A better structure for a better impact!

Why do you need to outline your speech?

Outlining your speech will increase your professionalism and your impact on your audience on D-day (delivery day). It is not the right time to show your improvisation skills! If you outline your speech, it will be clearer and easier to follow for your audience.

Where do we start?

The first thing to do is to figure out what you are going to talk about. “Elementary my dear Watson?” Nevertheless, there are many ways to talk about one topic; it depends on your goal. Do you want to inform your audience? Persuade them? Motivate them?

Organizing your arguments

Once you know your topic and your goal you will need to organize your arguments. There are various models you can use regarding your goal. These models will help you structure your speech as well as improve your argumentation. For instance, you will not use the same structure if you want to inform or persuade your audience to take an action step.

Outlining your arguments

Outlining your arguments is the most efficient way to structure your speech. Some people would rather write the entire speech to make sure they do not forget anything. That is a big mistake! Indeed, if you memorize your entire speech you are more likely to be monotone. On top of this, you will not be able to make any eye contact with your audience because you will focus on what is coming next. And if you forget something you will panic. An outline helps you have all your arguments stated clearly.