5. They never make more than three to four points in their speech. They don't feel the need to tell an audience everything they know. No one can retain it all. For each major point they tell an illustrative story. A good story evokes emotion and offers a lesson. The audience members are then only a step away from their own story.

6. They make great eye contact and make each person feel attended to. This makes them appear to be more heartfelt and really present for their audience.

7. Before closing, they summarize and reiterate their major points. They end with an inspiring story and a call to action. They hold the audience accountable—to take some action in the next few days, weeks.

8. They don't talk too long. They know how much time they have been assigned and they don't exceed it.

9. They rehearse their speech a few times but never sound canned. They NEVER read their speech verbatim.

10. All successful speakers market themselves. They all promote themselves. And they all network. They are a model of excellence. And you can be too!