Why some speeches are more compelling than others
It’s not because they use big, fancy words or big, fancy sentences. The trick is quite simple. Come, let me show you.
Have you ever had a conversation with someone where you’re awestruck by the way they speak? Not their accent, not their voice, but the way they speak?
What I mean by this is their confidence, their charm, and the way words seem to effortlessly roll off their tongue. Take Emma Watson, for example. When she talks in speeches or interviews, you’re immediately drawn to her. She sounds intelligent. She sounds sure.
If you closely listen to Emma Watson at the HeForShe Campaign, she isn’t using complex words; she’s just using simple ones in a powerful way. She doesn’t try to display her intelligence by using words that most of the audience won’t understand. Instead, she uses words they will understand, and strings them together to get her point across.
Powerful speaking isn’t about vocabulary; it’s about connection.
And Emma Watson has cracked this code. In this instance, her speech is compelling not because of her words, but because of her ideas. Rather than rambling on about feminism, she calls on snippets of her life, making her speech relatable.
When you strip away the jargon and use everyday language, you turn a lecture into a shared experience. By enclosing complex ideas in familiar words and personal experiences, the message feels more like an undeniable truth, not an intellectual argument that must be one.
The most compelling speeches don’t make the audience think, “Wow! You’re so smart.” Instead, they make them go, “Wow! You understand me.”
Focus on the contents of the speech, not the diction, and soon, you’ll be able to give a speech the audience will not be able to look away from.
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So you have a good speech encompassing thoughtful ideas with simple words. Now what? Giving a speech requires more than good text. There is a whole new element that you’ll need. Some might argue it is the most important asset in life.
Listen to this: Priyanka Chopra Remembers the Inequality Women Faced During Her Upbringing in India. Priyanka Chopra doesn’t stutter. She doesn’t use filler words such as “umm” and “like.” Instead, she speaks with confidence. And confidence is the most important asset in life.
Confidence is the bridge that connects a great script with a captivated audience.
Priyanka Chopra speaks without hesitation or filters, immediately signaling that her ideas are worth our time. Her self-assurance commands our respect even before she reaches her main point. Unwavering confidence makes it impossible for the audience to look away.
How do you gain this confidence?
It’s really simple. Start small. Pick up a book and read it out loud. Cut down the pauses and filler words you might use. Do it again, and again, and again, until you can read it without any awkward pauses. Make it your habit. This not only helps reduce filler words, but also helps you speak with punctuation.
Next, practice speaking without filler words. Put it into action. Talk to your friends without relying on “umm.” Talking to your parents or professors without adding “like” after every sentence. Once you’re able to do that, you’ll be able to do it in front of a larger audience as well, because by then it will have become a characteristic.
Giving a compelling speech is very easy. All you need are good ideas, simple words, and confidence.
