120 Presentation Topic Ideas Help You Hook Your Audience

Jenny Romanchuk

Updated: January 15, 2024

Published: August 09, 2023

Cooking is easy. The puzzle is figuring out what to eat. As soon as you know that, you can get started. The same holds for presentations. The sooner you can whip up a good, informative, and catchy topic, the easier the rest of the process becomes.

 man presents presentation topics to a group

Pick a good topic that resonates with you and your audience to set a strong foundation. But select the wrong topic, and it becomes difficult to connect with your audience, find mutual interests, or hold their attention.

So, let’s learn how to develop thought-provoking and relevant topics for your presentations. You’ll also find some best practices to make your presentation memorable.

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Table of Contents

How to Choose a Great Presentation Topic in 5 Steps

120 presentation topic ideas, 5 presentation tips.

How to Choose a Great Presentation Topic. Be novel. Begin with the end in mind.

4. Choose an appropriate presentation style.

There are many ways to present a topic. Your personality, the topic at hand, and your audience’s personas will help you determine which style would best fit you and your audience.

Select a presentation style that will communicate the main idea clearly and have a lasting impact on your audience.

For instance, explore a freeform style presenter by Sir Ken Robinson.

5. Engage with your audience.

Work on your presentation skills to make a strong connection with your audience, get through to them and leave a mark.

Think of the presenter as the link between the topic and the audience. A strong or a weak presenter can make a difference between a presentation being a thriving success or a boring failure.

Hone your skills by engaging and interacting with your audience. Make them feel like a part of the presentation and not just spectators. 70% of marketers have found presentations with interactive content to be more effective than those without.

Here are a few ways you can make your presentation interactive:

  • Start your speech with uncommon questions to your audience. Involve them from the get-go, like ask to raise their hands if X.
  • Make eye contact to build credibility and show confidence. Don’t stare at your slides or notes. Smile occasionally and talk to the audience directly.
  • Have an active and confident body language. Don’t stand in the same place the entire time. Move around the stage.
  • Don’t be monotonous. Speak as you would to a colleague — with enthusiasm.
  • Ask close-ended questions in between to keep the audience engaged without losing time. Address them using their names to keep things interesting.
  • Share personal experiences and stories that your audience will find fascinating and relatable.
  • Practice thoroughly before you present so you’re fluent with the material and delivery.
  • Energy and excitement can be quite contagious. Make sure you exude enough to spread some to your audience.

Feeling Inspired Yet?

Now you have all the right ingredients for choosing amazing topics and a hundred ideas to drive inspiration from. So, go ahead and start cooking presentations that will blow your audience away.

Don’t forget to choose a super-relevant topic and add meaty information. Do it with excitement to make it enjoyable for you and your audience. Best of luck!

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60 Interesting Public Speaking Topics to Engage Your Audience

public-speaking-topics

If you’re the type of person who gets head spinningly, palms-sweaty nervous when asked to make a public speech, you’re certainly not alone. As intimating and intimidating as it may seem, it’s true that having the ability to confidently stand in front of an audience and deliver a speech can be a super useful tool. Not only could it bring you better marks in school, it’ll also come in handy in future job applications, leadership positions, and even in everyday conversation. Now that you’re serious about conquering public speaking , the next step is knowing what to say. We’ve got your back on this one. Here’s a list of 60 interesting public speaking topics which promise to keep your audience engaged and eager to hear what you have to say. Customize them however you please, add more information and ideas of your own, and let your ideas do the talking! Let’s get going!

Interesting Public Speaking Topics

Public speaking provides a unique opportunity for speakers to share their opinions, experiences, and knowledge in an interesting way. Interesting public speaking topics can range from controversial to informative, from historical to present day, from fun to serious. When selecting a topic , it’s important to consider the interests of your audience as well as what you can provide appropriate supporting information on. Controversial or opinion-based topics can be engaging, but it’s important that all sides of the argument are presented fairly and no one in the audience is disparaged or excluded. Additionally, providing both sides of an argument here helps inform your audience and may even expose them to different perspectives. Informative topics are great for teaching audiences about specific subjects or movements, while delivering the information in an entertaining and interesting way. Explain how each piece fits into the bigger picture and build suspense throughout your talk. Additionally, if you have personal stories associated with the topic, by all means include them; these stories help make your presentation more memorable and engaging for your audience. Historical topics provide excellent fodder for a public speaking engagement; beyond teaching about specific events that occurred in our past, you can also shed light on important dates in history or major events of the past century. Providing context helps bring to life lessons from those points in time that still influence us today. Current events are also great platforms for public speaking – highlighting what is happening now provides a powerful connection between speaker and audience as everyone is probably equally (or almost equally) knowledgeable about it—and if not? You get to teach them! When presenting current events as your topic, make sure you use up-to-date sources and highlight any compliance changes or other political matters that could affect your audience directly. Now let’s move on to discuss current events as an interesting public speaking topic…

Current Events

When it comes to public speaking, current events make for a highly engaging topics. Depending on the agenda and purpose of the speech, current events can be used either to inform and educate the audience or to galvanize support and motivate action. When dealing with current events, speakers should strive to remain impartial while bringing forth both sides of the argument. For example, if the event is to discuss international trade policy in light of recent tariffs disputes between major trading partners, speakers should present both advantages and disadvantages of increased tariffs. Understanding the core issue at hand without commenting on the efficacy of each side’s policies is key in order to maintain an impartial outlook. Similarly, when addressing a complex social issue like discrimination against minority groups or income equality, it is important to provide a sober and nuanced overview of the issue while ensuring that all sides are properly represented. Naturally, as certain issues become particularly salient in the public debate , more detailed analysis may be necessary in order to provide a full account of the situation. With that said, presenters must always exercise caution when discussing hot-button topics so as not to alienate any portion of their audience. Finally, speakers may choose to conclude their discussion by proposing a plan for action or connecting their topic with wider implications for society. As such, choosing current events as one’s topic allows for an opportunity to create real change that can have tangible benefits for members of their audience. With this potential impact in mind, let us now explore creative ideas that are just as interesting but offer a different approach.

10 Current Events Topics

  • COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on society, economy, and healthcare systems
  • Climate change and environmental issues, including wildfires, hurricanes, and rising sea levels
  • Global politics and international relations, including tensions between countries and geopolitical conflicts
  • Technological advancements, such as artificial intelligence, automation, and the future of work
  • Social justice movements, including Black Lives Matter and #MeToo, and their impact on society
  • Mental health and wellbeing, including the effects of the pandemic on mental health and access to mental health services
  • Education and the challenges of remote learning and hybrid learning models
  • Immigration and refugee crises, including the global response and the impact on individuals and communities
  • Economic inequality and the wealth gap, including the effects of the pandemic on job losses and income disparities
  • The role of media and technology in shaping public opinion and discourse, including issues of censorship and misinformation.

Fun Public Speaking Topics

Public speaking can be an incredibly effective method of communication and expressing ideas to an audience. When selecting a topic for a public speaking event, it is important to choose one that will be engaging, exciting and entertaining . Fun public speaking topics are a great way to captivate your audience’s attention. Some fun topics popular today include conspiracy theories, humorous anecdotes and weird trivia questions. In addition to topics that can evoke laughter, you could opt for a conversation-like approach by selecting topics tailored towards discussing or debating current events or pop culture trends. This type of discussion creates a sense of involvement amongst your listeners, as they are likely to have their own opinions on the subject matter at hand. Knowing the interests of your audience makes it easier to pick one of these types of interesting conversation starters. Yet another type of enjoyable public speaking topic is one related to personal experience. By sharing stories from your own life you can create a connection with your audience because they realize you are not only knowledgeable about academic subjects but also about human experiences. For example, you could talk about how traveling abroad changed your perspective or how volunteer work with animals opened up new opportunities in your life. No matter what route you take, having a fun element in each speech encourages conversations , making it more engaging for the listener.

Here are 10 fun topics for public speaking:

  • The science of laughter and how it can improve mental and physical health
  • The history of popular board games and how they have evolved over time
  • The art of cake decorating and how to create beautiful and delicious desserts
  • The world of cosplay and the art of creating intricate costumes
  • The benefits of travel and tips for planning the perfect vacation
  • The world of online gaming and the rise of esports
  • The history of memes and how they have impacted popular culture
  • The art of mixology and how to make creative cocktails at home
  • The joys and challenges of pet ownership and the benefits of having a furry friend
  • The world of improv comedy and how to master the art of improvisation.

These fun public speaking topics spark imagination and interest from all those involved in the discussion. While brainstorming ideas, it is important to keep in mind that the topic should contain enough material to elaborate upon while maintaining a lighthearted spirit; balance is key!

Controversial Public Speaking Topics

Controversial public speaking topics can be excellent ways to engage your audience and spark a lively discussion. It is best to keep the language used respectful, as well as being mindful of the makeup of the audience you are presenting to. Popular controversial public speaking topics range from opinions about current events and politics, religion, gender roles and LGBTQ issues, amongst other things. When debating each side of the argument, it is important to make sure that one doesn’t invalidate or insult the opposing views.

Here are 10 controversial public speaking topics:

  • Gun control and the right to bear arms
  • Abortion and reproductive rights
  • Capital punishment and the death penalty
  • Immigration policy and border control
  • Affirmative action and equal opportunity employment
  • LGBTQ+ rights and marriage equality
  • The legalization of marijuana and other drugs
  • Animal rights and animal testing
  • Freedom of speech and hate speech laws
  • Climate change and the role of humans in causing and combating it.

No matter which topic you decide to explore, controversial public speaking topics provide a great opportunity for learning experiences. With great research beforehand, ambitious speakers can use these occasions to inform their audiences in meaningful ways. Moving on to the next section, motivational public speaking topics have become increasingly popular within the last several years. This type of speech aims to inspire its audience by inciting positive feelings and emotions while promoting an inspiring idea or action plan.

Key Points to Remember

Controversial public speaking topics can be engaging to an audience, but the language used should remain respectful regardless of opinions held. Popular topics include current events, politics, religion, gender roles, and LGBTQ issues. When debating both sides of a controversial argument, it is important not to insult or invalidate another viewpoint. Controversial public speaking gives speakers a great opportunity to enhance learning experiences with thorough research and information .

Motivational Public Speaking Topics

Motivation is a powerful tool that can influence and inspire people to realize their potential and reach unseen levels of success. When applied effectively, motivational public speaking topics can be incredibly impactful and help an audience take action on ideas they can implement in their daily life. The key to delivering an effective motivational talk is to focus on the idea of progress. Talk about how something good can be accomplished over time if dedication and hard work are continually applied. Present stories of real-life successes, as well as struggles, to illustrate these points and increase the audience’s engagement level. Make sure to inject positive energy into your speech by outlining strategies the audience can use to stay motivated while achieving their goals. By presenting topics in a motivational manner, you can help ensure that members of your audience feel encouraged, empowered, and inspired. If you are debating a controversial topic, make sure to present both sides of the argument within the same motivating framework.

Here are 10 motivational public speaking topics:

  • Overcoming obstacles and achieving success
  • Finding purpose and meaning in life
  • Building self-confidence and self-esteem
  • The power of perseverance and determination
  • Mindfulness and living in the present moment
  • Overcoming fear and taking risks
  • The importance of setting and achieving goals
  • Turning setbacks into opportunities for growth
  • Developing a positive mindset and attitude
  • The benefits of gratitude and appreciation in life.

Keeping these important principles in mind will allow you to deliver a compelling motivational presentation that helps your audience believe in themselves and develop clear directions for taking action. Taking the right steps today will bring better results tomorrow — this is a concept worth discussing during your talk.

Historical Topics for Public Speaking

History is a rich and complex tapestry of events, ideas, and movements that have shaped the world we live in today. Exploring historical topics can help us gain a deeper understanding of our collective past, and shed light on the challenges and triumphs of human experience. From the fall of the Roman Empire to the Civil Rights Movement, there are countless historical topics that continue to fascinate and inspire us. In this list, we explore ten historical topics that offer a glimpse into the great events and movements that have shaped our world.

Here are 10 historical topics to talk about:

  • The fall of the Roman Empire and its impact on European civilization
  • The French Revolution and the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte
  • The Industrial Revolution and its impact on society, economy, and technology
  • The American Revolution and the birth of the United States of America
  • The Renaissance and its impact on art, science, and culture
  • The colonization of the Americas and the impact on indigenous populations
  • The World Wars and their impact on global politics and international relations
  • The Age of Exploration and the impact of European colonization on the world
  • The Civil Rights Movement and the fight for racial equality in the United States
  • The Cold War and the global tension between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Persuasive Speech Topics

Persuasive speeches are designed to convince the audience to take a particular action, adopt a certain viewpoint, or support a specific idea. These speeches can be powerful tools for effecting change and promoting important causes. From protecting the environment to advocating for social justice, persuasive speech topics cover a wide range of issues that are relevant to our world today. In this list, we explore ten persuasive speech topics that can inspire and motivate audiences to take action and make a positive impact on the world around us.

Here are 10 persuasive speech topics:

  • The importance of recycling and reducing waste to protect the environment
  • The benefits of meditation and mindfulness for mental health and well-being
  • The need for stricter gun control laws to reduce gun violence
  • The importance of early childhood education for future success
  • The benefits of a plant-based diet for health and the environment
  • The need to address income inequality through progressive taxation
  • The importance of access to affordable healthcare for all individuals
  • The need for comprehensive sex education in schools
  • The benefits of renewable energy sources for a sustainable future
  • The need for increased support for mental health resources and services

Public speaking is not always an easy task. Whether you are presenting a persuasive or informative speech, it can be difficult to keep your audience interested and engaged. In order to do this, it is essential to choose the appropriate public speaking topics. The fifty-plus interesting public speakings topics suggested in this article can provide plenty of inspiration and help you deliver a powerful message to your audience. Whether you take a light-hearted approach or focus on a more serious subject matter, picking the right public speaking topics can make all the difference. Larger philosophical questions may prove intimidating and impractical as public speaking topics, while trivial conversation starters may bore your audience before they even start listening. To get the most out of your speeches, it is important to pick a topic that walks the line between engaging your listeners without making them uncomfortable or unsure of how to respond. It is also imperative that you develop solid argumentation and presentation skills if you want to succeed in public speaking. An entertaining speech must still provide solid facts and evidence while at the same time grabbing the attention of your listeners. A good balance between interesting content and persuasive rhetoric should help make any speech successful.

Responses to Frequently Asked Questions

What are some creative public speaking topics.

Creative public speaking topics can range from the exploration of current trends, to unique takes on traditional topics. For example, if discussing the current state of education, one could focus on the trend of more expensive tuition for higher education and dive into the implications this has for students and the job market, or discuss emergent strategies for providing greater access to educational opportunities in economically disadvantaged areas. Additionally, one could explore the current technology landscape and how it will shape future generations, or investigate developments in artificial intelligence that are redefining our understanding of what “intelligence” means. One could also take a more artful approach to public speaking and open up a dialogue about the power of creativity in solving problems or elicit discussion around empathy as a form of communication. Ultimately, creative public speaking topics are limited only by creative thought and provide an exciting opportunity for speakers to present inspiring ideas in entertaining ways.

What are some tips for choosing public speaking topics?

Some tips for choosing public speaking topics include: 1. Choose topics that are relevant to your audience. Make sure the topic is of interest to them and will keep their attention. 2. Research the topic thoroughly before speaking. Knowing the subject matter well will make it easier to engage your audience. 3. Select a topic that is both challenging and interesting. While choosing a subject that people might be familiar with can be safe, make sure it is still engaging and stimulating. 4. Avoid topics that are too controversial or sensitive. Refrain from such topics as they could lead to arguments or displeasing reactions amongst the audience members. 5. Expand on popular material but don’t plagiarize other speakers’ ideas. People like new concepts and appreciate hearing new information so challenge yourself to come up with something original!

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Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

169 Five-Minute Topics for a Killer Speech or Presentation

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Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

There are pros and cons to giving a 5-minute presentation. One good thing is the length. Long presentations can easily become boring, and you have a much better chance of keeping your audience engaged from beginning to end than with a 5-minute speech.

In this article:

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Relationships, social media, supernatural, list of topics for a 5-minute speech or presentation.

5 minute speech topics

Choosing a topic is extremely important. To help you getting started, here is a list of some killer topics for 5-minute speech or presentation.

  • Why it’s better to adopt a pet from a shelter
  • Choosing the perfect leash for your dog
  • What is the best food for your pet?
  • How much exercise does your pet need?
  • The horror of puppy mills
  • Bringing back endangered species
  • How long are giraffes in labor
  • Domestication of horses
  • Picking the right vet
  • Sleeping with your dog
  • Why should you get goats in pairs
  • Ethics of zoos
  • The domestication of dogs
  • How to keep a goldfish alive for a long time
  • How to choose the right pet
  • Why cats are so independent
  • When to get a dog
  • What kind of dog is best for a household with children
  • Why therapy animals work
  • How to find the money to go to college
  • How much control should the federal government have over curriculum design?
  • How to choose a college
  • Ideas for narrowing down a career choice
  • When to declare a major
  • Benefits of charter schools
  • Why charter schools are bad
  • Negative effects of school vouchers
  • Attracting the right people to the teaching profession
  • Discipline in the classroom
  • Memory tricks that work
  • Why homework is bad
  • Should students still have to use the books in the library?
  • Why cursive should still be taught in schools
  • Textbooks vs. tablets
  • Benefits of going to a trade school
  • Are there positives to taking a gap year?
  • The problem with low teacher pay
  • Social media in the classroom
  • Benefits of integrating apps into the classroom
  • The importance of attachment
  • How to compromise on names for your kids
  • What is the ideal age to start a family
  • How important are grandparents
  • Traveling with children
  • Strategies for potty training
  • How to help a child with nightmares
  • Middle child syndrome
  • How many kids should you have?
  • How to recognize a gifted child
  • When your child doesn’t like to eat
  • How to encourage good eating habits
  • When to intervene with a bully
  • Being active in your child’s school
  • The benefits of aunts and uncles
  • When family falls apart
  • The first days with a new baby
  • When to call the doctor
  • Caring for an ailing parent
  • Balancing home and career
  • When to start saving for retirement
  • IRA vs. Roth IRA
  • When should you start saving for your children’s college education?
  • Crowdfunded loans vs. the bank
  • How Kickstarter changed everything
  • Using your HSA
  • How to apply for a mortgage
  • Improving your credit score
  • How to negotiate a raise
  • Renting vs. buying
  • How does compound interest work?
  • How to ask for a promotion
  • When is it time to get a new job?
  • What to do when you find out a coworker makes more than you
  • How much of a down payment on a house do you really need?
  • Living on minimum wage
  • Is it better to lease or buy a new car?
  • How to budget for a new car
  • What to do when you lose your job
  • Using credit cards responsibly
  • Is rare meat safe?
  • Vegan vs. vegetarian
  • Microbrews vs. standard brewing
  • How to make your own wine
  • What are hops?
  • Best plants for a backyard garden
  • When to transplant sprouts
  • Bananas and plantains
  • How to make a brine for pickling
  • Where did brunch begin?
  • Why pineapple belongs on a pizza
  • When to order in
  • Planning a menu
  • Meal planning and grocery lists
  • Is free range really better?
  • The perfect macaroni and cheese
  • Growing your own herbs
  • How to make your own pasta
  • How to make cookies that are softer
  • Benefits of drinking black coffee
  • Benefits of a gluten-free diet
  • Is the paleo diet accurate?
  • Effects of not getting enough sleep
  • Are meal subscription services worth it?
  • Downsides to Crossfit
  • Benefits of yoga
  • How to meditate
  • Can therapy change the way your mind works?
  • Are GMOs really dangerous?
  • The truth about diet soda
  • Importance of hydration
  • Why cleanses don’t work
  • Best juice diet
  • Most effective exercise for burning calories
  • Do essential oils really work?
  • The history of television
  • When the railway was king
  • Thwarted assassination attempts
  • The first Olympics
  • Media during World War II
  • Military advancements between World War I and World War II
  • War photographers
  • Things you didn’t learn in history class
  • Historical lies
  • The early Internet
  • Why podcasts are great
  • Most unbiased news channel
  • When do people tune into the news most
  • How relevant are women’s magazines?
  • Cable vs. Netflix
  • How worried should you be about your browsing history?
  • How to limit screen time
  • Why it’s bad to use your smartphone right before bed
  • Apple vs. Android
  • The best age to get married
  • How to get an amicable divorce
  • Finding a roommate
  • Splitting financial responsibilities evenly among the household
  • How to have a happy marriage
  • Choosing your family
  • How to fight effectively
  • Signs of an abusive relationship
  • What to look for in a spouse
  • When to let it go
  • How to overcome self-doubt
  • Faking confidence
  • Becoming comfortable with yourself
  • How to say no
  • Relaxation techniques
  • Controlling anxiety
  • Qualities of a leader
  • The importance of self-care
  • Identifying triggers
  • How to eliminate negativity
  • Making new habits
  • Ethics of posting pictures of your children on social media
  • How Internet ads are tailored to you
  • How to advertise your business on Facebook
  • Privacy and social media
  • How to protect your personal information
  • When to allow your kids to get their own social media accounts
  • Why you shouldn’t post your location on social media
  • How to use a hashtag
  • Uncovering Twitter Bots
  • Snapchat etiquette
  • Proof that aliens exist
  • Debunking crop circles
  • Is Bigfoot real?
  • Proof that ghosts exist

Good 2-Minute Speech Topics for Students

13 All-Time Best TED Talks

23 thoughts on “169 Five-Minute Topics for a Killer Speech or Presentation”

Ideal Teacher

is life really a blessing?

This has helped me so much for my English class thank you!

Why personal (private) rules are helpful

I got an A!!!!!

Risks of abortion Wage gap How social media impacts education/mental health Why it’s important to have a good stable mental health Do teenagers really spend all their time on their phones Gsce requirements unfair or reasonable

Here is a kind of a dense topic, domestic abuse. Why does it happen? What are some ways to identify a abusive relationship? How does it affect families? Why is the abuser abusive?

We have presentation next week. I can’t think about the topic. Please help me!

i want a topic that involves supernatural: HELP

Is water wet?

death, what if the earth loses air entirely for five minutes, what is the most common death.

I have presentation next two day concerning with my classroom. I must choose five topics but i can’t think how to choose these topics. Please! help me

Tanks for giving me an A in drama

so helpful thank you

thanks this helped with my speach at school

i need a best topic to present on that is educational to consumer science and food nutrition students. can i please be assisted

what if the earth stopped spinning pros and cons of being an artist how Gen Z affected slang why people are afraid of the dark why knowing how to play an instrument is beneficial/not needed

Here’s a controversial one: are trans, intersex and non-binary people getting the same right as every else?

I have a presentation this week I don’t understand how to find a good title please help me I’m a diploma student the speech must have more than 10 minutes

How do create presentation for famous place in Sri Lanka

i need something for my oral communication class. it must be attention grabbing and not an argument. please help

I need ideas on a slide show presentation, a kid appropiate topic.

Pls I need more ideas on self help

hi lol i like these topics but i need a trendy one like something new or like a natural phenomene or someth like that… 🙂

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45 Public Speaking Topics and Ideas

October 4, 2018 - Helen Hooper

Do you enjoy standing up in front of a large audience and making a speech? Or do you get so nervous that you forget what you were going to tell the audience about?

If the answer to the second question is “yes,” then you’re not alone. Many people, including well-known entrepreneurs, politicians, and actors, aren’t fans of public speaking. For example, did you know that Richard Branson is among them? Yes, one of the best entrepreneurs in history has a real far of public speaking!

“I loathe making speeches, and always have,”  Branson admitted  in one of the interviews. “Over the years, however, I have become much more practiced at giving speeches, though it still makes me a bit nervous.”

Richard Branson giving a public speech

“Fortunately, the fear of public speaking shouldn’t be an insurmountable obstacle for you with some learning and practice,” says Gordon Stevens, a motivational coach. “The more you develop your skills, the more confident you’ll feel during your speeches.”

Moreover, having strong public skills can greatly boost your career and improve your position in the labor market.  Warren Buffet stated  “you can improve your value by 50 percent just by learning communication skills – public speaking”

So, whether you’re looking for topics for your next public speech or just for practice, take a look at these 45 ideas, including tips on how to choose the best ones for your purpose.

Public speaking topics

Category: science.

1. Why humans should colonize mars

Let’s be honest here, humans are endangered species because all of us live only on one planet. Colonizing mars increases the chance of long-term survival of humankind and has many other benefits, so it’s definitely a great topic to talk about.

2. When will AI exceed human performance?

It’s one of the most discussed topics in science right now because AI has been developing at an amazing speed in the recent years. So, there are tons of quality materials to retrieve information from, such as  this article from cornell university .

3. What is the future of commercial space flight?

Elon musk has recently announced the name of the first space tourist who will orbit the moon several times on SpaceX’s most advanced spacecraft, the BFR. When do you think this will happen?

4. Should nanotechnology research continue?

With all the risks and ethical issues that nanotechnology research is facing now, it could be an interesting topic to discuss.

5. Should we bring extinct species back from the dead?

Animal cloning is becoming more common, so cloning extinct species appears to be a matter of time. But should we really bring back animals like mammoths? What would we do with them if we succeed?

6. Potential for super greenhouse effect on earth

Global warming is the real thing, and governments around the world are starting to take this issue seriously. But where are we on our way to triggering a runaway greenhouse effect that turned our neighboring planet Venus into a hellish world?

7. What is gene therapy?

For example, could we use it to prevent diseases and conditions?

8. Why whales should not be hunted for food

Also an interesting topic that touches upon one of the most relevant issues in environmental health.

9. Stephen Hawking’s contributions to science

One of the greatest minds in history, Stephen Hawking, passed away recently, so it would be great to share his main contributions to science.

10. When will the next solar superflare hit earth?

The scientists know it’s coming, but can we make some predictions?

Category: self-development and self-help topics

11. How can you improve public speaking skills?

Why not, right?

12. What leadership style is the most suitable for your personality?

There are a number of leadership styles, so finding out which one suits you is an interesting idea.

13. How to get a fresh start after a breakup / divorce?

14. Why you should become a freelancer

15. Why being lazy isn’t always a bad thing

16. What Richard Branson recommends to everyone to make everyday a success

Here are  some materials  for you to start researching.

17. Why you should visit at least 5 countries by the time you’re 30

18. Gluten isn’t bad for health

19. Scientific evidence on why you shouldn’t skip your breakfast

20. Why success if often an extreme tolerance for failure (Jeff Bezos experience)

Jeff Bezos is an excellent example of a person who  thinks of a failure as a chance to learn .

Category: society

21. Do professional athletes make too much money?

22. Why the your country should promote legal immigration

23. Is it possible to eliminate poverty in every country in the world?

24. The internet should be free for everyone

25. Why punishing children for bullying others isn’t a solution

This conversation article  has some good ideas on that for you to explore.

26. The U.S. should encourage the spirit of volunteerism

27. Society should make monopolies illegal

28. Is our society too dependent on technology?

29. Why we need to support local businesses

30. Being gay: choice or nature?

31. Cell phone use while driving should be banned in all U.S. states.

Category: workplace

32. How to spot a toxic employee?

33. Give 5 reasons why we should abolish tipping restaurant servers

This Huffington Post article  will be of great help to you on this topic.

34. Why the minimum wage should be raised?

35. Top reasons why best employees invest in employee wellness programs

36. The best ways to increase employee engagement for better performance

37. Should age discrimination be a criminal offence?

38. All internships should be paid internships

39. The minimum age for unsupervised driving should be raised to 18

40. LGBT workers are protected from workplace discrimination.

Category: controversial

41. Airline passengers should sacrifice their privacy for the sake of flight safety

42. Your government should promote conservation

43. Your government should make animal testing illegal

44. The use of the internet by teens should be limited

45. The internet contributes to media bias

How to choose a public speaking topic?

Check out these quick tips for picking a great topic:

  • Choose a topic that you’re fairly familiar with or have an interest in. This might help you to include some personal experience as a bonus to your speech.
  • Know your audience. Your topic should always resemble the interests of your audience, otherwise they could find it boring. In this case, you’ll be wasting yours and their time.
  • Pick up a hot topic that describes a current event, place, or process.

Read this article for additional information on  choosing a public speaking topic .

Home Blog Presentation Ideas How to Become Great in Public Speaking: Presenting Best Practices

How to Become Great in Public Speaking: Presenting Best Practices

How to Become Great in Public Speaking: Presenting Best Practices PPT Template

As the popular lore tells: you can talk your way into success. Indeed, great public speakers often hold top corporate positions, lead the nations, and rally others to take joint action. But what if talking isn’t your forte, especially when it comes to doing so in front of large audiences? In that case, you’ll benefit a lot from the public speaking tips and tricks we showcase in this post! 

What is Public Speaking? 

In the simplest terms, public speaking is the art of effective oral communication with one person or many. We talk to the public anytime we engage in a discussion with someone else.  

Everyone knows how to communicate with others and do so in front of bigger groups e.g. at work. Far fewer, feel confident with delivering persuasive speeches or doing public presentations at conferences, virtual events, or even in the boardroom full of important stakeholders. 

But we also know how great public speakers look and act. They are confident and inspiring, can “plant” ideas into other’s heads, and inspire action. 

The Benefits of Public Speaking 

Being a great public speaker gives you several major advantages in personal and professional areas: 

  • Higher level of verbal and nonverbal communication skills
  • Better critical thinking and analysis abilities
  • Leeway into leadership positions 
  • Personal brand development
  • More productive networking 

Ultimately, being good at public speaking helps you get more comfortable in group settings and draw the spotlight towards yourself. Talented public speakers can connect better with new people through charismatic presentations and persuasive talks. This, in turn, opens up an array of new opportunities — be it making more friends or raising funds for your project.

Different Types of Public Speaking 

As mentioned already, public speaking refers both to our day-day two-way exchanges with others and public presentations to an audience. 

In the case of the latter, public speeches can be classified as: 

Extemporaneous speeches

Pre-written speeches and practiced ahead of time. Usually, a speaker will rely on aids such as notes, presentation slides, or an outline when delivering the speech. Example : Conference talks. 

Impromptu speeches

Spur of the moment speeches, delivered without any preparation, agenda, or notes. Since you are caught off guard, delivering such a speech can be pretty challenging unless you are already good at speaking in public. Example : being asked to speak up during a customer meeting.

Manuscript speeches

Word-by-word delivery of a pre-written script, usually displayed on a screen/teleprompter. In essence, you are reading your speech rather than presenting it. Example : Officials addressing the nation. 

Memorized speeches

You deliver a prepared speech from memory without any aids. Such speaking can feel gut-wrenching if you are afraid to forget your lines and don’t feel confident improvising. Careful preparation is needed. Example : Ted talks or live product presentations. 

Public Speaking Woman At Podium PPT Template

The Fear of Public Speaking 

Despite the fact that most of us love chatting, far fewer feel comfortable talking in front of larger audiences. In fact, 75% of Americans have some level of public speaking anxiety. Many also feel frantic about going on the stage. 

The fear of public speaking is called glossophobia. It’s a recognized psychological condition with symptoms such as: 

  • Accelerated heart rate
  • Dizziness and lightheadedness 

So what makes us terrified of public speaking? 

Physiologists say that the above reactions are our body’s natural response to threatening situations. Our nervous system enters a hyperarousal state, activating the sense of fear. This sabotages our performance on stage. 

But what prompts us to treat public speaking as a threatening situation? Researchers found that humans perceive prolonged eye watching as an existential threat. Back in the old days, observations from a hostile tribe were a strong sign of upcoming trouble. So did a watchful eye of a predatory animal. 

This “memory” still remains imprinted subconsciously in our brain today. Thus, when we go on stage to deliver a public speech, our brain first registers the gazing audience as a threat. The brain goes into the “fight or flee” mode, prompting a reaction similar to the one we experience when facing actual danger. Most public speaking tips are aimed at helping us cope with this reaction and develop a more relaxed response to being observed. 

Also, some of us tend to get extra jittery before public speaking due to anxiety sensitivity — the fear of fear. Apart from being scared of public speaking as an act, some of us also feel stressed about how their anxiety will interfere with performing well. This leads to a cascading effect of paralysis. 

But as Dalel Carnegie wrote in the “ Art of Public Speaking, 13th Edition ” : “ If you believe you will fail, there is no hope for you. You will.”

A strong mindset is the key to taming your fear of public speaking. If regular calming exercises don’t help, try attending public speaking classes or taking individual coaching sessions. An experienced mentor can help you learn to cope with anxiety, hone your public speaking skills, and develop better confidence in front of groups. 

Woman Working on Charts Illustration Scene PPT Template

How to Be a Better Public Speaker: 6 Tips 

Confidence is also crucial. Whenever we are uncertain of our abilities to do good, we feel uncomfortable. So practice public talks, and practice a lot. In the words of Dale Carnegie, 

“Practice in speaking before an audience will tend to remove all fear of audiences, just as practice in swimming will lead to confidence and facility in the water. You must learn to speak by speaking.”

So, how to be a great presenter and improve your public speaking skills? Below are six research-backed public speaking techniques you should employ the next time you are preparing to deliver a speech! 

1. Nail Your Opening

The presenter’s anxiety is at highest during the first 30-60 seconds of the speaking. Once you get past that, you’ll hail more confidently through the rest of your speech. 

Hence, make sure to get a positive response from your audience from the get-go. Here are some ideas for starting a public speech: 

  • Begin with the ending: use BLUF technique — bottom line upfront 
  • Share a personal story to build empathy 
  • Ask a rhetorical question to make the audience think 
  • Provide a quote that sets the tone for your narrative 
  • Project into the future to get the audience focused on outcomes 
  • Use some humor to squeeze out some laughs and relax yourself 

Read more about how to start a presentation and which slides to use. 

2. Maintain Eye Contact with the Audience 

Simon Sinek, the most-viewed presenter on TED, offers this piece of advice : 

“Look at specific audience members throughout your speech. If you can, give each person that you intently look at an entire sentence or thought, without breaking your gaze. When you finish a sentence, move on to another person and keep connecting with individual people until you’re done speaking.”

By maintaining such gradual eye contact, you can build a better rapport with all audience members. Then again, it prevents your thoughts from getting scattered if you leave your gaze scanning over everyone. Also, by focusing on one person at a time, you deliberately ignore the stares from others. This helps minimize the anxiety-inducing “fight or flee” reflex. 

3. Try the “Inward, Outward, Forward” Formula For Your Speech 

The Inward, Outward, Forward format of structuring your speech is a good way to make a strong point within a short time span. It helps the listeners retain your core message and align with your way of thinking. Here’s how it works:

  • Explain why you are bringing up the topic. 
  • Provide evidence on what others think about it. 
  • End with a solution to the stated problem.

For example, if you are doing an after-action review meeting with your team, you can first summarize the main challenge you’ve faced. Then present examples of how individuals or other teams are handling similar issues. Lastly, sum up your proposal on the follow-up steps and solutions you’d recommend trying. 

4. Use the “Commander’s Intent” Technique to Make Your Ideas Stick 

Commander’s Intent (CI) is a technique the military personnel uses to communicate the main directive. 

A CI is a brief statement, placed on top of every order, summarizing the plan’s goal and desired end results. You can apply the same tactic to highlight the main points from each section of your speech. Or to prepare accompanying slides for the presentation.

Add a CI statement to the most important slides. Then expand on the idea within your speech. Doing so will help the audience focus on the key discussion point and retain the information better. 

5. Choose the Right Pitch and Tone of Voice 

Researchers from Yale University found that a speaker’s tone of voice and pitch influences the listeners’ perception of the speaker in terms of trust and likability. Why so?

Because voice is the most effective means for conveying emotions. It’s more channeling to disguise your attitude when you talk. So if you sound unconfident, anxious, doubting, or bored, the audience will likely sense that and act accordingly. 

For that reason, many amazing public speakers undergo voice coaching. They train to project the right emotions via their voice and naturally adjust pitch and vocal tone to convey different ideas. Most strive to achieve the maximum resonance point — a resonance that infers power to your voice.

For example, if your range is 2 octaves and 4 notes respectively, this is your max resonance point. Talking at this level most of the time is optimal. 

When you need to show passion, go a note higher. Go a note or two lower if you want to project certainty or authority. 

Public Speaking People Clapping PPT Template

Final Tip: Work on Your Body Language

When presenting in person, your body language will also be telling of your confidence and authority. Plus, it will shape the audience’s perception of you, just like your voice.  Hence, be sure to practice your posture and gestures too! In particular:

Don’t self-block (aka trying to shrink your body).

This means crossing arms, slouching, keeping hands in the pocket, etc. Such movements act as a barricade between you and the audience. They make you appear less trustworthy. To avoid them, hold on to the microphone or a presentation clicker. 

Practice breathing and hand gestures.

Uneven, raspy breathing will affect your pitch and tone of voice. So practice taking slow, measured breaths to pace your speech better. Take longer pauses when you want to emphasize a point.  Also, use mild hand gestures, head nods, and arm movements to engage with the audience. But don’t gesticulate too much as this will appear distractive. 

Ultimately, there are no shortcuts. Practice, practice, and then practice some more! Great public speakers aren’t born — they are self-made! 

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350+ Presentation Topics That Will Appeal to Any Audience

public speaking presentation ideas

I like building and growing simple yet powerful products for the world and the worldwide web.

Published Date : December 4, 2020

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A presentation can be nerve-wracking, may it be for first-timers or pros, as you must turn a critical issue into a dynamic, persuasive, and informative one. Before you enhance your oratory skills and overcome your fear of public speaking , you must first brainstorm excellent fun topics for your presentation.

When doing a presentation, you cannot start a thing without coming up with a presentation topic . It is harder to find the best subject than preparing the lecture itself as you need to be specific about the topic you want to present.

Besides oratory skills and PowerPoint mastery, you need to have informative and fun topics for presentations that can influence the audience. Watch this and get more ideas about informative topics:

One of the best ways to nail a presentation is to choose the best presentation topics that fit your expertise and target audience.

How to Choose a Good Topic

If you want to create an informative speech or lecture, choosing the best one out of informative presentation topics can be daunting and confusing. Here are some considerations that you must know.

  • Purpose. Deciding your goal determines what you want your audience to bring after your talk, especially for persuasive presentation topics. Here is a video on various topics about persuasion:

  • Audience. Always consider your audience’s demographic profiles and common ground when choosing presentation topics and connect them with their interests, beliefs, social and cultural backgrounds.
  • Interests. Determine what presentation topic ideas you are most passionate about, and you know the most. Interesting topics for presentation give a head start upon your research phase, ensuring a well-received discussion for the audience. Get useful guides on how to keep your audience interested in this video:

  • Credibility. To convince your audience about the pieces of information that you will discuss, choosing a credible and well-backed lecture is another plus.
  • Conciseness . From 12 seconds in 2000, humans’ average attention span decreased to eight seconds in 2017. Thus, being concise is another essential factor in choosing presentation topics, as having a wordy title can confuse or intimidate your potential audience.

Tips on Turning a Boring Topic into an Engaging Presentation

public speaking presentation ideas

You might have been feeling dejected as you had to prepare for a talk with no fun topics for presentation. It is hard to turn psychology discussions into engaging ones, knowing that this field has jargon and cases that can make your lecture dull.

However, instead of blaming your subject for being boring, avoid being dull instead. Here are some tips on turning a boring topic into an interactive one.

public speaking presentation ideas

What are the Good Topics to Present in a Speech?

Now that you have skimmed through the tips and ways in choosing fun topics for presentation, making a speech on time needs a good presentation topic. Out of random presentation topics, here are some prominent ones that might give you some ideas.

Interesting Presentation Topics

  • Ancient Greek Heroes Modern Interpretation
  • Antidepressants and Its Effects on Human Brain
  • How Bad Nutrition Affects a Person’s Appearance
  • Traces of Romanticism in Well-known English Literature
  • Influences of Music in Mental Health
  • How Religion and Politics Blend Within a State
  • Most Famous and Nerve-wracking Novels, Books, and Plays
  • How Traditional Herbs Gets Approved
  • Effects of Being a Polyglot
  • Being Productive During Pandemic

Good Presentation Topics

  • Disney Films’ Most Famous Actresses
  • How Media Affects Gender Stereotypes Portrayal
  • How Beauty Contests Affects Women’s Self-esteem
  • Differences Between Religion and Cult
  • Gambling Effects on Human’s Mental Health
  • Most Authoritative Politicians and Political Parties
  • Ways to Improve the Health Systems
  • Preparation and Prevention Against Natural Disasters
  • Ways to Alleviate Insomnia
  • How to Build Good Relationship Between Children and Pets

5-Minute Presentation Topics

  • Best Apps to Improve Academic Performance
  • Airport First-timers: Step-by-step Instructions
  • Easy-to-make Breakfast Recipes
  • How to Avoid Procrastination
  • Making Money During Holidays
  • How Social Media Lowers Self-esteem
  • Working Remotely: Pros and Cons
  • Best Online Business and Professions
  • Why Trust Your Intuition
  • Reasons to Learn Foreign Languages

Fun Topics for Presentation

  • How Rock ‘n Roll Started
  • Rare and Expensive Coffee Types
  • Best Self-development Books for Teens
  • Choosing a Specialty in College
  • Secrets of a Healthy Relationship
  • Benefits of Art Therapy
  • How Journalists and Bloggers Differ From Each Other?
  • The Origin of Languages
  • Evolution of Artificial Intelligence
  • Makeup Life Hacks and Tips

Safety Presentation Topics

  • Common Mistakes in General Safety
  • Dealing with Ergonomic and Workplace Stress
  • Coronavirus Precautionary Measures
  • How to Deal with Violence
  • Fire and Electrical Safety
  • Reportage, Prevention, and Liabilities in Workplace Accidents
  • Safety Precautions Against Heat Exhaustion
  • Common Workplace Injuries
  • Communication Issues and Safety
  • Emergency Response Efficiency

Easy Presentation Topics

  • Adverse Effects of GMOs on Health and Life
  • Effective Ways to Improve Old People’s Health System
  • Most Iconic Censorship on Social Media
  • Most Prominent Female Political Leaders of All Time
  • How to Avoid Being Late
  • Globalization and Its Effects on World Population
  • Smiling Therapy Positive Effects on Mental Health
  • Advancement of 3D Printing and Its Benefits
  • How Music Helps in Learning New Languages
  • Dealing with Child Prodigies

Controversial Speech Topics

Controversies are all around us, especially online resources. Finding a controversial topic must fit your passion and knowledge; otherwise, it might negatively impact your discussion.

Controversial Leadership Topics for Presentation

  • LGBTQ Rights
  • Abortion: Pro-Choice vs. Pro-Life
  • Benefits of Multiculturalism in a Society
  • Security and Privacy Concerns about Electronic Voting
  • Gun Control Laws and Limits
  • Journalism Ethics and Corruption
  • Euthanasia Vs. Right to Live
  • Death Penalty Pros and Cons
  • How Mandatory Minimum Penalties Impact Federal Sentencing
  • Torture as an Interrogation Tactic
  • Electoral College Abolishment
  • Is World Peace Possible?
  • Same-sex union
  • Lowering Criminal Liability Age
  • Banning Animal Experimentation
  • High Taxation Rates
  • Freedom of Speech and Its Restrictions
  • Embargo and Censorship: What to be Publicize
  • Insanity Plea as an Excuse
  • Tobacco Regulation

Controversial Topics for Teenagers

  • Hookup Culture and Its Impact on Teens
  • Bullying and Cyberbullying
  • Banning of Pornography in E-libraries
  • Causes of Depression and Other Mental Illness in Teens
  • Teen Suicide Liability
  • Prohibition of Gambling for Teens
  • How to Educate Teens About Drugs
  • Dealing with Eating Disorders in Teens
  • When Should Teens Start to Vote
  • How Parents Should Deal Teens’ Romantic Relationship
  • Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Education
  • Health Impacts of Fast-Food for Teens
  • How Being a Fan Impact Teens
  • Possibility of Living on Mars
  • Why Media Literacy Important for Teenagers
  • How Teenagers Can Fight Top Environmental Problems
  • Dealing with Diversity in School
  • Military Recruitment on Campus
  • Pros and Cons of School Uniform and Dress Code
  • Plan B Contraception Access for Minors

public speaking presentation ideas

What are Some Presentation Ideas for School?

For school purposes, you must find informative but fun topics for presentation as students have a lesser attention span than adults. Here are the presentation topics for academic and educational causes.

Science Topics for Presentation

For students and teachers in technical educational institutions, science presentation topics are among the most in-demand discussions. Here are some ideas to help you out.

Physics Topics for Presentation

  • Is Physics Based on Theory or Practice
  • Why We Need to Study Physics
  • Newton’s Third Law as the Universal Formula
  • Why Every Student Needs to Learn Physical Formula
  • Is Physics Dependent on Math and Science or Vice Versa
  • Why Physics Necessary for Knowledge Testing
  • How to Deal with Difficulties in Physics Lesson
  • Most Important Topics in Physics

Chemistry Topics for Presentation

  • Why Alchemists Seeks Philosopher’s Stone
  • Chemists Who Are Nobel Prize Awardees
  • How Chemical Weapons Become Main Threat for War
  • How to Choose Quality Water
  • Making a Kid Interested in Chemistry
  • Hair Biochemistry and Its Process
  • Effects of Lack of Chemical Elements in a Human Body
  • Safety Precautions for Chemical Products

Biology Topics for Presentation

  • How the Future Lies in Crossroads of Biological Sciences
  • How to Avoid Harmful GMO Foods
  • Secrets of Centenarians
  • Allergic Reactions Caused by Dust
  • Can a Person Survive Without Clean Drinking Water
  • How Sports and Nutrition Determine Human Health
  • Vaccination and Its Effect on Genotype
  • Best Houseplants for Air Purification

Geology Topics for Presentation

  • Earthquakes and Volcanic Eruptions as Causes of Dynamic Geology
  • Geomorphology: Intersection of Geography and Geology
  • Space Geology in the Field of Cosmology and Planetology
  • Geological Timeline from Solid Formation to the Holocene Era
  • Geological Events Absolute and Relative Age
  • Methods and Principles of Geology
  • Geodynamics: The Relationship of the Earth’s Core and Crust Processes  
  • Microstructural Geology: Micro-Level Rock Deformation

Astronomy Topics for Presentation

  • Differences Between Astronomy and Astrology
  • The Possibility of Life on Mars
  • History and Discovery of Milky Way Galaxy
  • Does Astronomy Only Study Stars?
  • Astronomy as a Separate Subject in School
  • Reasons Why Fewer Entrants ChoAstronomynomy
  • What Happens If the Sun Died?
  • Why Our Future Depends on Astronomical Studies

Technological Science Topics for Presentation

  • How Technology Improves Living Standards
  • Technology and Its Effect on Cancer Treatment
  • How Cybercriminals Use Technology
  • Benefits and Threats of Artificial Intelligence
  • Saving Time on Internet Technology Usage
  • Technological Evolution from the Middle Ages to Present
  • Diffusion Rate of Technology in Developing Countries
  • Taking a Break from the Internet

Multimedia Science Topics for Presentation

  • Multimedia Features and Classification
  • Creating with Multimedia Presentation
  • Features of Online Multimedia
  • Benefits of Multimedia in Business
  • Usage of Multimedia in Computer Games
  • How to Create Training Courses Using Multimedia
  • Becoming a Multimedia Specialist
  • Multimedia and Its Relation to Science

Cultural and Social Presentation Topic Ideas

This aspect mostly concerns psychology and sociology students. Here are some fun topics for presentations that you can check out.

public speaking presentation ideas

  • Culture and Traditions of Native Americans
  • How History Connects with Culture
  • How Cultural Knowledge Increases Chances of Success
  • Identifying Emigrants by Cultural Characteristics
  • Why Students Need to Learn About Culture
  • Importance of Cultural Appreciation
  • Pros and Cons of Diversified Culture
  • Best Sociology Books for Starters
  • Sociology and Its Express Research
  • Empirical Research
  • Causes of Social Phenomena
  • Mathematical Methods in Sociology
  • Social Trends Analysis and Development Patterns
  • How to Collect Sociological Information
  • Becoming a School President
  • Why a President Needs Leadership Skills
  • Ways to Raise a Child as a Leader
  • Is Leadership an Innate Skill or Result of Experiences?
  • Responsibilities of a Leader
  • How Family Relationships Affect One’s Leadership Skills
  • Winning a Leadership Scholarship
  • How Individual Differs from Social Ethics?
  • Politics and International Relations Ethical Principles
  • Ethical Communication Rules in Social Media
  • Business Ethics and Relationships
  • Why Learn Etiquette Knowledge
  • Ethical Issues on Famous Artworks
  • Knowing About Corporate Ethics

What are Some Presentation Ideas for Healthcare?

There are many physical and mental health topics for school and other conferences , but having fun topics for presentations is essential to make your lecture less complicated. Here are some of the presentation topics that might suit your interest.

public speaking presentation ideas

Psychology Topics for Presentation

  • The Need for Psychologists in Kindergarten
  • Best Universities for Psychology
  • Choosing a Suitable Psychologist
  • Outcasts Children: Psychology Victim
  • Psychological State and Its Effects on Productivity
  • When Do You Need a Psychologist
  • Can a Person with Mental Disorder Become a Psychologist?

Mental Health Topics for Presentation

  • Mental Fatigue: Causes of Failure
  • Impacts of Social Media on Mental Health
  • Recognizing and Avoiding the Onset of Depression
  • Causes of Mental Health Disorders
  • How Physical Affects Mental Health and Vice Versa
  • Dealing With Mental Breakdowns
  • How Music Improves Mental Health

Health Topics for Presentation

  • Why Do Pharmacies Sell Over-the-counter Medicines?
  • How Allergic Reaction Works
  • Sports that Can Improve Health in a Month
  • Signs of Bad Immunity System
  • Legalization of Marijuana
  • Centenarians Secret to Good Health
  • Healthy Habits Before Exams

Nutrition Topics for Presentation

  • The Necessity of Reading a Product’s Composition
  • Nutrition Effects on Skin Condition
  • Determining Necessary Ratio of Proteins, Fats, and Carbohydrates
  • Tips for Restrictive Eating Disorders
  • How Sports Nutrition Can Be Dangerous
  • Why Being a Nutritionist a Good Career Choice
  • Why Quality Nutrition Determines One’s Success

Nursing Presentations

  • Nursing Career and Its Growth
  • Critical Moments on Painkillers Usage
  • Patient Safety During Nursing
  • Patient safety during nursing
  • Career Growth in Nursing
  • The use of painkillers: critical moments
  • Health Assessment: What to Check
  • Features of caring for patients with mental disorders
  • Postoperative patient care
  • Features internships and practices for nurses

Dental Presentations Ideas

  • Teeth Processes for Babies
  • Molar Extraction Process
  • Wisdom Tooth: Necessary or Not?
  • How Chewing Gum Affects Tooth Enamel
  • Causes and Treatment for Oral Cancer
  • Diet for Braces

Medical Presentations

  • How to Call an Ambulance
  • Dealing With Addiction
  • Highly Addictive Medical Drugs that You Don’t Realize
  • Primary Stab Wound Treatment
  • When a Surgery Becomes Necessary
  • Traditional, Alternative, and Modern Medicines
  • Preventing Sport Injuries
  • Insomnia Treatment With No Pills
  • Anti-aging Pills: When to Avoid It
  • Why Go or Reject Posthumous Donation
  • Euthanasia and Its Effect on Suicide Rate
  • How to Avoid Child Obesity
  • Pros and Cons of GMOs
  • Diverse Way to Improve Healthcare
  • The Need for Legal Framework on Plastic Surgery Regulations

What are Some Presentation Ideas for Business and Management?

Finding business presentation topics is more difficult as you have to show in-depth knowledge regarding your chosen idea. Here are some of the presentation topics that you can check out.

public speaking presentation ideas

How a Good Topic Helps on Public Speaking (SECS Elements)

Having the right choice of presentation topics can help meet the Sincerity, Enthusiasm, Confidence , and Simplicity (SECS) public speaking elements due to these reasons:

  • A good topic can make you sincere in communicating with your audience.
  • Fun topics for presentations can also increase the audience’s enthusiasm.
  • Fun topics for presentations also give you confidence as it lessens awkwardness.
  • The right topic makes your presentation concise, straightforward, and informative at the same time.

Presentation topics are the key to a successful lecture, bringing more opportunities for your career. It can get confusing to choose among tons of ideas out there, but give it a serious thought as your topic impacts your overall presentation.

public speaking presentation ideas

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200+ Awesome Public Speaking Tips and Templates

Public Speaking Tips and Templates

Public Speaking Tips and Templates

Public speaking can be a terrifying experience. Whether you’re about to present to a class of students or just want to give a quick presentation at work, the thought of being in front of an audience can make even the most seasoned person break out in a cold sweat. These public speaking tips and ideas will help you calm your nerves and deliver a better presentation.

However, public speaking doesn’t have to be as scary as it seems. For some people, it’s easier if they know what to expect and have some helpful tips up their sleeve.

Public speaking is a chance for you to share your ideas or research with people who are interested in what you have to say.

It can be intimidating, however public speaking doesn’t have to be scary for everyone. With some tips and tricks up your sleeve, you’ll be able to give presentations like a pro!

In this post, we’ll explore ten public speaking tips that will help you deliver a stellar presentation in no time.

  • Know your audience

One of the most important things to do when speaking is to know your audience. This means you need to consider the following:

  • Who is your audience?
  • What are the demographics?
  • How many people will be in attendance?
  • What are the top three points you want to make?
  • What are some keywords that this audience might use in conversation with each other and with you?

Knowing your audience will help maximise your effectiveness because it’ll help you tailor what you talk about, how you talk about it, why you’re talking about it, and what questions/concerns they might have as well.

For example, if someone from a very business background comes up to speak in front of a very creative crowd, they may want to offer more personality or creativity in their topics, in order to cater more specifically towards their demographic.

Tell a story

First and foremost, my favourite of these public speaking tips is that we need to always remember that public speaking is about telling a story. It’s about relating your message to the audience in a way that makes sense for them.

The easiest way to start is by asking a question. Does anyone know what time it is? How did you get here? What have you guys been up to lately? These questions allow people to relax and figure out where you’re going with the speech.

Next, build connections with your audience. Try to use examples from their life experiences or things they’ve heard before that relate back to what you’re saying. It’s easier for people if the speech feels familiar.

Try not to speak too quickly or too slowly so that people can follow along without issues.

Finally, maintain eye contact throughout the speech. It will help give people cues on what to do next, it will help reassure them that they’re not missing anything, and it will make them feel more engaged with the presentation.

Public speaking is a skill that’s acquired over time, so you need to practice. If you’re trying to get comfortable with public speaking, try giving a talk at your local library or old people’s home. It may not seem like the most natural thing in the world, however libraries and nursing homes have surprisingly well-mannered audiences!

If you just can’t seem to make it work, it might be time for more professional help. Find someone with experience and ask them whether they would be willing to mentor you privately.

Prepare your speech

One of the most important things in public speaking is preparation. So you want to know what to expect before you’re on stage.

This includes having a good idea of the subject that you’ll be speaking about and knowing how long it will take. While you can’t prepare for every possible scenario, you should always have a backup plan just in case something goes wrong. It’s also helpful to have an outline of what you’ll say so that if something does go wrong with your speech, it won’t throw off whatever point you were trying to make.

You might also want to think about what you’ll actually wear. The colours or clothing that you wear can affect how people perceive your speech as well as how they feel during it. If people are already feeling nervous before your speech starts, it could be more difficult for them to concentrate on what you’re saying.

Speak clearly and confidently

One of the most important tips to remember when preparing for a presentation is to speak clearly and confidently. It’s essential that you don’t mumble your words or stumble over your sentences. Instead, focus on speaking in a clear voice, and use gestures to help emphasise your points.

Make sure you’re aware of how the people around you are reacting as well; if they seem bored, it might be time for an abrupt shift in strategy. Your audience will love it!

Project your voice

When you’re giving a presentation, it’s important to project your voice in a confident manner. If you sound hesitant and unsure of yourself, your audience will pick up on this and it won’t be a good impression. Basically, when it comes to public speaking, the more confident you are, the better!

Projecting is not just about having confidence in your voice. It’s also about being confident with the content that you’re presenting. If you’re not sure what to say, have an outline or script prepared so that you know what points are coming next. In addition, make sure to practice what you’ll say beforehand so that everything flows smoothly during the presentation.

Greet everyone with a smile

This one may seem obvious however it can’t be stressed enough. When people enter a room where they know someone is going to be speaking in front of them, they tend to pay a little more attention than if they were just walking into an empty room without any anticipation of who will speak next.

So always make sure to greet every person who enters into the room before beginning your talk!

Have an opening point, a middle point, and a closing point

No one likes a monotonous speaker. Keep your presentation lively by having three distinct points to your speech.

The first point is the opening point, where you introduce yourself and the topic at hand. The second point is the middle point, where you dive into your main message or talk about what you want people to take away from your presentation.

The third point is the closing point, where you wrap up everything that was said and bring back old notes for those who weren’t able to stick around for the whole thing.

For example, let’s say you’re giving a presentation on how to be empathetic in business negotiations. You could have three points:

1) My name is Sally and I’m going to discuss how it’s important in business negotiations to be empathetic and open-minded when dealing with others. 2) Now, let’s talk about what being empathetic means-in short, empathy is understanding another person’s perspective while remaining impartial and not reacting emotionally (which can actually hurt negotiation outcomes). 3) And finally, let’s talk about what we can do as negotiators to help build more bridges and make this easier on each other.

This way, everyone knows what they’re in for before beginning

The opening point

The opening is a very important elements of these public speaking tips. We all know that the first few minutes of a presentation are crucial. If you make a poor start, you can quickly lose your audience. It’s important to set the tone for your talk and create interest in your content by getting straight into it.

Start with an engaging opener—something that will get your audience on board straight away, like asking them a question about what they think of your subject or something else relevant.

If you’re having trouble opening, try something similar to: “This is going to be an interesting conversation.” This sets the mood for what’s about to happen and also gets them more engaged in what you have to say.

The middle point

Why is the middle point important? The middle point is a crucial part of public speaking. It helps you establish and maintain your audience’s interest. Without it, people will quickly lose focus on what you’re saying. Another reason the middle point is important is that it can help you come across as more natural.

Sometimes, when you speak too quickly, you end up sounding like a robot—not something most people want to hear!

Typically, the middle point will be about eight to ten minutes into your presentation. However don’t worry; if time runs out before then, it’s not the end of the world. Just make sure to end with a good conclusion and wrap up your speech in a neat fashion!

200+ public speaking tips and templates

After all that, here are links to over 200 presentation tips, 100 templates and themes and other related resources, wrapped up into one list…

Presentation Tips

  • Really Bad Powerpoint, and how to avoid it by Seth Godin.
  • Public speaking do’s and don’ts (from Lifehacker )
  • Death by Powerpoint (and how to fight it) (Slideshare Presentation)
  • Great Presentations by Tom Peters
  • Don McMillan: All those PowerPoint Mistakes (Video)
  • How to Get a Standing Ovation
  • How to Make Your Speaking Easier and More Effective
  • Advice for Presentations: It Happens!
  • Getting over the jitters before you speak
  • Rock Your Presentation with the Right Tools and Apps (from Lifehacker )
  • 5 tips for exciting speeches
  • The Law of Public Speaking: Positioning
  • Conquering your fear of public speaking
  • Special Delivery! Tips for Improving Your Humor
  • Public Speaking Panic
  • How I made my presentations a little better
  • To Done! How To Give A Great Presentation

Presentation Blogs

  • Beyond Bullets
  • Presentation Zen

Presentation Software

  • Apple Keynote
  • s5, a slide show format based entirely on XHTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Presentation Templates and Themes

Apple Keynote:

  • Keynote Pro: Commercial Keynote themes
  • Commercial Keynote themes

Powerpoint:

  • 720 Powerpoint Templates
  • Brainy Betty: Free Powerpoint backgrounds and templates
  • S5 Templates

Final words

Public speaking really doesn’t have to be as terrifying as it seems! Public speaking is an integral part of any successful business. It helps you establish credibility, promotes your brand and builds trust with your audience.

Here are my final ten public speaking tips for when you just can’t seem to get it right.

  • Have a plan
  • Focus on the task at hand
  • Find a relaxed state of mind
  • Don’t drink too much caffeine before you speak
  • Avoid negative body language and vocal tone
  • Stand up straight and speak slowly, clearly, loudly and with authority
  • Use gestures wisely in order to encourage participation from the audience
  • Keep it short-and-sweet!

All the best with your next presentation – make sure to enjoy yourself!

Sharing is caring!

Miles Burke

An Australian serial entrepreneur, Miles has been blogging about digital marketing , startups and more since 2003. He enjoys writing short bios in the third person.

5 December 2007

public speaking tips

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17 December 2007 at 7:16 pm

Wow, that is an extensive list.

I will haev to come back a few times to work my way through it all.

Darren Flmeing Australia’s public speaking coach http://www.executivespeaking.com.au

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12 August 2009 at 12:18 am

You have put together a nice list there! It’s interesting that when you read through the sites (and they are all helpful) there are certain common threads that start to appear in all of them. Put these together and you’ve got yourself the perfect public speaker for business!

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14 May 2010 at 3:29 pm

I just came from looking for a good page on Bing and came across yours. I have to say these templates are nice. Thank you for telling us about them in your blog post. I will be sure to pass this link to others.

  • Miles’ Blog » Presentation Tips II - Interview with Maxine Sherrin - Thoughts and errata from Miles Burke.

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101 Public Speaking Tips

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101 Public Speaking Tips

Anyone Can Develop Good Presentation Skills

No matter what they tell you, people who have excellent presentation skills are not lucky. They didn’t win the lottery of life. Also, those of us who are not great at presenting aren’t doomed to failure. Anyone can develop presentation skills. I also believe that, with just a little practice, anyone can become a world-class speaker. Below are 101 public speaking tips that will help you reduce stage fright and become more self-confident. Don’t try to memorize all 101 tips, and don’t try to apply every single one before your next presentation. Instead, bookmark this page and pick one single tip to master during your next speech. Then come back over and over to try new ideas.

One of the challenges with tip pages (like this) is that readers are often embarrassed by their fear and try to hide it. If you have stage fright, chances are there are tons of others out there who need help as well. So, if you get value out of these tips, make sure and link to it or post it on Facebook or Linked-In . Help us help more people, please.

Public Speaking 101 – A list of 101 Public Speaking Tips!

Design a good skeleton of a presentation, create a clear and specific title or topic.

Design a Good Skeleton of a Presentation

If you create a vague or general title, you will have a vague and general (hard to deliver) speech. Get specific and focused. For instance, instead of talking about “Last Year Financials,” talk about how “Cost-Saving Measures and Increased Sales Led to Higher Profit.” Remember in High School when you had to give book reports? It is tiresome to hear 32 versions of “Book Report about Julius Cesar,” but “Julius Cesar is a Metaphor for High School Peer Pressure” is much more enjoyable.

For additional details, see How to Design a Catchy Presentation Title .

Limit Your Support to a Few Most Important Points

Once you have a great topic, prove that your point or conclusion is valid by using just three, four, or five essential support items. Spend more time showing your few points versus adding more and more and more additional points. Your audience will only remember a few things that you cover, so make sure they are the most critical points. If you have trouble determining what points to use or narrowing down to just a few points, go back to tip number one and adjust your topic.

For additional details, see Write a Speech in Just a Few Simple Steps .

Add Stories

Stories are easy to remember and easy to deliver to an audience, so your nervousness will drop as you relay stories to your audience. Examples also help you prove your bullet points in a way that makes it easy for the audience to remember.

For additional details, see Storytelling in Speeches .

Use Stories as Facts and Figures

Most presenters like to create a long list of bullet points with facts and figures. Instead, give your audience the story behind the number. For instance, (1) revenue increased 10% (2) closing ratios went up 3% (3) advertising costs decreased 15%, and (4) profit went up 15% is quickly forgotten and will take up a whole PowerPoint slide.

However, “At the beginning of the last quarter, we changed our advertising strategy and focused more on repeat business from current clients versus spending money to attract new clients. We stopped sending mailers to the mailing list that we used in the past, and we sent multiple mailers to past customers instead. We were able to cut the mailing cost by 15%. The sales team had fewer leads and was able to spend more time developing repeat business. This allowed them to increase their closing ratios by 3% and total revenue by 10%. Since the cost was down as well, the combination of increased revenue and decreased advertising cost led to a 15% increase in profit.” Much easier to remember, much more comfortable to deliver, and no bullet points needed.

We jammed a lot of content into this tip page, so come back often to renew your focus. Remember that the Fearless Presentations ® class helps participants implement every one of these 101 puplic speaking tips! Our blog posts give these tips and more in greater detail.

Public Speaking Tips to Reduce Public Speaking Fear

7 Presentation Habits that Make Your Nervous Speaker

Practice with a Partner

Now that you have a good outline and skeleton of a presentation practice delivering the speech with a friend or coworker. Practicing alone is a bad idea because you are your own worst critic. When you practice with a friend, though, you will get good verbal and visual feedback.

For additional details, see How to Reduce Public Speaking Fear .

Avoid Video Feedback

Video feedback can be a fantastic way to grow as a speaker, but it can also scare the gooey out of you. Avoid video feedback unless you have an excellent coach, professionally trained, to go over it with you. Going it alone can cause a lot of challenges.

Get Good at Delivering without Notes and Visual Aids

Since you are practicing a fairly simple speech right now, practice it without notes. Just write your three, four, or five key points on a slide or flip chart and practice delivering the presentation by really developing your stories. At this point, you will only really need to remember which story you want to use for each of your points. Keep it simple.

For additional details, see How to Memorize a Speech .

Butterflies are Normal

At this point, as you practice, you might start to feel butterflies in your stomach or other symptoms of public speaking fear. Don’t worry. Those symptoms are normal. However, as you practice once or twice, the nervousness should drop pretty dramatically.

For additional explanation of these and other ways to reduce nervousness, see this post. 10 Ways to Reduce Public Speaking Fear .

Lose Train of Thought?

If you lose your train of thought and feel some panic, then one of a couple of things might be happening. You likely have a bunch of bullet points that are difficult to remember. If so, go back through the earlier tips and design your speech differently. If you are feeling light-headed and confused, though.

When we get nervous, we tend to breath more shallowly. When this happens, the speaker will not have enough oxygen, which makes the panic even greater. Which alters the breathing even more. When you feel this happening, stop and take a deep breath from the diaphragm. To keep this from happening, take a nice deep breath before you say your first sentence.

Realize 90% of Nervousness Doesn’t Show

The audience usually can’t see the butterflies, or shaky hands, or sweaty palms. The problem occurs when we start thinking about these symptoms rather than focusing on the audience and our topic. By human nature, most people are focused on themselves, not on you. Focus on them, and two things will happen. First, they will like you more. Also, much of the nervousness that you feel will go away.

Avoid Writing Presentation Word for Word

Don’t fall into the trap of writing everything out so that you don’t forget something. You will be likely just to read it to the audience and probably sound boring when you do. Design your outline as we described above, and you will sound and feel more confident.

Avoid Memorizing Your Entire Speech

Most people believe that if they memorize their written speech, they will sound better than when they read it. It is possible, but not likely, though. More likely, the speaker will, at some point, forget something and panic. Instead, follow the guidelines above to design a good skeleton of a speech and memorize your stories.

Presentation Skill Tips to Add Energy to Your Delivery

Presentation Skill Tips to Add Energy to Your Delivery

Add Energy and Enthusiasm

Enthusiasm is the absolute most important public speaking secret. If you have energy and enthusiasm, your audience will love you. Be excited about your topic, and your audience will be excited about your presentation.

For more details, see 5 Turnkey Ways to Add Energy to a Presentation .

Talk with Your Hands

We all naturally speak with our hands, but for some reason, when we stand up to speak, we tend to lock up our body language and lose a lot of our natural energy. Drop your hands when you start a speech, then use them to explain your points. (By the way, if you tell a lot of stories, this will happen naturally.)

Make Your Gestures Bigger than Your Body

In a small room, try to make your gestures outside of your torso. Small gestures below the shoulders and close to your body make you look weak and timid. The higher and wider your gestures are, the more confident you appear. When we get nervous, we want a barrier between us and the threat, so the small gestures show the audience that they threaten you. Make the gestures bigger.

Exaggerate Gestures in Big Venues

As your audience gets bigger, so should your gestures. If you have a stand, (most people call it a podium, but the podium is the small stage that a speaker stands on), the audience will not see your gestures unless you exaggerate them. Make your gestures huge. They will look very normal for the audience.

Speak Faster

This tip goes against conventional wisdom in public speaking, but it is one of the most valuable tips. Speak faster! Really. When you talk faster, you add natural energy to your presentation. Think about the last time that you were excited about something. How did you tell people about it? We’re you slow and measured or fast and exaggerated? Talk faster, and the audience will get excited about you and your topic. I know what you are thinking.”Everyone else tells me to slow down.” Well, everyone else doesn’t get paid tens of thousands of dollars every time they speak and are probably pretty boring. If you want to be like them, do what they tell you. If you want to be a great speaker, speak faster.

Move Faster

So, not only do you want to move more and bigger, but also faster. For instance, when you walk to the front, don’t run, but take about a half-step faster pace than normal. If you walk like you are going to the gallows, you will suck the energy out of the room and leave the impression of being boring. If you move like you want to get to the front of the room, you will push energy into the room.

Your voice is your best tool when you present, so use it. If you are quiet, the audience will question your authority on the subject. Increase your volume a little to show the audience that you are in control.

Change Your Tone

What do they call boring speakers? Right, “mono-tone.” When we get nervous, especially when we memorize a presentation word-for-word, we tend to zoom through the presentation because we are afraid we will forget something. Most often, a speaker will sound very monotone when he/she does this. By the way, this is different from the “speaking faster” that I mentioned above. The reason why most coaches will tell a speaker to “slow down” is because most speakers zoom through memorized speeches with little or no emphasis on content, so the tone stays the same all the way through. Instead, design your speech as we talked about, and make a conscious effort to call attention to words or phrases that need emphasis. “It made a HUGE difference,” versus “It was a huge difference.”

Add Impact and Pizzaz to Your Presentation

Add Impact and Pizzaz to Your Presentation

Make Your Title Audience Focused

Go back to your title now and redesign it so that it has a significant “want” of the audience. Just look at the title as you have it and ask “why” does the audience need to hear this presentation? Whatever the answer to that question is should be added to the title. For instance, if your title is “Project Update,” and you followed tip #1 and made it more specific, you might end up with, “Smith Building Construction Project Update.” Now go one step farther. What is the actual result of the update? What conclusion do you want the audience to come to about the presentation? Now the title becomes, “Smith Building is Two Weeks behind Schedule, but Back on Track by the End of the Month.”

For more details, see How to Create a Great Presentation Title .

Make Your Bullet Points Audience Focused

Once you make your title audience-focused, your bullet points are likely to change. If your title is just “Smith Building Project Update,” then you’d likely have dozens of possible points that you could cover from personnel, schedule, budget, project map, client meetings, community outreach, etc however, if the title is about how the project is behind schedule and our plan to get back on schedule. You’ll likely spend point one on what happened to get us off track (and tell a few stories about it). Then, points two and three will probably be a few things that we will do to get back on track with examples of each.

For additional info, so Create Great Bullet Points in Your Presentation .

Add More Stories

I know that I gave this tip earlier, but stories are your Ace-in-the-Hole in presentations. The more that you have, the better your presentation will be, and the more that your audience will like you. I often hear statements from class members like, “But, presenters in my company don’t tell stories.” I always respond with, “Well, I can pretty much bet that meetings and speeches within your company stink, then.” And then almost always agree. After you have your skeleton presentation designed with a topic, a few key bullet points, and a story to prove each bullet point, go back and add a few more stories as proof. Below are a few ways to do this.

A Few Ways to Use Stories to Reduce Nervousness and Add Impact

Persuasive Speech How to Write a Persuasive Speech

Add a Moral or an Action

Your examples are great ways to teach the audience or persuade them. When you finish your stories, add a moral or call to action to the end, such as, “so, what I want you to get from this is.” When we tell people to do something or give advice, human nature is to play Devil’s Advocate, but when you tell a story first, they are more likely to agree. Try it around the office. Instead of giving advice right away, start with a story about the advice first and see if you get better results.

For more info, see How to Write an Effective Persuasive Speech .

Use Success Stories as Proof

Your successes are solid proof that your advice is sound, so anytime you offer advice or a suggested plan of action, always try to use a personal example as your proof that your input is valid. If you haven’t had personal success with the new idea, find some other group or person who has and use their success story as proof.

Learn from Mistakes

When you or your team has challenges, tell the story about the trial or mistake, and then add the moral at the end to show how you learned from it. A lot of times, this can add some self-deprecating humor, as well.

Give Contrasting Examples

A good way to use examples and stories is with a “good” example and a “bad” example. For instance, if you are giving a suggestion or advice in your presentation, give one example of a time when you or someone else didn’t take the advice, and the results were less than adequate and a second example when we used the advice and had success.

A Few Public Speaking Tips to Use Audience Participation to Add Impact

Add audience participation.

Audience participation is a fantastic way to break up the presentation and add energy and attentiveness to a presentation. The adage is that “People will support a world that they help create.” When your audience helps deliver your presentation, they will enjoy the presentation more and retain the information longer.

Avoid Rhetorical Questions

Never ask the audience a question that you don’t expect them to answer. Rhetorical questions aren’t interactive and have the potential to be annoying or even manipulative, so really avoid these types of questions.

Be Careful with Yes/No Questions

Questions where some people will answer “Yes” and some will answer “No” will divide the audience, so only use them if a division is what you want. For instance, “How many of you have been sexually harassed at some time in your career?” will likely cause a harmful division that you’d rather avoid, but “How many of you made President’s Club this year?” might give you a positive result. Just be careful, dividing your audience.

Avoid Single Answer Questions

Questions with only a single correct answer have only two possible results. Either one single person will answer the question correctly for one single success, or no one will answer the question, and the entire audience will feel stupid. If there is only one answer, avoid the question and tell the audience the answer.

Ask Open-Ended, Opinion Based Questions

The best types of questions are open-ended and “opinion-based” meaning that anyone with an opinion can, and most likely will, be correct. So a whole group of audience members is now the heroes of the room. The best way to do this is to make sure that your bullet points have gone to that “next level” where the result to the audience is added and ask it instead of telling it. “So we are two weeks behind schedule on the Smith building. What kind of things can we do to get back on track by the end of the month?”

Think/Write/Share

If your audience more introverted or less likely to interact, use Think/Write/Share. “Think about all of the possible ways that we can get back on track on the Smith project…” “If you would, write down two or three of your best ideas.” Then wait for everyone to write down at least one thing. “Tell me what you wrote down, and I’ll write them on the whiteboard.” You’ll get a lot more participation this way.

Use Sticky Notes to Get Input

If you have one or two overly vocal audience members who tend to overpower all other opinions, then try having everyone write their ideas on individual Sticky Notes instead. Collect all of the notes and read them out to the group and organize them into piles of similar ideas. That way, you can see where the real consensus is in the group without it becoming a popularity contest.

Another way to get a group to participate is to ask them to tell their best idea to a partner sitting next to them. Then have the partners volunteer to say to the group a single idea that their partner shared that was particularly good.

Have a Contest

Divide the audience into small groups and have a contest of some kind. This could be a test to see what they remember from the speeches from previous presenters, or it could be a contest to see who can come up with the most creative solution to a challenge or problem that you are experiencing. Get creative because people learn more when they are having fun.

My Favorite Ways to Add Impact to Presentation

Analogies are a fantastic way to make complicated information easier to understand and make your presentations more fun as well. An analogy is just a comparison where we are saying that something (complicated information) is just like (something less complicated). Or instance, a financial planner is trying to explain early retirement planning might compare planning your retirement to planting an orchard. If you only plant one tree and wait only one year, you aren’t going to get a great crop. But if you plant a dozen trees of different types of fruit and let them grow for ten years while nourishing them along the way, you’ll end up with a bountiful harvest.

Anecdotes Add Fun and Humor

They called Ronald Reagan The Great Communicator because he had an anecdote for everything. These are short, often funny, stories kind of like parables, that is used to teach a point and add levity. A good place to find these are at the end of articles in Reader’s Digest . Motivational speakers use this technique quite often.

Demonstrations

Demonstrations help audience members better understand processes and products by showing them in action. This technique is common at trade shows and fairs or exhibits. (It is also the most common selling technique on infomercials.) if you are explaining a step-by-step process or have a product that is impressive to the audience, then a demonstration might be a great addition to your presentation.

Offer a Sample

Give the audience something they can see, touch, feel, or experience. If you are talking about a product, bring one to pass around. If your topic is less tangible, give an example. For instance, when we teach public speaking skills classes, and we introduce how powerful stories can be, we give an example of a dry presentation without stories, and then we go back and add the stories in and show the audience the difference. Give a sample to reinforce your point.

Quote from an Expert

When you quote an expert, you are temporarily borrowing their expertise and credibility. Quotes should be short, and by someone, the audience will recognize, but when used properly, they can help the speaker have even more credibility.

If you don’t have a formal quote, but you know multiple famous people (or companies) agree with you or follow your advice, then you can name drop them. For instance, “405 of the Fortune 500 companies have sent people to Fearless Presentations including Microsoft, Apple, ExxonMobil, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte, and more.”

Add Showmanship

Remember that in addition to informing and persuading the audience, as a speaker, we also must entertain the audience. If you can “WOW!” the audience, you will be memorable. So do something different than what everyone else does. Below are a few ways to add showmanship.

A Few Public Speaking Tips to Add Showmanship

Use posters instead of pictures.

Adding a picture, or multiple pictures, to a PowerPoint slide can be effective in a pinch. However, you can go to printing stores and get a picture blown up into a poster that you can set on a tripod, and the poster will be much more memorable. Think of a trade show. The exhibits that have big posters are more eye-catching and attention-getting.

Add Some Magic

Quick and easy magic tricks can add some fun and energy to a presentation if it is appropriate. Since our instructors teach seminars and training classes, a quick magic trick used as an analogy to something that we are teaching can be entertaining and memorable. Doing a card trick in a boardroom presentation may not work as well, though.

Teach The Audience Something that will Surprise Them

When we teach team-building activities, we often start will a memory trick that helps the audience improve their memory very quickly. It is a simple technique that anyone can learn, so it is awe-inspiring to most audiences. When I was in school, a speaker showed us how to read faster by having us read a section from a book in our usual way for 60 seconds. Then, he had us read again, but this time pointing to the words in the book with our left hand as we read. The second time that we read, we gained as many as a couple of dozen extra lines of reading. It was really cool. Try it yourself.

Props can Add Showmanship

When legislators were trying to get people upset about the healthcare legislation in 2009; they just printed out the thousands of documents that made up the bill. The piles and piles of unreadable pages were pretty overwhelming and made a valid point. When I was starting out teaching leadership classes, I found a toy that was a tiny shipping box that, when I pushed a button, shook and said, “Let me out of here!” I used it as a prop when I talked about self-confidence, saying, “we all have that confident person inside of us who is struggling to get out and be seen.”

A Good Leave-Behind can Add Showmanship

A handout, book, or another type of reference item can make you more memorable. When we teach our leadership classes, we have a business card holder with a series of leadership principle cards that we give to every participant as a way to reinforce the crucial principles from the course.

Organizing the Presentation

Add at least one “impact idea” to each point.

Now go back to the skeleton outline that you created earlier and add at least one additional technique from the last ten or so ideas above. Add a question, analogy, quote, etc. to each of your original points. Give your presentation some meat.

Take a Break

If you have too much content to fit into five or fewer key points, consider taking a break in the middle to make the presentation more digestible.

Use Your “Impact Ideas” to Alter Time

If you are short on time, it is easy to shorten or cut a story or analogy, and if you are zooming through the presentation, just give more details in your stories, etc. or add an audience participation. This will allow you to hit exact time limits.

What If You have to Give a 10 Point or 20 Point Presentation?

If you have to give a content-heavy presentation, you can, but manage your expectations. Your audience isn’t likely to retain a lot of the content. A follow-up handout or another takeaway will be helpful.

PowerPoint Tips

Design your presentation first, then add visual aids.

Most presenters start with their PowerPoint slideshow, and later try to come up with words to explain the bullet points that they have written. Instead, start with the presentation, and the look for visual aids that will help you clarify your points.

Use Fewer Slides

An excellent way to do this is to practice your presentation a few times without any visual aids first and get good at your delivery. Then go back and add only the visual aids that help you explain your points better.

Less is More

The fewer slides that you have and the less content that you have on each slide, the more impact that your words will have.

A good rule is to have no more than six words on each line and no more than six lines on each PowerPoint slide. This way, everyone in the room should be able to read your slide content easily.

Avoid Overuse of Animation

Spinning bullet points with sound effects are just a distraction, so avoid frivolous animation.

Use Appropriate Animation to Clarify Your Points

Use animation that adds showmanship and clarifies your points. I had a client that had their animation team create a 3D animation of the terrain where they would be building an addition to an Army base that showed everything from the blacktops being poured to the final buildings rising on the horizon to the military tanks being rolled into the gates. It was an impressive piece of proof that the company understood the project.

Charts and Graphs are for Handouts, not PowerPoint Slide Decks

Charts and graphs are very hard to read and follow on a slide, so make a handout or put them on a big board instead.

Pictures for Decoration

If you use a picture (or pictures) for decoration, make the decoration the same on every slide and make it subtle. A single picture in the corner of the slide is usually enough. If your decorative picture changes, your audience will wonder what it has to do with the content of your slide.

Pictures for Clarity

If a picture help adds clarity to your bullet point, then add it in, but if it is just being used to make the slide prettier, leave it out.

Consider Boards Instead of Slides

Instead of putting a picture or chart on a slide, consider getting a board or poster made instead.

PowerPoint Slide Colors

A dark background with light text is most eye appealing.

Use Simple Fonts

Time New Roman or Arial are good choices for PowerPoint fonts.

Use Bullet Points

Although result-oriented, well-developed bullet points are essential when you design and organize your presentation, you might want to use shorter bulletins in your visual aid.

Reveal Your Bullets One at a Time

Reveal bullets one at a time to make sure no one reads ahead.

Point to Bullets when You Reference Them

Move toward the screen and point to your bullets as you read them. This lets the audience knows that you are covering something new and adds energy.

Stand Up When You Speak

The person who Stan’s and speaks carries authority. You will also have more energy.

Practice with Your Slides

After you have practiced without the slides and gotten good at your delivery, add the slides back in and practice in front of a group of people.

Avoid “Read… Click…”

If you design and practice your presentation based on these tips, you will never do this, but if you find yourself just reading and clicking, STOP! You are boring for your audience.

Design Your Own Slideshow

This tip is so important. If someone else designs your PowerPoint slide deck for you, it will increase the complexity ten-fold.

Places to Practice Delivering Your Presentations

Social clubs.

Rotary Clubs, Kiwanis, the Jaycees, Lions Clubs, etc. are great places to practice delivering speeches. Most of these organizations a weekly meeting that requires a guest speaker, so there are 52 opportunities every year for a slot.

Chambers of Commerce

Chambers often have committees where officers lead meetings and give presentations, so run for office. PS, most people avoid positions like this because they don’t want to have to speak in front of their peers.

Libraries and City Recreation Centers

City offices often have scheduled seminars and workshops that are easy to get a speaking engagement in as long as the topic is marketable to them and you will work cheap.

Lunch-N-Learns

If you are a salesperson and want to speak to employees at a specific client, you can buy them lunch and offer to teach them something about your industry.

Teleseminars or Webinars

Just by promoting a free (or paid) Teleseminars on your website, you can often get a nice following of people who will be happy to gain a little of your expertise.

Association Meetings in Your Industry

No matter what industry you belong to, chances are that there are one or more associations for companies like yours. Join one or more of these associations and look for meetings or events where you can speak and become an influential member of your industry.

Association Meetings in Client Industries

If you sell to specific industries, make sure and become a part of their associations and attend their trade shows and meetings. By speaking within these groups, you will be seen as a go-to person/company for their industry.

Trade Shows

If you attend trade shows and purchase booth space, consider purchasing the booth space adjacent to you and fill it with folding chairs. Then conduct a short seminar every half hour or so on topics related to the needs of the attendees.

Marketing Seminars by Reservation

In-person marketing seminars can be a great way to get in front of a lot of potential audience members. Financial planners will often offer free retirement seminars because they know that anyone who attends will likely be a good potential client.

Paid Seminars

Seminars that individuals can attend by paying a fee to you can be a great way to promote yourself because you are gaining income for your efforts. When individuals pay a fee to attend a seminar, they are much more likely to show up as well.

Paid Consulting Meetings

You can also charge individuals or groups to attend consulting or coaching sessions with you. This is a nice way to help customers implement your products/services without losing money. The meetings can be in-person, online, or by teleconference, so you have a lot of flexibility.

Radio and TV Shows

Although there is still a great opportunity to speak on traditional TV and radio programs, the Internet has opened a lot of doors for additional speakers. Internet radio is big and getting bigger all the time, and many hosts are looking for interesting people to interview.

YouTube and other online video services are a great way to make a single presentation get replicated over and over again. Make short, two to three-minute information videos teaching something about your industry and post them on YouTube. Post them once every week or so.

Podcast Your Videos

As you add more videos to your library, offer them as Podcasts (just Google “podcast” for a list of them) so that you can attract a group of “followers” who get access to your videos every time you post one.

Joint Venture Seminars

Partner up with other people or companies who are in the same market but who don’t compete for clients or customers. For instance, if you build websites, partner with a social media expert, a graphic designer, and a video person, and teach people how to build killer websites.

Public Speaking Tips for Sales Teams Delivering Group Presentations

Prepare your team ahead of time.

For many high-level sales presentations, purchasers want to hear from team members who they will be working with on the project. Please don’t let the first time that these folks speak in front of a group be when you have a big contract on the line. Get your team professional presentation training well in advance of the presentation.

Talk About THEM, Not You

Many presenters mistakenly cover a lot of detail about how great they (the presenters) are, how much experience they have, and how they are the best thing since sliced bread. The audience doesn’t care much about this stuff. They have a problem that they want you to solve. Show them how you can help solve their problems, and they will like you.

Show the Client that You are a Team

Edify each other when you introduce the next speaker. Build the next person up by sharing his/her expertise with the audience. Get the entire team involved in the presentation.

Use Showmanship

We covered this as one of the impact ideas above, but showmanship is vital to big sales presentations. You and your team have to be memorable and different. Before every presentation, come up with something new and different that you know others won’t do.

Question and Answer Sessions

Questions for clarity.

The easiest questions are those asked for clarity. The questioner is confused or curious and is looking for a simple answer. In these situations, answer the question quickly and add an example if you need to.

Questions to Test You

Sometimes, audience members may ask aggressive questions to try to test you or throw you off to see how you handle it. A great way to answer these types of questions is with an example or story related to the issue. Then, after you finish the quick tale, give the advice or solution.

Set a Time Limit

Set a time limit for questions and keep it short. Two to five minutes is standard, but some presentations require 15 minutes. Regardless, set a time limit and keep to it.

Ask the First Question if Needed

Audiences are often hesitant to ask the first question so that you might need to prime the pump. “A question that I’m often asked is…” It usually works pretty well.

When Time Expires, End It

If you can have a few more question askers waiting when you end the session, it can work well. Just say, “I’m out of time, but for those of you who we weren’t able to get to, I will be in the back of the room as you leave.” This will create a crowd of energy around you after the presentation.

The Seven Deadly Sins of Presenting

(We know… This puts us at 103 tips versus 101, but we like to over-achieve.)

Thou Shan’t Not Go Overtime without Consent

To “uh” is human, but too many is annoying, thou shall not speak monotonally, avoid shop-talk. thine audience wilst be confused., thou shall not speak whilst the audience readests thy slide, you thou shan’t read endless excerpts to thine audience, thou shan’t dump endless data upon thine audience.

by Doug Staneart | presentation skills | powerpoint tips , Public speaking tips , stage fright

View More Posts By Category: Free Public Speaking Tips | leadership tips | Online Courses | Past Fearless Presentations ® Classes | Podcasts | presentation skills | Uncategorized

151 Best Public Speaking Topics In 2021

Thu Oct 21, 2021

Do you love giving a speech in front of a large group of people or simply feel nervous about it? Sometimes, the lack of preparation and planning a good speech may cause the latter. With today's fast-paced environment, you will have to step up on stage to deliver a speech at some time in your life. Writing a compelling and insightful speech necessitates the selection of a suitable topic, extensive research. It will need the creation of individual ideas to communicate everything fact and opinion. It might be difficult to select a suitable speech topic for your speech . But don't worry, the work has been done for you! This blog provides a list of popular English speaking themes as well as some useful tips and methods. Be ready to effectively communicate your views and suggestions in front of the public. Table Of Contents:

List Of Best Speech Topics For Public Speaking

1-minute speech topics.

  • 2-Minute Speech Topics

Unique Speech Topics

Interesting speech topics, easy speech topics, speech topics on environment.

  • Speech Topics On Social Issues

Speech Topics On Greatest Leaders

Speech topics on education, speech topics on health, frequently asked questions.

Speeches are entirely about the speaker's own ideas. It should not be duplicated from another source. It ultimately boils down to what the speaker believes about any particular issue. Examine the following collection of English Speaking Ideas on various current topics and themes.

public speaking presentation ideas

A 2-minute speech is an excellent method to start into public speaking and is often utilised in the classroom. It's brief. It's quick.

To make things easier for yourself, choose a topic that fascinates you and about which you can speak passionately.

  • Public Smoking
  • Bar Hours of Operation
  • Confirmed Alien Sightings
  • The Rape Culture
  • Indian Reservation Casinos
  • Marijuana Legalization
  • Making Prostitution Legal
  • The Dangers of Cosmetic Surgery
  • Adoption Across Cultures
  • What Causes Men to Have Affairs?
  • What Is the Importance of Reading?
  • Homelessness in the United States
  • Reducing the Legal Drinking Age
  • General Education Courses (20)
  • Is Online Dating Dangerous or Safe?
  • How to Speak English in America
  • Getting Your Pets Spayed/Neutered
  • Are Video Games Beneficial to Your Health?

Choosing new and exciting unique speech themes for your public speaking skills is vital. It can also help with any other special event that necessitates developing your own exceptional experiences. Read through these ideas and choose just the ones that are unique to you.

  • Seniors are no longer able to adopt children.
  • TV commercials are not works of art.
  • Allow students to use social media at school.
  • Cash will be phased out.
  • Music has the ability to heal.
  • Historic structures must be protected.
  • There should be a one-car-per-family regulation.
  • Marriage should be permitted only after the age of 25.
  • Parents who home educate their children should first have to pass examinations.
  • The Bermuda Triangle is not a work of fiction.
  • Medication has no effect on hyperactive youngsters.
  • It is possible to survive without internet access.
  • Leadership cannot be learned.
  • Married couples should engage in extramarital relationships.
  • Modern art just requires ambition.

Almost always, you will be required to present one or more compelling speeches throughout your career.

Unless the topic is appropriate, no matter how good your material or delivery is, you will fail to make an impression. As a result, when making this decision, one must use extreme caution and wisdom. Here are some interesting topics to choose from, especially if it’s your first on stage.

  • Reality television is a source of exploitation.
  • Reality programmes are far from authentic.
  • Computer-based learning is the most efficient.
  • Gamification and virtual reality are the educational technologies of the future.
  • Juvenile criminality is tolerated.
  • Prostitution need to be legalised.
  • To conserve endangered species, severe fines should be imposed.
  • Pollution of the environment is a worldwide issue.
  • The developed world is to blame for global warming.
  • Is Pink appropriate for men
  • Eco-fashion is the way of the future.
  • Fashion shows one's actual self.
  • Travel introduces fresh experiences.
  • Travel broadens your horizons.
  • Rhetorical learning is less essential than personal experience.

If you don't have much time to prepare or research , it's necessary to adhere to what you know. This will greatly reduce your burden because you already know the majority of what there is to know.

Here are some simple and easy speech topics on popular topics.

  • There are less professional ads in schools.
  • Why are single-gender public schools preferable than co-ed?
  • From cradle to finish, schools should educate students on healthy nutrition.
  • Students who engage in cyberbullying should be expelled from school.
  • Before getting married, you should live together.
  • Higher education is a basic requirement for success in today's world.
  • French fries and drinks should not be served in schools.
  • Students who study online are more likely to cheat.
  • Classic literature should be reserved for college students alone.
  • Every kid at every school should be required to wear a uniform.
  • After completing a basic education, students should be put in trade schools.
  • Exam results provide little insight into a student's skills.
  • History textbooks do not always tell the entire storey.
  • It is critical for students to learn about all global faiths in school.
  • Homeschooling outperforms formal education.

For public speaking , consider environmental speech themes and essay writing on many elements of our ecology. https://www.letstute.com/s/store/courses/Spoken%20English

Do you want to write about sustainability in the environment? These suggestions will serve to enliven your imagination.

  • The dangers of oil spills in the water.
  • Recycling should be made compulsory.
  • Why is it necessary to save oil?
  • Why should we use reusable bags?
  • Why should palm oil be banned?
  • Mining should be prohibited in environmentally vulnerable regions.
  • Disposable diapers pollute the environment.
  • In deciding how a person will turn out, the environment is more significant than heredity.
  • The dangers of drilling for oil in Alaska.
  • Fishing restrictions are required to protect the ecosystem.
  • Endangered species must be protected.
  • We need to put more money into alternate fuels.
  • Endangered oceans ought to be protected.
  • We should work for a paperless society.
  • Conserve the world's resources.
  • Rain forests must be safeguarded.

You may also like:

  • The massive list of 51 English speaking tips
  • How talk in English
  • 13 Actionable tips to learn English Speaking

Spoken English for Learners Online Course

Speech Topics on Social Issues

When working on a speech that asks you to write about a societal topic, you must be neutral in your research and writing. The topic you choose should be related to and relevant to the societal issue addressed in your speech. Here are a few issues that will have a bigger influence in terms of social affairs.

  • The notion that all individuals are equal
  • The statistics on homelessness in the United States are accurate. Fashion is the biggest cause of kid misbehaviour.
  • Corporate corruption is a major factor of poor economies in many countries.
  • Never take your right to privacy for granted.
  • People are not killed by firearms. People kill one other, and the meaning of beauty pageants is muddled.
  • The prevalence of spoiled children has increased as a result of media violence.
  • The world's biggest population has lost its cultural identity.
  • There is an urgent need to put an end to the maiming and abuse of schoolgirls.
  • China's one-child policy is justifiable.
  • In current culture, correct tipping etiquette and procedures
  • Unemployment, a growing crisis
  • The Importance of the Right to an Education
  • Child trafficking as an unspoken issue

The capacity to lead is extremely powerful since it allows you to influence the future and control the behaviour of others.

Choose a theme for your speech that focuses on the notion of leadership. By delving into this subject and expanding on it in your speech, you may not only increase your personal understanding of what makes a successful leader. However, also communicate your insights with your listening crowd. Pick on the topics below to exemplify leadership.

  • Jacinda Adern
  • Mahatma Gandhi
  • Nelson Mandela
  • Winston Churchill
  • Martin Luther King Jr
  • Abraham Lincoln
  • Mother Teresa
  • Napoleon Bonaparte
  • George Washington
  • Julias Caesar
  • Franklin D Roosevelt
  • Francoise Hollande
  • Pope Francis
  • Akbar the Great

Education is a human right to which everyone is entitled. When individuals differ on what is good and wrong with education, problems occur. As a part of public speaking, education becomes an important topic to address the audience about.

The topics listed below are ones that everyone working in or with education must deal with at some time.

  • The value of education in advancing one's career
  • Outside the classroom, there is a lesson to be learned.
  • The Advantages of E-Learning
  • E-learning vs. traditional classroom instruction
  • What will the future of education look like?
  • Is it appropriate for instructors and students to connect on social media?
  • Should homework be assigned in schools?
  • How to Achieve Academic Success in College Through Online Learning
  • Which is the better measure of success: theory or practise?
  • Various modes of learning and teaching
  • Before being admitted to school, one should undergo a psychological evaluation.
  • Do you believe it should be permissible for students to drop out before reaching the age of 18?
  • Should life skills classes be required in schools?
  • Should public universities be free?
  • Should laptops take the role of textbooks?

Today, public health speeches are required so that people may concentrate on promoting and safeguarding community health. It is critical to implant the concept of well-being in broad groups of people, with a focus on wellness.

Here is a list of compelling and instructive health and wellness speech themes. These are certainly, also for the purpose of enhancing your own thinking and that of others.

  • Diet beverages are frequently not diet at all, while ordinary beverages are not quite regular.
  • Going barefoot in the summer is beneficial to your feet.
  • Take a test to determine whether you are susceptible to any hazardous diseases or viruses.
  • Why you shouldn't work too hard if you have diabetes.
  • Breakfast is the most essential meal of the day for several reasons.
  • Fast food establishments should provide healthier choices.
  • Do you believe that sex education should be taught in schools?
  • People who live in cities will die younger.
  • Excessive salt consumption is harmful to one's health.
  • Consumption of meat should be decreased.
  • People should be more concerned about their sleep.
  • Why should you become an organ donor?
  • Why should we utilise homoeopathic remedies?
  • Why are vaccinations beneficial?
  • Are e-cigarettes preferable to cigarettes?

1. What are the 4 types of public speeches?

To master public speaking, you must first distinguish between four styles of public speaking:

  • Ceremonial Speaking
  • Demonstrative Speaking
  • Informative Speaking
  • Persuasive Speaking

2. What do you say in a 2-minute public speech?

Prepare your 2–3 main points ahead of time, and keep in mind that a successful presentation would include:

  • Captivating start, such as a strong quotation or questions that pique your audience's attention.
  • Introduction, major body, and conclusion are all well-structured.
  • A strong conclusion that will stay with the viewers.

3. What is the best topic for students?

The Best Speech Topics for Students:

  • Noise Pollution
  • Women Empowerment
  • Environment Pollution
  • Health and Wellness

4. What are the 7 elements of public speaking?

The 7 aspects of public speaking are:

  • The speaker
  • The message
  • The channel
  • The listener
  • The feedback
  • The interference
  • The circumstance

5. How do you practice impromptu speaking?

You may practise spontaneous speeches in two ways:

  • You're on your own. Every day, pick a different random topic and talk out about it.
  • Speak in front of a group. The greatest method to master spontaneous speaking is to practise in front of a group and receive expert criticism.

People are generally encouraged to talk about a current issue in order to help them become better public speakers. They are also required to acquire the skill of expressing themselves in front of an audience. Choosing the appropriate topic before you begin practising your speech may make all the difference. It is a method of keeping your audience engaged and from being bored. You may also choose one about which you are enthusiastic so that you can express it properly. When considering these persuasive English speech ideas, ensure you keep it interesting, engaging, short, and clear. Do you think we left something out? Or do you have a topic that you believe is significant and would want to add? Please mention them in the comments section below!

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How To Speech Topics

Here's a list of 100 "how to" speech topics on which you can base your demonstration speech. If you're new to writing this type of speech, then I have some great tips here to help you get started.

How to speech topics

10 Web-Related Topics

100 How to speech topics

  • build mobile websites
  • rank in Google's search engine
  • design a Wordpress blog
  • unzip a .zip file
  • take a ".xml" file and make it a feed
  • optimize website graphics
  • use an FTP program to upload files to the web
  • open a Facebook account
  • get set up on Twitter
  • sell stuff on eBay

10 How To Speech Topics on Technology

  • download from iTunes
  • send text messages
  • program a GPS tracker
  • install more memory into a laptop
  • properly clean a computer screen and accessories
  • transfer music from an iPhone to a PC
  • choose the best computer
  • program a TV remote controller
  • unlock your Wii console

10 Topics on Health

How to speech topics on health

  • lose weight safely
  • increase your metabolism
  • lift weights properly
  • keep your heart healthy
  • get rid of lice
  • get rid of acne
  • keep your teeth healthy
  • quit smoking
  • improve your eyesight
  • exercise your brain

10 How To Speech Topics on Pets

  • teach your parrot to talk
  • teach your dog to play dead
  • saddle a horse
  • set up an aquarium
  • breed animals to sell
  • bathe a cat without getting scratched
  • introduce new pets to older pets in your household
  • choose the right pet for you
  • control the pets on Sims 2
  • get rid of fleas and ticks

10 Topics on Fashion

How to speech topics on fashion

  • make your eyes look bigger with makeup
  • tie a hair bow
  • get rid of static cling in hair and clothes
  • shop for clothes on a budget
  • curl hair with a curling iron
  • apply false eyelashes
  • pick clothes that make you look 10 pounds lighter
  • care for dry, brittle hair or nails
  • remove stains from fabric
  • clean a suede or leather jacket

10 How To Speech Topics on Gardening

  • design a desert garden
  • create a raised bed garden
  • grow bigger tomatoes
  • compost when you live in an apartment
  • attract butterflies to a garden
  • attract hummingbirds to a garden
  • grow an indoor herb garden
  • repel and kill garden pests
  • develop humane animal traps
  • control mole damage

10 Topics on Jobs

How to Speech Topics on Jobs

  • never work again
  • get a job after being fired
  • write a resume
  • write a cover letter
  • ask for a raise
  • make money on the internet
  • work as a virtual assistant
  • deal with office politics
  • search for a job online
  • add my resume to online job sites

10 How To Speech Topics on Education

develop a photographic memory ace your PSAT, LSAT, MCAT, etc. become valedictorian apply for college financing get an online degree avoid problems with homeschooling get a GED write a speech deal with bullying decorate school books

10 Topics on Holidays

How to Speech Topics Holidays

  • put on makeup to look like a zombie for Halloween
  • make fake vampire teeth
  • carve a scary pumpkin
  • create a Christmas tree out of wire hangers
  • make a pop-up Christmas card
  • build a gingerbread house
  • make a Thanksgiving turkey out of lunch bags
  • make firework fuses
  • decorate a cake like a flag
  • decorate Easter eggs

10 How To Speech Topics on Sports/Recreation

  • do a 360 flip on a skateboard
  • improve your golf swing
  • knot a climbing rope
  • tighten wheels on rollerblades
  • put together a wakeboard
  • repair a bicycle shifter
  • arm wrestle someone more muscular than you
  • play ping-pong like a pro
  • choose the best paintball gun
  • put a spin on a baseball

Phew! There you go, 100 how to speech topics for you to choose. Hopefully, they'll give you some ideas so you can come up with a hundred more!

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10 Tips for Improving Your Public Speaking Skills

Few are immune to the fear of public speaking. Marjorie North offers 10 tips for speakers to calm the nerves and deliverable memorable orations.

Marjorie North

Snakes? Fine. Flying? No problem. Public speaking? Yikes! Just thinking about public speaking — routinely described as one of the greatest (and most common) fears — can make your palms sweat. But there are many ways to tackle this anxiety and learn to deliver a memorable speech.

In part one of this series,  Mastering the Basics of Communication , I shared strategies to improve how you communicate. In part two, How to Communicate More Effectively in the Workplace , I examined how to apply these techniques as you interact with colleagues and supervisors in the workplace. For the third and final part of this series, I’m providing you with public speaking tips that will help reduce your anxiety, dispel myths, and improve your performance.

Here Are My 10 Tips for Public Speaking:

1. nervousness is normal. practice and prepare.

All people feel some physiological reactions like pounding hearts and trembling hands. Do not associate these feelings with the sense that you will perform poorly or make a fool of yourself. Some nerves are good. The adrenaline rush that makes you sweat also makes you more alert and ready to give your best performance.

The best way to overcome anxiety is to prepare, prepare, and prepare some more. Take the time to go over your notes several times. Once you have become comfortable with the material, practice — a lot. Videotape yourself, or get a friend to critique your performance.

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2. Know Your Audience. Your Speech Is About Them, Not You.

Before you begin to craft your message, consider who the message is intended for. Learn as much about your listeners as you can. This will help you determine your choice of words, level of information, organization pattern, and motivational statement.

3. Organize Your Material in the Most Effective Manner to Attain Your Purpose.

Create the framework for your speech. Write down the topic, general purpose, specific purpose, central idea, and main points. Make sure to grab the audience’s attention in the first 30 seconds.

4. Watch for Feedback and Adapt to It.

Keep the focus on the audience. Gauge their reactions, adjust your message, and stay flexible. Delivering a canned speech will guarantee that you lose the attention of or confuse even the most devoted listeners.

5. Let Your Personality Come Through.

Be yourself, don’t become a talking head — in any type of communication. You will establish better credibility if your personality shines through, and your audience will trust what you have to say if they can see you as a real person.

6. Use Humor, Tell Stories, and Use Effective Language.

Inject a funny anecdote in your presentation, and you will certainly grab your audience’s attention. Audiences generally like a personal touch in a speech. A story can provide that.

7. Don’t Read Unless You Have to. Work from an Outline.

Reading from a script or slide fractures the interpersonal connection. By maintaining eye contact with the audience, you keep the focus on yourself and your message. A brief outline can serve to jog your memory and keep you on task.

8. Use Your Voice and Hands Effectively. Omit Nervous Gestures.

Nonverbal communication carries most of the message. Good delivery does not call attention to itself, but instead conveys the speaker’s ideas clearly and without distraction.

9. Grab Attention at the Beginning, and Close with a Dynamic End.

Do you enjoy hearing a speech start with “Today I’m going to talk to you about X”? Most people don’t. Instead, use a startling statistic, an interesting anecdote, or concise quotation. Conclude your speech with a summary and a strong statement that your audience is sure to remember.

10. Use Audiovisual Aids Wisely.

Too many can break the direct connection to the audience, so use them sparingly. They should enhance or clarify your content, or capture and maintain your audience’s attention.

Practice Does Not Make Perfect

Good communication is never perfect, and nobody expects you to be perfect. However, putting in the requisite time to prepare will help you deliver a better speech. You may not be able to shake your nerves entirely, but you can learn to minimize them.

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About the Author

North is a consultant for political candidates, physicians, and lawyers, and runs a private practice specializing in public speaking, and executive communication skills. Previously, she was the clinical director in the department of speech and language pathology and audiology at Northeastern University.

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Don't start your work presentations by simply saying 'hello.' Here's how to be more engaging in the conference room.

  • I'm a public-speaking expert, and I've trained many executives and senior teams.
  • I tell all of them to stop starting work presentations with a salutation or a "hello."
  • Instead, you should engage your audience by telling a story or asking a question.

Insider Today

I'm sure you've sat through plenty of presentations where the presenter starts with a polite salutation like, "Hello, thank you for having me here today," or, "I am so glad to be here" — often followed by their name and professional résumé . Sometimes, if it's an internal meeting, you get the same salutations followed by an agenda slide with bullet points and the presenter narrating it.

As a public-speaking coach who has worked with many executives and senior teams, I know how to make work presentations more engaging. Here's how you should change your approach.

If you stick to your old ways, you aren't leaving a memorable first impression

Your audience is thinking three things when you walk into that conference room or onto that stage: Who is this person, why should I care, and how are they going to solve my problem?

Let's face it: Most people are more interested in how you will solve their problem than in you and your professional résumé. So let's flip the script a bit. Start with the solution to their problem, briefly talk about yourself for credibility, and then give them a reason to care.

Instead, try to capture their attention

Begin your presentation with a hook or a story — something that grabs their attention right from the start. For instance, your hook might be, "Did you know this?" or "What if that?" It could also be a short story that humanizes your services or products.

Most presentations are predictable; wouldn't it be better for both your time and your audience if you could introduce an element of surprise?

Some might feel it rude not to thank the organizer or greet the audience, so I suggest finding another place in your presentation for this. Here's a good structure:

Intro: "What if you could be a more confident and credible presenter? What if you could engage with your audience so they remember your products or services?"

Credibility: "My name is Meridith, and I've been coaching entrepreneurs and executives on how to speak with spark for over a decade, and I am really excited to be here. I want to thank [insert name] for inviting me to share the afternoon with you."

Solution: "Today, I will give you three ways to make your audience remember your products and services, helping you stand out in a competitive market. Let's get this party started!"

You could also try to form a personal connection

Often, presentations lack a personal touch. Try sharing a relevant personal anecdote or experience that relates to your topic. This not only makes your work presentation more relatable but also helps to establish a deeper connection with your audience.

For example, you could say: "When I was younger, I often hid in the back of the classroom, hoping the teacher wouldn't call on me because I didn't want to sound stupid or have the wrong answer. Later in life, I discovered acting and improv comedy . It was through the practice of these two art forms that I developed my confidence and learned how to engage more courageously with others. Today, I will give you solutions for how you can also better engage your audience with spark."

Try to encourage interaction

At the very least, you should try to engage your audience from the beginning — whether in person or on virtual calls. You can ask a thought-provoking question or propose a challenge that involves them directly. This approach shifts the dynamic to more interactive and engaging sessions.

If you implement any of these suggestions, you can make your presentation memorable and impactful immediately. And you'll most likely get a larger return on your investment of time and energy.

In today's fast-paced world, where attention spans are increasingly shorter than ever, it's crucial to grab and hold your audience's attention from the very beginning. By doing so, you set the stage for a more engaging and productive interaction. So challenge yourself to break free from presentation norms and embrace a style that resonates deeply with your audience and leaves a lasting impression.

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5 steps to landing public speaking engagements.

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Public speaking is a great way to establish credibility within your niche and grow professionally. ... [+] Here is a five-step plan for landing public speaking engagements.

Public speaking is an excellent way to grow your personal brand. Speaking before an audience improves communication skills, boosts confidence, and establishes credibility. As a speechwriter and public speaking coach, I can attest first-hand how powerful public speaking can be for your career.

Not only will public speaking establish you as an expert in your field, but it can open doors for your business. Public speaking can also be incredibly lucrative . Top public speakers make just under $300K annually, and the national average is just over $100K. The challenge many would-be public speakers face is how to get started — they have a message to deliver but no venue.

Here is a simple five-step plan to land public speaking engagements. While adorning the TEDx stage might not be your first gig, it can be by following these guidelines.

1. Get clear on what you want.

Fishing for anyone who will pay you to speak at their event is a waste of your energy; it can also hurt your personal brand. Understand your industry and your niche within your industry. When you speak, your focus needs to be on your clients — they want key takeaways. Use this information to help you narrow your focus. Once you know what you want to talk about, begin to make a list of events that cater to your audience. This is a multi-step process that includes identifying the type of event, the host, and the audience.

The type of event includes anything from speaking at a luncheon hosted by the local Chamber to making the keynote address at an international conference. Smaller audiences tend to have highly engaged participants. Larger events have a much larger reach. Public speakers are needed for local, regional, national, and global events.

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The host in this context includes the meeting types: nonprofit gatherings, college commencement speeches, events held at religious institutions, and professional conferences. Meet-up groups, women’s groups, and community centers are also possibilities, as are Business Networking International (BNI) groups.

The most important consideration is the audience. If your target audience is men, speaking at a women’s group will do nothing for you. Identifying the key takeaways for your talk will help you narrow down your audience. Then, search for events that cater to that audience.

2. Find events.

The most common method of finding public speaking opportunities is to scroll the internet. Use search engines, social media, and professional groups. Follow industry leaders and influencers on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter). Perform simple searches following this format: location + industry + the word “conference.” For example, for entrepreneurial events located in California, type into the search bar: California entrepreneurship conferences.

Search hashtags on social media. Examples include #nonprofitconference, #businessevent, and #conferencespeaker. You can also use specific hashtags from your internet search: #eventnamelocation. Hashtags are also a great way to find industry leaders.

Use the information you find to make connections.

3. Contact event organizers.

By now, you should have a pretty good list of events so you can make your pitch. Resist a “hard sell” at the first meeting (if you land one from your email pitches). Instead, inquire about the event. Ask specific questions that can be answered quickly, for example: Who is the target audience? What is the theme of this event? And when will you be taking speaker applications for the event?

Use your initial contact to investigate if the event is right for you. Whether it is or is not, follow up a few days later. If, after your initial call, you decide the event will not target your ideal audience, send a thank you. Include a few sentences about yourself and ask to be kept in mind for future events. On the other hand, if the event sounds like something that interests you, include a few sentences about who you are, what you want to speak about, and how you can help their audience with your message.

Never be more attached to money or attention than you are alignment– these organizers will refer you to other speaking engagements if you deliver an excellent speech, and doing so requires alignment.

Hopefully, you’ll hear back right away. If not, don’t be shy about continuing to follow up. Most events secure speakers three to six months in advance. Bigger conferences may book speakers nine months to a year in advance.

4. Attend conferences and corporate events.

Attending conferences is one of the best ways to meet event organizers and other public speakers. Conferences give you the opportunity to grow your network. Follow a few guiding principles to network like a pro , and don’t forget to follow up with your new contacts … and the event organizer. Remember you when it comes time to hire speakers for the following year’s event.

Here’s a pro tip: Take a few selfies and a lot of pictures of the conference. Promote the event on your social media and tag the event organizers/event page. Many event coordinators do not hire professional photographers, so your images can serve as a photo journal of the event, and can keep you on the radar of event organizers.

5. Ask your network.

Your network is your biggest asset, whether you’re applying for a job or finding a speaking engagement. Reach out to people in your network who have recently posted attendance at an event. Ask questions about the event and the speakers. Ask if they think you would have made a good contribution as a speaker at the event. Do the same for people talking about attending an upcoming event. Ask them if they think you would make a great guest speaker and if they have a contact for you.

Transitioning into public speaking isn’t hard … but it takes a dedicated effort. Build on your momentum and keep searching for opportunities. Once you’ve spoken at a few events, it will get easier. Also, don’t forget to post a video of your public speaking engagement on your social media or YouTube channel. Having a sample of previous work cued up is a great way to get attention.

Ashley Stahl

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10 Public Speaking Games and Activities to Try

  • By: Kelly Allison

Public speaking is a skill like any other—to become great at it, you need to practice. But if you’re like most, then you probably don’t have a room full of people at the ready that you can speak in front of every day. Don’t let that stop you from practicing, though.

There are actually a ton of games and activities you can take advantage of that’ll help you hone your chops and become the best presenter you can be without the need for a formal audience.

public speaking presentation ideas

Speak Nonsense According to research , an excellent presentation is 38% your voice, 55% non-verbal communication and just 7% your content. In other words, your delivery matters even more than what you say, and this exercise helps you refine it. Find a paragraph online in a language you don’t understand or simply write down a few lines of jibberish, and practice saying it aloud as though you’re giving a speech. Pay mind to your tone, inflections, and generally how you can use your voice to create more interest.

Learn From the Pros Look online for speeches that are widely accepted as exceptional. The most popular TED Talks of all time is a great place to start. Pick a talk that you’re interested in and watch it through a critical lens. Analyze the narrative structure the speaker uses, what makes their delivery effective, how their visuals enhance their talk and other components that make their speech extraordinary.

30 Seconds Filler-Free Filler words like “uh” “um” and “y’know” not only make your talk more difficult to listen to, but they also make you seem less prepared and authoritative. For this exercise, record yourself giving a talk on any topic for 30 seconds, taking care to omit all filler words. Whenever you use a filler word, start over and try again. Do this exercise ten times, filler-free.

One Minute Off-the-Cuff For this exercise, you’ll set a timer on your phone for one minute and record yourself giving an impromptu speech on any topic that interests you. The only rule is that you can’t prepare for it in any way. This is designed to get you more comfortable speaking off-the-cuff and minimize the anxiety that comes from being afraid you won’t have anything to say.

Tell a Photo Story Storytelling is critical to engaging your audience and helping them retain the information you’re sharing. To practice developing narratives, find an interesting photo online and record yourself presenting a story about it. Discuss what you think the backstory is, who the people are, their dreams, their motivations, and anything else that’ll tell a compelling story about them.

Make Up a Definition No matter what your presentation is about, you should always seem like you have authority over the topic. For this exercise, choose a word you don’t know the definition of and record yourself saying, with authority, what you think it means. Pay attention to how you can use your voice and intonations to have more command and seem more authoritative.

Q&A With an Expert You’ll need to find a friend for this one. Choose a topic or job that you don’t know much about. Ask your friend to interview you about it and answer their questions as though you’re a well-informed expert. This will help you with both your delivery and authority.

Gush About Something You Don’t Love Enthusiasm is contagious. If you want your audience to be excited about your topic, then you need to show enthusiasm for it. Choose something you’re indifferent about, say, a kitchen utensil, and practice speaking about it enthusiastically. Use your voice, emphasis, and body language to make it seem like the most exciting thing in the universe.

Make a Commercial Presentations are all about selling an idea, so you should practice the art of sales and persuasion to be the best you can be. Choose an item in your home and create a one-minute commercial about it. Record yourself saying what makes it special, how it can enhance lives, and why everyone needs that item in their corner.

Where Did That Name Come From? This is another exercise that’ll make you a better storyteller on stage. Pick an item in your home, like a stapler, and tell a story about how it got its name. The idea here isn’t to be accurate, so by all means, make something up; this is just to get you in the habit of finding and developing interesting stories from anything.

Looking for more ways to improve your presentation game? Then take Ethos3’s Badge Assessment to discover your unique presentation persona.

Kelly Allison

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  1. 130+ Demonstration Speech Topics • My Speech Class

    130+ Demonstration Speech Topics Last Updated: August 5, 2022 Written By Jim Peterson Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

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  3. 60 Interesting Public Speaking Topics to Engage Your Audience

    60 Interesting Public Speaking Topics to Engage Your Audience If you're the type of person who gets head spinningly, palms-sweaty nervous when asked to make a public speech, you're certainly not alone.

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  5. 333 Informative Speech Topics To Rock Your Presentation

    How To Pick An Informative Speech Topic: The Five W's Whether you want to give a top-notch school speech assignment or a groundbreaking TED Talk, the best informative speeches have one thing in common: they deliver a purposeful message with a captivating delivery.

  6. 110 Interesting Persuasive Speech Topics to Impress Your Audience

    110 Interesting Persuasive Speech Topics to Impress Your Audience Learn how to give an impressive persuasive speech and explore our comprehensive list of persuasive speech ideas Learn what makes a persuasive speech with these topics Introduction What makes a good persuasive speech topic? How to create and deliver a compelling persuasive speech

  7. 10 Tips to Improve Your Public Speaking Skills

    1. Know your audience. You're more likely to feel comfortable presenting to an audience if you know who they are. That way, you can craft your message in a tone that resonates with them, perhaps using humor to ease the tension. Start by assessing your audience's level of understanding of the topic you plan to discuss.

  8. 45 Public Speaking Topics and Ideas

    1. Why humans should colonize mars Let's be honest here, humans are endangered species because all of us live only on one planet. Colonizing mars increases the chance of long-term survival of humankind and has many other benefits, so it's definitely a great topic to talk about. 2. When will AI exceed human performance?

  9. 20 Public Speaking Tips With Great Examples (for 2022)

    20 Public Speaking Tips to Make You a Better Speaker Tip #1: Know Your Audience Tip #2: Prepare a Visually Appealing Presentation Tip #3: Practice In Front of a Mirror & In Front of Others Tip #4: Make Enough Rehearsals Tip #5: Speak From the Heart Tip #6: Use Props for Effect Tip #7: Be Candid Tip #8: Start With a Question

  10. 10 Presentation Ideas That Will Radically Improve Your Presentation Skills

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  11. What Are Effective Presentation Skills (and How to Improve Them)

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  12. How to Become Great in Public Speaking: Presenting Best Practices

    1. Nail Your Opening. The presenter's anxiety is at highest during the first 30-60 seconds of the speaking. Once you get past that, you'll hail more confidently through the rest of your speech. Hence, make sure to get a positive response from your audience from the get-go.

  13. 350+ Presentation Topics That Will Appeal to Any Audience

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    Scheduling your speech at a time when individuals are likely to be the most engaged. Asking questions or performing actions that keep the audience involved and invested. Considering your language and rhetoric. Appealing to the audience's emotions. Creating and using visual aids to help you address the key points.

  17. 18 Public Speaking Tips for Your Next Presentation

    5. Rehearse. Practice your speech in front of a friend or a mirror. Rehearse your presentation as many times as necessary until the words are flowing freely. During your rehearsal, try not to use filler words such as "uh", "umm" and "you know.". Related: The Key To Successful Speech Writing.

  18. 101 Public Speaking Tips

    This is our "Public Speaking 101" page. We are publishing it in honor of our 101st podcast. Below is a list of 101 public speaking tips to help you reduce stage fright and become more self-confident. Don't try to memorize all 101 tips, and don't try to apply every single one before your next presentation. Instead, bookmark this page and ...

  19. 151 Best Public Speaking Topics In 2021

    1-Minute Speech Topics 2-Minute Speech Topics Unique Speech Topics Interesting Speech Topics Easy Speech Topics Speech Topics On Environment Speech Topics On Social Issues Speech Topics On Greatest Leaders Speech Topics On Education Speech Topics On Health Frequently Asked Questions Conclusion List Of Best Speech Topics For Public Speaking

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    Fashion. make your eyes look bigger with makeup. tie a hair bow. get rid of static cling in hair and clothes. shop for clothes on a budget. curl hair with a curling iron. apply false eyelashes. pick clothes that make you look 10 pounds lighter. care for dry, brittle hair or nails.

  21. 10 Tips for Improving Your Public Speaking Skills

    Here Are My 10 Tips for Public Speaking: 1. Nervousness Is Normal. Practice and Prepare! ... Inject a funny anecdote in your presentation, and you will certainly grab your audience's attention. ... but instead conveys the speaker's ideas clearly and without distraction. 9. Grab Attention at the Beginning, and Close with a Dynamic End.

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    Some of the best presentation topic ideas for students center around topics such as current events, education, general culture, health, life skills, literature, media and science.

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    An image of a chain link. It symobilizes a website link url. Copy Link I'm sure you've sat through plenty of presentations where the presenter starts with a polite salutation like, "Hello, thank ...

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  25. 10 Public Speaking Games and Activities to Try

    30 Seconds Filler-Free. Filler words like "uh" "um" and "y'know" not only make your talk more difficult to listen to, but they also make you seem less prepared and authoritative. For this exercise, record yourself giving a talk on any topic for 30 seconds, taking care to omit all filler words.

  26. Eileen Scullion Registered Homeopath on Instagram: " The fear of public

    0 likes, 1 comments - homeopathyheal on February 19, 2024: " The fear of public speaking is one of the most debilitating phobias that causes extreme anxie..." Eileen Scullion 🔹 Registered Homeopath on Instagram: "🎤The fear of public speaking is one of the most debilitating phobias that causes extreme anxiety often with physical symptoms ...