{"id":26968,"date":"2021-03-02T09:32:42","date_gmt":"2021-03-02T13:32:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=26968"},"modified":"2021-03-03T16:38:52","modified_gmt":"2021-03-03T20:38:52","slug":"public-speaking-topic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/public-speaking-topic\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Choose a Public Speaking Topic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Do you have a speech coming up but you are not sure what it’s going to be about? What is the most important factor when it comes to choosing a public speaking topic? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to business communication expert Carmine Gallo, when it comes to public speaking, there is no better topic than one that you are passionate about. If you are genuinely excited about your public speaking topic, you\u2019re less likely to feel nervous about your delivery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some reasons why you should go for a public speaking topic that you are genuinely excited about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Public Speaking Topic Selection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Choosing a topic that you\u2019re passionate about is important for a number of reasons. First, if you deeply care about the subject you\u2019re about to talk about, you\u2019re less likely to feel nervous<\/strong> about your presentation.<\/strong> You\u2019ll be so excited about getting to share your passion with the world that the idea of your speech going wrong won\u2019t even cross your mind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, when you\u2019re passionate about your topic, you\u2019re likely to speak enthusiastically. You\u2019ll therefore be more interesting to watch<\/strong> than a bored and lackluster speaker.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, studies have shown that feelings are contagious<\/strong>\u2014they spread from person to person. Therefore, if you speak with passion, your audience will feel your excitement, and they\u2019ll listen intently to what you\u2019re saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TED Talk Example: Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In 2008, Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor gave a TED talk<\/a> about a severe stroke she\u2019d suffered 12 years earlier. She described in detail how she slowly felt her brain function deteriorating as the stroke progressed. Taylor also discussed the spiritual awakening that her stroke triggered. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The response to Taylor\u2019s TED talk was overwhelmingly positive. It was the first TED talk to go \u201cviral\u201d online, quickly accumulating millions of views. Gallo argues that the key to Taylor\u2019s talk\u2019s success lay in her true passion for her subject. She was fascinated by and enthusiastic about the topic, not only because it related to a transformative experience in her life, but also because she was a trained neuroanatomist. Even before her stroke, Taylor\u2019s life\u2019s work and passion had been studying the brain and its workings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can You Fake Passion?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What if you\u2019re not passionate about the topic you have to speak on? For instance, what if your boss asks you to give a presentation on a prescribed subject? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this case, try to frame your public speaking topic in a way that does <\/em>excite you and appeal to your passions. <\/strong>For instance, if your passion is bringing added efficiency to your workplace, and you\u2019re asked to give a presentation on a piece of dull accounting software that you don\u2019t really care about, focus your presentation on how efficient the software is.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Do you have a speech coming up but you are not sure what it’s going to be about? What is the most important factor when it comes to choosing a public speaking topic? According to business communication expert Carmine Gallo, when it comes to public speaking, there is no better topic than one that you are passionate about. If you are genuinely excited about your public speaking topic, you\u2019re less likely to feel nervous about your delivery. Here are some reasons why you should go for a public speaking topic that you are genuinely excited about.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":10099,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,42],"tags":[211],"class_list":["post-26968","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-communication","category-motivation","tag-talk-like-ted","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Choose a Public Speaking Topic - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"According to Carmine Gallo, when it comes to public speaking, the topic is the most important factor for successful delivery. 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