Constructing Your Speech

There are only three parts to a speech; the open, the, middle and the close. It’s as simple as that. And the parts you need to work on the most are the open and the close. The open should say four things; who you are, why you are there, what your topics is and what it has to do with the audience.

The opening is a good place to promote your book, to make them want to buy your book after your speech and to make them want to hear what you have to say.

If you don’t have a book yet, write one. You increase your credibility as an expert in your field when you have a book and now it’s easier than ever to write and publish one. Self-publishing is the best way to go. You spend all the money and you make all the money.

You need products to sell in the back of the room so they can take you home with them. If they like what they heard they will want more and you should have it for them in the form of books, CD’s, tapes, videos, ebooks and DVD’s. If you don’t have products to sell, you’re missing out on a lot of money.

Many speakers make more money in back of the room sales than they make for the speech.

I often use my book Humor Therapy 101 as a way for them to pay for me. I offer to sell them the book for $10 each and tag the $10 onto the ticket price. That way, each member gets a copy of my book and they get me for free. They have to buy 300 books. And if they don’t have 300 people attending, they can give the rest of the books to clients as a nice gift.

The close should be a call to action. Do you want them to meet you in the back of the room to buy products? Do you want them to join your mailing list? What do you want them to do? Your close should be very clear what you want them to do after your speech. Believe it or not, people don’t know what to do until you tell them. So if you want them to buy your products, tell them to meet you in the back of the room at your autograph table. You will be amazed at how many people will get up and follow you to the back of the room.

The middle is fairly easy, just make about three points. In my speech, Humor Therapy 101, I cover how to 1.make your illnesses, 2.your relationships and 3.your job better through humor. 

I cover a little on each and I remind them that to find out more, they need the book. And if they already have the book, I have more products on my autograph table they can buy. I have the audio CD, the DVD, the video and I have copies of my ebooks on sale.

Get the open, the middle and the close down and rehearsed before you make the speech and show confidence when you’re on the platform and you wiol be on your way to becoming at great speaker.