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50 Inspiring Public Speaking Quotes to Help You Conquer Your Fear

If there’s one thing we can all agree on it’s that public speaking is often intimidating and nerve-wracking! Being able to confidently stand up in front of a room of people and eloquently deliver a speech – while also engaging and inspiring your audience – is no easy task. The great thing is, there is so much information out there to help you turn your fear into skillful public speaking. One such resource is the wealth of inspiring quotes related to the topic. To give you a boost of inspiration and remind you of the beauty of engaging public speaking, we’ve gathered 50 of the best public speaking quotes here. The wisdom and insight included in this collection will empower you to prepare ahead of time and conquer your fear so you can deliver that speech with confidence and grace. Enjoy!

Inspirational Quotes to Overcome the Fear of Public Speaking

Public speaking can be a terrifying experience for many people. But by using wise and inspiring quotes to motivate yourself, you can conquer the fear of public speaking and tap into your true potential. Here are some incredible quotes to help you get started: “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” – Winston Churchill This quote reminds us that public speaking takes courage no matter which end of the spectrum you’re on. Whether you need to cross the room and give a speech or bravely sit in place and listen, courage is necessary either way. “You will have your audience eating out of your hands if you don’t just tell them facts but make it interesting with stories and humor.” – Barbara Walters This quote emphasizes the importance of making your presentation more engaging with storytelling and wit – which can help you break through any fears that come along with public speaking. “When facing fear, make yourself bigger, brighter, louder. When we do this, fear shrinks back faster than light does from a black hole.”– Sabrina Ward Harrison This quote aptly warns that if fear has a hold over us, we need to take action to combat it; use techniques such as visualization, positive self-talk or deep breathing to reduce anxiety and let our true personalities shine through.

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.” – Steve Jobs

“If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.” – Vincent Van Gogh

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill

“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt

“The only limits to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

“Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at something that doesn’t really matter.” – D.L. Moody

“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” – Jimmy Dean

“Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.” – Will Rogers

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Abraham Lincoln These quotes provide great inspiration while overcoming the fear of public speaking. But motivation alone isn’t enough when tackling such obstacles – next, begin setting goals and finding ways to measure success in order to truly motivate yourself with powerful thoughts.

Motivate Yourself with Powerful Thoughts

Motivating yourself with powerful thoughts is a great way to address your fear of public speaking. After all, you are never too prepared when trying to conquer those butterflies in your stomach before giving a speech. It’s important to remember that the best way to feel confident and remain composed throughout your address is by mentally preparing yourself beforehand. Think about everything that you have going for you and how far you have come: your successes, education, and other meaningful experiences you’ve had in life. Let those achievements be fuel for your inspiration as well as give you confidence in your abilities; it will help motivate you during that difficult moment when you’re on stage. Believing in yourself is one of the most important skills to maintain control over your fear instead of letting it dictate how you’ll do in front of the audience. However, caring too much about what the audience may think can negatively impact the effectiveness of your speech — so while believing in yourself is important, don’t put too much stock into getting a positive reaction from the crowd. If each word or visual aid is perfectly timed and well-organized, then naturally the audience will enjoy what they hear and see more than if it was chaotic. This leads us into our next section about memorable quotes to help you find courage before giving speeches! As these inspirational sayings can serve as an anchor during moments of doubt, they can also provide insight into managing the anxiety of public speaking and becoming an effective communicator.

Memorable Quotes to Help You Find Courage

Whether you’re preparing for a big presentation or performing a perfectly rehearsed monologue, you need courage and confidence to be effective. A few inspiring quotes will help keep your speech on track and can give you the courage to face your fear of public speaking. Consider some of these classic quotes to help find the courage and strength necessary before any engagement: “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” – Nelson Mandela This oft-quoted phrase from Nobel Peace Prize recipient Nelson Mandela speaks to the power we have to conquer our fears and worries despite our hesitation. An effective speaker sees beyond their fear and anticipates a rewarding outcome. “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt Often misattributed as an anonymous quote, this phrase was spoken by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his first inauguration speech. Through this line, he was trying to express the idea that fear is self-inflicted, and should not be allowed to stop us from achieving success in all our endeavors. When it comes to giving impactful presentations, let go of the fear that holds you back, replace it with positive energy so your message resonates with the audience. “Do one thing every day that scares you.” – Eleanor Roosevelt This inspiring quote from Eleanor Roosevelt encourages us to push past our limits and disrupt routine-life by embracing moments of uncertainties, changes and unknowns, which all contribute for a better version of ourselves in public speaking scenarios. Step out of your comfort zone and rise above your fears starting with small wins each day – even if it’s just shaking hands with a stranger at the mall – the act alone can spark enough courage for you do face more difficult speaking engagements later on.

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

“Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.” – Maya Angelou

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” – Deuteronomy 31:6

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” – E.E. Cummings

“Courage is not having the strength to go on; it is going on when you don’t have the strength.” – Theodore Roosevelt

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Mandela

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

Take a moment to reflect on these powerful quotes when preparing for any public speaking gig, then use them as an anchor to remind yourself of why you are here when thoughts of failure arise in your mind. With enough enthusiasm and passion, inspire yourself with positive phrases in order to give an impactful performance! In the next section, learn how positive words can go a long way in boosting your morale while preparing or during your presentation.

Inspire Yourself with Positive Phrases

When facing an audience and task of delivering an important speech, it can be helpful to inspire yourself with positive phrases. Reminding ourselves that we are competent, capable, and strong can help us get over any fear or anxiety we may be feeling. Positive affirmations may also increase our confidence so we can focus on delivering our best speech. Additionally, practicing positive mantras like “I can do this” or “I am worthy of this opportunity” can help put us in the mindset for success. Positive self talk is known to be a powerful tool for reducing stress and improving motivation. However, it’s important to remember that positive thinking cannot be forced. It only works if someone truly believes what they are saying and are actively redirecting their thoughts in a more encouraging direction. So while repeating affirmative phrases can have a meaningful impact on one’s mental state, doing so without believing them can have little to no effect after the initial reaction. With the right attitude and some self-encouragement words, we can overcome all of our public speaking fears and take control of our emotions before getting up in front of an audience. Now let’s look at some inspiring quotes that can help us become successful at public speaking.

Quotes to Inspire Successful Public Speaking

No matter the size of the crowd, public speaking can be intimidating. Famous figures throughout history have been helping to empower those who take on this challenge. Quotes to inspire successful public speaking can go a long way in conquering the fear of standing up in front of an audience. Albert Einstein is often credited with saying, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” This quote instills confidence by highlighting that difficulty comes with opportunities for greatness. If you are anxious about speaking to a large group, look at it as an opportunity to show your strengths and create something special or memorable. Other inspiring quotes come from well-known figures such as Aristotle who said: “We are what we repeatedly do; excellence, then, is not an act but a habit”. The best speakers don’t simply rely on their first speech. They treat it like any activity that requires practice and repetition in order to perfect it. Improving upon each successive performance is key to success when it comes to public speaking. For those seeking inspiration beyond famous philosophers, people like Steve Jobs offer motivation through his words: “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life… Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.” Although Steve Job’s career path was far from normal, his work ethic and sense of purpose are inspirational for anyone lacking confidence in their own unique delivery style.

“The success of your presentation will be judged not by the knowledge you send but by what the listener receives.” – Lilly Walters

“The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller . The storyteller sets the vision, values, and agenda of an entire generation that is to come.” – Steve Jobs

“To be a good public speaker, you must first be a good listener.” – Calvin Coolidge

“The most precious things in speech are the pauses.” – Sir Ralph Richardson

“There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.” – Dale Carnegie

“If you can’t write your message in a sentence, you can’t say it in an hour.” – Dianna Booher

“The success of a presentation is 10% what you say, and 90% how you say it.” – Frank Tyger

“It’s not the size of the audience, it’s the effect you have on them.” – Robert Michalski

“Communication is a skill that you can learn. It’s like riding a bicycle or typing. If you’re willing to work at it, you can rapidly improve the quality of every part of your life.” – Brian Tracy

“It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.” – William Carlos Williams By utilizing these inspiring quotes as fuel for our fire, we can ignite the spark within us and become successful public speakers . However, mastering this skill often involves an extra layer of confidence that has its own set of challenges. In the next section, we will explore innovative ways to develop confidence for your audience.

Develop Confidence for Your Audience

Having confidence when you step in front of the room is essential to success in public speaking. Developing your confidence requires focusing on how your audience perceives you, building strong habits that lead to success, and believing in yourself. Knowing how your audience will receive you is key to feeling confident about standing in front of them. It can help to practice hard beforehand by rehearsing both with friends or colleagues, as well as practicing in public speaking clubs , or even alone in front of a mirror. You’ll want to focus on not just what you’re saying but also the way that you say it, by speaking with conviction , good pacing, and careful word choice. Know your strengths and weaknesses , and once you do make a point of emphasizing those strengths while downplaying the weaknesses. Preparing for success also means creating good habits that will help you stay on track while giving your talk. Having a healthy mental state is important, so leading up to the talk keep healthy eating habits and exercise regularly to stay strong and focused during your presentation. It also helps to come into each talk having already learned something new about the topic , which can help give some extra pep in taking the stage when needed. Building these habits helps reduce stress levels ahead of time and can give an individual that much more assurance in their abilities and that the task at hand can be done. Above all else, believe in yourself and remember why you decided to give this speech or presentation in the first place – because you have something important to share with your audience. Remind yourself of all of the hard work you put into preparing for this moment and all of the positive feedback that others gave you along the way; it’s often enough to bring back strong confidence for your performance. Equipping yourself with these tools ahead of time will be paramount in helping develop and maintain confidence during your talk. As mentioned before, exerting this level of confidence is essential for a successful presentation; now let’s explore quotes to help further prepare individuals so they are able give a captivating performance — let’s start with looking at what these inspiring quotes can tell us about preparing for our talk.

Quotes to Help You Prepare for Your Talk

Doing the preparation is half of the battle when it comes to public speaking. Having a plan and an idea of what you are going to say gives your speech structure , one that your audience will appreciate. Preparation should also be extended to anticipating questions and creating responses for them accordingly. This can help ensure that you look prepared and authoritative. To emphasize the importance of preparation, here are some inspiring quotes on it: “Chance favors the prepared mind.” – Louis Pasteur This quote by science pioneer Louis Pasteur underlines the importance of being prepared mentally before delivering a talk or presentation. Being informed, informed and informed beforehand can give you a huge psychological edge, assuring you of a successful performance. “The first step in preparing an effective speech is research.” – Dale Carnegie Dale Carnegie’s famous quote reminds us that even if we feel we know enough about our topic, it does not hurt to do additional research so we can fully equip ourselves with knowledge about it before engaging our audience . Research can also act as inspiration for new ideas and insights. “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin This proverb from Benjamin Franklin further stresses the need for proper planning before any presentation or talk. Having a well conceived framework and understanding exactly how our points will be delivered can be key when standing in front of a large group of people.

“If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” – Lewis Carroll

“Proper preparation prevents poor performance.” – Stephen Keague

“Know your material, know your audience, and know your purpose.” – George H. W. Bush

“Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation, there is sure to be failure.” – Confucius

“The time to prepare for a speech is twenty years.” – Mark Twain

“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” – Alan Watts

“If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?” – John Wooden

These quotes serve as reminders of just how important preparation is before any presentation or speech. This is also supported by many experts who acknowledge the value of practising and rehearsing before taking the stage or stand. With this said, let us now proceed to discuss impactful quotes which inspire growth in public speaking prowess.

Impactful Quotes that can Positively Affect Your Development

When it comes to public speaking, inspiring quotes can help to provide a mental pick-me-up and motivate our innermost selves. In addition to the initial adrenaline boost, many powerful quotes can have positive long-term effects on our development. They give us something tangible to hold onto and reflect back upon during moments of anxiety or when we’re defeated by external forces like stage fright or a challenging audience. For instance, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s famous quote “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm” speaks to the importance of resilience and drives home the idea that success isn’t necessarily predetermined; it takes hard work, dedication, and an unflappable spirit through darkness and defeat.

Similarly, Rick Hansen’s quote “There is nothing you can’t do, if you set your mind to it. Anything is possible.” directs our thoughts towards strength and being recognized as capable of achieving anything with mindful effort. On the other hand, some believe that impactful quotes are useful but emphasize more natural talent and less hard work. This mindset implies that if we just think positively and keep in motivating words top of mind, then any challenge we encounter will be much easier to conquer. While it’s true that positive thinking and self-belief are essential for motivation, this approach leaves out much of the reality – which is that personal growth is a process that requires dedication, bravery, and an acceptance of one’s weaknesses as valuable lessons for future improvement. It’s important to remember that impactful quotes should be used in conjunction with studying techniques for calming nerves , boosting confidence, and improving performance – not taken as a substitute for honing public speaking talents over time. Quotes inspire us to look more deeply into ourselves in order to better understand how we can utilize our experiences in order to become better communicators. With this in mind, let us now conclude this article by reviewing its main points and offering final thoughts on its main topic: public speaking quotes as tools for conquering fear. Conclusion & Final Thoughts: Now that we have explored how impactful public speaking quotes can be positive building blocks for personal growth and development, let’s turn our focus towards drawing our conclusion and discussing any final thoughts on the use of public speaking quotes.

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Public speaking can be an incredibly rewarding experience. Despite the fear that many experience before speaking in front of an audience, stepping up with confidence and delivering a meaningful message can have lasting positive effects. As these 50 inspiring quotes demonstrate, public speaking is not something to be afraid of but instead something to relish as an opportunity to reach out and make a positive impact on those around you. When it comes down to it, conquering your fear of public speaking does take time and practice. It may help to write about your experiences and build on the skills that you already possess. If you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed, remember that no one expects perfection – try to take it slow and focus on providing value to the audience. With dedication and patience, you’ll be able to control your fear and become an inspiring public speaker. One thing is certain – although public speaking may feel intimidating at first, it can bring many rewards once you gain the confidence to do it well. Whether you’re an experienced presenter or new to the field, remember these 50 inspiring quotes as reminders that anyone can become a great public speaker with the right attitude and dedication.

Commonly Asked Questions

How can i use quotes to motivate myself when preparing for a public speaking engagement.

Quotes can be a great way to motivate yourself when preparing for a public speaking engagement. Not only do they provide you with words of encouragement and inspiration, but they can also act as mental reminders that you have the ability to succeed. Quotes can help to spark your creativity, fuel your energy, and give you a renewed sense of confidence. Additionally, quotes can be used as an effective tool to overcome any fears or doubts so that you can deliver an amazing speech. Reading relevant quotes that speak to the power of words and communication can help prepare you mentally for your public speaking engagement. They are like mantras that offer motivation and reassurance throughout the preparation process. Last but not least, quotes can spark ideas when brainstorming topics or content to share in your speech.

99 Public Speaking Quotes to Help You Overcome Your Fear

Public speaking is an art, and it takes time and practice to master it. Confidence is the key to being a public speaker. Not all of us are endowed with the skill of public speaking.

The fear of failure or strutting in front of a crowd keeps many people from public speaking, and standing in front of a crowd and speaking in a confident tone is hard for many people.

While public speaking is not an easy task, you can always learn it and, with time, own the stage.

With knowledge of the topic and confidence in delivering the speech, you can easily garner the interest of the crowd and influence them through your oratory skills. Remember that great speeches have always sparked tremendous outcomes in history.

So here are 99 motivational public speaking quotes to help you overcome your fear of public speaking.

“Ah, the first rule of public speaking – always start with a joke.”  Jon Stewart

“Death is the number two fear that people have and public speaking is the first!”    Sidney Sheldon

“The basic unit of communication is not the word but the idea.” Michael Landrum 

“If you don’t know what you want to achieve in your presentation, your audience never will.” Harvey Diamond 

“All the great speakers were bad speakers at first.” Ralph Waldo Emerson 

“Some introverts are perfectly comfortable with public speaking; I’m not one of them.”   Susan Cain

“Audience interaction should be proportional to the amount of trust you’ve earned.”    Michael Port

“The only reason to give a speech is to change the world.”   Nick Morgan

“The first 30 seconds and the last 30 seconds have the most impact in a presentation.” Patricia Fripp 

“If you want to connect, you must let them reflect.” Darren Lacroix 

“Speak like you talk, not like you write.”  Craig Valentine

“The worst speech you’ll ever give, will be far better than the one you never give.” Fred Miller 

“If you don’t want to preach, put stories in your speech.” Andy Harrington 

“The single most important skill you must have to lead is the ability to tell your own story.”   Bo Eason

“Only the prepared speaker deserves to be confident.” Dale Carnegie 

“It’s what you practice in private that you will be rewarded for in public.” Tony Robbins 

“More present moment engagement = less crappy thoughts.”   Marie Forleo

“The first time you say something, it’s heard; the second time, it’s recognized; the third time, it’s learned.” John Maxwell 

“Simple and to the point is always the best way to get your point across.” Guy Kawasaki 

“You are not being judged, the value of what you are bringing to the audience is being judged.”   Seth Godin

“The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.”   Mark Twain

“Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.” Ralph Waldo Emerson 

“They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”   Carl W. Buechner

“Well-timed silence hath more eloquence than speech.” Martin Farquhar Tupper 

“Best way to conquer stage fright is to know what you’re talking about.” Michael H Mescon 

“There are only two types of speakers in the world. 1. The nervous and 2. Liars.”   Mark Twain

“No one ever complains about a speech being too short!” Ira Hayes 

“It takes one hour of preparation for each minute of presentation time.” Wayne Burgraff 

“90% of how well the talk will go is determined before the speaker steps on the platform.”   Somers White

“The most precious things in speech are the pauses.”   Sir Ralph Richardson

“According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than delivering the eulogy.”   Jerry Seinfeld

“Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.” Jimi Hendrix 

“You can speak well if your tongue can deliver the message of your heart.” John Ford 

“A good orator is pointed and impassioned.” Marcus T. Cicero 

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou  

“It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.” Mark Twain 

“Fear paralyzes you – fear of flying, fear of the future, fear of leaving a rubbish marriage, fear of public speaking, or whatever it is.”   Annie Lennox

“Words ought to be a little wild for they are the assaults of thought on the unthinking.”   John Maynard Keynes

“Be still when you have nothing to say; when genuine passion moves you, say what you’ve got to say, and say it hot.”   D.H. Lawrence

“If I went back to college again, I’d concentrate on two areas: learning to write and to speak before an audience. Nothing in life is more important than the ability to communicate effectively.”   Gerald R. Ford

“The problem with speeches isn’t so much not knowing when to stop, as knowing when not to begin.”   Frances Rodman

“Broadly speaking, the short words are the best, and the old words best of all.”  Winston Churchill

“Let thy speech be better than silence, or be silent.”   Dionysius of Halicarnassus

“Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.”  Benjamin Franklin  

“Be sincere; be brief; be seated.”  Franklin D. Roosevelt

“If you have an important point to make, don’t try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time – a tremendous whack.” Winston Churchill 

“A wise man speaks because he has something to say, a fool speaks because he has to say something.” Plato 

“Once a word has been allowed to escape, it cannot be recalled.” Horace 

“It’s all right to have butterflies in your stomach. Just get them to fly in formation.”  Rob Gilbert

“Rhetoric is the art of ruling the minds of men.”   Plato

“The fear of public speaking is a primal fear. You can train your body to not be crazy when you’re doing it, but it truly is a primal fear.”   Neal Brennan

“There are certain things in which mediocrity is not to be endured, such as poetry, music, painting, and public speaking.”   Jean de la Bruyere

“If you’re not comfortable with public speaking – and nobody starts out comfortable; you have to learn how to be comfortable – practice. I cannot overstate the importance of practicing. Get some close friends or family members to help evaluate you, or somebody at work that you trust.”   Hillary Clinton

“I think you’ve got to like people. There are MPs who are either painfully shy or who don’t like public speaking or don’t socialize very well, and you just think this must be the worst job in the world for them.” Charles Kennedy 

“I took a public speaking class in college and managed to make the class laugh a little bit.”   Kevin James

“People think actresses find public speaking easy, and it’s not easy at all; we’re used to hiding behind masks.”   Jane Fonda

“I had used eclectic therapy and behaviour therapy on myself at the age of 19 to get over my fear of public speaking and of approaching young women in public.” Albert Ellis 

“I do a lot of public speaking and presentations and I’ll always start with a self-deprecating joke to make everybody feel comfortable with my size because there can be hang-ups and anxieties.” Warwick Davis 

“Being introverted, it doesn’t mean necessarily being shy or being afraid of public speaking; it just means that it’s hard for me to interact with people for too long.”   Amy Schumer

“Public speaking, for me, or speaking even in front of a handful of people is my greatest fear.”   Bill Clegg

“Sorry, public speaking isn’t really my strong side.”   Naomi Osaka

“With real estate, it’s location, location, location. In public speaking, it’s acoustics, acoustics, acoustics.”   Christopher Buckley

“A lot of people think that public speaking means that you are standing at a podium giving a speech, but public speaking comes in lots of different formats.” Dana Perino 

“I had a bad experience doing public speaking at school. I had to talk about a pen for five minutes and it was really hard work. I couldn’t wait to get off the stage.” Karl Pilkington 

“I did my first speech when I was 17, well, my first formal speech. So I’ve had time to deal with it and to adjust to it, but I can’t say I’m like gung-ho on public speaking or interviews for that matter.”   Albert II, Prince of Monaco

“I want to do public speaking and cause campaigning. I want to write a book.”   Bristol Palin

“I spoke at a number of conventions, like for pharmacists and cosmetologists, so I’ve done a lot of public speaking in my life.”   Caroline Mulroney

“Since I finished my football career, I’ve had the opportunity to do a lot of public speaking engagements.” Mark Schlereth 

“I majored in sociology and never took a single music-related course, much less any kind of class in public speaking – no confidence for it, none – yet I still had a passion for it that burned inside me.” Regis Philbin 

“My biggest fear was public speaking, and then having everyone know who I was, it was definitely weird at first. When I first won, it was definitely a culture shock, it was something I wasn’t quite ready for.” Chris Moneymaker 

“I enjoy my public speaking. That’s what I love doing. It’s what I’m good at.” Terry Bradshaw 

“When you start at catering college, nobody prepares you for a book tour or public speaking.” Rene Redzepi 

“Public speaking? I speak to myself on the street!” Eliot Spitzer 

“I support myself by public speaking and trying to work on as many appropriate and legitimate ventures as I can.” Jack Abramoff 

“I blush easily. I have difficulty meeting people’s eye, difficulty with public speaking, the normal afflictions of the shy, but not to a paralyzing degree.”   Nicholson Baker

“The goal of effective communication should be for listeners to say ‘me too!’ versus ‘So what?”  Jim Rohn

“To sway an audience, you must watch them as you speak.” C. Kent Wright 

“All speaking is public speaking, whether it’s to one person or a thousand.”   Roger Love

“Words do two major things: they provide food for the mind and create light for understanding and awareness.” Jim Rohn 

“Light travels faster than sound. That’s why certain people appear bright until you hear them speak.” Albert Einstein 

“Effective communication is 20% what you know and 80% how you feel about what you know.” Jim Rohn 

“There are three things to aim at in public speaking: first, to get into your subject, then to get your subject into yourself, and lastly, to get your subject into the heart of your audience.” Alexander Gregg 

“Words have incredible power. They can make people’s hearts soar, or they can make people’s hearts sore.”   Dr. Mardy Grothe

“Speakers who talk about what life has taught them never fail to keep the attention of their listeners.” Dale Carnegie 

“Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people.” William Butler Yeats 

“The success of your presentation will be judged not by the knowledge you send but by what the listener receives.” Lilly Walters 

“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” Albert Einstein 

“Speak clearly, if you speak at all. Carve every word before you let it fall.” Oliver Wendell Holmes 

“When speaking in public, your message – no matter how important – will not be effective or memorable if you don’t have a clear structure.” Patricia Fripp 

“If you want me to speak for an hour, I am ready today. If you want me to speak for just a few minutes, it will take me a few weeks to prepare.” Mark Twain 

“There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.”   Dale Carnegie

“Make sure you have stopped speaking before your audience has stopped listening.” Dorothy Sarnoff 

“Begin with the end in mind.”  Dr. Stephen R. Covey

“The best speeches come from the heart and reflect your passion. Speak as if your life depended on it.” Rave Robinson 

“The more you do speak from the heart, rather than thumping the agenda, people will listen or relate or open themselves up more.” Drew Barrymore 

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak, and to sit down and listen.”  Winston Churchill

“The human brain starts working the moment you are born and never stops… until you stand up to speak in public.”   George Jessel

“Picture yourself in a living room having a chat with your friends. You would be relaxed and comfortable talking to them, the same applies when public speaking.” Richard Branson 

“If it scares you it may be a good thing to try.” Seth Godin 

Wrapping Up  

We hope you felt motivated by reading these quotes about public speaking. You can be a confident speaker too if you have the will to practice the art of public speaking. Don’t restrain yourself and be consumed by your fear and doubts. Tackle those fears and empower yourself to become a public speaker. To empower and encourage you, read more about quotes to boost your confidence and quotes to empower yourself .  

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Public speaking is the number one fear in America.  Death is number two.

From sweaty palms to cracking voices, speaking publicly can be terrifying, yet it is a crucial skill to have in the business world.  We’d like to alleviate some of this stress by offering up some inspirational, informative quotes.  These quotes are in no particular order, and the speakers range from well-known orators to presentation gurus.  Some are serious, some are classic, and some are short and funny.  Feel free to spread these around, write them in your journals, whatever you want! Enjoy!

“You can speak well if your tongue can deliver the message of your heart.”  -John Ford  

“Be still when you have nothing to say; when genuine passion moves you, say what you’ve got to say, and say it hot.”  -D. H. Lawrence  

“Let thy speech be better than silence, or be silent.”  -Dionysius Of Halicarnassus  

“What we say is important… for in most cases the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”  -Jim Beggs  

“If you can’t write your message in a sentence, you can’t say it in an hour.”  -Dianna Booher  

“There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.” – Dale Carnegie

“It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.”  – Mark Twain

“A good orator is pointed and impassioned.”  -Marcus T. Cicero

“Oratory is the power to talk people out of their sober and natural opinions.”  – Joseph Chatfield

“He who wants to persuade should put his trust not in the right argument, but in the right word. The power of sound has always been greater than the power of sense.”  – Joseph Conrad

“There are three things to aim at in public speaking: first, to get into your subject, then to get your subject into yourself, and lastly, to get your subject into the heart of your audience.”  – Alexander Gregg

“The success of your presentation will be judged not by the knowledge you send but by what the listener receives.”  – Lilly Walters

“If you don’t know what you want to achieve in your presentation your audience never will.”  – Harvey Diamond

“Best way to conquer stage fright is to know what you’re talking about.”  – Michael H Mescon

“There are only two types of speakers in the world. 1. The nervous and 2. Liars.”  – Mark Twain

“No one ever complains about a speech being too short!”  – Ira Hayes

“90% of how well the talk will go is determined before the speaker steps on the platform.”  – Somers White

“It takes one hour of preparation for each minute of presentation time.”  – Wayne Burgraff

“The most precious things in speech are the pauses.”  – Sir Ralph Richardson

“Well-timed silence hath more eloquence than speech.”  – Martin Fraquhar Tupper

“They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”  – Carl W. Buechner

“The problem with speeches isn’t so much not knowing when to stop, as knowing when not to begin.”  – Frances Rodman

“Words have incredible power. They can make people’s hearts soar, or they can make people’s hearts sore.” -Dr. Mardy Grothe

“Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.”  -Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.”  – Mark Twain

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These are 25 quotes that every writer on oratory as well as every orator need to have in his or her repertory of quotes. The one by Martin Fraquhar Tupper, “Well-timed silence hath more eloquence than speech.” is a special favorite of mine because I’m always telling the new speakers that I mentor to pause when speaking as an alternative to using filler words when they need a moment to gather their thoughts. A well-laced pause can add dramatic impact to a speech while filler words do nothing but detract from the quality of ones speech.

We completely agree. Pausing adds that special dramatic impact. Filler words like “umm” and “ahh” can get dangerous if used too much…

Thank you!!!!

No problem, Jon! We’re glad you liked it! Stay tuned for more!

I just stumbled across this blog, and I love those Mark Twain quotes. What a genius, that man.

We completely agree, Mike! Make sure to subscribe to our blog for more posts!

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Spark's Presentation & Public Speaking Blog

Public speaking quotes: funny, inspiring insights for your presentation.

June 2, 2014

by Andy Saks

Over many years as a professional presenter and speaker, I’ve accumulated a treasure trove of funny, inspiring, insightful public speaking quotes.

These quotes are near and dear to my heart. They’ve helped me immensely, and helped me help others.

Some date back to biblical times. Others are hot off the Twitter press.

Sometimes I show them in a looping slideshow to warm up an audience before a keynote speech or presentation skills training program.

Other times I peek at them when I need some inspiration myself.

And here they are, for the first time, categorized and alphabetized for your presentation pleasure.

Which quotes make you laugh? Which inspire you? Which rub you the wrong way? Which of your favorites should I add? Which did you use in your presentation? Tell me by sharing your comment at the bottom of the page.

QUOTES FOR PUBLIC SPEAKING ANXIETY / FEAR

“According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than delivering the eulogy.” – Jerry Seinfeld

“All of us are born with a set of instinctive fears, of falling, of the dark, of lobsters, of falling on lobsters in the dark, or speaking before the Rotary Club, or the words ‘some assembly required.’” – Dave Barry

“…and from the first moment that I ever walked on stage in front of a darkened auditorium with a couple of hundred people sitting there, I was never afraid, I was never fearful, I didn’t suffer from stage fright, because I felt so safe on that stage. I wasn’t Patrick Stewart, I wasn’t in the environment that frightened me, I was pretending to be someone else, and I liked the other people I pretended to be. So I felt nothing but security for being on stage. And I think that’s what drew me to this strange job of playing make-believe.” — Patrick Stewart

“Feel the fear of public speaking and do it anyway.” – Arvee Robinson

“I was dreading winning. I didn’t even prepare an acceptance speech. I was worried that I would slip up or do something horrible. I was shaking in my seat, putting on a posed smile. Inside I was petrified.” – Leonardo DiCaprio (at the 1998 Academy Awards)

“It’s all right to have butterflies in your stomach. Just get them to fly in formation.” – Rob Gilbert

“The human brain starts working the moment you are born and never stops until you stand up to speak in public.” – George Jessel

“There are two types of speakers: Those who get nervous and those who are liars.” – Mark Twain

QUOTES ON ASKING QUESTIONS & LISTENING

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak, and to sit down and listen.”  – Winston Churchill

“Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.” – Jimi Hendrix

“Listening, not imitation, may be the sincerest form of flattery.” – fortune cookie Andy got (really!)

“Nothing calms a person faster than hearing his own ideas repeated back.” – Sandra DeLozier

“One of the best ways to persuade others is with your ears, by listening to them.” – Dean Rusk

“Open your ears before you open your mouth; it may surprise your eyes!” – Earl Nightingale

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” – Benjamin Franklin

“The finest art of communication is not learning how to express your thoughts. It is learning how to draw out the thoughts of another.” – Ted Tripp

“Two monologues do not make a dialogue.” – Jeff Daly

“You can tell if a man is clever by his answers. You can tell if a man is wise by his questions.” – unknown

QUOTES ON HAVING A GREAT ATTITUDE

“Our attitude towards others determines their attitude towards us.” -Earl Nightingale

“Say what you mean, mean what you say, just don’t say it mean.” – Nguyen Van Tho

“Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you’ll ever regret.” – Laurence Peter

“The words you speak today should be soft and tender, for tomorrow you may have to eat them.” – unknown

“Think lovingly, speak lovingly, act lovingly, and every need shall be supplied.” – James Allen

“You have to smile, if you expect anybody to smile back.” – Jonathan Evison

QUOTES ON THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUR AUDIENCE

“Designing a presentation without an audience in mind is like writing a love letter and addressing it: To Whom It May Concern.” – Ken Haemer

“In the preaching moment, there is a liminal moment in which is dawns on you standing there that yes, there is something more going on here that I did not anticipate…You feed of the congregation, because black preaching is so dialogical. The affirmation in that dialogue is the place where you locate revelation.” – Dale Andrews (professor, Boston University, and occasional preacher)

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care!” – @mediatraining

“The goal of effective communication should be for listeners to say ‘Me too!’ versus ‘So what?'” – Jim Rohn

“The royal road to a man’s heart is to talk to him about the things he treasures most.” – Dale Carnegie

“To communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world, and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.” – Tony Robbins

“To sway an audience, you must watch them as you speak.” – C. Kent Wright

“When are you going to understand that if it doesn’t pertain to me, I’m not interested?” – Candace Bergen as Murphy Brown

QUOTES ON CLARITY, SIMPLICITY AND WORD CHOICE IN SPEAKING

“Eloquence is the essential thing in a speech, not information.” – Mark Twain

“I understand a fury in your words, but not your words.” – William Shakespeare, Othello

“If we use common words on a great occasion, they are the more striking because they are felt at once to have a particular meaning, like old banners, or everyday clothes, hung up in a sacred place.” – George Eliot

“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” – Albert Einstein

“If you can’t write your message in a sentence, you can’t say it in an hour.” – Dianna Booher

“If you can’t state your position in eight words, you don’t have a position. “ – Seth Godin

“One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.” – Jack Kerouac

“Precision of communication is important, more important than ever, in our era of hair-trigger balances, when a false or misunderstood word may create as much disaster as a sudden thoughtless act.” – James Thurber

“Speak clearly, if you speak at all. Carve every word before you let it fall.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes

“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.” – Hans Hoffman

“The difference between the almost-right word and the right word is really a large matter–’tis the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.” — Mark Twain

“The great enemy of clear language is insincerity. When there is a gap between one’s real and one’s declared aims, one turns as it were instinctively to long words and exhausted idioms, like cuttlefish squirting out ink.” – George Orwell

“The way something is presented will define the way you react to it.” – Neville Brody

“Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people.” – William Butler Yeats

“Those who run to long words are mainly the unskillful and tasteless; they confuse pomposity with dignity, flaccidity with ease, and bulk with force.” – H.W. Fowler

QUOTES DEFINING PUBLIC SPEAKING AND PRESENTATIONS

“A presentation is a chance to share, not an oral exam.” – M.F. Fensholt

“All speaking is public speaking, whether it’s to one person or a thousand.” – Roger Love

“Eloquence is the power to translate a truth into language perfectly intelligible to the person to whom you speak.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Proper words in proper places make the true definition of a style.” – Jonathan Swift

“Speech is power. Speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel. It is to bring another out of his bad sense into your good sense.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Through the picture, I see reality. Through the word, I understand it.” – Sven Lidman

“To speak and to speak well are two things. A fool may talk, but a wise man speaks.” – Ben Jonson

“Words do two major things: they provide food for the mind and create light for understanding and awareness.” – Jim Rohn

“Words. Words, when spoken out loud for the sake of performance, are music. They have rhythm, and pitch, and timbre, and volume. These are the properties of music, and music has the ability to find us and move us and lift us up in ways that literal meaning can’t.” – Martin Sheen as President Bartlet, The West Wing

FUNNY QUOTES ON PUBLIC SPEAKING & PRESENTATIONS

“Don’t be afraid to talk to yourself. It’s the only way you can be sure somebody’s listening.” – F.P. Jones

“Every speaker has a mouth, an arrangement rather neat. Sometimes it’s filled with wisdom, sometimes it’s filled with feet.” – Robert Orben

“Light travels faster than sound. That’s why certain people appear bright until you hear them speak.” – Albert Einstein

“Look your audience straight in the eyes, and begin to talk as if every one of them owed you money.” – Dale Carnegie

“My job is to talk; your job is to listen. If you finish first, please let me know.”  – Harry Herschfield

“Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.” – Mark Twain

“Public speaking is very easy.” – Dan Quayle

“Speak the truth, but leave immediately after.” – Slovenian proverb

“The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it’s taken place.” – George Bernard Shaw

QUOTES ON HONESTY IN SPEAKING

“Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.” – Mark Twain

“I didn’t lie. I was writing fiction in my mouth.” – Homer Simpson

“Speech is a mirror of the soul. As a man speaks, so is he.” – Publilius Syrus

“Teach the tongue to say ‘I do not know.’” – Maimonides

“When the eyes say one thing, and the tongue another, a practiced man relies on the language of the first.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

QUOTES ON HUMOR IN PRESENTATIONS & PUBLIC SPEAKING

“Humor is a rubber sword – it allows you to make a point without drawing blood.” – Mary Hirsch

“Humor is treacherous. It can charm, coax, and persuade, but it can also distract, baffle or alienate the audience.” – Eugene Finerman

“I learned at an early age that when I made people laugh, they liked me. This is a lesson I never forgot.” – Art Buchwald

“If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they’ll kill you.” – Oscar Wilde

“Once you get people laughing, they’re listening and you can tell them almost anything.” – Herbert Gardner

“The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter.” -Mark Twain

QUOTES ON THE POWER AND IMPORTANCE OF SPEAKING

“Electric communication will never be a substitute for the face of someone who with their soul encourages another person to be brave and true.” – Charles Dickens

“Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can’t, and the other half of people who have nothing to say and keep saying it.” – Robert Frost

“I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues.” – Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

“If all my talents were to be taken from me by some inscrutable providence, and I had to make a choice of keeping but one, I would unhesitatingly ask to keep the power of speaking, because through it, I would quickly recover all the rest.” – Daniel Webster

“The newest computer can merely compound, at speed, the oldest problem in the relations between human beings, and in the end the communicator will be confronted with the old problem, of what to say and how to say it.” – Edward R. Murrow

“The tongue has the power of life and death.” – Solomon

“The tongue is like a sharp knife. It kills without drawing blood.” – Buddha

“When nobody speaks your name, or even knows it, you, knowing it, must be the first to speak it.” – Marlon Riggs

“Improve your communication skills and you will earn fifty percent more money over your lifetime…In my office you’ll not see the degree I got from the University of Nebraska. You’ll not see the master’s degree I got from Columbia. But you’ll see the award certificate I got from the [public] speaking course.” – Warren Buffett

INSPIRING PUBLIC SPEAKING QUOTES

“Between your brain and your mouth (or your fingers) is magic: your power to choose what you say next. Use that magic.” – Chris Brogan

“Oratory should raise your heart rate. Oratory should blow the doors off the place.” – Rob Lowe as Sam Seaborn, The West Wing

“The difference between a good speech and a great speech is the energy with which the audience comes to their feet at the end. Is it polite? Is it a chore? Are they standing up because their boss just stood up? No. You want it to come from their socks.” – Rob Lowe as Sam Seaborn, The West Wing

“The world is made up of words. And if you know the words that the world is made of, you can make of it whatever you wish.” – Terence McKenna

“The world is waiting for your words.” – Arvee Robinson

“Your words can make you rich” – Dr. Donald Moine

QUOTES ON OPENING LINES IN PUBLIC SPEAKING

“He who fails to please in his salutation and address is at once rejected, and never obtains an opportunity of showing his latest excellences or essential qualities.” – Samuel Johnson

“You had me at ‘Hello.’” – Renee Zellweger as Dorothy Boyd in Jerry Maguire

QUOTES ON PASSION IN PUBLIC SPEAKING & PRESENTATIONS

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, those who matter don’t mind.” – Dr. Seuss

“Effective communication is 20% what you know and 80% how you feel about what you know.” – Jim Rohn 

“I don’t like to hear cut-and-dried sermons. When I hear a man preach, I like to see him act as if he were fighting bees!” – Abraham Lincoln

“It doesn’t matter how elegant the argument or inspiring the prose, a presentation won’t move anyone if the presenter isn’t visibly feeling what they are saying.” – John Neffinger, KNP Communications

“Technique alone is never enough. You have to have passion. Technique alone is just an embroidered pot holder.” – Raymond Chandler

“The best speeches come from the heart and reflect your passion. Speak as if your life depended on it.” – Arvee Robinson

“They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” – Carol Buchner

“When genuine passion moves you, say what you’ve got to say, and say it hot.” – D.H. Lawrence

“You can speak well if your tongue can deliver the message of your heart.” – John Ford

“You cannot speak that which you do not know. You cannot share that which you do not feel.” – Jim Rohn

QUOTES ON POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS

“A designer knows he or she has achieved perfection, not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” – Nolan Haims

“If God is in the details, then the Devil is in PowerPoint.” – @AngryPaulRand

“The more strikingly visual your presentation is, the more people will remember it. And more importantly, they will remember you.” – Paul Arden

QUOTES ON PREPARATION IN PUBLIC SPEAKING

“All Abe Lincoln needed was a pencil and paper to make his speech at Gettysburg.” – @TipsForSpeakers

“All the great speakers were bad speakers at first.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Communication works for those who work at it.” – John Powell

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” – Abraham Lincoln

“If you wing it when speaking, you’ll get wing it results.” – Arvee Robinson

“It usually takes more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.” – Mark Twain

“Let he who would be moved to convince others be first moved to convince himself.” – T. Carlyle

“Take advantage of every opportunity to practice your communication skills, so that when important occasions arise, you will have the gift, the style, the sharpness, the clarity, and the emotions to affect other people.” – Jim Rohn

QUOTES ON SALES PRESENTATIONS

“Good listeners generally make more sales than good talkers.” – B.C. Holwick

“He that has no silver in his purse should have silver on his tongue.” – Thomas Fuller

“If you can’t say it, you can’t sell it!” – Arvee Robinson

“Samson killed a thousand men with the jawbone of an ass. That many sales are killed every day with exactly the same weapon.” – unknown

“The single most important tool in selling is being able to communicate effectively.” – Dan Brent Burt

QUOTES ON SILENCE IN PUBLIC SPEAKING

“It’s the space you put between the notes that make the music.” – Massimo Vignelli

“Let thy speech be better than silence, or be silent.” – Dionysius of Halicarnassus

“Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.” – cowboy saying

“Speak only if you can improve upon silence.” – unknown

“Talking is like playing the harp; there is as much in laying the hand on the strings to stop their vibrations as in twanging them to bring out their music.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes

“The most precious things in speech are pauses.” – Ralph Richardson

“Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.” – Abraham Lincoln

QUOTES ON SMILING IN PUBLIC SPEAKING

“So much is said with the electricity of the eyes, the intensity of a whisper. Less is more.” – Elizabeth Taylor

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the  smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” – Leo Buscaglia

“Your smile is a messenger of your goodwill.” – Dale Carnegie

QUOTES ON SPEED AND BREVITY IN PUBLIC SPEAKING

“A fool uttereth all his mind.” – Proverbs 29:11

“A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.” – William Strunk, Jr.

“A speech is like a love affair. Any fool can start one, but it requires considerable skill to end it.” – unknown

“Be sincere, be brief, be seated.” – Franklin Roosevelt

“Blessed is the man who, having nothing [more] to say, refrains from giving us wordy evidence of the fact.” – George Eliot

“For effective communication, use brevity. Jesus said, ‘Follow me.’ Now that’s brief!” – Jim Rohn

“He who talks more is sooner exhausted.” – Lao Tzu

“If it takes a lot of words to say what you have in mind, give it more thought.” – Dennis Roth

“If you want me to speak for an hour, I am ready today. If you want me to speak for just a few minutes, it will take me a few weeks to prepare.” – Mark Twain

“It is my ambition to say in ten sentences what other men say in whole books.” – Nietzsche

“It is with words as with sunbeams. The more they are condensed, the deeper they burn.” – Robert Southey

“It’s better to say nothing than spend 1,000 words or an hour speech saying nothing. Get to the point.” – Richard Branson

“It’s quite simple: say what you have to say and when you come to a sentence with a grammatical ending, sit down.” – Winston Churchill

“Make sure you have stopped speaking before your audience has stopped listening.” – Dorothy Sarnoff

“Never write if you can speak; never speak if you can nod; never nod if you can wink.” – Martin Lomasney

“Public speaking is the art of diluting a two-minute idea with a two-hour vocabulary.” – Evan Esar

“The best speech has a good beginning and a good ending – and has them close together.” – unknown

“The best way to make a good speech is to have a good beginning and a good ending – and have them close together.” – unknown

“The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.” – Thomas Jefferson

“The secret of being a bore is to tell everything.” – Voltaire

“Think all you speak, but speak not all you think. Thoughts are your own; your words are so no more.” – Patrick Delany

“To make a speech immortal, you don’t have to make it everlasting.” – unknown

“What is powerful is when what you say is just the tip of the iceberg of what you know.” – Jim Rohn

QUOTES ON STORYTELLING IN PRESENTATIONS

“Every story has its time to be told.” – Sekou Sundiata

“Stories open the hearts of your listeners, and then their wallets.” – Arvee Robinson

QUOTES ON WORDS VERSUS ACTIONS

“Be content to act, and leave the talking to others.” – Baltasa

“One deed is worth a thousand speeches.” – American proverb

“People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do.” – unknown

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney

“Words may show a man’s wit, but actions, his meaning. “ – Benjamin Franklin

ABOUT SPARK PRESENTATIONS

Spark owner and speaking quote compiler Andy Saks

Spark Presentations is a private company founded in 1998 that provides presentation skills training and speech coaching for executives, salespeople, marketers and other businesspeople, plus booth staff training for trade show exhibitors.

Spark also books professional presenters and public speakers to represent its clients at high-profile events, in roles like keynote speaker, trade show booth presenter, master of ceremonies (emcee) and auctioneer, as well as on camera talent and voice talent.

Spark’s client list includes large corporations like AT&T, Best Buy, Covidien, FedEx, Hyundai, Intel, Kimberly-Clark, Owens-Corning, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, and Volvo; high-tech industry players like AMD, Atrion, Citrix, Gigamon, and Symantec; service organizations like Vistage, 1nService and NERCOMP; and New England institutions like Community Rowing and the Boston Jewish Film Festival.

Spark’s owner, Andy Saks, is also the author of The Presentation Playbook Series: Be a Most Valuable Presenter (MVP) , a three-volume series of books that help businesspeople master common presentation situations by building and running speaking “plays” like a coach or player calls a key play in a game. Volume 1 is available now in print and PDF formats on Spark’s website and at these online retailers and formats:  Amazon print , Amazon Kindle , Apple iBooks and Barnes & Noble print and Nook .

For questions, quotes or orders, contact Andy Saks at 781-454-7600, email or Spark’s Contact page .

Posted in: Sparky Says: Presentation & Public Speaking Tips | 1 Comment

Tags: public speaking tips

One comment

by Melissa Johnson | August 2, 2017 at 9:45 am

Good stuff!

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Best Public Speaking Quotes of All Time

April 29, 2023

Public speaking is a powerful tool that can inspire and motivate others, but it can also be daunting and nerve-wracking. As a speaker, it’s essential to be well-prepared, confident, and engaging. To help you become a better public speaker, we’ve compiled a list of the best public speaking quotes from some of the most influential speakers in history. These quotes will inspire you, motivate you, and help you develop your own style and approach to public speaking.

10 Best Public Speaking Quotes

Without further ado, here are the top 10 best public speaking quotes of all time.

1. “We are not what other people say we are. We are who we know ourselves to be, and we are what we love. That’s OK.” — Laverne Cox

Laverne Cox, an Emmy-nominated actress and transgender rights activist, has been inspiring people and uplifting the LGBTQ community from Day 1. Advocating for others can change lives. Taking the words of Cox to heart can make you feel more self-confident and comfortable in your skin, as everyone has the right to be.

2.”The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” — Walt Disney

Walt Disney’s quote reminds us that action is more important than words. As a public speaker, it’s essential to take action and make a real difference in the lives of your audience. Don’t just talk about what you’re going to do — actually do it.

3. “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” — Mark Twain

Mark Twain’s quote reminds us of the importance of determination and persistence. As a public speaker, it’s essential to have the courage and determination to tackle difficult subjects and push through adversity.

4. “Speak clearly, if you speak at all; carve every word before you let it fall.” — Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.

Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.’s quote emphasizes the importance of clear and concise communication. As a public speaker, it’s essential to speak clearly and enunciate your words so that your message is understood by your audience.

5. “The beauty of standing up for your rights is others see you standing and stand up as well.” — Cassandra Duffy

Public speaking is such a powerful tool for advocacy and inspiration. Cassandra Duffy’s quote reminds us that sometimes the most powerful moments come in the form of a standing up for yourself and others.

6. “My silences had not protected me. Your silence will not protect you.” — Audre Lorde

Similarly, Audre Lorde, a fierce poet who often writes about the discrimination of people of color and the LGBTQ community, emphasizes that silence isn’t helpful in this quote. Public speaking is an incredibly powerful tool that can be used as a catalyst for action and change.

7. “The best way to predict your future is to create it.” — Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln’s quote reminds us that we are in control of our own destiny. As a public speaker, it’s important to be proactive and take action to create the future that we want.

8. “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” — Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein’s quote emphasizes the importance of clear and simple communication. As a public speaker, it’s important to be able to explain complex ideas in a way that is easy for your audience to understand.

9. “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” — Maya Angelou

Activist and writer Maya Angelou’s quote highlights the importance of connecting and engaging with your audience to get them to feel. They may not remember exactly what you said in your speech word-for-word, for example, but they’ll remember how they felt during it. Using ethos, pathos, and logos when giving a speech is a helpful tool.

This quote can remind you that effective communication is not just about what you say, but how you say it. It can help you focus on connecting with your audience on an emotional level and making them feel heard and understood.

10. “I can’t control their actions, but I can control the messages I send.” — Haben Girma

DeafBlind lawyer Haben Girma’s quote emphasizes the sheer power of messages and how they can incite change. In other words, you can’t control your audience, but you can control the way you speak to the audience and what messages you want to send.

How to Use AI to Become a Great Public Speaker

Yoodli is an AI-powered speech coach that can help you become a great public speaker. With Yoodli, you can practice your speech in real-time and receive immediate feedback on how to improve.

Yoodli can also help you overcome your fear of public speaking by providing you with a safe and supportive environment to practice your speech. You can practice your speech as many times as you need without the pressure of a live audience, and Yoodli will provide you with feedback on how to improve your delivery.

Another great feature of Yoodli is its ability to provide personalized coaching based on your specific needs. Yoodli can analyze your speech and provide customized feedback based on your strengths and weaknesses, allowing you to focus on areas where you need the most improvement.

Yoodli is a great tool for anyone who wants to improve their public speaking skills, whether you’re a novice or an experienced speaker. With Yoodli, you can practice your speech in a safe and supportive environment and receive personalized coaching to help you become a great public speaker.

Using Public Speaking Quotes in Your Speech

Incorporating quotes into your speech can be a powerful tool for engaging your audience and making your message more memorable. When using quotes, it’s important to choose ones that are relevant to your topic and resonate with your audience.

You can use quotes to support your argument, add humor, or emphasize an important point. When using quotes, make sure to give credit to the original speaker and provide any necessary context. You can also use quotes as a jumping-off point for further discussion, asking your audience for their thoughts on the quote or how it relates to your topic.

Famous quotes about public speaking

Famous quotes about public speaking can serve as a source of inspiration and motivation for anyone who wants to become a better public speaker. Quotes from famous speakers and writers can help you understand the importance of effective communication. They can also inspire you to speak with confidence and clarity. Some of the greatest quotes about public speaking provide practical advice on how to overcome your fear of public speaking.

For example, one famous quote by Winston Churchill is “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” This quote can inspire you to keep going even if you stumble or make mistakes during a speech. Failure is a natural part of the learning process, and the most important thing is to keep trying and improving.

Incorporating famous quotes into your public speaking practice can help you develop a deeper understanding of the art of effective communication, and inspire you to approach public speaking with confidence and authenticity. They can also provide a sense of comfort and camaraderie, knowing that even the most successful speakers have experienced the same challenges and fears that you may be facing.

The Best Quotes about Public Speaking In Summary

Public speaking can be challenging, but with the right mindset and preparation, anyone can become a great speaker. By incorporating the best public speaking quotes from some of the most influential speakers in history, you can develop your own style and approach to public speaking. Remember to be confident, passionate, and engaging, and your audience will be sure to listen.

Start practicing with Yoodli.

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Sharp Quotes

Motivational Quotes | Inspirational Quotes

Best 100 Public Speaking Quotes and Tips To Inspire You

Written by admin posted on 19 April 2020

Public speaking is an art. It can be natural or by birth. It can be cultivated too with the help of a mentor. These best 100 public speaking quotes and tips will inspire you to become a better public speaker. It lists very interesting information to understand your audience, prepare for a better speech, make eye contact and how to deliver a speech.

Public Speaking Quotes

1. A wise man speaks because he has something to say, a fool speaks because he has to say something. – Plato

2. Once a word has been allowed to escape, it cannot be recalled. – Horace

3. Grasp the subject, the words will follow. – Anonymous

4. Rhetoric is the art of ruling the minds of men. – Plato

5. Let thy speech be better than silence, or be silent. – Dionysius Of Halicarnassus

6. Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment. – Benjamin Franklin

7. Be sincere; be brief; be seated. – Franklin D. Roosevelt

8. If you have an important point to make, don’t try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time – a tremendous whack. – Winston Churchill

9. Broadly speaking, the short words are the best, and the old words best of all. – Winston Churchill

10. I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel – Maya Angelou

11. It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech. – Mark Twain

12. Fear paralyses you – fear of flying, fear of the future, fear of leaving a rubbish marriage, fear of public speaking, or whatever it is. – Annie Lennox

13. Words ought to be a little wild for they are the assaults of thought on the unthinking. – John Maynard Keynes

14. Be still when you have nothing to say; when genuine passion moves you, say what you’ve got to say, and say it hot. – D.H. Lawrence

15. If I went back to college again, I’d concentrate on two areas: learning to write and to speak before an audience. Nothing in life is more important than the ability to communicate effectively. – Gerald R. Ford

16. You can speak well if your tongue can deliver the message of your heart. – John Ford

17. According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than delivering the eulogy. – Jerry Seinfeld

18. Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens. – Jimi Hendrix

19. You can speak well if your tongue can deliver the message of your heart. – John Ford

20. A good orator is pointed and impassioned. – Marcus T. Cicero

21. Best way to conquer stage fright is to know what you’re talking about. – Michael H Mescon

22. There are only two types of speakers in the world. 1. The nervous and 2. Liars. – Mark Twain

23. o one ever complains about a speech being too short! – Ira Hayes

24. It takes one hour of preparation for each minute of presentation time. – Wayne Burgraff

25. 90% of how well the talk will go is determined before the speaker steps on the platform. – Somers White

26. The most precious things in speech are the pauses. – Sir Ralph Richardson

27. Well-timed silence hath more eloquence than speech. – Martin Fraquhar Tupper

28. They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel. – Carl W. Buechner

29. Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

30. The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause. – Mark Twain

31. Pausing adds that special dramatic impact. – Anonymous

32. Filler words like “umm” and “ahh” can get dangerous if used too much – Anonymous

33. You are not being judged, the value of what you are bringing to the audience is being judged. – Seth Godin

34. Simple and to the point is always the best way to get your point across. – Guy Kawasaki

35. The first time you say something, it’s heard; the second time, it’s recognized; the third time, it’s learned. – John Maxwell

36. More present moment engagement = less crappy thoughts. – Marie Forleo

37. It’s what you practice in private that you will be rewarded for in public. – Tony Robbins

38. Only the prepared speaker deserves to be confident. – Dale Carnegie

39. The first 30 seconds and the last 30 seconds have the most impact in a presentation. – Patricia Fripp

40. If you want to connect, you must let them reflect. – Darren Lacroix

41. Speak like you talk, not like you write. – Craig Valentine

42. The worst speech you’ll ever give, will be far better than the one you never give. – Fred Miller

43. If you don’t want to preach, put stories in your speech. – Andy Harrington

44. The single most important skill you must have to lead is the ability to tell your own story. – Bo Eason

45. The only reason to give a speech is to change the world. – Nick Morgan

46. Audience interaction should be proportional to the amount of trust you’ve earned. – Michael Port

47. Some introverts are perfectly comfortable with public speaking; I’m not one of them. – Susan Cain

48. A good speaker is done talking before the audience is done listening. – Anonymous

49. All the great speakers were bad speakers at first. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

50. A good speech is like a pencil; it has to have a point. – Anonymous

51. If you don’t know what you want to achieve in your presentation, your audience never will. – Harvey Diamond

52. Speech is power: speech is to persuade to convert, to compel. – Anonymous

53. The basic unit of communication is not the word but the idea. – Michael Landrum

54. Your audience doesn’t want you to be perfect – they want you to be present. – Anonymous

55. Do not be afraid to speak your mind. – Anonymous

56. Death is the number two fear that people have and public speaking is the first! – Sidney Sheldon

57. Ah, the first rule of public speaking – always start with a joke. – Jon Stewart

Public Speaking Tips

58. Public Speaking TIP: Don’t talk right away

59. Public Speaking TIP: Show up to give, not to take

60. Public Speaking TIP: Make eye contact with audience members one by one

61. Public Speaking TIP: Say thank you when you’re done

62. Public Speaking TIP: Practice And Prepare Extensively

63. Public Speaking TIP: Eliminate Fear Of Rejection

64. Public Speaking TIP: Watch Yourself In The Mirror – Your facial expressions, Your gestures, Your body movements, How welcoming you appear

65. Public Speaking TIP: Record Yourself And Learn Your Voice

66. Public Speaking TIP: Lightly Exercise Before Speaking

67. Public Speaking TIP: Know 100 Words For Every Word That You Speak

68. Public Speaking TIP: Focus On The Material, Not The Audience

69. Public Speaking TIP: Don’t Overthink Audience Reactions

70. Nervousness Is Normal. Practice and Prepare!

71. Know Your Audience. Your Speech Is About Them, Not You.

72. Organize Your Material in the Most Effective Manner to Attain Your Purpose.

73. Let Your Personality Come Through.

74. Use Humor, Tell Stories, and Use Effective Language.

75. Don’t Read Unless You Have to. Work from an Outline.

76. Use Your Voice and Hands Effectively. Omit Nervous Gestures.

77. Grab Attention at the Beginning, and Close with a Dynamic End.

78. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse.

79. Practice with distractions.

80. Find a style that works for you.

81. Take every opportunity to speak.

82. Practice body language and movement.

83. Don’t go over the allotted time.

84. Observe Great Presentations

85. Find a Mentor

86. Write Down the Presentation Content

87. Speak with an intent to move people to action.

88. Start strong with a “grabber”

89. Structure your material in three sections– grabber, middle, close.

90. Practice. Practice. Rehearse out loud with all equipment you plan on using.

91. Try to speak to one or two people in the audience as they arrive – they will be your allies in the audience

92. Know the setup.Arrive in good time to check out the speaking area.

93. Relax. Begin with a well prepared grabber. A relevant personal story is a great start.

94. Visualize yourself successful.See yourself at the end of the speech surrounded by people asking questions, visualize the applause.

95. Don’t apologize– the audience probably never noticed it.

96. Smile. Look like the content matters to you – if the audience don’t feel that it is important to you.

97. Don’t rely too much on your slides

98. Incorporate examples and anecdotes

99. The first thing to do when preparing a speech is to define your end goal.

100. Make Slides an Aid, Not a Crutch

• Aug 23, 2023
• 21 min read

300 Best Impromptu Speech Quotes: Public Speaking (2023)

1. “Be still when you have nothing to say; when genuine passion moves you, say what you’ve got to say, and say it hot.” D. H. Lawrence.

2. “The most important things in life aren't things.” -­ Anthony J. D'Angelo

3. “The art of communication is the language of leadership.” – James Humes

4. “I’ve been struck by how hungry we all are for a different kind of politics.” – Barack Obama

5. “The dead cannot cry out for justice; it is a duty of the living to do so for them.” – Lois McMaster Bujold

6. “It’s alright to have butterflies in your stomach. Just get them to fly in formation.” Rob Gilbert.

7. “Communication works for those who work at it.”

8. “The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.”

9. “The most precious things in speech are the pauses.” – Sir Ralph Richardson

10. “Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

11. “Woman is woman’s natural ally.” – Euripides

12. “Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today.”

13. “He who wants to persuade should put his trust not in the right argument, but in the right word. The power of sound has always been greater than the power of sense.” – Joseph Conrad

14. “If you can’t communicate and talk to other people and get across your ideas, you’re giving up your potential.”

15. “If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.”

16. “There are only two types of speakers in the world. 1. The nervous and 2. Liars.” – Mark Twain

17. “If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack.”

18. “Find out what’s keeping them up nights and offer hope. Your theme must be an answer to their fears. ” – Gerald C Myers

19. “The more you do speak from the heart, rather than thumping the agenda, people will listen or relate or open themselves up more.” Drew Barrymore.

20. “The world is waiting for your words.”

21. “If you can’t state your position in eight words, you don’t have a position. “

22. “Every speaker has a mouth, an arrangement rather neat. Sometimes it’s filled with wisdom, sometimes it’s filled with feet.”

23. “To communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world, and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.”

24. “The more strikingly visual your presentation is, the more people will remember it. And more importantly, they will remember you. ”

25. “90% of how well the talk will go is determined before the speaker steps on the platform.” – Somers White

26. “It’s all right to have butterflies in your stomach. Just get them to fly in formation.”

27. “When I meet a man I ask myself, ‘Is this the man I want my children to spend their weekends with?’ – Rita Rudner

28. “Designing a presentation without an audience in mind is like writing a love letter and addressing it: To Whom It May Concern. ” – Ken Haemer

29. Decide on the tone

30. “I have not failed. I’ve simply discovered 10,000 ways that don’t work.”

31. “Grasp the subject, the words will follow.”

32. “Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.”

33. “If God is in the details, then the Devil is in PowerPoint.”

34. “The success of your presentation will be judged not by the knowledge you send but by what the listener receives. ”

35. “Effective communication is 20% what you know and 80% how you feel about what you know.” Jim Rohn.

36. “The best speeches come from the heart and reflect your passion. Speak as if your life depended on it. ”

37. “Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious.” – Oscar Wilde

38. Storytelling

39. “College isn’t the place to go for ideas.” – Helen Keller

40. “A good speech should be like a woman’s skirt; long enough to cover the subject and short enough to create interest.” – Winston Churchill

41. “A good speech should be like a woman’s skirt; long enough to cover the subject and short enough to create interest. ”

42. “You are not being judged, the value of what you are bringing to the audience is being judged. ” – Seth Godin

43. “The secret of being a bore is to tell everything. ”

44. Dishes up winning flavours

45. “The royal road to a man’s heart is to talk to him about the things he treasures most. ”

46. “We are inclined to believe those whom we do not know because they have never deceived us.” – Samuel Johnson

47. “There can be as much value in the blink of an eye as in months of rational analysis.” – Malcom Gladwell

48. “If you wing it when speaking, you’ll get wing it results.”

49. “Well-timed silence hath more eloquence than speech.” – Martin Fraquhar Tupper

50. “If you have an important point to make, don’t try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time – a tremendous whack.”

51. “The way something is presented will define the way you react to it.”

52. “A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. ”

53. “It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech. ” – Mark Twain

54. “What we say is important… for in most cases the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” -Jim Beggs

55. “Find out what’s keeping them up nights and offer hope. Your theme must be an answer to their fears. ”

56. “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak, and to sit down and listen.” Winston Churchill.

57. “The human brain starts working the moment you are born and never stops… until you stand up to speak in public.” George Jessel.

58. “Silence is the ultimate weapon of power.”

59. “It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.” – Mark Twain

60. “90% of how well the talk will go is determined before the speaker steps on the platform.” – Somers White

61. “Always give a speech that you would like to hear. ”

62. “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.” – Dale Carnegie

63. “Words do two major things: they provide food for the mind and create light for understanding and awareness.”

64. “If you don’t use stories audience members may enjoy your speech, but there is no chance they’ll remember it.”

65. “Creative thinking is merely intelligent plagiarism.”

66. “When speaking in public, your message – no matter how important – will not be effective or memorable if you don’t have a clear structure.” Patricia Fripp.

67. “Why do you have to be a nonconformist like everybody else?” – James Thurber

68. “Always do sober what you say you’ll do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.” – Ernest Hemingway

69. “You can speak well if your tongue can deliver the message of your heart.” John Ford.

70. “There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.”

71. “A wise man speaks because he has something to say; a fool speaks because he has to say something.” Plato.

72. “Thank you to every American who hasn’t sued me so far.” – Sacha Baron Cohen

73. “Speakers who talk about what life has taught them never fail to keep the attention of their listeners.”

74. “Once you get people laughing, they’re listening and you can tell them almost anything.”

75. “Well-timed silence hath more eloquence than speech.” Martin Fraquhar Tupper.

76. “Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes.”

77. “The way you overcome shyness is to become so wrapped up in something that you forget to be afraid.”

78. “According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than delivering the eulogy.”

79. “If you’re not comfortable with public speaking – and nobody starts out comfortable; you have to learn how to be comfortable – practice. I cannot overstate the importance of practicing. Get some close friends or family members to help evaluate you, or somebody at work that you trust.” Hilary Clinton.

80. “The audience only pays attention as long as you know where you are going.”

81. “Simple and to the point is always the best way to get your point across. ” – Guy Kawasaki

82. “It takes one hour of preparation for each minute of presentation time.”

83. “Always give a speech that you would like to hear. ” – Andrii Sedniev

84. “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”

85. Diplomatic framework

86. “Excellence is the best deterrent to racism or sexism.” – Oprah Winfrey

87. “You can speak well if your tongue can deliver the message of your heart.” -John Ford

88. “The most precious things in speech are pauses. ”

89. “There are three things to aim at in public speaking: first, to get into your subject, then to get your subject into yourself, and lastly, to get your subject into the heart of your audience.” Alexander Gregg.

90. “A presentation is a chance to share, not an oral exam. ” – M. F. Fensholt

91. “Be sincere, be brief, be seated.” Franklin Roosevelt.

92. “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”

93. “We did not change as we grew older; we just became more clearly ourselves.” – Lynn Hall

94. “You can speak well if your tongue can deliver the message of your heart. ”

95. “Speeches measured by the hour die with the hour”

96. “Words ought to be a little wild for they are the assaults of thought on the unthinking.”

97. “So much is said with the electricity of the eyes, the intensity of a whisper. Less is more. ”

98. “The best way to predict your future is to create it.” – Abraham Lincoln

99. “It’s what you practice in private that you will be rewarded for in public. ” – Tony Robbins

100. “If you don’t know what you want to achieve in your presentation your audience never will.” Harvey Diamond.

101. “Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people. ”

102. “A designer knows he or she has achieved perfection, not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”

103. “Getting what you want is not nearly as important as giving what you have.” ‐Tom Krause

104. “Your ability to communicate with others will account for fully 85% of your success in your business and in your life.” Brian Tracy.

105. “Words have incredible power. They can make people’s hearts soar, or they can make people’s hearts sore.

106. “Aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something.” – Henry David Thoreau

107. “Our language is the reflection of ourselves. A language is an exact reflection of the character and growth of its speakers.”

108. “A talk is a voyage with purpose and it must be charted. The man who starts out going nowhere, generally gets there.” Dale Carnegie.

109. “Simple and to the point is always the best way to get your point across.” Guy Kawasaki.

110. “The royal road to a man’s heart is to talk to him about the things he treasures most.”

111. “Only the prepared speaker deserves to be confident.”

112. “My best advice is to not start in PowerPoint. Presentation tools force you to think through information linearly, and you really need to start by thinking of the whole instead of the individual lines. ” – Nancy Duarte

113. “If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they’ll kill you.”

114. “There is no such thing as presentation talent, it is called presentation skills”

115. “The most precious things in speech are the pauses. ” – Sir Ralph Richardson

116. “No question, 2006 was a lousy year for Iraq.” – Pres. George W. Bush

117. “Make sure you have stopped speaking before your audience has stopped listening.” Dorothy Sarnoff.

118. “Begin with the end in mind.” Dr Stephen R. Covey.

119. “One man with courage makes a majority.” -­ Andrew Jackson

120. “There are three things to aim at in public speaking: first, to get into your subject, then to get your subject into yourself, and lastly, to get your subject into the heart of your audience. ” – Alexander Gregg

121. “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”

122. “Light travels faster than sound. That’s why certain people appear bright until you hear them speak.” Albert Einstein.

123. “If you're not comfortable with public speaking - and nobody starts out comfortable; you have to learn how to be comfortable - practice. I cannot overstate the importance of practicing. Get some close friends or family members to help evaluate you, or somebody at work that you trust.”

124. “The most valuable of all talents is never using two words when one will do.”

125. “Your smile is a messenger of your goodwill.”

126. “A wise man speaks because he has something to say, a fool speaks because he has to say something.”

127. “Best way to conquer stage fright is to know what you’re talking about.” Michael H. Mescon.

128. “Oratory is the power to talk people out of their sober and natural opinions.” – Joseph Chatfield

129. “The success of your presentation will be judged not by the knowledge you send but by what the listener receives. ” – Lilly Walters

130. “Words have incredible power.

131. “Let thy speech be better than silence, or be silent.”

132. “Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.”

133. “The goal of effective communication should be for listeners to say ‘Me too!’ versus ‘So what?'”

134. “I respect faith, but doubt is what gets you an education.” – Wilson Mizner

135. “Always give a speech that you would like to hear.”

136. “The more laws, the less justice.” - Marcus Tullius Cicero

137. “Speak clearly, if you speak at all; carve every word before you let it fall.”

138. “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

139. “The first time you say something, it’s heard; the second time, it’s recognized; the third time, it’s learned. ” – John Maxwell

140. “Eloquence is the power to translate a truth into language perfectly intelligible to the person to whom you speak. ”

141. “A good orator is pointed and impassioned.” -Marcus T. Cicero

142. “Humor is a rubber sword – it allows you to make a point without drawing blood.”

143. “Picture yourself in a living room having a chat with your friends. You would be relaxed and comfortable talking to them, the same applies when public speaking.” Richard Branson.

144. “Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today.” - James Dean

145. “If it takes a lot of words to say what you have in mind, give it more thought.”

146. “Be sincere; be brief; be seated.”

147. “The more things change, the more they remain… insane.” – Michael Fry and T. Lewis

148. “There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.” –Dale Carnegie

149. “That depends on the length of the speech,” answered the President. “If it is a ten-minute speech it takes me all of two weeks to prepare it; if it is a half-hour speech it takes me a week; if I can talk as long as I want to it requires no preparation at all. I am ready now.”

150. “The problem with speeches isn’t so much not knowing when to stop, as knowing when not to begin.”

151. “What we say is important… for in most cases the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”

152. “Designing a presentation without an audience in mind is like writing a love letter and addressing it: To Whom It May Concern.”

153. “To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.” – Joseph Chilton Pearce

154. “The success of your presentation will be judged not by the knowledge you send but by what the listener receives.”

155. “You are not being judged, the value of what you are bringing to the audience is being judged.” Seth Godin.

156. “In presentations or speeches less really is more.”

157. “Words do two major things: they provide food for the mind and create light for understanding and awareness.” Jim Rohn.

158. “To communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world, and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.” Tony Robbins.

159. “Effective communication is 20% what you know and 80% how you feel about what you know. ”

160. “There are three things to aim at in public speaking: first, to get into your subject, then to get your subject into yourself, and lastly, to get your subject into the heart of your audience.”

161. “Communication works for those who work at it.” John Powell.

162. “Speech is power. Speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel. It is to bring another out of his bad sense into your good sense.”

163. “The fear of public speaking is the fear of being judged.” – Brené Brown

164. “Practice as if you are the worst, perform as if you are the best.” -Anonymous

165. “Best way to conquer stage fright is to know what you’re talking about. ” – Michael H Mescon

166. “Many attempts to communicate are nullified by saying too much. ”

167. “Think about the impromptu speech as a game. Your attitude will change your frame of mind and instead of concentrating on the difficulty of finding the right words, your brain will deliver the perfect answer.”

168. “You don’t have to change who you are, you have to become more of who you are. ” – Sally Hogshead

169. “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney

170. “Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people.” William Butler Yeats.

171. “If something comes from your heart, it will reach the heart of your audience.”

172. “All you need is something to say, and a burning desire to say it… it doesn’t matter where your hands are.”

173. “Make sure you have stopped speaking before your audience has stopped listening.”

174. “Only the prepared speaker deserves to be confident.” Dale Carnegie.

175. “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. ”

176. “Speeches measured by the hour die with the hour.” Thomas Jefferson.

177. “The setup is where the pattern is established and everything goes in the same direction. The punch line is where a train of thought is derailed from a pattern and people laugh.”

178. “If you want me to speak for an hour, I am ready today. If you want me to speak for just a few minutes, it will take me a few weeks to prepare.” Mark Twain.

179. “It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech. ”

180. “The great enemy of clear language is insincerity. When there is a gap between one’s real and one’s declared aims, one turns as it were instinctively to long words and exhausted idioms, like cuttlefish squirting out ink. ”

181. Make some quick notes

182. “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” Albert Einstein.

183. “Successful leaders see the opportunities in every difficulty rather than the difficulty in every opportunity.”

184. “They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.” – Andy Warhol

185. “90% of how well the talk will go is determined before the speaker steps on the platform. ” – Somers White

186. “Be still when you have nothing to say; when genuine passion moves you, say what you’ve got to say, and say it hot.”

187. “There are three things to aim at in public speaking: first, to get into your subject, then to get your subject into yourself, and lastly, to get your subject into the heart of your audience.” – Alexander Gregg

188. “The success of your presentation will be judged not by the knowledge you send but by what the listener receives.” Lilly Walters.

189. “Education is a state-controlled manufactory of echoes.” – Norman Douglas

190. “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.”

191. “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”

192. “It takes one hour of preparation for each minute of presentation time.” – Wayne Burgraff

193. “Speak clearly, if you speak at all. Carve every word before you let it fall.” Oliver Wendell Holmes.

194. “The most precious things in speech are the... pauses.”

195. “If you’re not comfortable with public speaking – and nobody starts out comfortable; you have to learn how to be comfortable – practice. I cannot overstate the importance of practicing. Get some close friends or family members to help evaluate you, or somebody at work that you trust. ”

196. “The more strikingly visual your presentation is, the more people will remember it. And more importantly, they will remember you.”

197. “The difference between the almost-right word and the right word is really a large matter–’tis the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning. ”

198. “It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.” Mark Twain.

199. “Make sure you have stopped speaking before your audience has stopped listening. ”

200. “Fathers send their sons to college either because they went to college or because they didn’t.” – L.L. Henderson

201. “Buried deep within each of us is a spark of greatness, a spark than can be fanned into flames of passion and achievement. That spark is not outside of you it is born deep within you.”

202. “90% of how well the talk will go is determined before the speaker steps on the platform.” Somers White.

203. “In order that all men may be taught to speak truth, it is necessary that all likewise should learn to hear it.” – Samuel Johnson

204. “Humans are completely incapable of reading and comprehending text on a screen and listening to a speaker at the same time. Therefore, lots of text (almost any text!), and long, complete sentences are bad, Bad, BAD. ” – Garr Reynolds

205. “Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.”

206. “It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.”

207. “I do not speak of what I cannot praise.”

208. “The truth will set you free. But first, it will piss you off.” – Gloria Steinem

209. “Someday I want to be rich. Some people get so rich they lose all respect for humanity. That’s how rich I want to be.” – Rita Rudner

210. “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” – Alan Kay

211. “Let thy speech be better than silence, or be silent.” -Dionysius Of Halicarnassus

212. “Only the prepared speaker deserves to be confident. ” – Dale Carnegie

213. “The problem with speeches isn’t so much not knowing when to stop, as knowing when not to begin.” Frances Rodman.

214. “People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do.”

215. “If you don’t know what you want to achieve in your presentation your audience never will.” – Harvey Diamond

216. “Words have incredible power. They can make people’s hearts soar, or they can make people’s hearts sore.” Dr. Mardy Grothe.

217. “A little sincerity is a dangerous thing, and a great deal of it is absolutely fatal.” – Oscar Wilde

218. “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” – Mark Twain

219. “That all men are equal is a proposition which, at ordinary times, no sane individual has ever given his assent.” – Aldous Huxley

220. “There are certain things in which mediocrity is not to be endured, such as poetry, music, painting, public speaking.”

221. “The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.” – Mark Twain

222. “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” – Benjamin Disareli

223. “It’s the space you put between the notes that make the music.” Massimo Vignelli.

224. “If you can’t write your message in a sentence, you can’t say it in an hour. ” – Dianna Booher

225. “The problem with speeches isn’t so much not knowing when to stop, as knowing when not to begin.” – Frances Rodman

226. “A talk is a voyage with purpose and it must be charted. The man who starts out going nowhere, generally gets there.”

227. “To sway an audience, you must watch them as you speak. ”

228. “A presentation is a chance to share, not an oral exam.”

229. “90% of how well the talk will go is determined before the speaker steps on the platform. ”

230. “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” – Albert Einstein

231. “Eloquence is the essential thing in a speech, not information. ”

232. “Well-timed silence hath more eloquence than speech.”

233. “Be still when you have nothing to say; when genuine passion moves you, say what you’ve got to say, and say it hot.” -D. H. Lawrence

234. “All speaking is public speaking, whether it’s to one person or a thousand.” Roger Love.

235. “He who wants to persuade should put his trust not in the right argument, but in the right word. The power of sound has always been greater than the power of sense.”

236. “There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

237. “He who wants to persuade should put his trust not in the right argument, but in the right word. The power of sound has always been greater than the power of sense. ”

238. “The goal of effective communication should be for listeners to say ‘Me too!’ versus ‘So what?” Jim Rohn.

239. “All you need is something to say, and a burning desire to say it… it doesn’t matter where your hands are. ”

240. “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak, and to sit down and listen.”

241. “If you don’t want to preach, put stories in your speech. ” – Andy Harrington

242. “Best way to conquer stage fright is to know what you’re talking about.” – Michael H Mescon

243. “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

244. “No one ever complains about a speech being too short!” Ira Hayes.

245. “Many attempts to communicate are nullified by saying too much.” Robert Greenleaf.

246. The 5 Ws

247. “Speak clearly, if you speak at all; carve every word before you let it fall.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.

248. “Ask yourself, ‘If I had only sixty seconds on the stage, what would I absolutely have to say to get my message across.”

249. “I’ve never been a millionaire but I just know I’d be darling at it.” – Dorothy Parker

250. “Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people.”

251. “Experience is the name every one gives to their mistakes.” - Oscar Wilde

252. “Picture yourself in a living room having a chat with your friends. You would be relaxed and comfortable talking to them, the same applies when public speaking. ” – Richard Branson

253. “Speak clearly, if you speak at all. Carve every word before you let it fall. ”

254. “The success of your presentation will be judged not by the knowledge you send but by what the listener receives.” – Lilly Walters

255. “If you can’t write your message in a sentence, you can’t say it in an hour.”

256. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.”

257. Have a friend or a family member give you a random quote. Then you attempt to deliver an impromptu speech on that quote. Do this exercise as much as possible before the competition. I’d recommend at least five times a day before the competition, depending upon how much time you have before the competition. This will help build what I like to call “Public Speaking Muscle Memory. ” So during the c… (more)

258. “If you can’t write your message in a sentence, you can’t say it in an hour.” -Dianna Booher

259. “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs

260. “Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.” Ralph Waldo Emerson.

261. “Once you get people laughing, they’re listening and you can tell them almost anything. ”

262. “It is not true that equality is a law of nature. Nature has no equality. Its sovereign law is subordination and dependence.” – Marquis de Vauvenargues

263. “There are only two types of speakers in the world. 1. The nervous and 2. Liars.”

264. “Effective communication is 20% what you know and 80% how you feel about what you know.”

265. “Technological progress has merely provided us with more efficient means of going backwards.” – Aldous Huxley

266. “The most precious things in speech are pauses.” – Sir Ralph Richardson

267. “Rhetoric is the art of ruling the minds of men.”

268. “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”

269. “Oratory is the power to talk people out of their sober and natural opinions.”

270. “To sway an audience, you must watch them as you speak.” C. Kent Wright.

271. “They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel. ” – Carl W. Buechner

272. “If I went back to college again, I’d concentrate on two areas: learning to write and to speak before an audience. Nothing in life is more important than the ability to communicate effectively.”

273. “No one ever complains about a speech being too short!” – Ira Hayes

274. “Sports do not build character. They reveal it.” - John Wooden

275. “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” - Michael Jordan

276. “Find out what’s keeping them up nights and offer hope. Your theme must be an answer to their fears.”

277. “It’s much easier to be convincing if you care about your topic. Figure out what’s important to you about your message and speak from the heart”

278. “Advertising is the modern substitute for argument; its function is to make the worse appear the better.” – George Santayana

279. “Speakers who talk about what life has taught them never fail to keep the attention of their listeners.” Dale Carnegie.

280. “Best way to conquer stage fright is to know what you’re talking about.”

281. “They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel. ”

282. “The whole of science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday thinking.” – Einstein

283. “There are good leaders who actively guide and bad leaders who actively misguide. Hence, leadership is about persuasion, presentation and people skills. ” – Shiv Kera

284. “The best speeches come from the heart and reflect your passion. Speak as if your life depended on it.” Rave Robinson.

285. “If you don’t know what you want to achieve in your presentation your audience never will.”

286. “You can speak well if your tongue can deliver the message of your heart.”

287. “The energy level of the audience is the same as the speaker’s. For better...or for worse.”

288. “Hegel was right when he said that we learn from history that man can never learn anything from history.” – George Bernard Shaw

289. “Be sincere, be brief, be seated. ”

290. “If it scares you it may be a good thing to try.” Seth Godin.

291. “If it takes a lot of words to say what you have in mind, give it more thought.” Dennis Roth.

292. “If you have an important point to make, don’t try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time — a tremendous whack. ”

293. “A good orator is pointed and impassioned.”

294. “The best way to conquer stage fright is to know what you are talking about.”

295. “All the great speakers were bad speakers at first.”

296. “All the great speakers were bad speakers at first.” Ralph Waldo Emerson.

297. “To sway an audience, you must watch them as you speak.”

298. “Morality, like art, means drawing a line someplace.” – Oscar Wilde

299. “You, however, will know that this magic consists of 3 words: details, dialogue and conflict.”

300. “Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.”

301. “If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.”

302. “It is not failure itself that holds you back; it is the fear of failure that paralyzes you.”

303. “If you can’t write your message in a sentence, you can’t say it in an hour. ”

304. “The goal of effective communication should be for listeners to say ‘Me too!’ versus ‘So what?’” – Jim Rohn

305. “They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” – Carl W. Buechner

306. “Broadly speaking, the short words are the best, and the old words best of all.”

307. “There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.” Dale Carnegie.

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Mark Twain's Best Quotes and How to Use Them in Public Speaking

When it comes to presentations that wow audiences, you can't do better than learning at the feet of an American master: Mark Twain. (To speak engagingly to your own audiences, download my free cheat sheet, "5 Ways to Captivate an Audience." )

No one lived a more interesting life — and nobody wrote about what he lived so entertainingly. Also known as a great after dinner speaker, Twain (1835-1910) entertained audiences around the world with his unique mix of sophistication and homespun humor.

If it's storytelling techniques you're after, you won't find anyone who could spin a web more succintinctly or engagingly. Speaking of conciseness (and speaking concisely), the quote at the top of this article is a clue to Twain's work ethic. Like all good humorists, he labored long and hard so that his stories could emerge short, sweet, and precisely on point.

This is the writer, after all, who said: "The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug."

Getting the Great Man on Your Side

As someone once said regarding using quotations in speeches: Why not bring brilliant and famous people up on stage with you? One of the most companionable and effective speaking partners available is the man who grew up in Hannibal, Missouri.

Here's a sample of some of the best Mark Twain quotes that will help enliven your talks, lectures, keynotes, or remarks at the next mining camp (an early source of employment for Twain) you speak at.

• When you're about to cite evidence: "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." (Twain attributed this, perhaps erroneously, to Disraeli.) Or if you prefer: "Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please."
• As self-deprecating humor: "Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I've done it thousands of times."
• Praising someone's courage in standing up for the truth: " A lie can make it half way around the world before the truth has time to put its boots on."
• Giving advice to young people: "Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest."
• At your next author's appearance: "Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot."
• When you're being honored after a lifetime of service: "The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."
• Speaking in New England: "There is a sumptuous variety about the New England weather that compels the stranger's admiration — and regret. The weather is always doing something there; always attending strictly to business; always getting up new designs and trying them on people to see how they will go. But it gets through more business in spring than in any other season. In the spring I have counted one hundred and thirty-six different kinds of weather inside of twenty-four hours."
• At a fashion event: "Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society."
• Discussing humor: "The humorous story is told gravely; the teller does his best to conceal the fact that he even dimly suspects that there is anything funny about it."
• In a lecture on creativity: "You can't depend on your judgment when your imagination is out of focus."
• Speaking on education: "Education consists mainly in what we have unlearned."
• Discussing music: "Wagner's music is better than it sounds."
• Lecturing on government: "Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself."
• And my favorite, for a speech on wisdom: "When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years." (Scholars question whether this quote can be attributed to Twain, but if he didn't say it, he should have!)

You should follow me on Twitter here .

Tags: Mark Twain quotes , Mark Twain public speaking , Mark Twain humor

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According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.

Public Speaking is a skill that can be studied, polished, perfected. Not only can you get good at it, you can get damn good at it and it makes a heck of a difference.

Only the prepared speaker deserves to be confident.

All the great speakers were bad speakers at first.

History has repeatedly been changed by people who had the desire and the ability to transfer their convictions and emotions to their listeners.

An effective speaker knows that the success or failure of his talk is not for him to decide - it will be decided in the minds and hearts of his hearers.

Good public speaking is based on good private thinking

Tell the audience what you're going to say, say it; then tell them what you've said.

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.

If you don't know what you want to achieve in your presentation your audience never will.

A good speech should be like a woman's skirt: long enough to cover the subject and short enough to create interest

The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.

There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.

A good orator is pointed and impassioned.

You can speak well if your tongue can deliver the message of your heart.

Grasp the subject, the words will follow.

A talk is a voyage. It must be charted. The speaker who starts nowhere, usually gets there.

Words have incredible power. They can make people's hearts soar, or they can make people's hearts sore.

There are only two types of speakers in the world. 1. The nervous and 2. Liars.

As long as there are human rights to be defended; as long as there are great interests to be guarded; as long as the welfare of nations is a matter for discussion, so long will public speaking have its place.

Your purpose is to make your audience see what you saw, hear what you heard, feel what you felt. Relevant detail, couched in concrete, colorful language, is the best way to recreate the incident as it happened and to picture it for the audience.

Only constant repetition will finally succeed in imprinting an idea on the memory of the crowd.

It is said that the fear of public speaking is a fear greater than death for most people. According to psychiatrists, the fear of public speaking is caused by the fear of ostracism, the fear of standing out, the fear of criticism, the fear of ridicule, the fear of being an outcast. THE FEAR OF BEING DIFFERENT PREVENTS MOST PEOPLE FROM SEEKING NEW WAYS TO SOLVE THEIR PROBLEMS.

If you have a crippling fear of public speaking, recognize that that is perfectly normal. And know that the only way to get over those nerves is to fully understand the material, the points, the policy you are trying to explain - and then practice it a little bit.

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25 Public Speaking Quotes that Will Change Your Life

• By: Kelly Allison

Some days we wake up inspired, ready to take on any presentation challenge that comes our way, and some days it feels tough to do anything at all, let alone prepare a presentation. The following quotes are designed to give you a spark of motivation and insight when you need it most, so be sure to keep ‘em close for those days when you’re feeling less than inspired.

1. “It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.” – Mark Twain

2. “There are three things to aim at in public speaking: first, to get into your subject, then to get your subject into yourself, and lastly, to get your subject into the heart of your audience.” – Alexander Gregg

3. “The success of your presentation will be judged not by the knowledge you send but by what the listener receives.” – Lilly Walters

4. “90% of how well the talk will go is determined before the speaker steps on the platform.” – Somers White

5. “The most precious things in speech are the pauses.” – Sir Ralph Richardson

6. “Designing a presentation without an audience in mind is like writing a love letter and addressing it: To Whom It May Concern.” – Ken Haemer

7. “You are not being judged, the value of what you are bringing to the audience is being judged.” – Seth Godin

8. “Simple and to the point is always the best way to get your point across.” – Guy Kawasaki

9. “The first time you say something, it’s heard; the second time, it’s recognized; the third time, it’s learned.” – John Maxwell

10. “Only the prepared speaker deserves to be confident.” – Dale Carnegie

11. “My best advice is to not start in PowerPoint. Presentation tools force you to think through information linearly, and you really need to start by thinking of the whole instead of the individual lines.” – Nancy Duarte

12. “Humans are completely incapable of reading and comprehending text on a screen and listening to a speaker at the same time. Therefore, lots of text (almost any text!), and long, complete sentences are bad, Bad, BAD.” – Garr Reynolds

13. “You don’t have to change who you are, you have to become more of who you are.” – Sally Hogshead

14. “If you don’t want to preach, put stories in your speech.” – Andy Harrington

15. “Picture yourself in a living room having a chat with your friends. You would be relaxed and comfortable talking to them, the same applies when public speaking.” – Richard Branson

16. “The goal of effective communication should be for listeners to say ‘Me too!’ versus ‘So what?’” – Jim Rohn

17. “A presentation is a chance to share, not an oral exam.” – M.F. Fensholt

18. “It’s what you practice in private that you will be rewarded for in public.” – Tony Robbins

19. “Best way to conquer stage fright is to know what you’re talking about.” – Michael H Mescon

20. “No one ever complains about a speech being too short!” – Ira Hayes

21. “If you can’t write your message in a sentence, you can’t say it in an hour.” – Dianna Booher

22. “They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” – Carl W. Buechner

23. “There are good leaders who actively guide and bad leaders who actively misguide. Hence, leadership is about persuasion, presentation and people skills.” – Shiv Kera

24. “Always give a speech that you would like to hear.” – Andrii Sedniev

25. “Find out what’s keeping them up nights and offer hope. Your theme must be an answer to their fears.” – Gerald C Myers

Looking for more presentation inspiration? Then check out our Badge Assessment to discover your unique presentation persona.

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6.5 Public Speaking Quotes That Will Inspire You

• October 20, 2020
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Here are public speaking quotes that are perfect for anyone who wants to be better at public speaking.

“Speak in such a way that others love to listen to you.  Listen in such a way that others love to speak to you.” –  Anonymous

“Your purpose is to make your audience see what you saw, hear what you heard, feel what you felt. Relevant detail, couched in concrete, colorful language, is the best way to recreate the incident as it happened and to picture it for the audience.” –  Dale Carnegie

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” –  Winston Churchill

“I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it’s the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It’s probably the most important thing in a person.” –  Audrey Hepburn

“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” –  Albert Einstein

“All the great speakers were bad speakers at first.” –  Ralph Emerson

“We are masters of the unsaid words, but slaves of those we let slip out.” –  Winston Churchill

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent to the things that matter.” –  Martin Luther King

More red-hot public speaking quotes:

“Be sincere; be brief; be seated.” –  Franklin D. Roosevelt

“Be still when you have nothing to say; when genuine passion moves you, say what you’ve got to say and say it hot.” –  D.H. Lawrence

“Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.” –  Ralph Emerson

“They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” –  Carl Buechner

“Words have incredible power.  They can make people’s hearts soar, or they can make people’s hearts sore.” –  Dr. Mardy Grothe

“The most precious things in speeches are the pauses.” –  Ralph Waldo Emerson

“There are three things to aim at: first to get into your topic subject, then to get your topic into yourself, and lastly, to get your topic into the heart of your audience.” –  Alexander Gregg

“No matter how hard you try, you will never sound exactly like somebody else. Your best choice is to explore your own voice and embrace your voice within.” –  Mary Riesberg

“90% of how well the talk will go is determined before the speaker steps on the platform.” –  Somers White

“Let thy speech be better than silence, or be silent.” –  Dionysius

“Let your voice free with a relaxed, deep breath.” –  Mary Riesberg

Hope these public speaking quotes inspired you to go and be the best that you can be.  Always remember that public speaking has been done by lots of successful people.  It is in your power to create your own success. 

If they did it, then you surely can do it too.

Stephen Nellas

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Quotabulary

Public Speaking Quotes to Lift Your Spirits Before Your Speech

The compilation of quotes by famous public speakers will definitely help in boosting your morale before addressing a large crowd. You can even add an element of surprise in your speech by including a seasoned orator's witty quote to make it sound all the more interesting.

The compilation of quotes by famous public speakers will definitely help in boosting your morale before addressing a large crowd. You can even add an element of surprise in your speech by including a seasoned orator’s witty quote to make it sound all the more interesting.

Apart from practicing the 3Cs (clear, concise, and consistent message) of effective public speaking, it is crucial that you capture the attention of your audience within the very first 60 seconds. You can do so by giving a striking start to your speech with a famous quote. The following list of quotes will not only infuse you with confidence but also lend credibility to your speech.

Words of Wisdom

“Be sincere; be brief; be seated.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

“It’s quite simple. Say what you have to say and when you come to a sentence with a grammatical ending, sit down.” – Winston Churchill

“If I went back to college again, I’d concentrate on two areas: learning to write and to speak before an audience. Nothing in life is more important that the ability to communicate effectively.” – Gerald R. Ford

“Extemporaneous speaking should be practiced and cultivated.” – Abraham Lincoln

“No one ever complains about a speech being too short!” – Ira Hayes

“Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“It usually takes more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.” – Mark Twain

“Speeches measured by the hour die with the hour.” – Thomas Jefferson

“You can speak well if your tongue can deliver the message of your heart.” – John Ford

“Make sure you have finished speaking before your audience has finished listening.” – Dorothy Sarnoff

Inspiring Success

“Grasp the subject, the words will follow.” – Cato The Elder

“There are three things to aim at: first, to get into your subject, then to get your subject into yourself, and lastly, to get your subject into the heart of your audience.” – Alexander Gregg

“The most precious things in speech are the pauses.” – Sir Ralph Richardson

“He who wants to persuade should put his trust not in the right argument, but in the right word. The power of sound has always been greater than the power of sense.” – Joseph Conrad

“There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.” – Dale Carnegie

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” – Winston Churchill

“It’s not how strongly you feel about your topic, it’s how strongly they feel about your topic after you speak.” – Tim Salladay

“Say not always what you know, but always know what you say.” – Claudius

On a Lighter Note

“The human brain starts working the moment you are born and never stops until you stand up to speak in public.” – George Jessel

“A good speech should be like a woman’s skirt: long enough to cover the subject and short enough to create interest.” – Winston Churchill

“Speak when you are angry-and you will make the best speech you’ll ever regret.” – Laurence J. Peter

“Oratory is just like prostitution: you must have little tricks.” – Vittorio Emanuele Orlando

“There are two things that are more difficult than making an after-dinner speech: climbing a wall which is leaning toward you and kissing a girl who is leaning away from you.” – Winston Churchill

“Today’s public figures can no longer write their own speeches or books, and there is some evidence that they can’t read them either.” – Gore Vidal

“I do not object to people looking at their watches when I am speaking. But I do strongly object when they start shaking them to make sure they are still going.” – Lord Birkett

“According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.” – Jerry Seinfeld

“Ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention for a moment… I would become a better public speaker.” – Homer Simpson

“Once you get people laughing, they’re listening and you can tell them almost anything.” – Herbert Gardner

“Every speaker has a mouth; An arrangement rather neat. Sometimes it’s filled with wisdom. Sometimes it’s filled with feet.” – Robert Orben

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100 Public-Speaking Jokes to Add Humor to Your Next Speech

So, if you are looking to add humor to your presentation, one of the best ways is to insert self-deprecating humor in the form of funny stories. A good story from your own personal experience will be easier to insert into your speech. The story will also create more of a shared experience with your audience. For details about how to use stories to add humor to your speech , click here.

With that being said, though, sometimes, you just need to get a quick laugh out of your audience. And good jokes can be a great way to lighten the mood. We’ve organized the post into four categories of public-speaking jokes.

100 Public Speaking Jokes to Add Humor to Your Next Speech.

• Public-Speaking Jokes .
• One-Liners about Public Speaking and Presenting .
• Funny Public Speaking Quotes .
• Dad Jokes that You Can Use as Presentation Icebreakers .

Public-Speaking Jokes for Your Next Presentation to Add a Little Fun.

Between you and I, telling jokes in front of an audience is pretty risky. But sometimes, just getting the audience to laugh right from the start can lighten the mood. Here are a few jokes about public speaking that you can use when you are public speaking.

Jokes about Being Nervous and the Fear of Public Speaking

• Why did the public speaker hire a pitching coach? Because he needed to improve his delivery!
• I used to think I was afraid of public speaking, but just now, I realized I was actually afraid of audiences.
• A public speaker asked the audience, “How many of you are afraid of public speaking?” About half the audience raised their hands. The speaker replied, “Don’t worry, I used to be too. In fact, there was a 50/50 chance that I’d canceled today’s talk!”
• My wife was nervous about public speaking. So, I told her she should embrace her mistake to add a little humor to her delivery. She gave me a hug. Then she laughed.
• Public speaking tip: Imagine the audience naked. But not if you’re giving a eulogy.

Funny Jokes about Presentation Challenges.

Okay, funny may be a little overexaggerated, but corny can work too. Here are a few jokes about challenges that can come up in a presentation.

• Why did the PowerPoint presentation go to therapy? It had too many issues with transitions.
• I was going to tell a time-traveling joke during my speech, but you didn’t like it.
• I asked the librarian if there were any books on how to overcome the fear of public speaking. She whispered, “They’re in the self-help section, but you might have to speak up to find them.”
• I used to be a baker before I became a public speaker. I kneaded the dough, and now I need the audience!
• Why did the public speaker become a gardener? Because he knew how to plant ideas and watch them grow!

These Jokes Are about Audience Interaction.

• I asked the audience if anyone had experience with public speaking. A cricket in the corner started chirping.
• The best way to become a confident public speaker is to imagine the audience in their underwear. Unless you’re speaking at a nudist colony.
• I told my wife I was going to give a speech on procrastination. She said, “Maybe next time.”
• How do you make a tissue dance during a speech? You put a little boogie in it!
• Why did the extroverted computer become a public speaker? Because it had great social networking skills!

Public Speaking Jokes about Presentation Themes.

These funny (or corny) jokes are about the process of public speaking. You can easily use one of these if you start with… “Before I actually start my presentation…” then add the joke.

• I asked my friend if he had any advice for public speaking. He said, “Yes, just imagine the audience is full of cats. They don’t care what you’re saying, but they’ll pay attention if you have treats.”
• How do you organize a fantastic space-themed presentation? You planet!
• Why did the public speaker bring a ladder to the presentation? To reach new heights in communication!
• My friend tried to give a speech on patience, but the audience left before he finished. It seems they didn’t have the patience for it.
• Why did the microphone apply for a job in public speaking? Because it wanted to be heard at work!

A Few Random Public Speaking Jokes (Use with Caution.)

These last few public speaking jokes are a little more tricky. You’d want to save these only for the right type of crowd.

• I used to be afraid of public speaking, but then I realized it’s just talking in front of people. Now I’m terrified of public listening.
• What’s a public speaker’s favorite kind of fish? The articulate!
• I told my friend I was giving a speech about a famous chicken. He asked, “Is it poultry in motion?”
• I was going to make a joke about public speaking, but I figured it would be better in front of a live audience.
• Why did the scarecrow become a great public speaker? He was outstanding in his field!

Remember, just adding a joke or two to a speech won’t win over every audience. For help becoming a confident and effective presenter, we invite you to attend one of our 2-Day Fearless Presentations ® Classes . Click here for details.

Here Are a Few Public Speaking One-Liners to Get Your Audience Laughing.

You’ll have a much easier time just adding a funny one-liner every now and then. When you tell a joke, you typically have to get your audience to respond. And, in some cases, the audience will finish your joke.

So a well-placed one-liner will often get you a quick chuckle without as much risk. Here are a few that we organized into five different categories.

These One-Liners Are Related to Audience Interaction (Or Audience Reactions.)

• “I’m not saying I’m a great public speaker, but I did once get a standing ovation… because I tripped over the microphone cord.”
• “I asked my audience if they had any questions after my speech. One person raised their hand and asked, ‘When does the torture end?'”
• “Public speaking is easy. It’s like riding a bike. Except the bike is on fire, you’re on fire, everything is on fire, and you’re in hell.”
• “I used to be afraid of public speaking until I realized every audience is just a bunch of people hoping you don’t notice them.”
• “I gave a speech on procrastination. The audience is still waiting for the punchline.”

Here Are a Few about Speech Techniques and Styles.

• “I asked the audience if they knew the definition of a will. Apparently, ‘a dead giveaway’ wasn’t the right answer.”
• “I don’t have a fear of public speaking; I have a fear of public not listening.”
• “Why don’t public speakers ever get lost? Because they always find their way to the lectern.”
• “I used to be a mime, but I couldn’t stay silent about it. Now I’m a public speaker.”
• “I told the audience I’d be speaking off the cuff. Turns out, my cuff was more interesting than my speech.”

That’s Ironic! One Liners about Humor and Irony in Speech

• “I used to be a public speaker at a mime convention. Needless to say, my speeches were a big hit.”
• “I asked the audience if they could define irony. They said, ‘Sure, it’s like goldy and bronzy, but made of iron.'”
• “Public speaking is a lot like a roller coaster. It’s terrifying, and I always feel like I’m going to lose my lunch.”
• “I used to be a motivational speaker, but then I lost my train of thought. Now I’m just a ‘meh’-tivational speaker.”
• “Why did the public speaker bring a ladder to the speech? To reach the high points, of course!”

These One-Liners Are about Speech Topics and Delivery.

• “I told the audience I’m going to talk about time travel. They’re still waiting for my future self to arrive.”
• “I tried to give a speech on humility, but everyone said I was the best at it.”
• “Why did the public speaker get an award? Because he was outstanding in his field of expertise – corn farming.”
• “I asked the crowd if they liked my tie. They said, ‘It’s not the tie, it’s what you’re saying that’s knot working.'”
• “I tried to make a speech about sleep, but I dozed off during my own presentation.”

Funny One-Liners Related to the Challenges of Public Speaking.

• “I asked the audience for silence during my speech. Apparently, their laughter didn’t get the memo.”
• (If your audience won’t give you feedback.) “Dialogue is like a parachute – it only works when it’s open.”
• (If you happen to break wind because of nervousness.) “I’m not a nervous public speaker. I just have a very expressive colon.”
• “I told my wife I’m writing a book on public speaking. She told me to speak louder.”
• “Why did the PowerPoint file go to therapy? It had too many issues with transitions.”

Funny Motivational Quotes Related to Public Speaking.

A really good way to add humor to any speech is to insert a funny quote from a famous person. These funny motivational quotes are very easy to insert. In fact, you can add them to your speech introduction right at the start. That will lighten the tension in the room and get your audience laughing.

Here are a few that always hit home!

Funny Quotes About Preparation and Delivery of Speech.

• “The human brain starts working the moment you are born and never stops until you stand up to speak in public.” – George Jessel
• “It usually takes more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.” – Mark Twain
• “Speak clearly, if you speak at all; carve every word before you let it fall.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.
• “A good speech should be like a woman’s skirt; long enough to cover the subject and short enough to create interest.” – Winston Churchill
• “The best way to sound like you know what you’re talking about is to know what you’re talking about.” – Author Unknown

Quotes Related to Adding Humor to Your Speech.

If you are looking for a famous quote specifically about adding humor to a speech, try one of these.

• “The first time I spoke in the West, the agents and organizers looked at me and said, ‘Oh, my God, she’s funny.’ And I thought, ‘Oh, my God, I’ve been funny all my life, but I never knew it.'” – Maya Angelou
• “If you can’t make it good, at least make it look good.” – Bill Gates
• “I have as much authority as the Pope. I just don’t have as many people who believe it.” – George Carlin
• “The trouble with talking too fast is you may say something you haven’t thought of yet.” – Ann Landers
• “I used to be a good communicator, but then I realized I was talking to myself.” – Author Unknown

Here Are a Few Quotes About Creativity and Writing.

• “I’m writing a book. I’ve got the page numbers done.” – Steven Wright
• “I used to play piano by ear, but now I use my hands.” – Steven Wright
• “I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.” – Douglas Adams
• “I don’t need time. What I need is a deadline.” – Duke Ellington
• “I can’t understand why I flunked American history. When I was a kid, my father took me to all the historic spots. Every time I refused to get out of the car.” – W.C. Fields

The Funny Quotes Can Help You Make Your Point Better.

Like the last group, these funny quotes aren’t about public speaking. But you will likely be able to use them if you are delivering an informative speech.

• “The only thing to do with good advice is to pass it on. It is never of any use to oneself.” – Oscar Wilde
• “I have never been in a situation where having a sense of humor and a giving spirit didn’t lead to a better result.” – Ed Catmull
• “The best way to convince a fool that he is wrong is to let him have his way.” – Josh Billings
• “I like to talk about my obsession with food. I love to eat. I’m not a ‘foodie,’ but I do love to eat.” – Miranda Kerr
• “I failed public speaking in college the first time and made a ‘D’ in the second class. It was horrible.” – John Grisham

These Last Funny Quotes Didn’t Fit the Other Categories. (LOL!)

These last quotes didn’t really fit in any of the other categories. But they are pretty funny. If you can find a way to insert them into your speech, you’re sure to get a laugh or two.

• “It’s hard to be serious when you’re surrounded by balloons.” – Jerry Seinfeld
• “I have six locks on my door, all in a row. When I go out, I lock every other one. I figure no matter how long somebody stands there picking the locks, they are always locking three.” – Elayne Boosler
• “The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.” – Willie Nelson
• “I used to be a heavy gambler. But now I just make mental bets. That’s how I lost my mind.” – Steve Allen

Dad Jokes that You Can Use as Presentation Icebreakers.

Years ago, I taught a leadership class for his team. And at the start of every session, he stood up in front of the group and told a corny Dad joke. The jokes were cringy. But whether the audience laughed or turned up their nose, they all smiled. Over the next few years, I noticed that Ron’s employee turnover was almost zero. It was unheard of in his industry.

It turns out that his team absolutely loved him. He made a tough job much more fun to come to. So, I changed my tune about Dad jokes. Here are a few that you can use to start your next speech or meeting.

Food Public Speaking Jokes

• What do you call fake spaghetti? An impasta.
• Did you hear about the cheese factory explosion? There was nothing left but de-brie.
• What do you call a fish wearing a crown? A kingfish.
• Why did the chicken go to the seance? To talk to the other side.
• What did the grape say when it got stepped on? Nothing, it just let out a little wine.

Science and Technology Jokes.

• Why don’t scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything.
• I told my computer I needed a break, and now it won’t stop sending me vacation ads.
• Did you hear about the guy who invented Lifesavers? He made a mint.
• How does a penguin build its house? Igloos it together!
• What did one wall say to the other wall? I’ll meet you at the corner!

Academic Jokes for a Presentation.

• Why did the math book look sad? Because it had too many problems.
• Did you hear about the mathematician who’s afraid of negative numbers? He’ll stop at nothing to avoid them.
• What do you call a factory that makes good products? A satisfactory.
• I only know 25 letters of the alphabet. I don’t know y.
• I used to have a job at a calendar factory, but I got fired because I took a couple of days off.

Spooky Jokes

• Why did the skeleton go to the seance? To talk to the other side.
• Why don’t skeletons fight each other? They don’t have the guts.
• What did the big flower say to the little flower? “Hi, bud!”
• I went to buy some camouflage pants, but I couldn’t find any.
• What did one hat say to the other hat? Stay here, I’m going on ahead.

Miscellaneous Jokes

• I only know how to make holy water. I boil the hell out of it.
• Why did the golfer bring two pairs of pants? In case he got a hole in one.
• Why did the bicycle fall over? It was two-tired.
• What did the janitor say when he jumped out of the closet? Supplies!
• What did the snowman with a six-pack say? An abdominal snowman!

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Trump, at Fund-Raiser, Says He Wants Immigrants From ‘Nice’ Countries

At rallies, Donald Trump frequently laments migrants from a list of countries from Africa, Asia and the Middle East as he stokes fears around the surge at the border.

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By Maggie Haberman and Michael Gold

Maggie Haberman reported from New York, and Michael Gold from Palm Beach, Fla.

• April 7, 2024

Former President Donald J. Trump, speaking at a multimillion-dollar fund-raiser on Saturday night, lamented that people were not immigrating to the United States from “nice” countries “like Denmark” and suggested that his well-heeled dinner companions were temporarily safe from undocumented immigrants nearby, according to an attendee.

Mr. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, made the comments during a roughly 45-minute presentation at a dinner at a mansion owned by the billionaire financier John Paulson in Palm Beach, Fla., a rarefied island community.

Guests were seated outdoors at white-clothed tables under a white tent, looking out on the waterway that divides the moneyed town from the more diverse West Palm Beach, a mainland city, according to the attendee, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the private event but provided an extensive readout of Mr. Trump’s remarks.

Dozens of wealthy donors helped write checks that the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee claim totaled more than $50 million, an amount that would set a record but had not been verified. Campaign finance reports encompassing the date of the event won’t be available for months.

Some of Mr. Trump’s comments were standard fare from his stump speeches, while other parts of the speech were tailored to his wealthy audience.

About midway through his remarks, the attendee said, Mr. Trump began an extensive rant about migrants entering the United States, at a time when President Biden has been struggling with an intensified crisis at the Southern border.

“These are people coming in from prisons and jails. They’re coming in from just unbelievable places and countries, countries that are a disaster,” Mr. Trump told his guests, according to the attendee. The former president has made a similar claim the heart of his campaign speeches.

He then appeared to refer to an episode during his presidency when he drew significant criticism after an Oval Office meeting with federal lawmakers about immigration during which he described Haiti and some nations in Africa as “shithole countries,” compared with places like Norway.

“And when I said, you know, Why can’t we allow people to come in from nice countries, I’m trying to be nice,” Mr. Trump said at the dinner, to chuckles from the crowd. “Nice countries, you know like Denmark, Switzerland? Do we have any people coming in from Denmark? How about Switzerland? How about Norway?”

He continued, “And you know, they took that as a very terrible comment, but I felt it was fine.”

Mr. Trump went on to say that there were people coming from Yemen, “where they’re blowing each other up all over the place.”

During his rallies, Mr. Trump frequently laments migrants from a list of countries from Africa, Asia and the Middle East as he stokes fears around the surge at the border, which he blames for a spike in crime, blame that has not been supported by available data.

At the dinner, Mr. Trump also lamented the surge of migrants, particularly from Latin America, saying that gang members “make the Hells Angels look like extremely nice people.”

“They’ve been shipped in, brought in, deposited in our country, and they’re with us tonight,” Mr. Trump said.

“In fact, I don’t think they’re on this island, but I know they’re on that island right there. That’s West Palm,” Mr. Trump said, gesturing across the water, according to the attendee. “Congratulations over there. But they’ll be here. Eventually, they’ll be here.”

Asked to comment, a Trump campaign official pointed to an official readout of the former president’s event, including that he had discussed the border crisis and the tax cuts that he enacted while in office. The official did not address the specific quotes and did not respond to a question about whether the campaign was disputing them.

Mr. Paulson’s estate sits along the waterway that separates the town of Palm Beach — a wealthy community on a barrier island that, according to the Census Bureau, is 93.8 percent white — from West Palm Beach, where nearly a third of residents are Black and a quarter are Hispanic.

Mr. Trump blamed his successor, Mr. Biden, for the influx of migrants and mocked him and aides for what Mr. Trump said were bad decisions made around the Resolute Desk, which has been used by two dozen presidents.

“The Resolute Desk is beautiful,” Mr. Trump said. “Ronald Reagan used it, others used it.”

He then denigrated Mr. Biden, sounding disgusted, according to the attendee: “And he’s using it. I might not use it the next time. It’s been soiled. And I mean that literally, which is sad.”

The attendee who witnessed the moment said that dinner guests laughed and that Mr. Trump’s remark was interpreted as the former president saying that Mr. Biden had defecated on the desk.

Mr. Trump also sought to point to parts of his record that could appeal to the wealthy donors in attendance. He highlighted the tax cuts under his administration and asked attendees about whether they had a preference for that measure or his regulations that allowed them to take advantage of specific write-offs, according to the attendee.

“The most successful people in the whole country are in this room,” Mr. Trump said.

He ended his remarks with a grave assessment of America’s future that has characterized his campaigns for the presidency, but with a more apocalyptic tenor in 2024.

“This could very well be the last election this country ever has,” Mr. Trump said, using a line that has become standard at his rallies. “July 4 is not as important as this as far as I’m concerned.”

Maggie Haberman is a senior political correspondent reporting on the 2024 presidential campaign, down ballot races across the country and the investigations into former President Donald J. Trump. More about Maggie Haberman

Michael Gold is a political correspondent for The Times covering the campaigns of Donald J. Trump and other candidates in the 2024 presidential elections. More about Michael Gold

Our Coverage of the 2024 Presidential Election

News and Analysis

Former President Donald Trump said that abortion rights should be left up to the states , remarks that came after months of mixed signals on the issue.

President Biden announced a large-scale effort  to help pay off student loans for tens of millions of Americans, seeking an election-year boost  by returning to a 2020 campaign promise that was blocked by the Supreme Court.

Trump, speaking at a multimillion-dollar fund-raiser , lamented that people were not immigrating to the United States from “nice” countries .

Protests over the Biden administration’s handling of the war in Gaza are disrupting the activities of Democratic officials, complicating their ability to campaign during a pivotal election year .

For all Trump’s populist rhetoric in 2016, his presidency proved to be business-friendly. But Trump and those around him are signaling that a second term would be different .

It’s usually a given that Republicans will win voters 65 and over, but that’s not the case in this election. Nate Cohn, our chief political analyst, explains Biden’s strength among seniors .

In Chicago, restaurants and venues are booking fast for the Democratic National Convention in August. But Milwaukee, host of the Republican National Convention in July, is wondering if customers will come .

Trump calls migrants 'animals,' intensifying focus on illegal immigration

TUESDAY'S WISCONSIN PRIMARY

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Reporting by Tim Reid and Nathan Layne, additional reporting by Nandita Bose; editing by Ross Colvin, Mary Milliken, Howard Goller and Cynthia Osterman

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Thomson Reuters

Washington-based correspondent covering campaigns and Congress. Previously posted in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Santiago, Chile, and has reported extensively throughout Latin America. Co-winner of the 2021 Reuters Journalist of the Year Award in the business coverage category for a series on corruption and fraud in the oil industry. He was born in Massachusetts and graduated from Harvard College.

Swiss women win landmark climate case at Europe top human rights court

Europe's top human rights court ruled on Tuesday that the Swiss government had violated the human rights of its citizens by failing to do enough to combat climate change, in a decision that will set a precedent for future climate lawsuits.

The commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards navy said on Tuesday Israel's presence in the United Arab Emirates was a threat to Tehran and this "should not happen".

France and Spain will step up security ahead of the Champions League quarter-finals being held in Madrid and in Paris on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, top government officials said, citing threats from the Islamic State.

Dawn Staley thanks Caitlin Clark: 'You are one of the GOATs of our game.'

Dawn Staley entered rare territory when she won her third national championship on Sunday. After her South Carolina Gamecocks beat the Iowa Hawkeyes 87-75 , she became the fifth coach in Division I women's college basketball history to capture three titles and she did it finishing a perfect 38-0.

But her opponent also made history this season. Iowa's Caitlin Clark became college basketball's all-time leading scorer and smashed several other records in her senior year. She is widely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft next week and has already become a household name with her long list of sponsorships.

In her national championship speech, Staley applauded Clark, who finished with 30 points, eight rebounds and five assists in the finale, for the impact she's made in women's college basketball.

"I want to personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport," the coach said. "She carried a heavy load for our sport and it just is not gonna stop here on the collegiate tour. But when she is the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft, she's gonna lift that league up as well. So Caitlin Clark if you're out there, you are one of the GOATs of our game. We appreciate you."

A day earlier, Staley said to be in the GOAT conversation , a player has to have a ring. “I mean, she’s really damn good regardless,” Staley said of Clark. “But winning the championship would seal the deal."

FOLLOW THE MADNESS: NCAA basketball bracket, scores, schedules, teams and more.

Before taking the stage to receive the trophy, Staley was choked up with emotion while speaking with ESPN's Holly Rowe. She pinched her eyes and bent over while Aliyah Boston, her former player and current WNBA star who had broadcast duties this week, put her arm around her for support.

When she finally caught her breath, Staley explained how part of why this title feels so special is because last year, South Carolina's undefeated season was squashed by Iowa in the Final Four. In the revenge tour, the Gamecocks had a completely new starting five, including senior center Kamilla Cardoso and transfer guard Te-Hina Paopao .

"I'm so incredibly happy for our players. It doesn't always end like you want it to end, much like last year, but my freshies are at the top of my heart because they wanted this," Staley said while her players were Swag Surfin' behind her. "I hope we can erase whatever pain they had last year experiencing not being able to finish it here."

The Gamecocks are the tenth team in Division I women's college basketball history to finish a season undefeated. Staley was awe-struck at how they bounced back.

"They made history. They etched their names in the history books when this is the unlikeliest group to do it," Staley said. "God is funny like that. He's funny. He rips your heart out and he makes you believe. He makes you believe the unimaginable."