10 Ways Great Speakers Think, Prepare, and Perform

Before the spotlight, before the applause, before even picking up a pencil to draft your speech, you are shaping your impact. Not by talent alone, and not by what happens in the moment, but by the standards you bring to the work: how you think about your audience, how carefully you prepare, and how fully you perform when it’s time to step onstage.

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To be a transformational speaker and leader who inspires others to feel, think, and act differently, you need more than a good message. You must deliver it in a way that’s clear, compelling, and impossible to ignore.

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These ten ways great speakers think, prepare, and perform can help you strengthen your craft, deepen your presence, and create greater impact onstage.

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#1 Put Your Audience First 

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Whether crafting a keynote, iterating your performance, or writing your next bestseller, always put your audience first. You’re here to serve them. Your speech is for them. Your message is only meaningful if it matters to them. As you aim to best serve your audience and keep that goal front-of-mind, your impact will increase exponentially. 

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#2 The Speech Is the Product—Not You

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A lot of professional speakers think they’re selling themselves—their charm, personality, and knowledge—to event organizers. But the truth is, you’re selling a speech. The speech is the product. If you’re not wildly famous, what’s most important to event organizers is first, your speech; then, your ideas; and then, you. 

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Plus, when you’re able to internalize this distinction, rejection is easier to deal with. You can separate yourself emotionally from your speech and see more clearly what’s working, what’s not, and what needs to be improved. 

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#3 Be a Performer, Not a Critic

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It’s easy to poke holes in someone else’s work. But when we criticize others, we limit ourselves. We weaken our voices. We play small. Focus your energy on performing your best: showing up, taking risks, and creating something new. Be a performer, not a critic; it’s much more fulfilling, effective, and fun. 

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#4 Winging It Doesn’t Work 

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Many speakers wing it onstage. They (mistakenly) think their charisma and expertise will be enough to carry them through a 45-minute presentation. But winging it just doesn’t work. Great speaking requires intention. If you want to serve your audience well, you have to make deliberate choices about the experience you’re creating for them.

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HEROIC Creative Director and Lead Performance Coach Russell Ewing explains what happens when speakers wing it: “You might feel in the moment, but without preparation, that moment will likely be messy, unfocused, unintentional—and possibly irrelevant. And that’s exactly what the audience will see.”

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To truly succeed as a professional speaker, you need a script that you’ve written and revised, and a performance you’ve rehearsed and refined. When you can repeat your performance and reliably deliver it again and again, you’ll be leaps and bounds ahead of the speakers who are convinced that “just winging it” is enough. 

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#5 Have a “Yes, And” Attitude 

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“Yes, and” is the performer’s mantra. It means accepting what’s been given to you onstage and adding to it with creativity, collaboration, and curiosity. For speakers especially, it means boldly embracing new performance opportunities and building on them with your own authentic style. 

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It starts with repeating the HEROIC pledge on Campus. Then, through months of deep work, stepping onstage for Masterclass sessions, and hours of rehearsal, that transformative “Yes, and” attitude finds its way into your heart. When you get into the habit of responding with “Yes, and,” your message solidifies, your speaking improves, and your stage presence is transformed.  

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#6 Specificity Creates Connection

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When asked, “Who is your message for?” many speakers respond with “anyone” or “everyone.” While your ideas may benefit many different people, if you focus your speech towards a specific audience, it will be more impactful, more meaningful, and more effective. 

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You see, it’s easier to connect with specific people than with “everyone” or “anyone.” Plus, when you try to cater to a broader range of people, your message often becomes diluted. 

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#7 You’re Not Just in the Speaking Business, You’re in the Relationship Business

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To build a sustainable speaking career, establish, nurture, and prioritize relationships. Let every interaction demonstrate you’re the easiest, most prepared, and most helpful speaker they’ve ever worked with. When you truly understand event organizers, you’ll be able to serve them better, become a valuable event partner, and benefit from a profitable, long-lasting business relationship.  

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#8 The Speech Is Never Finished

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There’s always room for improvement. And that’s a marvelous thing—because it means new breakthroughs are waiting for you. 

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Great speeches are built through iteration. That means rehearsing past the uncomfortable, robotic phases, asking questions until the answers truly sink in, and daring to try something new even when it feels risky. 

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As you iterate your speech, you’ll discover new ways to better serve your audience, strengthen the experience you create, and keep your message effective across different rooms and over time.

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#9 Don’t Show Off, Show Up  

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Standing ovations make you feel like you’re on top of the world. But the applause fades fast, and often, the satisfaction that comes from seeking approval does too. As a performer, you decide whether you focus on results, or approval. You decide whether you step onstage to show off, or show up: fully present, focused on your audience, and ready to serve. 

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When you focus on results, you don’t just become a better speaker. You discover what your message really means to you. You unlock a new level of performance—one you might not have realized you were capable of. You become best-in-class. 

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#10 Stop Speaking, Start Performing 

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Speaking isn’t just about educating or informing, it’s about connecting and transforming. It’s much more than just raising your voice onstage. 

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You see, the stage isn’t for the everyday, it’s for the extraordinary. Your audience expects, yearns, and needs to be wowed—by you. So make bold choices. Expand into the largeness of life. Don’t just speak, perform. Only a true performance moves hearts, shifts minds, and sparks action.