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Among all the potential topics you’ve accumulated, which ones are you most interested in and knowledgeable about? When you choose a topic you’re familiar with and passionate about, you’ll give a more fluent and enthusiastic presentation. One of our students captivated his audience with a speech on Legos (though his classmates had not played with toys for years) because his enthusiasm for the subject was so infectious. Conversely, a student who appeared totally uninterested in her topic of job interviews failed to connect with her listeners, even though the subject was highly relevant to them.

Your listeners are also more likely to believe your claims if they know you have experience with the subject area. One student discovered firsthand the perils of selecting a topic she knew little about. Although she had no children or child-care experience, she chose to talk about why day-care centers are better than in-home day-care providers. Because of her inexperience, she made some assumptions that didn’t line up with the experience of several parents in the class, and she based her cost figures on national averages, which differed markedly from local child-care costs. She also maintained (without providing proof) that in-home day-care providers typically have no background in child development. Since her claims were inconsistent with the experiences of class members who had children, she had to defer to these more knowledgeable classmates during the question-and-answer session. By the time she sat down, she had lost most of her credibility on this topic.

Finally, by selecting a topic you’re familiar with, you streamline the research process. You can focus on researching information that supplements the facts you already know rather than gathering general background information.