Considering all the time and energy you put into finding supporting materials for your speech, you want your audience to get the most out of it. One of the best ways to do that is to clearly organize your speech. This will help audience members understand your points and stay engaged while listening.

As our chapter opener mentioned, Dr. Sidibe gave her speech on the importance of handwashing at a TED conference. TED is a nonprofit organization that “believe[s] passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and, ultimately, the world” (ted.com, n.d.). And what’s the best way to spread such ideas? Inspiring speeches! At annual TED conferences, leading thinkers and innovators like Dr. Sidibe give presentations, usually lasting 18 minutes or less, on their area of expertise. The talks have a reputation for being passionate, engaging, and often exhilarating, but you don’t need to be a leading innovator or scientist to make a speech with a similar effect. TED talks also grab and hold audiences’ attention because they are easy to follow and understand. You just need to develop a clear organization for your speech, transition smoothly throughout the presentation, and keep your audience engaged.