Record yourself practicing your speech and listen to it many times before you actually present it before an audience. Pay attention to your vocal patterns and ask yourself if you sound interesting. If you find areas of your speech seem to drag on too long, or need more emphasis, make notes about these issues and correct them before recording yourself again.
Prepare an attention-grabbing introduction to catch your audience’s attention at the beginning of your speech. Pose a question to your audience, giving them something to think about while they listen to your speech, while building their interest in the answer to your question. Alternately, begin your speech with an anecdote, telling your audience part of a story to help them understand the perspective you are taking in your speech.
Raise and lower the sound of your voice to emphasize important points and keep your audience interested in your information. Avoid voice fluctuations in a specific pattern by raising your voice only on your most important points and not at random intervals during your speech. Speak naturally, but use your voice fluctuations as a verbal highlighter, instructing your audience to pay close attention to louder points and mark them as important in their notes.
Fluctuate the tone of your speaking voice but stay within your natural voice range. Raise and lower your tone during your speech, avoiding a monotone delivery. Note that the tone of your voice should change in conjunction with the sound level of your voice, either lowering or rising as you speak louder, further emphasizing important information in your speech.
Use hand gestures to hold your audience’s attention, but avoid anything over the top. Don't gesture over your shoulders or use inappropriate hand movements. Keep your gestures controlled, using them to enhance your point, not to distract your audience from your point.
Insist on using a microphone, allowing you to speak in a more conversational voice during your speech, while ensuring that everyone in the audience can hear you clearly. Hold the microphone with one hand, allowing you to gesture with the other, and switch hands periodically during the speech to keep your audience interested in your varied gestures.