By Dr Marko Saravanja

The following are fourteen tips for delivering powerful talks:

• Speak from your heart instead of reading your speech
• Be sincere, authentic and enthusiastic
• Smile, be relaxed, energetic and be in command
• Be happy and gracious to have an opportunity to address the audience
• Greet and compliment the audience for their presence and organisation of the event
• Have a powerful introduction, introduce your topic and time you will be talking
• Talk loud enough so that people at the back can hear you
• Keep eye contact with as many people as possible – do not talk to your notes, slides or whiteboard
• Use appropriate jokes, relax your audience and have a fun
• Pause and change tone and volume of your voice when making important points – silence is good
• Do not preach, repeat, pontificate, go on, or be dogmatic
• Watch for body language, are people yawning, reading their sms’s, or listening attentively
• Use variety of strategies to build trust and to connect with your audience emotionally, intellectually and spiritually – stories, questions, jokes, wisdom, emotions, examples
• End with a powerful conclusion.  Summarise key points. Leave the audience with practical steps, the way forward, strong and memorable impression.