10 Keywords for Every Speaker

Even If you are not a professional public speaker, you may need to hone your oral presentation skills to create opportunities and advance your career.

For instance, you may be asked to talk about your company at a conference. You may need to draft a speech for an award, or to train recruits. Excellent speaking skills may be important in many areas of your life. Your best friend may ask you to deliver a speech at their wedding. Your family may request that you give a eulogy for your beloved grandmother.

Delivering a Powerful Perspective, Thought, or Insight

You should have a powerful thought, insight, or perspective serving as the backbone of your speech. The sharing of an excellent idea is an important ingredient in making a speech powerful. Public speaking is about more than stage presence, confidence, or smooth delivery. You also need to have something worth saying.

A big idea is like a lamp that lights the way. If you distill your thoughts in order to communicate your idea with precision and power, your audience will leave the auditorium feeling excited and satisfied.

Here is a way for you to cut through distractions and get your message across:

Decide and Focus

You must focus on the topic that you wish to deliver to your audience. Then you must determine what is your inspiration about that topic. For instance, if you are a health expert, you may want to tell people about carbohydrates being their friends. If you are a business leader, you may talk about your unique definition of success.

Create One Sentence

After choosing a topic, you must focus on your take on it. Your next step is articulating your position into a single sentence encompassing your essential points. Then, if you get too much into the weeds or are distracted by competing themes, your one-sentence will keep you on the right track.

Smart speakers have an ultimate winning strategy, and they can communicate passionately and effectively to their audience. They sell their idea, product, or vision using words that get the message across in an impactful and receptive way. They know how to choose words that have the most influence on their listeners.

Here are some words that you can use in speeches to influence your audience:

1.    Imagine

Every individual has their own definition of success. People imagine and hope that someday they can achieve it. The word “imagine” has the power to draw your audience because it is non-restrictive and open. Through their imagination, they can get what you are offering or agree with what you are saying. By asking your audience to imagine, you allow them to think of possibilities and convince them that it is a worthy endeavor to pursue them. 

Here are some examples:

·      Imagine a stress-free life

·      Imagine achieving your financial freedom

·      Imagine getting out of the rat race

·      Imagine meeting the man or woman of your dreams

·      Imagine getting your dream job

2.    Breakthrough

The word “breakthrough” conveys and characterizes the most essential and profound innovation. It suggests something as a game-changer because it provides meaning to people’s lives on various levels. For instance, the late Steve Jobs used this powerful word when he launched the iPhone in 2007.

3.    You Have the Right to

People living in a democratic and open society have rights enshrined in their minds. When you say, “You have the right to,” you grab your audience’s attention. You pique their interest into demanding more, desiring more, and becoming more than who they are today. It is an authoritative and compelling phrase because individuals always want to become more. They will attentively listen if what you are saying is reaffirming their core beliefs. Using the expression intensifies your message, and you tell your audience that your idea, service, or product is a vital part of what they deserve, as well as their entire being. 

Here are some examples:

·      You have the right to chart your destiny

·      You have the right to love whom you want

·      You have the right to do what makes you happy

·      You have the right to decide for yourself

·      You have the right to start your business

4.    Life-Changing Impact

Using the phrase life-changing impact will imply that your audience will gain a personalized and permanent benefit. You immediately show the extraordinary value of your idea, product, or service. You can contextualize it as a benefit that will enhance the quality of life of your listeners. 

5.    I

Using the word “I” and its variants makes your audience focus on your experience, perspective, opinions, ideas, and personal stories. They would want to hear your viewpoint about the topic. Using “I” also makes your speech more subjective, and you can easily express concern or compassion to your listeners. Moreover, you establish your expertise or authority when you use it.

However, you can strike a balance between what you say about yourself and the rest of your speech. Using too much “I” can make your audience perceive you as insensitive or arrogant. You also should not talk only about your successes and achievements. You can talk about your weaknesses, failures, or vulnerabilities to strengthen your connection with your listeners.

6.    You

When you use “You” and its variants in your speech, you talk to your audience about their needs, fears, challenges, and hopes. You use “you” if you want to catch their attention. “You” talks of things that are significant to them. Your message must be relevant to them, so use “you” to speak directly to them.

7.    We

When you use “we,” you talk about the values, history, and concerns that you share with your audience. Using “we” signifies a commonality of commitment and purpose. 

8.    Now

People are often busy, and many issues and individuals compete for their time and attention. The question is, why would they listen to you? Whatever you have to say to them should be put across as being urgent and requiring immediate action.

As well as “now,” you can also use the following words:

·      Need

·      Latest

·      Must

·      Must not

·      Hurry

·      Do not miss

·      Today

·      Tomorrow

·      Only, i.e., “only two days left” or “only three left.”

9.    Join

Most people spend a lot of time connecting with other individuals on social media. However, many are also lonely. The working from home trend may bring enjoyable opportunities, but it also makes loneliness more likely. Many in your audience will seek a sense of community and connection, so you should give it to them.

You may also use the following words:

·      Come along

·      Discover

·      Help

·      Create

·      A good fit, e.g., “our product is a good fit for your requirements.”

10.  Research

Using words and phrases that imply cause and effect will help your audience perceive you as rational and objective. Aside from “research,” you may use the following:

·      Because

·      Consequently

·      As a result

·      For this reason

·      Caused by

·      Proven

·      Secure

·      Results

·      Tested

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right types of words is an essential skill for a successful public speaker. Each word you utter has the power to change your audience’s thoughts and behaviors. 

About the author:

Thomas Jackson has been into songwriting since he was a child. Today, he is a professional writer and an active member of many writing clubs in New York. This young author culls inspiration from live concerts in front of his family and loved ones. He also offers his essay writing service to clients.