7 Tips for More Effective Speech

Know your audience

Tailor vocabulary and examples to who is listening. A technical deep-dive that works for engineers can lose executives in the first minute.

Structure with a clear arc

Open with a hook, deliver 2–3 key points, and close with a call to action. Clear structure makes you sound confident even when you are nervous.

Control pace, fillers, and tone

Aim for 100–150 words per minute and pause after important points. Replace “um” and “like” with brief silence, and vary your tone so key words land.

• Practice aloud — silent reading does not build speaking muscle memory
• Record yourself once, then coach the weakest habit first
• Use AI feedback to measure pace, clarity, and filler words objectively