You're about to step on stage for a keynote speech. How will you calm your nerves and captivate the audience?

One thing I’ve found to be particularly helpful is to remind yourself that you are not there to “prove yourself,” but rather to “improve conditions for others.” By focusing on being there and sharing a message through the lens of service and uplift, you can avoid the trap (and trappings) of looking at it through the lens of competence or, it’s more unforgiving sibling, perfection. Give yourself grace and then extend that grace to your audience. You’ve got this. 🤲🏾

Keynote karate master here! Crushing nerves and captivating the crowd: Deep breaths, deep focus: Breathe deeply, visualize success. You're a rockstar, not a stage kitten (unless your speech is about cats, then embrace the purrs!). Positive self-talk: Silence doubts with "I got this!" affirmations. You're a motivational powerhouse! Connect with the audience: Smile, make eye contact. They're here for you, not to judge your outfit (unless it involves questionable socks, then maybe a quick wardrobe check). Passionate delivery: Speak with enthusiasm, let your voice ignite the room. Be a captivating storyteller, not a monotone lecturer. Embrace the energy: Feed off the audience's vibe. Their excitement fuels yours! Time to shine!

The Importance of Self-Motivation Goal Attainment: Self-motivation is the key to setting and achieving personal and professional goals. It provides the necessary focus, determination, and perseverance to see tasks through to completion, even when the path is not always clear. Improved Productivity: Individuals who are self-motivated tend to be more productive, as they are able to manage their time effectively, stay on task, and maintain a positive attitude. Resilience in the Face of Adversity: Self-motivation helps individuals bounce back from setbacks and failures, as it instills a growth mindset and a willingness to learn from mistakes.

One of the most important parts of public speaking is to balance your energy and spirit. Give yourself the time to feel grounded and to clear your mind so you are present and in the moment. Fear is natural, your audience could never know your material better than you. That said, just get your mind right and spirit right which is what you need to endure as you poor energy into the space you are speaking in.

Here are some strategies to calm your nerves and captivate the audience: - Know your content inside out and practice your speech multiple times. - Visualize yourself delivering the speech confidently and the audience reacting positively. - Begin with a compelling story, a surprising fact, or a thought-provoking question to grab the audience’s attention. - Utilize open and confident body language - Be yourself and let your personality shine through - Involve the audience by asking questions, encouraging participation, or using interactive elements like polls or live demonstrations.

Visualise your speech starting from how you go on stage, how you deliver, to how you end and even how you walk off. See in your mind a smooth delivery with flow and energy, while providing lots of value and enjoying the time on stage.

Visualizo-me entregando um discurso bem-sucedido, vendo o público respondendo positivamente e sentindo a energia da sala. Imaginar esse cenário positivo me dá confiança e me ajuda a entrar no palco com alto astral.

i heard once - when nervous in public speaking and with a large audience in front - picture everyone naked and yourself dressed to kill... it actually helps a lot - i have tried it... so out of experience - just be normal and calm... people in front of you is human and not demons or beasts - they understand equally well - either everything or nothing. and above all - whenever on stage just understand one thing - people below are dumb and don't know anything other than you on the subject you are about to speak. however, a very important factor here is - that YOU ARE well prepared and can answer ALL queries and doubts fired at you by anyone - whether dumb, intelligent, or superbly brilliant like Einstein or such (possibility is least though)

In preparation I visualise everything, from what I am going to wear to how I am going to feel. I practice and internal monologue and if it’s an interview a dialogue, prior to going in stage or on TV, while going for a walk or exercising.

Engage the audience as soon as possible with an authentic story or an enrolling question. Pique their curiosity and bring them on a journey with you.

I would say that now a days everyone’s attention span is very limited, what before was a 3 minute rule now is more like a 5-10 second rule of grasping the attention of the audience. Start with a story, make a connection, the audience needs to feel you.

the best way to connect - is either a subject-related joke or a quotation which can summarise everything you are about to speak, for the whole duration of the speech you prepared.

I would say that now a days everyone’s attention span is very limited, what before was a 3 minute rule now is more like a 5-10 second rule of grasping the attention of the audience. Start with a story, make a connection, the audience needs to feel you.

Some ways to bring in humour: -share an embarrassing anecdote of yourself. -show a funny video that’s relevant to the theme of the event. -tap on appropriate stories in your story bank.

one of the best ice breaker and also a way to keep the audience active as well as focused on the topic of speech... but not too many... and keep them silly at times - it helps a lot to be silly on joke but serious on subject making sure the info conveyed is authentic and genuine in nature

Incorporo um toque de humor leve no início do discurso para quebrar o gelo e relaxar tanto o público quanto a mim mesmo. Por exemplo, posso compartilhar uma anedota engraçada relacionada ao tema do discurso, o que geralmente resulta em risadas e cria uma atmosfera mais descontraída.

One thing I found crucial is that humor should not and can not be forced. It is overall helpful to connect the humorous part (joke or anecdote, etc) of your speech to the topic of the speech. A good way to exercise this is to bring out your personal failings on the topic in a humorous manner. By doing that you make yourself more relatable and create more trust in the listeners.

“Get your butterflies in formation!” If you’re nervous, don’t fight it. Reframe it as something energizing and helpful. Take some deep breaths before taking the stage. You’ve got this!

Utilizo pausas estratégicas para enfatizar pontos importantes e para me dar um momento de descanso. Essas pausas não só melhoram a clareza do meu discurso, mas também me ajudam a manter o controle do ritmo e a evitar a sensação de pressa.

very old saying but always effective especially when delivering a lecture or giving speech or just ranting about random subject - be deliberate, slow and steady wins the race, right pauses with correct punctuation while speaking are golden rules... also to note - if you can SPEAK the punctuation without realising yourself or making the audience identifying it - you have won the battle already and people will be awed by your presentation, clarity, alertness, keeping them engaged while maintaining the eye contact with all - especially audience sitting in the middle (NOT the far or the close ones)

Try to personalize the eye-contact. Go from person to person and engage different parts of the audience. Try to avoid staring into a void. Avoid and a void are similar for a reason 😉

Durante o discurso, continuo a manter contato visual com diferentes partes da audiência, o que cria uma sensação de conexão e engajamento. Essa prática me ajuda a avaliar as reações do público e a ajustar minha entrega conforme necessário.

During the speech, figure out the people most interested and connected to you. Get at least one in each direction. And form a viewing pattern of watching them one after the other. Understanding their expressions while you speak, helps you get instant feedback on how you impact the audience. Alter and improvise your speech on the go based on the body language of listeners. Speaking to only one section of audience could make the others feel left out. So remember to maintain eye contact, from one direction to other, for specific length of time. This comes with practice. Keep speaking publicly and you would master the art of eye contact.

Remind yourself that there’s a reason you've been chosen to deliver this speech. You have something valuable to offer your audience; otherwise, you wouldn't be there. No one wants you to fail. You don’t have to be Tony Robbins; you just need to be the best version of yourself. Your audience will value your authenticity far more than a poor copy of Zig Ziglar. Every speech is a journey. You need to get them on board at the start and be clear about the destination—somewhere they are happy to arrive at. The key points of your presentation should be places of interest along the way. You are the tour guide—make it an unforgettable journey!

Know your content COLD. You should be memorized word for word, but you should know the flow, the examples, the points, and certain hard-hitting words which deliver impact. Go over this multiple times prior to your talk. This is the best way to reduce stress and anxiety prior. After that, just go over big picture your flow prior to going on. Immediately prior to going on, know what you are going to say and how you will get the audience’s attention. If you start out well, chances are the keynote will go well.

Levo em conta a preparação e prática extensiva do meu discurso. Conhecer bem o conteúdo me dá confiança adicional. Levo uma garrafa de água comigo para manter-me hidratado e faço um aquecimento vocal leve para garantir que minha voz esteja clara e forte.

While you are at it, focus on the structure and framework of ideas than trying to recollect the exact word to word content. Be open to the idea of improvisation. You know what you have to offer. Focus on the I) Flow - take the audience with you, help them visualize II) Logical aspects that you had to offer III) Relatable examples and facts you can offer to back up the perspective - keep it realistic IV) Key takeaways that you want to offer to your audience - let them have something to ponder upon and work with after.