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Imagine you’re sitting in an audience listening to a speech. Why would it be important for you that the speech have a good structure?

Now — imagine you are giving a speech in front of an audience. Why would it be important for you as a speaker to have a good structure?

Good structure is crucial for both the speaker and the audience. The speaker wants to stay on track, avoid forgetting important parts, keep the logical flow moving. The listener wants to follow the speaker’s points — and the easier that is, the better.

Good structure boosts the quality of your content.

A simple and powerful model for structuring your speeches is the Speech Structure Building™ model, as I explained in The Seven Minute Star.

The Speech Structure Building™ is a model of a Greek temple: it has a foundation (the speech’s opening), three pillars (the body: points A, B, C), and a rooftop (the closing). What makes this model special is the “drainpipe” which connects the roof with the foundation.

Example: a speech about “The future of Europe”

It was the best year of my life. One year of freedom, one year of friendship, one year of Europe - it was my Erasmus exchange year in Barcelona, 1997-98. Ever since then, I’ve been a passionate European, and I’ll give you three powerful reasons why Europe has a great future ahead.

First, our infrastructure. Look at the ports of Rotterdam, Hamburg, Barcelona. Look at the airports of Frankfurt, Paris, Madrid. Look at the highways in Poland or Hungary. We have top-notch infrastructure in Europe - a prerequisite for successful global business operations.

Second, our culture. Europe is a superbly attractive place to work and live for global-quality people. Our art, our cuisine, our fashion, our films, our music, our sports — Europe offers culture and lifestyle at its best.

The third, and from my perspective the most powerful reason for a bright European future, is our political system. It’s a system based on freedom, equal rights, and democracy. This is the system I want for my son Álvaro, when he grows up. This system guarantees stability and growth for the coming generations.

Today I’m back in Barcelona, a convinced European, back in the city of my Erasmus year. I’ve lived my personal European dream for the last decade; I live my European dream today, and I’ll live it tomorrow as well. Europe is our future.

Opening — A - B - C — closing, with a connection back to the opening. Leonardo Da Vinci said that simplicity is the ultimate sophistication; follow his advice, and let your public speeches follow this simple structure. Be sophisticated and use the Greek temple: foundation, three pillars, roof, and the drainpipe.

Boost your content even more by using the Speech Structure Building™.