Art Of Great Speaking

In public speaking getting the audience to be part of the speech is a great way to keep them interested. 

Here is another way to cause people in an audience to feel they are a part of the program is to label or “tag” them frequently. That is, refer to them as, “My friends . . . ladies and gentlemen . . . fellow citizens . . . fellow Americans . . . neighbors . . . kind friends . . . ladies in the audience will agree . . . you gentlemen know . . . you housewives realize . . . students . . . young people . . . you farmers here tonight know . . . you businessmen see, and so on.
When a speaker sincerely, and favorably labels an audience he indicates a personal interest in the people. And this also causes listeners to feel the speaker is conversing with them direct¬y “off the cuff” rather than delivering a prepared oration designed to high pressure them into agreement.
Speakers with’ friendly informal receptive, and flexible at¬titudes toward audiences will be alert to inject intriguing bits of showmanship into their speeches. They will be more interested in getting a successful speaker-audience human relationship than in gathering persona? prestige or glory. But by getting this over¬all harmonious relationship a speaker receives the personal bene¬fits indirectly.
When a speaker uses showmanship effectively an audience feels, “That’s our boy!” and, “This is our experience rather than his monologue.”

Ideas for including showmanship in your talks:

1. Plan an interesting bit of showmanship for your next talk.
2. Make a list of all the illustrations of showmanship you have
observed in public speaking.
3. Have you observed some attempted showmanship that failed?
Why did it fail? Or if you haven’t observed tfiis what might cause
attempted showmanship to be ineffective?
4. Describe an able “showman’s” manner.
5. How would an able speaker handle the following situations
if they occurred while he was speaking:
a.    The power fails so the lights all go out.
b.    Someone in the audience calls out, “Who told you you
could speak?”
c. A cat enters the room and walks up to the speaker.
d. A baby in the audience cries.
e. Two people in the front row are whispering constantly.
£.     You discover you have forgotten your notes when you
walk out to speak.
g.    The chairman does a very poor job introducing you.
h.    People are obviously tired physically when you come out to speak.

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Here are some advantages and techniques to getting your audience to work together in public speaking:

Anything an audience does in unison tends to encourage harmonious thinking, and thus contributes to a persuasive effect. Having done things together at the beginning of a speech listeners are more inclined to agree when a speaker asks for action. Also a spirit of good will and general agreement is fostered. Most people like to smile, to laugh, or to enjoy a listening experience. So touches of humor can be persuasive, although humor should not be emphasized in a persuasive speech. Many effective persuasive speeches contain no humor but much human interest. Good willed humor, when used in a spirit of congenial fellowship, however, has a wholesome effect. But “Smart Aleck” humor, or the type that gives a speaker a “Boy-am-I-witty!” manner, does not impress listeners favorably.
A speaker can add interest to his speech by having some popular local citizen participate in it. For instance, at a banquet a speaker was introduced to Mr. Roberts, a local jeweler. Roberts immediately told the speaker a joke. It wasn’t really humorous. The speaker didn’t even get the point. But he knew Roberts was the type of person’ who would be overjoyed to tell a joke to the audience.
So’ the speaker began his talk that evening by saying, “Now I understand some speakers try to be comedians, but I’m not going to try that this evening, because I know there is a local humorist here tonight — Mr. Roberts!”
This statement got a fair laugh. And the speaker continued, “He told us a joke before dinner which I’ll admit I didn’t get because I’m a little thick. He had to explain it to me. He doesn’t know I’m going to do this, but I want him to tell that joke again and see if you can figure it out.”
Roberts came through nicely. He was proud as punch to perform. The fact that his joke wasn’t very funny, didn’t matter. He got a big laugh and a big hand for his spirit, and the speaker was off to’ a congenial start.
After the speaker concluded, Mr. Roberts, beaming from ear to ear, went up to him, shook his hand as though they were old college chums, and pinned verbal bouquets all over him. Roberts chatted enthusiastically for several minutes — even told a couple more jokes!
When a local person takes some part in a speaker’s program indirectly the entire audience feels they have participated.

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Being able to develop self-confidence doesn’t usually happen at once.

An able showman, having complete self-confidence and not depending upon a canned speech, has the ability to ad-lib when unusual circumstances occur.
For instance, when a college professor was introduced as a speaker for an audience of business executives he didn’t get any applause. In fact, his audience just sat and looked as though they were angry for having to be present.
Of course the speaker expected some applause, but when he didn’t get any he completely changed the beginning of his speech. Instead of starting immediately with an illustration, as he had planned, he applauded himself as he said, while grinning widely, “Why shouldn’t I applaud me? The good Lord knows if any¬one needs encouragement I do!”
Then, entirely unplanned, he continued with this illustration:
College professors can be dull. I know! — because two of us were on a speaking program recently. One’s bad enough, but think of two!
Well, he spoke first, and I went to sleep.
Then I spoke and he went to sleep.
Now I don’t blame him for going to sleep, of course, but why did that buzzard have to snore?
A fat man in the second row grinned. Other listeners loosened up a bit. And soon they willingly listened to a speaker they thought would not be worth hearing. The speaker had used showmanship to get interest. What would have been the effect if he had showed himself displeased with his audience, if he had reprimanded the listeners for their lack of courtesy or enthusiasm?
A tactful, persuasive speaker recognizes adverse conditions instantly and adjusts harmoniously to them.
Abraham Lincoln, for example, became highly successful in winning the goodwill of unfriendly audiences. Notice his speak¬ing approach to some people in Southern Illinois who had seriously threatened to “nail his hide on a barn door” if he tried speaking to them against slavery:
Fellow citizens of Southern Illinois, fellow citizens of the State of Kentucky, fellow citizens of Missouri — I am told there are some of you here present who would like to make trouble for me. I don’t understand, why they should. I am a plain, common man, like the rest of you; and why should I not have as good a right to speak my sentiments as the rest of you? Why, good friends, I am one of you. I am not an interloper here. I was born in Kentucky, and raised in Illinois, just like the most of you, and worked my way along by hard scratching. I know the people of Kentucky, and I know the people of Southern Illinois, and I think I know the Missourians. I am one of them, and therefore ought to know them; and they ought to know me better, and if they did know me better, they would know that I am not disposed to make , them trouble. Then, why should they, or any of them, want _ to make trouble for me? Don’t do any such foolish thing, fellow citizens. Let us be friends, and treat each other like friends. I am one of the humblest and most peaceful men in the world —would wrong no man, would interfere with no man’s rights. And all I ask is that, having something to say, you give me a decent hearing. And, being Illinoisans, Kentuckians, and Missourians — brave and gallant people — I feel sure that you will do that. And now let us reason together, like the honest fellows we are.

Understanding your audience is an important part of succeeding as a public speaker. If you want to learn more about being a successful public speaker, try out our free e-course delivered direct to your inbox by typing your name and email into the box to the right and get sent direct to you.

One aspect of being audience centered in public speaking is speaking in a way that they can relate to them. Here is the follow on to my previous post on audience speaking

In the previous post our speaker talked in a strong, informal, friendly manner. The boys mentally termed him a “regular fellow.” He won their confidence and goodwill. They listened voluntarily even when he talked about the “straight and narrow.”
A short time later this speaker agreed to speak at a rest home for the aged. Did he begin his talk to these old people by dis­playing Tommie Thomas’ bearded mug and exclaiming, “How would you like to meet him in an alley at midnight?”
No. He talked about the old horse and buggy days, which he could remember as a boy, and which he knew every person in his audience could remember very well. He talked about the time they were bright as new century dimes, when the longest way was the sweetest way home, kerosene lamps, crackling fire­sides, and the home folks. He saw twinkles come to weak eyes and smiles to faded lips because his speaking was touching chords of basic interests in their experiences.
Most old people like to dream of the pleasant past. This speaker knew that so he dreamed with them for a while. His purpose, however, was not to encourage idle dreaming but to help even his aged audience see a bright future. This he did as he continued speaking. But he built attention into strong interest
by starting with material that was naturally interesting for his audience.
A careful speaker studies his audiences and selects material which will stimulate their natural or special interests.
What topics would appeal to an audience of high school freshmen? If a speaker has been a freshman he can recall his own interests or from observation and imagination determine the interest of such a group. Of course everyone in that group may not be vitally interested in how to be popular or in high school basketball. But most of them probably will be. And all a speaker can do is to slant his material so it will appeal to the greatest possible numbers.
Stories in which people can identify themselves, perhaps put themselves in the hero’s shoes, have universal appeal. People are constantly interested in themselves, the things they want or have, or the things they wish they could have but secretly fear they shall never get. They like a challenge, a struggle, a fight of some kind, even though it may be no more than a man trying to climb a mountain.
People like to hear about things and other people near them, about tangible articles they see every day and understand. Wealth, property, health, security, and love (of various types) has wide interest appeal. Studying the parables of Jesus indicates that the world’s most persuasive speaker talked about conditions and things near the people and in terms they could clearly under­stand. Abraham Lincoln would have preferred telling a story about a pig rather than one about a rare crustacean. More re­cently, Winston Churchill talked a “tears, sweat, and blood” language.
A truly persuasive speaker talks the language of common people; he understands their needs and wants. Being sincerely and deeply interested in them he causes them to feel that working together they can achieve the desired ends. This type of speaker encourages favorable results not only because he understands human nature, but also because he works in harmony with it.

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How do you start your speeches? And, how do you keep your listener’s attention?

A few speakers begin their messages with an interesting illustration or a series of jokes, then think they can be as dull as a rusty axe throughout the remaining amount of presenting time, yet keep the undivided attention of listeners.
But the nature of attention is such that it won’t continue to be active except if it is continually stimulated. Attention is rather like an auctioneer’s cry: Going -going -gone!
The average span of attention is from  3 – 8 seconds only. Therefore if a public speaker does not say or do something to maintain attention, the typical listener’s mind are going to be elsewhere in just a few seconds. Many subjects, other than the one the speaker has selected, invite attention. A listener might be looking directly at a speaker but contemplating yesterday’s ball game, tomorrow’s date, next weeks vacation. A public speaker, to be highly effective, must grab a persons attention so securely they cannot, or perhaps do not want to turn their attention from his speech.
To achieve this, of course, all the material a public speaker uses has to be intriguing. And this interest will be increased when public speakers present their material, in as far as possible, in words that create vibrant mental pictures in the listeners mind.
As an example, Brad Jnr said, “I saw Mademoiselle Minnie Curves wiggle-walking to the apple polishers’ row.” The term “wiggle-walking” illustrates Minnie much more obviously than a page filled with phrases such as: Her manner indicated that the young lady desired the interest of men; she moved in a manner designed to appeal to the interest of men, or, she was a young lady who indicated by the voluptuous way she manipulated her external extremities that she had a promiscuous perspective toward members of the opposite sex.
Next is a genuine human interest tale. However it is told in a general, non-picture-making, dull manner:
Once upon a time a person stopped at a restaurant for refreshment.
As he neared the cafe he noticed the owner standing in the entrance. Evidently the proprietor was unhappy about something. Her manner was not at all good-natured as the prospective patron neared. In fact, the condition of human interaction was so inharmonious that ultimately the potential customer left without purchasing anything.
Here’s the very same tale in a talking picture framework:
During the great depression of the 1930′s, when a nickel could buy a box of aspirin or get in touch with your sweetie on the telephone, an adolescent guy known as Roy stopped at a small restaurant in the suburbs of a city in Texas.
As Roy started to go into the cafe he observed a large lady standing right in the entrance, right behind the screen.
He believed she would step aside and let him enter. But instead she demanded in a standard irritated mother-in-law’s voice: “Just what do you want?”
Roy’s brown eyes widened and his young mouth parted in astonishment. But he was able to ask, “I would just like a cone of ice cream, please.”
“We ain’t got any!” the woman snapped.
Roy looked at her for an instant, and that was enough.
That woman would have to sneak up on the dipper to get a drink of water. Her large hatchet face had a scowl on it that could have put a Texas “norther” to shame.
However , Roy did not give up – yet. He tried again with, “Then I would like a bar of candy.”
“We ain’t got any of that either!” was the reply. And click! She secured the screen door right in his face.
Roy looked up at the Pepsi Cola sign on the restaurant, but he thought, what is the use in asking about?
As he turned to leave he overheard some other female in the cafe say, “I wonder what he really wanted, anyway?”
“I have no idea,” said the large lady in the doorway, “but I’d my rifle ready!”

The power of picture talking can help you be a more effective public speaker. This is what the two examples used above were to show. You ma not like the examples, but I think you may agree they illustrate the point. Any how, if you want to know more about using picture talking and become an effective public speaker, check out our free e-course by entering your details in the box to the right.