8 Questions for reflection as you think of a title for your next speech/presentation
Here are a few questions with some food for thought when you create speech titles. Most titles below are samples from world champion finalists over the years.
1. Does it arouse curiosity in the listener?
"Stuck to a Bucket" M. MacArthur; "The Dare" C. William; "Why Me?" R.Vaden
2. Does it stand out from other common titles?
D. LaCroix's winning original speech title: "Willing to Fail" but he changed it to: "Ouch!"
3. What question can you plant in the audience's minds after reading or hearing your title? "The Ultimate Question" L.Miller; "Never Too Late" J. Key; "Lessons from Fat Dad" R. Harvey.
4. You could possibly use the word: "Secrets..." as people love to hear about secrets
5. You could use numerals: "3R's to ... " "4 C's for ...."
6. Can you create a contrarian title?
Instead of "Customer Service is so important" to "Customers Service is not enough"
7. Will it be remembered for being different and creative?
"The Snake Bite" C. Valentine- his topic is not about snakes but about the venom we carry within us if we do not forgive! "One of Those Days!" E. Tate- he invited the audience to repeat that title a few times, when he gave them the verbal cue: "I told it was going to be...one of those days!"
8. Finally did you or do you ever receive feedback from others re choice of title?
Please note: if you're offering a workshop, all the suggestions above may not apply since workshop attendees need to know exactly what will be discussed and the transformation that will occur. In other words, the title or subtitle should clearly spell out the content covered in the workshop.
Make your next title creative and spellbinding as it will set the tone or stage, by instilling curiosity, interest and intrigue in your audience's minds. They will be anxious to hear what you have to say beccause you've created a great first impression of both yourself and your speech.
