Icebreaker Speeches

The Icebreaker is your first speech from the Competent Communicator Manual.

Here are some suggestions to help you prepare and deliver it.

General points You only have 6 minutes – pick an interesting feature of your life, not your whole life story.

2 Write some notes about what you will say. You can read from notes in your early speeches.

3 Practice giving your speech out aloud in front of a mirror or to your partner or friends and make sure it fits in the time.

Planning the start of your speech

4 Start your speech with about half a minute introduction to what you are going to talk about.

5 Don’t waste time explaining that this is your Icebreaker, why you decided to talk about this topic etc. Just start!

6 Don’t start with an apology I’m not very good at this, haven’t had time to prepare this.”

7 Try to start with a big statement. For example, “If there is one thing I love, it’s parties. Then go on to tell about your life as a partygoer

Preparing the middle part or body of your speech

8 Pick about three main points for the body of your speech. For example if you are a party person, tell three favourite party stories.

Concluding your speech

9 Spend about half a minute on the conclusion, summarising what you talked about in your speech.

10 Link your final sentences to the start of your speech. For example, So that is why I love parties.

11. Dont say Thank You at the end. The audience should thank you for speaking.

Mike Helm DTM

Help notes prepared by Mike Helm DTM 2007/08 District 73 Governor