How You Can Give an Inspired Speech

When it's your turn to give an inspired speech, then you really want to start with some fundamentals. For example, you must know the purpose of your speech. You must have a mission in mind, and of course you must know your audience. And when you want to give an inspiring speech, you have to have great content. You must write your speech out in full, you have to practise, and you have to rehearse, perhaps with the teleprompter or autocue. There's a lot to do when you aim for success.

But of course that's not all when you want to give an inspiring speech.

Because your speech has to contain all of the rhetorical devices and flourishes that we recognize in a fine speech. And, you can always get inspiration from other great speakers or their speeches.

But your job is to deliver it with finesse, with style, with confidence. You have to give your speech with the right level of tone, with the right timbre. You have to speak at the right pace, enunciate the correct words, pause when necessary. Wait for the applause point. And of course you have to time your speech, neither too long, nor too short. Because nobody wants a long-winded-speaker.

Inspiration from Party Leader Speeches?

We thought about these things this afternoon when we watched and listened to the Keir Starmer Leader's speech at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool 2025.

It's fair to say that this was not an inspiring speech, because so much of the content appeared to be targeted at combating the Reform Party led by Nigel Farage. This is odd, not least because the Reform Party is not his Majesty's loyal opposition. They are, in fact, a party of, at the last count five MPs. But it has to be said that number goes up and down as they fall out with one another, or we elect a new member of Parliament. Is the Prime Minister rattled by their polling numbers? Probably.

When was the last time you heard Nigel Farage…

Say anything positive about Britain’s future?

But all that apart, this wasn't an inspiring speech. Although there were some noticeably short sentences throughout the speech, he clocked in at about an hour's duration.

To the politics of grievance.

It is a test.

A fight for the soul of our country…

Every bit as big as rebuilding Britain after the war…

And we must all rise to this challenge.

And yet we need to be clear…

That our path…

The path of renewal…

It’s long…

In fact, the vast majority of this speech appeared to be short non-sentences. Very modern.

And we can see from the reaction of Keir Stammer's audience in Liverpool that the audience themselves didn't rate the speech. Yes, there was polite applause, but it was perfunctory at best.

Inspiration for Your Speech

There's typically a moment in a Leader's speech when we recall an earlier speech. Something that might have inspired this particular speech. And so it was with the Keir Starmer Oldham byelection story.

I knocked on the door.

She invited me in.

We had a cup of tea…

And a rich tea biscuit.

Yes, Tony Blair also spoke about tea and biscuits in 2001 after the Twin Towers tragedy in New York. It's a great speech and one that we discuss on many of our courses.

It was in many ways a very British occasion. Tea and biscuits. It was raining outside. Around the edge of the room, strangers making small talk, trying to be normal people in an abnormal situation.

This speech proved to be one brimming with platitudes and with all of the usual thanks to every member of the party. This is the sort of routine content in a party leader's speech that we now come to expect. But, is it really needed? Could the warm-up act cover these bases? Yes.

So, for the national audience not an inspiring speech. And for the party delegates...? Tolerable at best.

When you want more public speaking tips, hints and advice on your public speaking, then you will find plenty of top tips for presenters and speakers alike on this site. Because with more than 100 top tips, there's plenty here for every public speaking occasion. And when you want to grow your own public speaking skills that bit further, you are always welcome to enroll on an online public speaking course. Plus, when you want to really get ready for an inspiring speech at a conference or a seminar, then you are very welcome to get in touch about some one-to-one coaching to get you ready.