Art Of Great Speaking

Once you have decided to give a speech, you are faced with choice between delivering an impromptu speech or taking the time to prepare for it.

Not many people are suited to impromptu speaking (although sometimes it is unavoidable), and usually the most effective public speaking comes from thorough preparation. Thorough preparation also builds self-confidence.

Here is an outline of the steps for developing a successful speech:

1.    Know your subject.
2.    Ask yourself the question: How can I help the audience?
3.    Before preparing a speech:
(a) Think about it for several days,(but don’t take too long
(b) Research – books, newspapers etc
(c)  Ask questions – organizers, experts of the filed etc
4.    What kind of a speech are you going to make?
(a)    Impart information.
(b)    Persuade.
(c)    Inspire.
(d)    An after-dinner speech.
5.     The main steps must be:
The opening.
Creation of interest.
Creation of confidence.
The body of the speech (which will be sub-divided into several steps or main points).
The close.
6.    Write down the sub-heads which will apply to each step.
7.    Cut out information of little importance.
8.    Devise a good opening sentence for each point.
9.    Illuminate each point  with one, some or all of the following:
(a)    Use statistics to prove your point.
(b)    Present facts to prove your point.

(c)    Give an historical fact in an interesting way
(d)    Tell an anecdote.
(e)    Tell a funny story.
(ƒ)    Give an analogy.
(g)     Give a quotation.
(h)     Recite a poem or part of a poem.

10. Remember these guidelines:
Statistics—make them interesting.
Quotations—make them relevant.
Anecdotes—consider using a personal story    .

I believe this blueprint can help anyone develop an effective public speaking speech or presentation. In the posts that follow I will expand on the points to further explain the steps.

When reading your speech it is difficult to be effective because it is difficult to connect with the audience. Your head is bowed, so there is no eye contact and it is difficult not to read it in a monotous tone.
I just came across this advice about how you can read your speech in an effective and interesting way. It is by Albert Tack. I hope you find it useful to help deliver your speech successfully.

Rules for Reading a Speech
I am against a speech being read, but when it is essential to do so, the following rules should be adhered to:
1. Practice continually reading aloud from a book, until you are able to
memorize a few passages ahead. This will enable you to look up, continue speaking, and then return to the reading matter without losing your place.
2. When you can read from a book in an entertaining manner, then practice with your speech.
3. Remember, the ideal is to be able to read aloud in a conversational manner. To do this means that there must be pauses, inflections, emphasis . . .
4. When preparing your manuscript, underline those passages which you wish to emphasize. A full stop is not sufficient to denote a pause. Use several stops, or dashes.
5. Although you are reading from a paper it is as well, sometimes, to repeat a sentence. Underline those sentences which you wish to repeat. Practice, practice, practice reading your paper to others, until this conversational technique has been acquired. If you don’t do this, you will most certainly bore your audience, however brilliant your paper may be.
6. Vary the rate of your reading, otherwise you will sound monotonous.
7. Use gestures. You can only do this by acquiring the ability to look away from your paper. Gestures made while reading look out of place.
8. If possible, ask questions. It will break the monotony of reading. Even a rhetorical question is better than no question at all, because this brings into line the “wanderers.”
9. Speak a little louder than usual. People who read from papers are apt to drop their voices.
10. Don’t try to justify the fact that you are reading the speech. There is no need to apologize or to give reasons why you are doing so, instead of speaking extemporaneously.

Speech reading in an interesting way is difficult. It is worth persevering as you will be more effective in conveying your ideas to your listeners. Do you have any views on reading your speech? Do you think it should be avoided if possible as Albert Tack suggests?

For more information on effective speaking please visit http://www.SelfConfidentSpeaking.com to receive a free preview of The Art Of Great Conversation

There are many different ways that a speaker can close their speech. An effective speaker chooses the close that is best for the purpose of their speech and best reflects their personality.

Here are 5 closes that have proved effective in closing speeches:-

The Fear Close

Fear is a powerful emotion and can be used very effectively to achieve your purpose. Be careful to use it in a “positive” way – moving people from something that is bad for them to something that will be positive for them.

The speaker details the negative consequences of ignoring the speaker’s advice to “frighten” them into taking their advice e.g. – preventing heart attack, preventing crime, etc.

The Alternative Close

As the name suggests the audience is given a choice between two types of action. The speakers preferred action is spoken about in positive terms, while the alternative is portrayed in a negative way.

Foe example, in a political speech, the speaker may end their speech as follows: “will you take a gamble on unproven policies or are you going to continue to move forward with the party that has delivered on its’ promises.

The Question Close

A question at the end of a speech will mean the audience will remember it. They will go away trying to think of an answer to it. If it is given earlier in the speech the audience will probably have forgotten about it by the end.

The Give-Away Close

This is effective and commonly used where you are “selling” something e.g. subscriptions, donations, products etc. A discount or a bonus is given away if the listener takes a certain action. Combining it with a time deadline or a limited quantity will create greater urgency.

The Story Close

Stories can be effective in any part of the speech. To be truly effective the story needs to relevant and interesting. The best stories include a human interest element and contain some drama, suspense and action.

The close of the speech plays a vital role in leaving the audience with the right of impression. Many speakers use only one close because they become comfortable with it. An effective speaker uses the close that is most effective given the situation.
For further information please refer to my previous posts:

Effective public speaking closes
How to Prepare Your Conclusion

Just as openings are important in getting your speech off to a positive start, the closings of your speech are important so you leave the audience with a great impression of you and your speech.
Like openings there are a number of ways that an effective speaker can close their speech.  An effective speaker will use the ending that is the most appropriate for the circumstances and their personality.
Because of this there are only few generalizations that apply;
(1)    It should be relevant to the speech
(2)    Brief
(3)    And should come as a surprise
When a speaker is nervous they may apologize and then give a closing a signal such as;
And finally I must tell you
Here is a final story
One last word
I guess you have heard enough of me. You’ll be please to know I’m just about to finish but…
Closing signals like these are a problem for a speaker for 2 reasons
(1)    The audience start to focus on what will happen after it’s over
(2)    Speakers have a habit of carrying on
I think many times a nervous speaker continues because once they have said they are about to finish, some of the pressure comes off because they now can sit down at any time. Their confidence returns because of this.
This post helps with what not to do when closing your speech. In my next post I’ll give some examples that an effective speaker can use to close their speech.
So, my tip for today is -  do not give closing signals. But, if you do, finish up quickly.

An effective speaker will choose an opening that fits the circumstances and their personality. There are many different ways that a speaker can start their speech. And there are only 3 general rules in selecting an opening
(i)    Keep it brief
(ii)    Keep it relevant
(iii)    Keep it interesting
With that in mind here are examples of 5 effective ways that a speaker can open their speech:
Funny Story
This is an effective way to start if you can tell stories and you have a good story to tell. The story should be memorized because (a) humor is difficult to get across when read and (b) if you stumble over the punch line you lose the opportunity. If the story falls flat, move on as if you didn’t expect a laugh anyway.
The Casual Beginning
This is always an effective way to start speech. The audience does not realize you have started and you are into your speech straight away. As the speaker stands up they look over at their neighbour and says “I just saying to “Y” that it is plain to see you are all very interested in ….” And off you go.
Open With A Question
Use a question that makes the audience think and gets their attention. The question should be interesting and not to commonplace. A question like “Do you know what do of the week it is?”, does not ask enough of the audience to get them thinking. However, a question along the lines of “Have you ever played intercollegiate football on a muddy field during a cloudburst?”, will get the right audience interested.
Opening With Facts
This beginning gets you straight into your speech. However, facts can be boring. Try to add some interest when stating your fact. For example, starting your speech with “26,000 birds died along this stretch of coast this year because of oil spills” is ok. But a better way is to express this fact is “Oil spills are a killer and a very painful one at that. It is estimated that 26,000 birds died in agony, along our coastline this year because of this killer.”
Use A Quotation
A relevant quotation will get the speech off on the right note. The quote is given first and is followed by the reason for quoting it. It is easy to find suitable quotes either by traditional means or through the internet. Although they are easy to find an audience is impressed by a speaker who knows them off by heart.
There are other many other openings that can be used such as stories opening, empathy opening, shock opening etc. The type of opening used is dependent on the situation and the speaker. To become a more effective speaker, try out a variety of beginnings rather than sticking to one tried and tested opening.

My previous post on openings in public speaking discusses the importance of them in getting started on the right note.