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Preparing a speech?: 5 tips from a world public speaking champion

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Jeeves de Veyra

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/news/05/01/cebu.jpg"/><figcaption>Dananjaya Hettiarachchi poses for a portrait. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>CEBU -- It took 10 years of hard work to bring Sri Lankan Dananjaya Hettiarachchi onto the stage of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center during the 2014 Toastmasters International Convention. </p><p>There, he won the Toastmasters International Championship of Public Speaking with his speech, “I See Something,” the first Asian to do so in the 90-year history of the competition. The uploaded video of “I See Something” is one of the most watched speeches on YouTube with 3.8 million views.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bbz2boNSeL0?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>Hettiarachchi, a native of Sri Lanka, travels the world sharing his story and what he has learned from his journey to the pinnacle of public speaking. </p><p>He was in the Philippines as the keynote and educational speaker at the recently concluded Toastmasters International District 75 Convention held in Mandaue City in Cebu.</p><p>“The Philippines is wonderful. For me, I&#x27;ve got to know the Philippines through the people. I&#x27;ve probably seen some of the most colorful and vibrant people that I&#x27;ve seen in Asia. It&#x27;s an amazing place,” he said.</p><p>Here, he shared some practical tips for presentations in the workplace.</p><div><strong>1. Have a short and sweet message </strong></div><p>“The first thing to consider when you are doing any presentation, it could be a keynote, it could be a speech, is that you have got to have a message. A lot of speakers today fail to have a great message in their speeches. A good message is something short, something that you can probably write down in 10 words. Having a message really takes your speech into the next level.&quot;</p><div><strong>2. Have social proof </strong></div><p>“The second thing is you’ve got to have is social proof. Social proof is the evidence to back up what you&#x27;re saying. It could be references, statistics, citations, the more social proof that you have, the more people will be compelled to believe in what you&#x27;re saying.”</p><div><strong>3. Have a great structure </strong></div><p>“The third thing probably you could do is have a great structure. Don&#x27;t have more than three to five points in your speech or your presentation at work. It could be for an office, or it could be for a university, but the presentation should have no more than three to five points.”</p><div><strong>4. Have a great story </strong></div><p>“The fourth thing is, always have a great story. One story inside that presentation that really nails the main point.”</p><div><strong>5. Have a great ending </strong></div><p>“And finally make a great ending. The principle of recency states that people remember first what you say last, so have a great ending that really puts the cream on the cake. That&#x27;s what people are going to remember when they go back home.”</p>

<p>Hettiarachchi, a native of Sri Lanka, travels the world sharing his story, what he’s learned from his journey to the pinnacle of public speaking. </p>

Hettiarachchi, a native of Sri Lanka, travels the world sharing his story, what he’s learned from his journey to the pinnacle of public speaking.