Speech it like (Michelle) Obama

You know you gave a great speech when people still talk about you weeks after. That is exactly what Michelle Obama did when she took to the podium at the Democratic convention to drum up support for Hillary Clinton.

So, what can we learn from Michelle to help us when we give speeches?

POSTURE

A good posture is a vital part of a speech. A bad posture might muffle your voice. Slouching or slumping might give a negative impression to your audience.

Also do not be too stiff, as this might make you uncomfortable. It is usually better to aim for a relaxed posture that is also respectful to your audience.

VOCAL EXERCISES

A good voice is one awesome way to get your listeners paying attention. We often think vocal exercises are for singers but anyone who talks for a living needs to learn one or two to do regularly.

STYLE

Can you speak extemporaneously or do you require notes? You have to choose a style you are most suitable with.

Some people work with notes, using headlines to keep reminding them, others can just give a speech straight up without notes. Which of these are you?

Please remember that if you use a speech written for you by a speech writer, you need to go through it, at least once or twice, it helps your delivery. REMEMBER MELANIA TRUMP!

TONE

Ensure your tone is conversational. If you talk like you do in normal conversation, your audience will connect. But if you are preachy, they are likely to tune out.

So speak like you are talking to one person and you will have reached every person in the room.

Lastly? Drink some water, you can even take a bottle of water on stage, it is a trick most experienced speakers use.

Drink some water as a means of pausing or collecting yourself. So, who has more tips? I would love to hear from you.