In the last 12 months, speaking has become a central part of my body of work. Big organisations, small organisations. Informal gatherings, formal company meets. I love the opportunity to talk. To share. To inspire. To educate. To entertain.

That’s my goal for every talk, best-summarised as: “Transformation over Information”.

I’m a long way from where I hope to take myself and this part of my work. So I am not the finished article. But having started to develop some useful strategies on my journey, I wanted to share some thoughts. Because I know more and more of us are finding ourselves faced with the need to speak publicly.

So, should you be considering your next address and are thinking about where to start, here are 15 cut-the-the-quick questions to get you completely tuned-in to your audience and your message.

#1 Why am I giving this talk?

Start with the basics. Why am I here? Why have I been asked? What are my hopes for this?

#2 What’s the big idea?

So, what’s this talk all about? What’s the big idea that’s at the nub of this talk?

#3 What disruptions surround this big idea?

The big idea is central. Now: what are the disruptive thoughts around it that will really challenge the audience’s mindset?

#4 And why should my audience care about all that?

Who is my audience? What do they care about? And why might they care about this big idea and its disruptions?

#5 How big and well-understood is the problem?

There is a problem in here, somewhere. A gap. How big is it? and how well-understood?

#6 What am I really saying?

Bottom-line time. When all is said and done: what am I REALLY saying, here?

#7 What are the consequence of not adopting the big idea?

So what? What happens if I don’t adopt or accept your big idea?

#8 What’s the promise?

And what promise do you have for me, if I do?

#9 What are the rewards for accepting and adopting the big idea?

And now, given your promise: what other rewards are there. Think: Time. Financial. Emotional. Physical. Social. (etc.!)

#10 What are the likely objections going to be?

Think of 7 – 10 common inhibitors to change. And what do you say to those objections?

#11 How do I want my audience to feel (now)?

We’re nearing the end of the talk. They’ve heard the arguments. How do I want them to feel, in this moment?

#12 What do I want the audience to do?

And in that throe of emotion, what action do I want them to take?

#13 Why does the world needs this?

Always keep coming back to a bigger picture. Why does the world need this?

#14 What’s my intro?

Certainly not “unaccustomed as I am …” Sell the listener on listening to your entire talk.

#15 What’s my pitch?

A final tip: write a short pitch for your talk. Title, highlights and key outcomes. Would you go to your own talk?

Thanks for reading!

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