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The first part of step 1: Think is to identify why you are giving a speech and choose a speech topic. Although you will want to choose a topic that is appropriate for the situation, it should also be a topic that excites you. You will be spending a lot of time working on the speech, so you might as well enjoy the topic.

The chapter’s opening story makes the point that Apple goes to great lengths to prepare memorable presentations. Although the purpose of each presentation is to build a fan base for the company’s products, a lot of things happen when you watch an Apple presentation. You learn about new devices and how they work. You may be entertained with musical interludes or stories. A presenter may passionately argue that a new product “will change the way you work.” But Apple presentations aren’t random. They are guided by a clear sense of purpose.

Similarly, Scott Harrison, the founder of charity:water, has a sense of purpose when he talks with audiences about clean water. Scott was a successful New York nightclub promoter when he grew tired of his life of excess and felt his life needed a change. He eventually began volunteering in Africa aboard a floating hospital that offered free medical care. Seeing the hardship and disease caused by unclean water in some parts of Africa, Scott was moved to take action. He left his nightclub business to found charity:water, a nonprofit that supports drilling water wells and filtration in developing nations. Now he tells his personal story in presentations to persuade audiences of the importance of clean water and to move them to help those in need.¹

¹ charitywater.org/about/mission.php

What Scott Harrison, Apple executives, and other competent public speakers have in common is a sense of purpose as they prepare their presentations. Your speech preparation begins in the same way: by thinking carefully about the general purpose of your speech and considering what topic to discuss.