The First Step in Preparing a Persuasive Speech

Check out my TED talk (coming up to 400k views): "The Discipline of Finishing: Conor Neill at TEDxUniversidaddeNavarra"
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The very first thing to do in preparing a speech. Define your "Point X". This gives clarity to what content serves the audience and what is irrelevant. Defining point X avoids the Data Dump - the worst of all presentations.

I have been teaching Persuasive Communications on MBA courses at IESE Business School for 10 years. This is part of a collection of short lessons compiled from my courses and shared for use both as a support to my classes, and a way of sharing this valuable knowledge to a wider audience via these awesome digital tools ;-)

[puneetkachhawaha]

You are my inspiration Conor. Huge respect for you.
Though I had seen so many videos and presentations but yours are very practical and simple.

[gyulatorok]

Clear, articulated and stimulating presentation, many thanks.

[adityajoshi]

Superb. Conor I've been watching your videos in my free time all over this weekend. This particular advice falls in line to Simon Sinek's idea - Start with Why. I've noticed great speakers falling down when they miss this very 'X' point. Once you have an idea of what the end will be, filling in the body becomes as easy as connecting dots..

[MsNEWEARTH]

Conor thank you for the great value you add with your speach. For the universe you may be just a person but for a person you may be a whole universe!!!

[srinivasams]

All those self help books are jargon of words
But your words are practical simple and applicable and doable by everybody and highy useful

[drrokispetoufr]

Great advice Conor. Thanks for sharing

[KaartikShankarIyer]

How many hours of practice has gone behind your presentations ?

[guptaaasheesh]

My comment is coming one year after the last one.And guess impression is still the same. Awesome learning for me from this advice. Have a introductory presentation with my new team and let me see how it goes now.

[TomPark]

If I know I have to have a discussion with someone, or multiple people, I walk around my apartment talking to myself and going through refining a natural response to probable questions etc. I pretend to be them, and then I answer their question, and I smooth out my response. This works well for talking to women. I asked my gf out using this method and it worked. I walked up to her and said " You are beautiful, do you want to join me for this was rehearsed 1000 i just walked up, and done it without the practice, i would have looked like a damned fool.

[marialuizaacerbi]

Once you've said..."-empty your knapsack and climb the mountain lighter." Sometimes the weight you're carrying is not yours anymore. Let God decide..God, grants you with the serenity to accept the things you cannot change, courage to change the things you can, and wisdom to know the difference between them all.. Thanks

[IdeasMarket]

This sentence cab be used for almost all types of Contents i.e. FB & Blog Post, Twitter Or Podcast & YT Videos.

As You have proved even with this one and see I have taken an action to COMMENT for It. ;-) :-)

Thanks CONOR.

[DavidHarleyson-jelx]

Woww 2 minutes info for lifetime achievement🎉

[spiercevaughn]

*Mr. Conor as he is making this video*: “When I am finished speaking my audience will: be able to articulate when they need to say “” when I am finished speaking my audience will:__””
😁😂