A strong speech always incites change in some way- it can persuade, inspire a change in behaviour or belief, educate or entertain.

The first thing I always ask myself when preparing a speech is: 'what is my objective?', 'what do I want to achieve?'

Once I've decided on my objectives, I can gather material- quotes, stories, statistics etc, which are aligned with my aims.

In order to leave a lasting impression, the message needs to be strong and clear. This can be achieved by creating a strong thread that runs though from beginning to end. This thread should relate back to my main objectives and emphasise my main point or argument.

As Philip Khan-Panni says, it's important to 'get your point across'.

I always finish by giving my audience something to reflect on. This could be a question, a call to action or a quote. What is important here, is that I leave my audience with a clear and memorable message.