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You may have to give a speech or presentation for school or work, or you may be invited to speak on a subject you are an expert in or are passionate about. Keep the reason for your speaking engagement in mind as you prepare so that your focus remains on what you want to teach the audience or what you hope to  accomplish with your speech. If you have to speak in front of a group as a school assignment, carefully review the rubric and guidelines to ensure that your speech meets all of the requirements. In order to keep the audience engaged, it’s important to cater your speech to them. Whenever possible, find out the ages, backgrounds, and education levels of the audience members. Think about their beliefs and values as well as their attitude toward the topic you’re speaking about so that you can tailor your speech toward these specific people to make it more effective.  Talk to various audience members beforehand to get an idea of what’s important to them and why they’re attending your speaking engagement. For instance, giving a speech to a group of middle schoolers may require simpler language and more humor, while speaking in front of a military audience might require more decorum. Depending on the circumstances, you may need to research your topic before you begin writing. Then, create an outline that covers all the main points you want to convey. Include facts and a few statistics as well as personal anecdotes and even a joke or two if you think they would be received well. Write out your entire speech on notecards so you can rehearse it.  Remember why you're speaking about this topic and make sure all parts of your speech focus on your overall goal or call to action. A really engaging opening, or hook, is key. Share a story, statistic, or fact that will grab your audience’s attention and make them want to learn more. Present your main points in a logical order so the audience can follow your argument. Use transitions to guide your listeners to the next idea. End your speech with a provocative anecdote, fact, or call to action so that your audience continues to mull over what you said even after your speaking engagement is over. If your speaking engagement is a timed event, make sure your speech is within the limits. Practice your speech at a few different speaking speeds and time each delivery so you know if you need to cut anything. In most cases, shorter is better! Generally, a 5-minute speech contains around 750 words while a 20-minute speech might have between 2,500 and 3,000 words. The key to speaking in front of large groups of people is to be prepared. While you can start practicing by reading what you’ve written down, the goal is to memorize your speech, or at least the key points, so you don’t have to rely on your notes when you speak in front of the audience.  Don’t always rehearse from the beginning of your speech. Try starting at various places so you memorize each point independent of one another. That way, if you get sidetracked or lose your place, you’ll be familiar with picking up your speech in the middle. You can practice your speech in front of a mirror, in the car, or while you’re gardening, shooting hoops, cleaning, shopping, or doing nearly anything else. This can help you memorize it better and give you ample time to rehearse.
Determine why you want or need to speak. Learn about your audience so you can tailor your speech to their interests. Keep your goal in mind as you craft your speech. Stick to the time limit, if applicable. Practice until you don’t need your notes.