The foremost advice for making a great talk is to build your talk with your audience in mind. To do this in a powerful way, ask yourself what gift you are giving to your audience.&nbsp;If it doesn't feel like a gift after you rehearsed your talk, there's more work to do.

Thinking of your talk as a gift

Communication

When you deliver a talk, your audience wants to learn something compelling enough to move them into action. 
For this reason, place four to six anchor points throughout the talk that is insightful and compelling. Even common knowledge can be turned into an epiphany if emphasized uniquely or applied to the audience's specific circumstance.

Epiphanies

People want to change something because of you.
<ul>
<li>Point out what needs to change about their behavior</li>
<li>Why they need to change</li>
<li>How they can start the change</li>
</ul>
As yourself "What's the first step the audience can take to begin the transformation I'm focussing on?"

A transformation

Find out in advance what problems your audience is struggling with. Then talk to your audience in a way that demonstrates you understand their problem and present a clear solution.

A solution to a problem

Sometimes you might reveal a problem the audience didn't know they had. Provide some direction and a concrete plan for how to start dealing with the issue.

Direction and a plan to get started

Audiences love the chance to feel something, whether it is transformational, funny, sad, or any other emotions.
Ask yourself if your talk will help people escape for their daily lives for an hour.

Entertainment and escape

Sometimes you will speak to an audience of people who are all struggling with the same issues.&nbsp;Ask yourself if you are able to create a more connected community with your message.

A greater sense of community

You've likely already had to give an important presentation in your career. If not, you will, and if you have, there'll be more. So why not arm yourself to get it really right? Big presentations are pivotal moments in your career--much momentum, or missed opportunity, results, depending on how you do.

A greater sense of community

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Madeleine Albright