Speech Checklist by Sibongiseni Mgolozeli

Speech Checklist is divided into five chapters, which represent five key components of an impactful and memorable speech. The first part of the book focuses on the author’s journey - where he was born, the challenges and traumatic experiences he went through and overcame, and the lessons learned in the process.

In the second part of the book, the author shares the importance of understanding rhetoric, which includes tools such as personal stories and meaningful statistics in your speech, in order to speak persuasively for maximum impact. He also emphasizes the need to be mindful of your attitude as a speaker and to use your body language deliberately and in congruence with your vocals. In addition, the meticulous use of figures of speech such as metaphors, analogies, etc., is demonstrated with examples from great speakers.

The third part of the book focuses on humour, acronyms, quotes and abbreviations as elements that heightened the listening abilities of your audience. In the last chapter, the author reiterates the need to rehearse thoroughly and suggests a pre-performance routine that will help you manage your fear or nerves, such that you sound like a professional.