I have been teaching college public speaking classes for over forty years. During this time, I estimate that I have listened to more than 25,000 speeches. It has become almost second nature for me to identify which speeches will successfully engage an audience and which ones will fall short. Typically, I can make this determination within the first thirty seconds.

Based on my observation, public speaking success is not predicated on flawless delivery and accomplished language skills, but rather on a more fundamental idea.

Public speaking success is about letting your audience know: “What’s in it for me?” 

When preparing a presentation, you may ask yourself: Why will my audience want to invest their time in listening to me? If you think about it, the answer is clear: They feel in some way that they will benefit from your speech.

Your audience members are likely not attending your presentation to be impressed by how brilliantly articulate you are. They are there because they believe in some way that listening to you will help them somehow. Will your speech make their lives better in some way? Will it help them advance their careers or perform their jobs more productively? Will they get higher grades in class, or will they promote their cause more effectively?

If you approach your speech with this understanding, you will have unlocked the key to delivering a successful speech. Your audience is not primarily attending to judge or evaluate you. They are there to gain something.

Keep in mind this truism making the rounds on the internet in recent years: “In your twenties and thirties, you worry about what other people think about you. In your forties and fifties, you stop worrying about what other people think; finally, in your sixties and seventies, you realize they were never thinking about you in the first place.”

We can all gain from the insights of age and benefit from the latter attitude. When preparing a speech, focus less on yourself and more on fulfilling your audience’s needs. You could be the world’s worst speaker and do everything wrong according to the speech “experts,” but if you can tell your audience “where the gold is buried,” they will be all-ears!

If you think about it, benefits motivate us in everything we undertake. Benefits can come in many forms and can include monetary benefits, improved physical or psychological well-being, advancing a cherished cause, experiencing greater joy in life, increasing prestige or self-worth, or protecting ourselves and our loved ones. The list goes on and on. If you, as a speaker, can connect with any of these triggers, you are well on the way toward speech success.

Now that I have outlined the general philosophy of this handbook, let us delve into specifics and examine the components that will help you craft a superior presentation.