Sometimes public speakers need inspiration instead of additional instruction to effectively deliver a powerful presentation. If you need a quick burst of inspiration, great quotes are often the most effective fuel for your inner fire. Quotes pack a lot of meaning into compact statements that are simple to comprehend, and also easy to recall when you need to give yourself a pep talk to improve your presence and increase your influence as a public speaker. To inspire you, here are 6 quotes that can help you become a more effective public speaker.
#1: Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, ‘Make me feel important.’ Not only will you succeed in sales, you will succeed in life. – Mary Kay Ash
The Inspiration: To be a more impactful public speaker, focus on your audience. Make the audience feel important by relating to their interests, needs, and desires. If you can personalize your presentation for the audience you are addressing, your audience will be more likely to share your enthusiasm for your message.
Additional Resource: The Complete Guide to Knowing Your Audience
#2: I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. ― Maya Angelou
The Inspiration: To make your audience feel something during your presentation, don’t drone on about facts and stats the entire time. Share personal stories that will be meaningful for the audience. Stories are the easiest and most effective way to give your audience an experience they will remember long after your presentation is over.
Additional Resource: The Science of Storytelling For Presentations
#3: It is this simplicity that makes the uneducated more effective than the educated when addressing popular audiences—makes them, as the poets tell us, ‘charm the crowd’s ears more finely.’ Educated men lay down broad general principles; uneducated men argue from common knowledge and draw obvious conclusions. ― Aristotle
The Inspiration: Be conversational during your presentation. Replace any unnecessary business jargon with common, easy-to-comprehend synonyms. Don’t be afraid to reference a thesaurus if you need help translating your complex presentation into simpler terms. Even if your audience can follow your fancy phrasing, they will still appreciate the ease of listening to a presentation that is delivered in everyday language.
Additional Resource: The Shocking Secret To Awesome Presentations
#4: No audience ever complained about a presentation or speech being too short. – Stephen Keague
The Inspiration: Respect your audience’s time and edit your presentation until you have removed any extraneous comments. Only say what you need to say to make your point. The longer you talk, the more likely you are to put your audience to sleep and lose their respect.
Additional Resource: How-To Conquer Short Attention Spans
#5: I have always said that everyone is in sales. Maybe you don’t hold the title of salesperson, but if the business you are in requires you to deal with people, you, my friend, are in sales. – Zig Ziglar
The Inspiration: Even if your presentation is inspirational or educational and not sales related, you still need to approach your presentation as if it were a sales pitch. To do so, utilize the tools of persuasion to motivate your audience to listen to your message and buy into the importance of your ideas. You might not need your audience to give you money, but you need them to give you their time, which to some people is more valuable than money.
Additional Resource: The Ace Up Your Sleeve: 6 Proven Methods of Persuasion
#6: If you have an important point to make, don’t try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time – a tremendous whack. – Winston Churchill
The Inspiration: Craft a presentation that has a clear message. To be clear about your message, repeat your central idea in more than one way throughout your talk. Give a variety of examples and supporting facts to build a strong case that is easy to understand. If your audience is confused about your main point, your presentation was… well it was pointless.
Additional Resource: The Science of Memorable Presentations
Want more great quotes to inspire your presentations? Check out these resources:
21 Brilliant Quotes To Start Your Presentation
24 Leadership Quotes To Inspire Your Next Presentation
13 Inspiring Quotes about Design
Our Favorite Presentation Quotes
