5 Winning Strategies for Public Speaking Competitions

Public speaking competitions and contests have consistently been recognized as an opportunity to enhance communication skills. These events provide a platform for individuals to demonstrate their ability to express ideas, inspire others and connect with an audience.

There are many advantages to participating in public speaking competitions:

Enhanced Communication Skills: 

Engaging in speaking competitions improves communication abilities. Participants learn how to articulate their thoughts clearly, concisely, and persuasively—a skill that proves invaluable both on stage and in personal and professional life.

Boosting Confidence:

Overcoming the fear of speaking is a confidence booster. As individuals gain experience and become more comfortable addressing an audience, their self-assurance grows, empowering them to tackle life challenges with more excellent poise.

Networking:

These events offer opportunities to connect with people who share interests, including judges, fellow participants and the audience. Building connections at these events can lead to collaboration, mentorship or career prospects. Some of our sponsors, such as www.topqualityrecruitment.com and www.osmows.com, are happy to see our students grow as public speakers through healthy competition.

Here are 5 Winning Strategies for Public Speaking Competitions:

Opening and Closing: Begin with a captivating opening that grabs your audience's attention. Create your speech with the end in mind. Your speech's closing statement should reflect your beginning and reiterate your message.

Clear Structure: Organize your speech with an introduction, body, and conclusion. Your message should be clear and woven throughout. Remember to include a question for the audience and tips for improvement, change, or growth. 

Tell a Personal Story: Relating to your audience during a challenging speech competition immediately sets you apart from those who relay facts and figures; even if they do it well, they will not connect with the audience on a human level; a story will bridge that gap.

Smile: When everyone else expresses a serious or neutral demeanour, those who smile and laugh with their audience set them apart. The saying "smile, and the world will smile back at you'' applies in front of an audience more than anywhere else.

Solicit Feedback: Whether you win or lose, asking for feedback and making necessary improvements will help ensure that you will eventually be in the winner's circle. There is no perfect speech or speaker; we can all continue to learn and grow.

Participating in speaking competitions can be a transformative experience, offering a unique opportunity for personal growth and skill development. For more inspiration, check out some of our past competition winners: Sponsorship—Stand Up and Speak.