Keys to Delivering Powerful, Effective and Impactful Speech

Ever wondered how some people's speech are so effective and Impactful, that they can move people's hearts and inspire them to change? 

Whereas there are some who speak for hours and it just feels like it enters one ear and exits the other? 

How DO we effectively give speeches that can attain the latter? 

Interestingly, it has less to do with public speaking techniques, than it does with attitude and mindset. 

In hadith #28 of Imam An-Nawawi's 40 Hadith, the companion Irbadh bin Sariyah narrated, 

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ delivered to us a sermon by which our hearts were filled with fear and tears came to our eyes. 

So we said, “O Messenger of Allah! It is as though this is a farewell sermon, so counsel us.” (Abu Daud, At-Tirmidzi)

"This shows that what they were taught effected them. Teaching is not simply a matter of conveying "dry" laws and regulations. Beyond that, what is needed is what affects the heart and what is related to their lives. It should go to the very soul of the listener"

(J. Zarabozo, "Commentary on the 40 Hadith")

From this Hadith, in the book "Al-Wafi: Commentary on 40 Hadith of An-Nawawi", Al-Bugha & Mistu outlined some tips, how a person's speech will have the desired effect on the listeners, from the practice of the Prophet ﷺ:

1. BELIEF: The person must believe in his speech and be affected by it. In this way, he can transform that feeling to his listeners and convince them of what he is saying. When doing this, his expression will bear his conviction of his words. 

This was the case with the Prophet ﷺ whose face and demeanor would change when he was giving a speech. When delivering a sermon, he would be like a person earnestly warning his people about a coming army.

2. SINCERITY: The speaker's heart must be free of disease and filth. The speech that is coming from a pure and sincere heart will flow over to the listeners. 

Many times, believers can pick up the falseness of a person's heart when he speaks. Al-Hasan Al-Basri once heard a speaker in the mosque whose speech had no effect on Al-Hasan. Afterwards, he went to the speaker and told him, "there is either a disease in your heart or in my heart"

3. WALK THE TALK: The person's speech must be followed up by action. In general, the people who listen to his speech will watch his deeds. If his deeds do not correspond to his words, it is a sign that he does not believe in his own words or he was just trying to fool the audience.

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Once we have the above, then any efforts of improving our speaking and presentation techniques will only amplify the effectiveness even further! 

May Allah grant us iman, sincerity, and the steadfastness to walk the talk.