ways to entertain an audience. You can:

tell funny stories
dramatize an anecdote
tell a scary story

When it comes right down to it … there are probably as many ways to entertain as there are entertainers … and audiences.

That said, there are some guidelines for creating an entertaining speech.

Chose an appropriate topic: You don’t want the topic to be too dense, complicated or heavy. Remember, you’re not trying to give your audience a greater understanding of anything. You’re there to help them have a good time.
Enjoy yourself: Believe it or not, it is hard for an audience to enjoy your presentation if it looks like you are not enjoying presenting it!
Keep it simple: Your presentation should be easy to follow. Don’t make it hard for your audience to keep up with you mentally … or in any other way.
Make it visceral: Use vivid word pictures. This is not the type of presentation where you can be lazy in your descriptions. Make your words pop with strong images that pop in their minds.
Say it like a roller coaster, baby! Add unexpected twists and turns to your presentation. When you surprise your audience with where your story is going, that adds to the entertainment factor.

Resources for developing entertaining speeches:

List of Funny Speech Topics
How to Write an Entertaining Speech for Any Occasion
How To Make An Entertaining Speech/Presentation

Did you miss these?

Here are the previous posts in this “Type of Speeches” series:

The Keynote Address
The Training Session
The Motivational Speech

The next post in this series is The Demonstration .

Did you like this post? Please share!

About the author

Carma Spence, is author of Public Speaking Super Powers. She is fiercely committed to guiding women to Owning their Superpowers and turning their knowledge and interests into a profitable business. She is masterful at helping her clients see what is possible for them and supporting them on the journey from where they are to where they want to be, releasing the Mind Goblins of self-doubt, self-sabotage and second-guessing that keep them stuck.

With 20+ years experience in marketing communications and public relations, natural intuitive skills and certification in using some of the most effective transformational coaching tools available, Carma’s mission and commitment is to unleash the inner power every woman entrepreneur possesses so they can boldly go out into the world, transforming the fabric of people’s lives in meaningful and positive ways.

You can find her on Facebook , Twitter , Google+ and LinkedIn . Her website is CarmaSpence.com .

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TEASE ’em: 5 Ways to Start Your Speech

Defer the customary “nice-to-be-here” platitudes.

Direct your audience more into fawning than yawning over your speech opening. How?

Start your speech better by diving in! Instead of gingerly dipping your toes into the proverbial speaking pool, open with a splash! Pattern your platform performance after the TEASE opening which Saturday Night Live has made famous for more than 25 years.

Learning from Saturday Night Live to Start Your Speech

The opening of Saturday Night Live is much anticipated and always engaging. Consider the formula they use:

First , a “cold” open. There’s no warm up. No toes in the water. They just jump in with the opening skit (usually one of the most memorable of the night).
Then , following the catchy “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!”, the host introduces herself and the musical guest, and sets the agenda for the show.

Can you apply this formula to start your speech?

First , TEASE your audience from the second you open your mouth. And open their eyes to something new, different, and even entertaining. Pique their interest. Immerse your audience into the action from the opening second with a verbal splash of cold water. With a powerful 30- to 60-second opening, your audience will be engaged to stay tuned for more.

Then , you can then formally introduce yourself, and give your audience an overview of your speech. It’s important they know up front why your speech is important to them.

Let’s examine those first thirty to sixty seconds. What’s a TEASE?

What is a TEASE Speech Opening?

“ Immerse your audience into the action from the opening second with a verbal splash of cold water. ”

TEASE is an acronym for five ways to gain and retain your audience’s attention:

T estimonial

Example: How to Start a Speech About Speaking

Let’s say you wanted to design, develop, and deliver a speech on the importance of public speaking. Here are five TEASE techniques you might use:

Testimonial Cite the behavior of a celebrity and/or quote an influential person the audience will know of or respect.
Evidence On the impact of public speaking in your career success.
Anecdote Of someone benefiting directly from their public speaking expertise.
Statement On the significance of public speaking to the quality of life.
Example Of a person whose career really took off because of public speaking.

Let’s look at examples of each of these TEASE techniques for a great speech opening.

1. Start Your Speech With… a Testimonial

Cite the behavior of a celebrity and/or quote an influential person the audience will know of or respect.

“If all my possessions were taken away from me with one exception, I would choose the power of speech. For by it, I would regain all the rest of my possessions.” That’s what former Senator and Secretary of State Daniel Webster once observed of the significance of effective public speaking. Likewise, Pericles, the Greek orator, also understood the significance of public speaking when he said: “The person who can think and does not know how to express what he thinks is at a level of him who cannot think.”

2. Start Your Speech With… Evidence

Present statistics or other data on the importance of public speaking.

The University of Michigan conducted a survey of 1,290 business school alumni who were recently promoted. They were asked what specific subject area prepared them the most for their business success. More than 70 percent cited effective communications as the top business skill — ahead of financial and business acumen!

3. Start Your Speech With… an Anecdote

Tell a story of someone directly affected by the benefits of public speaking.

Isabelle lived alone for the first six years of her life. Very alone in her silent world. She lived only with her reclusive mother who also could not speak. She was a deaf mute. Isabelle was so isolated from other people she had no chance to learn or practice speaking. When authorities finally rescued her from her silent and isolated world, she seemed ineducable. But after being around people who could speak, Isabelle broke out of her silent world. In one week, she vocalized sounds. In two months, she spoke in full sentences. In 16 months she learned 2,000 words. And in 56 months her IQ tripled, in part due to the power of being around people who could speak.

4. Start Your Speech With… a Statement

Make a bold observation on the importance of public speaking.

Public speaking is the sine qua non * of leadership. Without it, you cannot lead. With it, you can “lead nations, raise armies, inspire victories and blow fresh courage into the hearts of men” as Adlai Stevenson eulogized Sir Winston Churchill.

[* Ed. sine qua non : Latin for “essential element”.]

5. Start Your Speech With… an Example

Cite a person whose career really took off because of public speaking.

After graduating from college with degrees in chemistry and microbiology, Wilma Subra figured she’d spend more time with a microscope than a microphone. But that was before she found out how many families were being exposed to high levels of chemicals and other toxins as part of her field work for a company in Louisiana. Her employer did not want to release the polluting information. So Wilma decided to start her own company, conducting environmental tests and reporting her results to government authorities and the media. Wilma soon found herself in a variety of public speaking platforms. Her work directly cleaned up dozens of toxic sites across the country and saved thousands of lives in more than 800 communities over the last 20 years. Wilma credits her public speaking ability for much of her environmental campaign success. She says public speaking is the best way to “engage people and get them involved.”

Your Assignment to Start Your Next Speech

TEASE ’em to please ’em. Think Testimonial, Example, Anecdote, Statement, and Evidence for the next speech you write. And dive in!

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Great blog — I’ve been urging speakers for years to ‘jump right in’ — I tell them to imagine if the new James Bond had started Casino Royale by appearing on screen in a suit and saying, ‘Hello everyone. What you’re about to see is a really exciting car chase. There will be lots of loud noises, stirring music, and crashes. That will be followed by….’ Ridiculous, and yet that’s the way most people start their speeches.

I love the TEASE acronym. A powerful start is such an easy change to improve many speaker’s performance and connection to their audiences.

I use the SPEAKER acronym for what it takes to be a great speaker. Stories, Practice, Experience, Authority, Knowledge, Energy and Reason.

I am confused, what is the difference amongst anecdote, testimonial and story ?

a story can be fictional, but a anecdote is a real story. a testimonial can be a quote or or something to with a celebrity or famous person.

It helped me alot

It very good knowledge. More i learn and know now.

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8 Blog Links

Kill your audience… quickly, but not painlessly: agenda slides? « Reinhardt’s Ramblings — May 12th, 2010

Tyneside Speakers Club » How to Introduce a Speaker: 16 Essential Tips for Success — Dec 14th, 2010

Maid Of Honor Speech - Easy Tips You Can Try Right Now! | Wedding Sacramento — Mar 18th, 2011

How To Introduce A Speaker — Dec 8th, 2011

Bookending Your Speech « 20120309blog — Mar 18th, 2012

Kissing Sleeping Beauty With More Than Lip Service « LEADERSHIP MINTS — Apr 23rd, 2012

Speaking IV: More Web Resources « learningenglishsolo — May 2nd, 2012

Hoe begin je je presentatie? | Kersen eten met Aristoteles — Apr 24th, 2013

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How to make your presentation sound more like a conversation.

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The main difference between strong, confident speakers and speakers who seem nervous in front of the room is in how relaxed and conversational they appear. Here are some basic pointers that will help you create a conversational tone when speaking, regardless of the size of your audience.

1. Avoid using the word, “presentation.” Every time you say, “I’m here to give you a presentation on X,” or, “In this presentation, you’ll see…,” you are emphasizing the formal, structured, sometimes artificial nature of the interaction. No one wants to be “presented” to. Instead, use language that emphasizes a natural, conversational exchange. “We’re here today to talk about X,” or “Today I’ll be sharing some ideas regarding Y.” You can even go so far as to say, “I’m glad we have time together today to discuss Z.” Even if your talk is not going to truly be a dialogue, you can use language that suggests engagement with the audience.

2. If you are using PowerPoint, avoid using the word “slide.” Instead of talking about the medium, talk about the concepts. Swap out, “This slide shows you…,” for, “Here we see….” Instead of saying, “On that slide I showed you a moment ago,” say, “A moment ago we were discussing X. Here’s how that issue will impact Y and Z.” Casual conversations don’t usually involve slide decks. Just because your complicated presentation on tax exposure, supply chain issues, or new health care regulations requires you to use slides, doesn’t mean you have to draw attention to that fact that the setting is formal and structured.

3. For many large-group events, speakers are provided with what’s called a “confidence monitor,” a computer screen that sits on the floor at the speaker’s feet showing the slide that appears on the large screen above the speaker’s head. Avoid using confidence monitors. Our natural inclination when using a confidence monitor is to gesture at the bullet point we’re discussing at the moment. However, we are pointing to a bullet point on the screen at our feet, which the audience can’t see, so it creates a disconnect between us and the audience. Instead, stand to the side of the large screen and gesture at the bullet point you’re talking about so that the audience knows which point you are discussing at the moment.

4. Don’t tell your audience, “I want this to be interactive.” It’s your job to make it interactive. If you are delivering the type of presentation where your audience size allows you to create true engagement with your listeners, create that connecting in stages to “warm up” the audience. Stage One engagement is to ask the audience a question relevant to your topic that you know most of the audience members can respond to affirmatively. “Who here has ever bought a new car?” or, “How many of you have ever waited more than 5 minutes on hold on a customer service line?” Raise your hand as you ask the question to indicate to the audience how to respond. Whoever has raised their hand has now participated in the discussion. They have indicated a willingness to engage. Stage Two engagement is calling on one of the people who raised their hand and asking a specific, perfunctory question. Again, it needs to be a question they can answer easily. If your first questions is, “Who here has bought a new car?” you can then call on someone and ask, “How long ago,” or “What kind of car did you buy most recently?” If your first question was, “Have you ever waited on hold for more than 5 minutes,” you can’t ask, “What company were you calling at the time?” The people who raised their hands weren’t thinking of a specific instance; they were just thinking broadly about that type of experience. You could, however, call on someone and ask, “Do you prefer when they play music or ads for the company’s products?” Anyone can answer that question. At that point, you are in an actual dialogue with that person. Stage Three engagement is asking them a question where they need to reveal something more personal. “How does that make you feel when you hear those ads?” You’ve warmed up your audience and drawn them in with baby steps. Now you have actual, meaningful audience participation.

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5. Use gestures. When we’re speaking in an informal setting, we all use hand gestures; some people use more than others, but we all use them. When we try to rein in our gestures, two things happen that diminish our speaking style. First, we look stiff and unnatural. We look like we are presenting a guarded or cautious version of ourselves; we look less genuine. Second, hand gestures burn up the nervous energy we all have when speaking in front of a large group. That’s good. When we try to minimize our hand gestures, we tie up that nervous energy and it starts to leak out on odd ways, where we start to tap our foot, fidget with our notes or microphone, or tilt our head side to side to emphasize key points. Just let the gestures fly. It’s unlikely they will be too large or distracting. I have coached people on their presentation skills for 26 years. In that time, I have met three people who gestured too much. Everyone else would benefit from using their gestures more freely.

The impact we have as communicators is based on the cumulative effect of many different elements of our delivery. These suggestions alone won’t make you a terrific presenter. They will, however, add to the overall package your present of yourself when speaking to large audiences.

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Public speaking mastery: 5 essential tips for success

Discover five essential techniques to master public speaking, boost your confidence, engage your audience, and succeed in any speaking scenario..

Tuesday June 25, 2024 , 4 min Read

Public speaking is a critical skill that can significantly impact your personal and professional life. Whether you're presenting in front of a small group or addressing a large audience, mastering public speaking can boost your confidence and enhance your ability to communicate effectively.

Here are five essential techniques to help you achieve success in public speaking.

1. Know your audience

Understanding your audience is the first step to effective public speaking . Tailoring your message to meet their needs and expectations ensures your content resonates with them. Here’s how you can get to know your audience better:

Research : Learn about their demographics, interests, and knowledge level regarding your topic.
Engage : If possible, interact with some audience members before your speech to gauge their expectations and interests.
Customise : Adjust your language, examples, and tone to align with the audience's preferences and understanding.

2. Structure your speech

A well-structured speech is easier to follow and more engaging. Organise your content logically, ensuring a smooth flow from one point to the next. Here’s a basic structure you can follow:

Introduction : Capture the audience's attention with a compelling opening statement or question. Introduce your main topic and outline what you will cover.
Body : Divide the main content into clear sections or points. Use transitions to connect these sections seamlessly.
Conclusion : Summarise the key points and end with a strong closing statement or call to action.

3. Practice, practice, practice

Practice is crucial for public speaking mastery . The more you rehearse, the more comfortable and confident you will become. Here are some effective practice techniques:

Rehearse aloud : Practice your speech out loud to get used to the sound of your voice and the rhythm of your words.
Use a mirror : Practice in front of a mirror to observe your body language and facial expressions.
Record yourself : Record your rehearsals to identify areas for improvement and to track your progress.
Seek feedback : Present your speech to a friend or family member and ask for constructive feedback.

4. Master non-verbal communication

Non-verbal communication plays a significant role in how your message is received. Your body language, facial expressions, and eye contact can enhance or undermine your words. Here’s how to improve your non-verbal communication:

Maintain eye contact : Establish a connection with your audience by maintaining eye contact. This shows confidence and helps build trust.
Use gestures : Incorporate natural gestures to emphasise key points and make your speech more dynamic.
Be aware of posture : Stand or sit up straight to convey confidence and authority. Avoid fidgeting or crossing your arms, as these can signal nervousness or defensiveness.
Facial expressions : Use facial expressions to convey emotions and reinforce your message.

5. Manage your anxiety

Public speaking anxiety is common, but it can be managed with the right techniques. Here are some strategies to help you stay calm and focused:

Preparation : Thorough preparation can alleviate anxiety. Knowing your material well gives you confidence.
Breathing exercises : Practice deep breathing exercises to calm your nerves before and during your speech.
Visualisation : Visualise yourself delivering a successful speech. This positive imagery can boost your confidence.
Focus on the message : Concentrate on the message you want to convey rather than on yourself. This shift in focus can reduce self-consciousness and anxiety.

Mastering public speaking takes time and practice, but the rewards are well worth the effort. By knowing your audience, structuring your speech, practising diligently, mastering non-verbal communication, and managing your anxiety, you can become a more effective and confident speaker. These essential techniques will not only enhance your public speaking skills but also open doors to new opportunities in both your personal and professional life.

Public speaking
presentation skills
Overcoming Stage Fright
speaking skills
personal growth

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COMMENTS

18.1 Understanding Entertaining Speeches
Entertaining speeches are speeches designed to captivate an audience's attention and regale or amuse them while delivering a clear message. Speakers engage in entertaining speeches generally at special occasions (e.g., weddings, funerals) or are asked to deliver a keynote address. Entertaining speeches should include four key considerations ...
Entertaining Speech: 6 Tips for Amusing your Audience
Here are some tips to consider in giving an entertaining speech. 1. SET THE TONE. How you start your speech is important. How you begin will either make your audience relax and look forward to what you have to say or become defensive and nit-pick your every word. A joke, witty comment or an unusual greeting are all great options.
How to Write an Entertaining Speech: Guide, Tips, and Example
Make sure that you don't go beyond the specified limits. 7. Mind your gestures and body language. Your speech might be brilliant, but you won't be able to make a good impression if you don't control your body and gestures. Practice in front of the mirror and mind your gestures. 8. Use various intonations.
A Guide To Making Your Speech Interesting
Chances are, one of the key points that made the first speech especially interesting and memorable and the second speech especially uninteresting and drab was the manner in which the speaker delivered the talk. 7. Use Concrete Evidence & Simple Language. An important thing to keep in mind is using concrete evidence.
13 Tips For Giving a Speech That Engages Your Audience
Here are 13 tips that can help you prepare a great speech from start to finish: 1. Determine and analyze your audience. Before writing your speech, think about who your audience is and center the tone and presentation style around them. If you're giving a speech at a conference full of business professionals, you may want to keep your speech ...
Entertainment Speech Maker + Topics, Examples, & Writing Tips
This entertainment speech generator ensures you don't worry about getting the correct vocabulary for your task. It chooses the most appropriate language based on the topic of your presentation. 🦄 Inspiring. This speech maker will help you effortlessly compose an entertaining speech, saving you from terrible writer's block. 🎯 Specialized.
Speeches
Ethos refers to an appeal to your audience by establishing your authenticity and trustworthiness as a speaker. If you employ pathos, you appeal to your audience's emotions. Using logos includes the support of hard facts, statistics, and logical argumentation. The most effective speeches usually present a combination these rhetorical strategies.
Understanding Entertaining Speeches
Entertaining speeches are speeches designed to captivate an audience's attention and regale or amuse them while delivering a clear message. Speakers engage in entertaining speeches generally at special occasions (e.g., weddings, funerals) or are asked to deliver a keynote address. Entertaining speeches should include four key considerations ...
20.1: Understanding Entertaining Speeches
Entertaining speeches should include four key considerations: preparation, adaptation to the occasion, adaptation to the audience, and mindfulness of the time. As with all speeches, speakers need to prepare the speech. Second, speakers need to think about the specific occasion. Third, speakers need to adapt their speeches to the specific audience.
13.1: Understanding Entertaining Speeches
Entertaining speeches should include four key considerations: preparation, adaptation to the occasion, adaptation to the audience, and mindfulness of the time. As with all speeches, speakers need to prepare the speech. Second, speakers need to think about the specific occasion. Third, speakers need to adapt their speeches to the specific audience.
How to Make an Entertaining Speech and Presentation
6. Don't Insult. If you tell comical or humorous things about some individuals, don't insult — be sensitive. Adding your own experiences and funny stories helps increase the entertainment ...
9 Tips to Make Your Speech Memorable
To be forgettable: Present a company's future forecast solely in abstract terms. To be memorable: Present a company's future forecast by highlighting their lineup of new products with relevant market data. 3. Use words understood by your audience. To deliver a memorable speech, you must analyze your audience.
15.2: Understanding Entertaining Speeches
15.2: Understanding Entertaining Speeches. In broad terms, an entertaining speech is a speech designed to captivate an audience's attention and regale or amuse them while delivering a message. Like more traditional informative or persuasive speeches, entertaining speeches should communicate a clear message, but the manner of speaking used in ...
PRDV008: Entertaining Speeches
After-dinner speeches are first and foremost speeches. A ceremonial speech is a type of entertaining speech where the specific context of the speech is the driving force of the speech. Common types of ceremonial speeches include introductions, toasts, and eulogies. In each of these cases, there are specific events that drive the speech.
Impress Any Audience With Eight Tips For An Effective Speech
2. Be engaging. Connect to your audience and keep it lively. Don't over-teach or talk down to a group. People want to be entertained and educated. If your speech is not entertaining, don't try too ...
Entertaining Speech Topics [195 Ideas To Keep Audience Engaged]
Rare pronounciations of ordinary words and phrases. The art of kissing. Bad hair day solutions. Shopping guide for a man. Problem solving in an entertaining way. Funny facts of life are popular topics for an entertainment speech. Golfing at night or in the snow. Lawyers and the truth. Creative marriage proposals.
Understanding Entertaining Speeches
Key Takeaways. Entertaining speeches are speeches designed to captivate an audience's attention and regale or amuse them while delivering a clear message. Speakers engage in entertaining speeches generally at special occasions (e.g., weddings, funerals) or are asked to deliver a keynote address. Entertaining speeches should include four key ...
How to Make a Speech Memorable: A Guide for Beginning Speakers
Tip #1 How to Make a Speech Memorable: Engage, But Don't Overthink it. Audience engagement is the best way to make a speech memorable. Many speakers utilize games and other activities to ensure their audience is involved and paying attention.This is a great approach (more on that in the next tip!), but this first tip is about using more ...
Writing A Great Entertaining Speech: A Comprehensive Guide
Speeches with a solid outline are better organized and better written. As such, they will make you more confident beforehand which will show during your speech. It also makes it easier to add in the entertainment in appropriate places that are spread out well. Though giving a speech can be tough, giving one that is entertaining can be even ...
Types of Speeches: The Entertaining Speech
Here are the previous posts in this "Type of Speeches" series: The Keynote Address. The Training Session. The Motivational Speech. The next post in this series is The Demonstration. Growing As a Person - Why You Shouldn't Be Afraid of Personal Growth. Public Speaking Tip #29: Respecting Time Limits.
13 Main Types of Speeches (With Examples and Tips)
Informative speech. Informative speeches aim to educate an audience on a particular topic or message. Unlike demonstrative speeches, they don't use visual aids. They do, however, use facts, data and statistics to help audiences grasp a concept. These facts and statistics help back any claims or assertions you make.
How to Start Your Speech: Tease 'em 5 Ways
Pique their interest. Immerse your audience into the action from the opening second with a verbal splash of cold water. With a powerful 30- to 60-second opening, your audience will be engaged to stay tuned for more. Then, you can then formally introduce yourself, and give your audience an overview of your speech.
How To Make Your Presentation Sound More Like A Conversation
5. Use gestures. When we're speaking in an informal setting, we all use hand gestures; some people use more than others, but we all use them.
Public speaking mastery: 5 essential tips for success
2. Structure your speech. A well-structured speech is easier to follow and more engaging. Organise your content logically, ensuring a smooth flow from one point to the next.
How can you make your speech entertaining? To make your speech
An entertaining speech may also benefit from multimedia components that are appropriate and accessible to your audience. Additionally, ensure that you are engaging with your audience by using vocal techniques such as gestures, inflection, and changes in speed and pitch, which enliven your delivery and create a connection with the audience.
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If you're expecting a baby, you'll need to take the 2 steps listed here before you can apply for CHAMPVA for your newborn: You'll need to get a Social Security number for your baby by applying at the nearest Social Security Administration office, and You'll need to set up the baby's status as a dependent of the Veteran sponsor by contacting your nearest VA regional office.

18.1 Understanding Entertaining Speeches

Be Prepared

Be Adaptive to the Occasion

Be Adaptive to Your Audience

Be Mindful of the Time

Key Takeaways

Share This Book

Entertaining Speech: 6 Tips for Amusing your Audience

HOW TO GIVE AN EFFECTIVE ENTERTAINING SPEECH? 6 Basic Tips

2. STRUCTURE IS STILL IMPORTANT

4. USE SIMPLE LANGUAGE

5. USE TIME AS AN ALLY

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A Guide To Making Your Speech Interesting

What Makes A Speech Boring?

You’ve messed up the beginning

It’s Too Complex

You haven’t structured it properly

There’s nothing unique about it

Steps To Make Your Speech Interesting

1. Keep It Short & Sweet

2. Choose your words wisely

3. Grab Their Attention In The Beginning

4. Make Them Laugh

5. Tell Them Stories

6. Express Yourself Expressively

7. Use Concrete Evidence & Simple Language

8. Know & Understand Your Audience

9. Interact With The Audience

10. The Ending Matters Too

7 secret ingredients to spice up your speech

1. Using Props

2. Playing a game

3. How about a video?

4. Using Different Storytelling Approaches

5. Adding Impromptu Activities

6. Use Audience Polls

7. Get People To Join You On The Stage

Examples of Interesting Speeches

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Entertainment Speech Maker

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✅ 6 Benefits of This Informative Speech Generator

Sandra Bullock - 2010 Oscar Acceptance Speech

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❓ Entertainment Speech Maker FAQ

What this handout is about

What’s different about a speech?

What’s your purpose?

Audience analysis

Creating an effective introduction

Establish context and/or motive

Get to the point

Making your speech easy to understand

Incorporate previews and summaries into the speech

Use especially strong transitions

Helping your audience listen

Limit pronoun use

Keeping audience interest

Use statistics and quotations sparingly

Watch your tone

Creating an effective conclusion

Call to action

Practicing for effective presentation

Other resources

Works consulted

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