Whatever topic you pick for speaking, the reason you’d choose it is because you’re passionate about it. It should be something you love to talk about. Everyone listening would then see that.
What I learned is that Passion is the most important ingredient in Public Speaking. Though passion isn’t something that can be feigned, I have learned that there are ways to inject passion into your public speaking even when you are less than thrilled with the topic.
Passion = Authenticity + Credibility
You need to believe wholeheartedly in what you are saying. Then, you can’t help but be passionate. You want your audience to know that the topic you’re talking about is important not only to you, but to them, too.
Yes, public speaking with passion has all kinds of benefits that you can only achieve when you genuinely care about the topic. When you’re talking about something you feel strongly about, it doesn’t take a whole lot of effort to be passionate.
Inject Passion Into Your Public Speaking
Over the years, I’ve seen a lot of people mistake being loud and boisterous for being passionate. Raising your voice doesn’t display passion for what you’re saying, it just makes you…loud.
The volume of a person’s voice has no real bearing on how they feel about a subject. Even in a whisper, how you truly feel about something is evident. What matters most is that you feel strongly about what you’re saying.
Remembering this key piece of information will help you find passion in times when you’re called on to give a presentation about something you don’t feel especially enthusiastic about. Think of the most boring activity you do every day (making the bed, putting out the trash, cleaning out your spam folder). It would be a challenge to talk at any length about these things and sound the slightest bit passionate.
Or would it?
Here’s what I always recommend: If you aren’t passionate about the topic, at least tell a story about the topic that you can be passionate about. Find a loophole. Passion is all about making an emotional connection with your audience. It doesn’t matter how you get there, just as long as that’s the endpoint. So when you struggle to inject passion into your public speaking, remember that it’s not always the topic you need to be enthusiastic about. It’s the delivery. It’s the audience. It’s the outcome.
At the very least, be interested and engaged by your topic. If you aren’t, how can you expect your audience to feel any differently?
Based on my experience in Public Speaking, I have started a platform that trains individuals interested in Public Speaking – it is called Speakup. SpeakUp is a platform created for students to counter the communication crisis and build a foundation for public speaking. SpeakUp aims to enhance students’ public speaking skills. Through a plethora of video lessons, specialized exercises, and applied practice sessions, an aspiring public speaker has the opportunity to improve their skills in a short period of time.
I hope to inspire some of my fellow students in the art of Public Speaking.
My Credentials in Public Speaking
OO – Original Oratory
INF – Informative Speaking
OD – Declamation
2017-2018 Events – Freshman Year
| Place | Event | Tournament |
| 3 | Oratorical Declamation (OD) | IHSA Regional – Naperville (Neuqua Valley) |
| 6 | Oratorical Declamation (OD) | Metea Valley Mustang Tournament |
| 1 | Original Oratory (OO) | Willowbrook HS Winter Tourney |
| 2 | Original Oratory (OO) | David Scheidecker Memorial Tournament |
| 2 | Original Oratory (OO) | Wheaton North Technicolor Tournament |
| 4 | Original Oratory (OO) | The Reel Thing |
| Next-in Final results | ||
| Fin. | Original Oratory (OO) | Tournament of Roses |
2018-2019 Events – Sophomore Year
| Place | Event | Tournament |
| 1 | Informative Speaking (INF) | IHSA Regional – Naperville (Neuqua Valley) |
| 1 | Informative Speaking (INF) | IHSA Sectional – Aurora (Metea Valley) |
| 2 | Informative Speaking (INF) | Downers Grove South Varsity Invitational |
| 2 | Informative Speaking (INF) | Neuqua Valley ‘Let’s Get This Bread!’ Tournament |
| 3 | Informative Speaking (INF) | Naperville Central Tournament of Roses |
| 5 | Informative Speaking (INF) | IHSA State Final |
| 5 | Informative Speaking (INF) | Willowbrook HS Winter Tournament |
| 1 | Original Oratory (OO) | Neuqua Valley ‘Let’s Get This Bread!’ Tournament |
| 3 | Original Oratory (OO) | IHSA Regional – Naperville (Neuqua Valley) |
| 3 | Original Oratory (OO) | IHSA Sectional – Aurora (Metea Valley) |
| 3 | Original Oratory (OO) | Naperville Central Tournament of Roses |
| 4 | Original Oratory (OO) | Willowbrook HS Winter Tournament |