How to Speak on Any Topic

Delivering Impromptu Remarks

Ask for a moment to organize your thoughts. In formal speech and debate, you’re allowed a limited amount of time to plan impromptu remarks on an assigned topic. If someone asks you to speak on the spot, tell them you’d like a few minutes to think of what to say and to jot down some notes. You shouldn’t try to write out your remarks in full. Just jot down a few key words to help you remember your main points.

Begin a short speech with a headline statement. If you’re just speaking for 5 minutes or less, introduce your topic with a concise, attention-grabbing summary statement. If you'd like, you can make a joke to break the ice first, but make it quick and ensure it is relevant to the topic. Since your time is limited, you should get to the point sooner rather than later. Suppose you’re asked to talk about a work project at a company meeting. You might start with a joke to introduce the problem the project addresses: “As a member of the design team, I want to personally thank all engineers present for not staging an all out mutiny due to the ongoing specification problems.” After breaking the ice, get straight to the point: “We understand your frustrations, and we’ve established new software solutions and pricing protocols to prevent future miscommunications.” Avoid making jokes like, “Three guys walked into a bar…” Instead, stick with funny or absurd comments that relate to your own personal experience, but keep it brief.

Start with a story if you’re making a longer speech. If you’re speaking for 15 or 20 minutes, you have time to grab the audience’s attention with a story related to the topic. The story’s resolution might introduce the problem or topic, or you could start the story in your introduction and conclude it at the end of your speech. For instance, if your assigned topic is how dogs improve quality of life, you could open with a story about rescuing your pooch.

Map out your structure and use it as a guide. List your main points early in your remarks so your audience clearly understands the direction you’re taking them. Additionally, mapping out your structure will help you stay on track for the rest of your speech. If you’re presenting a school project, you might say, “Despite their friendship and philosophical commonalities, Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre held contrasting ethical views. I’ll start by discussing their similarities, then I’ll explain their quarrel over whether political justice warrants violence.” For this example, you could spend 1 to 2 minutes on the philosophers’ similarities, a minute or so on each of their ethical stances, and another minute clarifying the differences between their perspectives.

Restate your main points at the end of your remarks. After you’ve delivered the body of your remarks, remind your audience of the path you’ve lead them. Commit this formula to memory: “Tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you’ve told them.” You can adapt this structure for any topic, so keep it in mind any time you’re asked to make off the cuff remarks.

Speaking in Public Effectively

Breathe deeply and try to relax. Feeling nervous is completely normal, and most people experience some degree of anxiety about public speaking. Control your breathing, think positive thoughts, and visualize yourself successfully delivering your speech. If you know you’re speaking in advance, practicing your speech can help ease your nerves. If you’re speaking on the spot and practicing isn’t an option, focus your thoughts on your remarks’ structure. Concentrate on your headline or argument, list your main points, and try not to let your nerves distract you.

Adapt your message to your audience. Your speech should always be tailored for your audience, whether you’re speaking in front of a large crowd or to 1 or 2 people. Think about your audience’s age group, interests, attitudes, knowledge of the subject, and expectations. Don’t just tell them what they want to hear, but present your message is a way that suits your listeners. For instance, if you’re speaking to professionals well-versed in your field, you don’t need to explain basic terms. However, if your audience is less experienced, you’ll need to limit technical language and define any necessary jargon.

Use nonverbal cues, but try not to make nervous gestures. Body language can help you emphasize important points, but it’s most effective when used in moderation. Try to be strategic, and avoid nervously tapping or fidgeting. For example, if you’re listing your main points, you could count with your fingers to distinguish each point. If you’re drawing a comparison, you could use your hands to indicate “on one hand, this,” and “on the other hand, that.”

Keep your language simple. Try not to use complex sentence structures and complicated words. It’s harder to understand dense, jargon-packed language verbally, so make your remarks concise and conversational. For instance, instead of, "We've developed new software for processing custom orders that will enhance interdepartmental communications, leading to a more efficient, streamlined manufacturing process," you could just say, "We'll be switching to a more user-friendly program that should prevent future miscommunications." Conversational doesn’t necessarily mean casual. If your remarks need to be professional or academic, you can still keep your tone formal by avoiding slang, sentence fragments, and contractions. "The team identified 10 new frog species," is both concise and academic. "The team found a lot of new kinds of frogs," is informal.

Make eye contact, but don’t stare. Instead of looking down, look up and out toward your audience. Look at a point for 5 or 10 seconds, then shift your gaze. Staring at a point for too long and shifting your gaze every second are both awkward, so try to keep a natural tempo. If making direct eye contact makes you nervous, look at points just above the audience. It’ll look like you’re making eye contact, but you won't actually be locking eyes with anyone.

Preparing to Speak on the Spot

Focus on developing a clear structure if you’re making a speech. If you master a basic logical structure, speaking on any topic will just be a matter of filling in the blanks. Lay out your map in the introduction, get to the meat of your speech in the body, and restate your claims in the conclusion. At the start of your remarks, state your argument or headline, then list your evidence or examples 1 by 1: “This is the case because of x, y, and z.” Explain each example in the main body of your speech. For brief remarks, you might only have 30 seconds to a minute for each example. For a longer speech, you might be able to spend a few minutes on each one. Conclude by restating (using different wording) your argument and evidence: “As x, y, and z show, this is the case.”

Develop a repertoire of stories, quotations, and facts. Being prepared to speak about any topic on the spot requires imagination and indirect planning. Set aside time every day to read, watch documentaries, or listen to informative podcasts. When you have an interesting experience or see a quote or fact, memorize it so you have a repertoire of material for an impromptu speech or conversation. Read books, magazines, and newspapers. Watch documentaries about topics such as nature and technology, and listen to podcasts like Radiolab, StarTalk, and 99% Invisible. To broaden your knowledge, read, watch, and listen to informative content on a range of subjects. If you’re involved in a particular field or occupation, stay up to date on your discipline and think of topics you might be asked to discuss.

Keep up with current events. From politics to pop culture, staying up to date on current events is one of the best ways to hone your conversational skills. If you’re informed about what’s going on in the world, you’ll be able to start a conversation with just about anyone. Read newspapers, and pay attention to local, national, and international news. Research a topic if it’s confusing or you want to learn more. For instance, if you’re interested in a 500-word story, look online for long-form articles that delve into the details. Try to keep up with a range of topics, such as politics, international affairs, business, and entertainment. Remember to fact check news stories, look for reputable news sources, and try to find sources from multiple perspectives.