Speeches are Heard, not Read. Video Yourself.

Often, speakers focus 90% of their time and energy, crafting the perfect…essay. They overlook the fact that their audience will hear their words, not read them. As a speaker, you need to know how you sound and look to your listeners—and the earlier in your process you learn this, the better. Once you have outlined your speech, stop wrangling words, and video yourself. As always, try to talk from bullet points only, you can flesh out the speech as you go along. Watch the video and note what works and what doesn’t. Course correct, and try again. Keep recording at each stage to ensure you deal with any issues before your final presentation.