A Public Speaking Technique That Will Have a Lasting Effect on Your Audience

Contrary to what many may think, repetition is an essential public speaking technique that you need to master if you want your audience to remember your presentation. Usually any presentation regardless of length can be boiled down to just 3 or 4 main points or even less. By skillfully repeating these points in various ways, the audience will have them imprinted on their minds without being bored. Below are four guidelines that will help you achieve

Use The Theme Or Title

Use the theme or title of your presentation effectively. Your theme will contain key thought containing words. Make sure you elaborate on those key words during your presentation. Keep linking your material back to your theme or title so it runs like a thread through the presentation much like the thread in a garment holds it together. The audience should be able to see the connection between what you are saying at any given time and the main subject or title of your presentation.
Re-state Ideas

Use repetition skillfully by re-stating the key ideas through the presentation, either using the exact same words or phrases or employing similar words to say the same thing. If you have a catch phrase or pithy slogan you want to remember, repeating it at strategic points in the presentation can be very effective.
A summary early in the presentation can be a powerful method of repetition. For example, state beforehand the main points you are going to consider, then deal with them, and finally give a brief summary of the points you considered.
The Progressive Summary

Using a progressive summary of main ideas through your presentation to reinforce the ideas on your audience can be a very powerful public speaking technique, especially if you number or itemize them. For example, you might mention there are three main ideas to be considered, then briefly state them. Then say, “Let’s take the first point . . .” Afterward you can say, “So up to now we have considered Point 1 (restate in a couple of words). Now we’ll deal with Point 2.” After that you can say something like, “So far we have seen Point 1 which was . . ., and also Point 2 in which we saw . . . Let’s now look into Point 3.” Finally, you conclude by saying, “So what have we learned so far? Point 1 was . . . Then we considered Point 2. Finally in Point 3 we showed . . .”
Using this formula of repetition is very effective in lodging key points in the minds of your audience so they will remember them easily after your presentation is finished.
Be Vivid

Be on the constant look out for words you can use to add feeling and color to your presentation.
You may discover them through your own reading or you may hear them from another speaker. If you see or hear a word that makes an impact on you, note it down and keep it for future reference when you might use it in your own presentation. Gradually as your vocabulary increases to include dynamic words full of vigor, your presentation skills will develop too as you convey vivid mental images to your audience. Using a variety of vivid words and expressions directly related to your main points and theme will give you the flexibility of being able to repeat them often but with a different flavor.

Repetition is an essential public speaking technique. However, it needs to be used skillfully. The four guidelines above will help a public speaker use powerful repetition without appearing to be boringly repetitive!