18 Steps to a Winning Speech (Key takeaways from Luisa Montalvo, 2024 World Champion of Public Speaking)
1. Understand your "why": A compelling reason you’re willing to commit to.
2. Relatability is key: Ensure your message appeals to a diverse audience, focusing on universal emotions rather than specific cultural references that other may not understand.
3. Capture emotional moments: Use voice memos to record emotional experiences as they happen, for substance in a later speech. An emotional roller-coaster is engaging but leave them with an “up.”
4. Personal stories are vital: Include a personal story in your speech, even if it's an embarrassing or vulnerable moment, to connect with the audience.
5. Strategic humor: Sprinkle in appropriate humor at the right times, but don't overdo it, as this isn't a humorous speech contest.
6. Strong intro and ending: Your introduction should relate to your ending, and both should be attention-grabbing and unique. Avoid cliché/common opening questions (eg. “How many of you…?”)
7. Unique topics: If you discuss common topics like leadership, make them unique and interesting.
8. Push boundaries (slightly): Include slightly uncomfortable or controversial statements to stand out and make people curious about what you'll say next.
9. The "Theory of three": Use three examples or points when discussing an issue to effectively engage the audience. The human brain is drawn to patterns, so 3 points are more easily memorable).
10. Call to action: Include a call to action to make the audience feel part of your speech and encourage them to act. (What do you want them to think, feel or do?)
11. Presentation and Practice: Video record yourself and review, edit/adjust, repeat.
12. Appearance matters: Judges form an opinion before you even speak, so exude confidence through your appearance and posture.
13. Strategic use of props: Use small, helpful props that enhance your message without overpowering the speech, and manage them neatly.
14. Practice globally: Present your speech to as many clubs as possible-worldwide-to get diverse evaluations. Actively seek constructive yet critical feedback.
15. Be true to yourself: Don't let others dissuade you from your core message, even if it's controversial.
16. Time management is crucial: Keep your speech to six minutes to allow for a minute and a half of grace, as going over the maximum time will lead to disqualification.
17. Clarity in delivery: Focus on eye contact, hand gestures, voice inflections, and clear enunciation. Use tools like your phone's voice-to-text to check for clarity. Don’t apologize for mistakes…move on.
18. Don't take losses personally: Winning requires saying the right thing at the right time to the right judges. If you don't win, don't take it personally; judges are human. Persevere and adapt. View losses as opportunities to reinvent yourself and improve. Don't quit; keep going; grow as a speaker.
Here's the Link for Luisa's presentation on July 30, 2026
For more information, contact Luisa Montalvo at montalvo.luisa@yahoo.com
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