An effective speaker thoroughly prepares for each time they speak, so they can speak with confidence because they know their audience, their subject and the speech is benefits their listeners.

After they have researched the audience and their subject they  consider the type of speech they are going to make. Are they going to:

(a)    impart information;
(b)    persuade;
(c)    inspire;
(d)    make an after-dinner speech which might well incorporate all three, or perhaps just be something in a lighter vein ?

The above, in the main, covers the majority of speeches.

Impart information
This comes very close to a lecture. However, many speakers do have to impart information so that listeners can form their own judgments. For example, a shop steward talking to the men in his union about the new rates is imparting information. A sales mana¬ger at a conference imparts information. A technician, talking about the technical aspects of his work, imparts information . . .
In a speech of this kind, some important points must be remembered.

(a) Don’t try to cram years of experience into twenty minutes. Preferably, take one aspect of your subject and deal with that thoroughly.
(b) You must be ruthless, and cut and cut. We often elaborate merely to show how able we are. Keep to your time-table, and leave the audience wanting more information. Better that than that the speech should fail because the audience has heard everything and under¬stood nothing.
(c)    Don’t talk over the heads of the audience to prove your ability. Only deal with intricate technicalities if the audience understands
them.
I once heard a speaker talking in public on aero¬dynamics and not half a dozen people in the audience knew what he was talking about. He could have sim¬plified matters considerably and cut out many words which only experts understand, or he could have re¬fused to speak to an audience not made up of aero¬dynamic engineers.
(d)    An effective speaker makes every point clear. If you feel that you have not done so, you can repeat a part of your speech, but word it differently.
(e)    However involved their subject may be, an effective speaker is not as dry as dust. They make their speech interesting. Anecdotes can be told to liven up the most difficult of subjects.
(ƒ) An effect speaker will summarize their main points both during the speech and at the end of the speech.

An effective speaker is able to speak with confidence when imparting information because they are delivering the speech for the benefit of the audience, not to impress them with their knowledge. They are providing worthwhile content.

In my next posts I will cover further the next 3 types of speeches.

Your personal experiences primarily are your foremost source of speech material; those things that happened to you and around you in the course of your lifetime furnish a storehouse of material. You have talked about these incidents and now you extend those conversations to a larger audience.

Another source of material is the written word. The effective public speaker broadens his understanding by extensive reading. He keeps his storehouse from becoming lopsided by digesting editorials, news columns, sports pages, and even the comic strips. By reading, he can mull over the material and what he reads has more time to register than the things he hears. A further source of material covers the broad field of luncheon meetings, dinners, banquets, the theatre, concerts, lectures, and regular radio and TV pro¬grams covering current events.

The outcome of any or all of these is your own analytical and imaginative thinking in reviewing the experiences you have had and the things you have read, heard and seen.

In my previous post on effective speech building I gave the example of the golf club= to follow on that example your research phrase for the golf club could cover:

Can you dig up some little-known historical fact about the club? It isn’t always a good thing to give past history, but on this occasion all the listeners will want to hear how the club achieved success. When was the old clubhouse first built? How was it built? Did the members of the club put it up with their own hands?
Visit the offices of the local newspaper. Ask to be allowed to look through the back files. You may well be able to impart some information to the audience which may not be known even by the oldest inhabitant.

My next post will cover the asking questions step.

You have been asked to speak. You like the subject and can help the audience. To build your speech effectively the first three steps for you to take are:

1.    Think about it for several days.
2.    Research.
3.    Ask questions.

Think about it for several days (but not too many days)

Your personal experiences primarily are your foremost source of speech material; those things that happened to you and around you in the course of your lifetime furnish a storehouse of material. You have talked about these in¬cidents and now you can extend those conversations to a larger audience.

By simply thinking around a subject for several days, ideas will come to you which you will never find in a book. Let us take a simple example:

Although you have only lived in your district for a few years, you have won respect during that time, and have been invited to give the first speech at the open¬ing of the golf club’s new building.

First you have to think about it. What was the first tournament you saw? Did anything happen then which might be of interest to anyone? Can you call to mind some unexpected event which took place while the building was being built? Who has played the largest part in the success of the venture? Can you tell about his drive and energy?

Don’t think about what other people have told you at this stage. Just use your own knowledge of the club, the players, and how the clubhouse was built. Keep your notebook handy, and jot down all the interesting points as you think of them.

It is important to effective public speaking that you can speak confidently about your subject. Your personal experiences help immensely in this area because you know these and will have spoken about them previously in private conversation. You are merely expanding the conversation to a larger audience.

Steps 2 and 3 will be covered in my next posts on building a speech step by step

The first essential for an effective speaker is to be familiar with his subject, or to have such an interest in it that he is prepared to devote a lot of time to research work, so that he can make a good speech.

If you cannot find a good reason for the audience wanting to listen to you, don’t speak. Be selective. Better to give six speeches a year which are good ones, than twelve, half of which are bad. Audiences will quickly forget your good efforts, but always remember the times when you have bored or irritated them. This often happens to people in the public eye. An author may become famous because of his books. Before long he will be asked to talk on subjects far removed from his writings. Too often he accepts these invitations in his search for popularity. It takes time for him to realize that an author need not necessarily understand the implications of subjects ranging from Peace in our time to Does zoology help children?

After-dinner speakers are just as bad. They are sometimes called upon to honor someone they hardly know. They talk on and on and on, when the audience is most anxious for the speeches to end.

This kind of thing loses friends instead of winning over new ones.

What is it that the audience WANTS from you? Find that out and fill the want, and you will be an effective public speaker.

The major wants of most audiences:

To learn something.

To gain money.

To feel sentimental.

To feel pleased.

To benefit health.

To have love and affection.

To feel proud.

Self-preservation.

Amusement.

Faith.

There may be other wants, but these cover most of the ground. Think it out for yourself, and see if you can find any others.

Assuming that you have six steps in your main theme, then you have to try to fill one want with each step.

In summary, to be an effective speaker talk about a subject you know about or interested in, find out what your listeners want and fill that want. My next post will discuss how to prepare a speech to fill the audience’s wants.

When asked to speak on a subject you should either know your subject or be interested in it enough to find out more about. Very few individuals can give an impromptu speech. So if you are not prepared to master the subject the best course of action is to politely decline the request. Otherwise, you may end up wasting not only your time but the audience’s only.

Knowing your subject is a key requirement for effective public speaking today, where it is the conveying of worthwhile ideas that the audience want not fine oratory with little or no beneficial content.

In The Art Of Great Conversation it says the following about the Knowing Your Subject:-

Proficient public speaking requires a thorough knowledge of your subject matter. Your perfectly pitched voice may be pleasing to the ear; you may be a master of delivery and have a fine command of the English language. Despite all these attributes your performance still might be a flop if you are not thoroughly conversant with your subject.

This lack of thorough subject knowledge is the rock that wrecks more public speakers’ ambitions than any other. Veterans of the hard roll and fruit cup circuit frequently pop up with a talk at the sight of a breadcrumb, but often their urge to be heard is hardly worthwhile because they don’t know what they’re talking about.

Audiences are quick to sense it when your knowledge of your subject is superficial and your speech goes over like a lead balloon. Contrariwise, a person may not be considered a first-rate speaker and yet be much in popular demand because he is a recognized leader in his field and knows his subject thoroughly.

My next post in this series on speech building is “Why Should The Audience Listen To Me?”

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.

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

People consider openings to be important for special occasions and events. They will think about them for weeks to get the right words, e.g. when the young man is going to propose or when the employee is going to their boss to ask for a raise.
In the same way a good opening is important in public speaking. Many public speakers are aware of this but will use the same standard opening to every speech. An effective speaker will use a variety of openings depending on the type of speech they are giving.
There are a variety of openings that can be used but here are a few to be avoided;
1.    Thanking too many people
Too many speakers bring in too many names when beginning their speech. It is unnecessary. The fewer names used the better.
2.    Apologizing for speaking
Make it a rule to never apologize about your speech. It starts the speech off on a negative note.
3.    A long introduction
Keep the introduction brief. Too long and the audience will wonder if the speech is ever going to start.
When starting your speech begin in a low key manner. Many speeches that start with a bang then fizzle out as the momentum can’t be kept up. It is much better to start off in a low key manner and build up the momentum through the speech.
There are many different ways that a speech can get started. It doesn’t matter which opening is used as long as it is relevant to the speech, it doesn’t take too long and it starts the speech on a positive note.
My next post will include some ways that effective speakers have used to opening speech the right way.

Speech preparation plays an important part in effective delivery and being able to speak with confidence. Careful and thorough preparation leads naturally to self confidence. You will be more familiar with your subject and will be able talk as an expert in your topic.
Careful preparation invoices a number of actions to be fully prepared. One important aspect is the organization and outlining of your speech.  The recent posts to my blog cover various points to assist in this;
(1)    Organizing Your Speech – Overview of an organized speech and the benefits to the speaker and the audience.
(2)    Introduction – provide a useful template on how to structure an introduction to ensure that the speech gets started on the right foot.
(3)    Conclusion – the components to include in closing the speech to finish on a strong note.
(4)    Main body structure – how to organize a speech so that it is easy for the audience to understand and it is also easier for the speaker to remember their speech.
(5)    Working Outline – How this helps in getting an overview of the speech to ensure everything is included in the speech, there are no unnecessary overlaps or conflicting information.
(6)    Speaking Outline – how this can help the speaker deliver an effective speech
Investing time in speech organization helps the speaker know what is coming next due to the logical structure of the speech. The message is clearer to the audience because it makes it easier for them to follow the speaker’s reasoning.  This will lead naturally to more confident public speaking and speaking to groups.
To learn more tips to speak with confidence in public speaking and conversation please visit www.SelfConfidentSpeaking.com to claim your free preview of The Art of Great conversation

There are two types of outline that are useful in the preparation and delivering of a speech or presentation. The working outline helps in the preparation of a speech and the speaking outline is used by the speaker to assist them in the delivering the speech.

Once the speech has been prepared, the speaker will be familiar with the content but may not be able to remember the order and what they are to present. The speaking outline can help in this situation.

A speaking outline is a very brief outline of the main points and sub-points of the speech using clear and simple words or phrases. The speaking outline will help the speaker recall the order of the speech and what is to be presented.

A speaking outline can be used in the following ways:

(i) Memorizing the outline so that it will not be forgotten. By writing and speaking it several times (from memory) the outline will be remembered. If something is forgotten or the order is mixed up, refer back to the working outline to refresh your memory.
(ii) Writing it on a single piece of paper so that it all can be seen at a single glance. This is especially useful if you have a podium or lectern to rest it on.
(iii) Writing out brief notes on index cards so that they can be help in your hand. This can help you to move freely and not be tied to one spot.

If you need to quote verbatim a large amount of information for the sake of accuracy the speaking outline should include this information.

A speaking outline will help you keep on track when presenting without preventing you from connecting to your audience – you are free to maintain eye contact, gesture and move.

Once you have chosen the best way to organize your speech and material into headings and subheadings (Common ways of organizing are chronological, cause and effect, problem solution). The next step is to prepare a speech outline.
There are 2 outlines that are useful in speaking:-
1 Working outline
2 Speaking outline
The structure of both outlines is similar, however the purpose of each is different and therefore they are different in detail.
The Working Outline
This is used to plan and develop the message and information contained in the speech. It is like the blueprint of a house. It is a brief schedule of ideas and information to be contained in the speech. An outline will normally improve the quality of the speech given.
It helps to ensure;
(a) A unified speech
It enables the speaker to see if;
(i) The topic is related to the speech purpose in an understandable way
(ii) Each part of the speech supports the topic
(iii) The divisions and subdivisions overlap at all
(b) A logical running order
The brief written form of the working outline makes it easier to see the order and re-arrange it for the most effective order. The speaker is not distracted by the details such as wording and transitions.
(c) It is complete
By seeing the speech in outline the speaker is able to see if there are any gaps in the supporting information.
A working outline makes planning the speech easier by getting an overview of your speech by ensuring your information is complete, adequately supports the topic and purpose, and is properly ordered.
The speaking outline will be discussed in my next posting.

For more information on public speaking and great conversation please visit http://www.SelfConfidentSpeaking.com to claim a free preview of The Art of Great Conversation

The primary goals of organizing a speech are to assist in making the speaker’s message clear to audience and to strengthen it.
A speech is normally organized into 3 parts introduction, main body and conclusion. See previous posts to discuss the organisation of the introduction and conclusion.
The main body is where the ideas and message of the speech are discussed and developed. To be effective the main body of the speech is arranged into headings that reflect a pattern of thought that people will normally think about the topic. Common ways to organize a main body are;-
(1) Chronological – this is a logical progression through time. For example if the objective of the speech is to convince the audience to take their polio shot. The speaker may talk about the crippling effect of polio in the past, then the isolation of cause, followed by the development of a vaccine and finish by the decrease in the occurrence since the development.
(2) Problem and solution – this is a common pattern especially in sales presentations. The problem is presented first. The audience must first be made aware of the serious nature of the issues before it is interested in the solution.
(3) Cause and effect – The speech has two main points which can e used in reverse order, e.g.
The effect – Political unrest in Africa. The cause could be – the desire for independence
The cause – Political unrest in Africa. The effect could be – speculation on the future because of the unrest.
The important point in organizing the main body of the speech is that it should support the topic and purpose of the speech

The conclusion to your speech is very important because your audience will form their lasting impression of you and your speech from it.
Conclusions will vary from speech to speech, but the following components are usually incorporated.

1. Summarize

This step summarizes the main points of your speech. An audience requires help to remember what has been said. It can just be a list of the highlights of your speech. Alternatively a less formal approach is to list the points in a summary sentence.

2. Benefits

This can be a helpful component. It helps to remind the audience of why they should listen to your talk. Without a worthwhile reason there is no reason for the audience have listened to your speech. Because of the importance of this reason it can justify the repetition of the benefits component from the introduction.

3. Call to Action

This need only be included where the purpose of the speech is change the audience’s emotion, belief or action or any combination of these, such as when giving a persuasive or motivational speech.
The essential element is to make very clear the essence of the speech or a call for a definite action for example “Therefore act now, sign the petition before you leave this room.”
As with the introduction to a speech there are 2 important characteristics of a conclusion;-
(i) Brevity – if you go on too long, you audience will get bored and start to ask “When will they finish?”
(ii) Relevance – a new point included here can confuse the listener and destroy the effectiveness of your speech
So keep the conclusion of the speech relevant and brief and finish strongly covering the benefits, highlights and a call to action as appropriate, e.g. therefore act now, include a summary and a benefits section in the conclusion to your speech.    

For more tips on public speaking and great conversation please visit www.SelfConfidentSpeaking.com to claim a free preview of The Art of Grat Conversation.

The objective of the introduction is to get the attention of the audience and set the scene for the body of the speech.

The form of the introduction will differ from speech to speech dependent to a great extent upon the amount and what, is needed to get the audience ready for what is to follow.

The most common components used in an introduction are;

Getting Attention

It is usual to use a deliberate method to gain the audience’s attention. There are many ways to do this – e.g. a shocking statement, a question, a joke is told, and a human interest story is told that is related to the rest of the speech. The attention grabbers that are able to be used are only limited by your creativity.

Benefits

The introduction is a great place to include a benefit statement. An audience will listen if they understand it will be worthwhile to them e.g. if they can see by listening they will make more money, have better health, be able to protect their property.

Preview

The preview section is used in the introduction to outline the main points that will follow – also known as an agenda. However, in the case of a hostile crowd it may be wise to avoid or delay this component.

There are 2 overall points to consider when preparing an introduction:

1) Length – The introduction should be long enough to gain the audience’s attention and set up the rest of the speech. Otherwise the audience will be thinking “why don’t they get to the speech?” or worse.
2) Relevant – the introduction should be relevant to the speech and not mislead or contradict the rest of the speech.

In summary the introduction gets the audience’s attention, lets them know what’s in it for me, and what’s in store.

In my next post I will discuss the conclusion and after that I will discuss the main body of the speech.

For more tips on public speaking and conversation please visit http://www.SelfConfidentSpeaking for a free preview of The Art of GreatConversation.

A well organized speech will make it easier for your audience to follow your speech and understand what is being said. It will also make it easier for you to remember your speech because it will follow a logical sequence. You will know what is coming next.

There are 3 parts to organizing a speech ;-

1. Dividing the data and information into three parts the introduction, body of the speech, and the conclusion

2. To organize the main heading of the speech into a logical order

3. To organize the supporting data and information to support each of the main headings

The body of the speech should be planned first. It includes all the supporting information that supports the central idea and the purpose of the speech.

The introduction should be designed to get the audience’s attention and interest, put them at ease, and help them focus their attention on to the rest of the speech.

The conclusion of the speech may include a summary of the highlights of the speech and will include a call to action of some sort dependent on the purpose and intent of the speech or it might simply be an appeal for acceptance of the ideas presented. A speech given to raise funds for a charity will include an appeal requesting funds from the listeners.

A well organized speech in public speaking is important in getting your ideas and infomration across to your listeners. It takes more time and effort but a well thought our order will make it easier for your audience to follow. Over the next few posts I will outline the steps to organize a speech for maximum impact.

There are many situations when you will not really have a choice of topic. Circumstances and situations can dictate it. But where there is no such dictate it can be difficult to choose. Outlined below are some considerations in choosing your public speaking topic.

1. Determine the subjects you know about.

Your choice is limited to the subjects you are familiar with. It is best to stick with what you know and are interested in . You can then speak with confidence on it. It is possible to choose topics you have no experience in but it will take time to gather the research. And it is more difficult to speak confidently on a topic you have no personal experience in. Can you speak with authority on the subject and will that come over in your delivery?

2. Consider your audience

The speech should fit with the type of audience you are going to speak to. A serious topic is probably not appropriate at a banquet where entertainment is what the audience will want.

Will the subject you have chosen interest the audience and will it be worthwhile to them to listen? This is the best test of your subject. Therefore get to know your audience – their age, interests, reasons for attending, who is organising etc?  

3. Choose as soon as you can.

Do not spend too much time in choosing your subject. Come up with your topic as quickly as you can so that you can swiftly move on to preparating and practicing your speech.    

In summary know your audience, choose a subject that interests them and you. Choose it as soon as you can and this will leave you time to get your speech thoroughly prepared and practiced.

for more information on speaking with confidence in public speaking and conversation visit http://www.SelfConfidentSpeaking.com to claim a free preview of The Art of Great Conversation.

After you have completed your research and decided on the purpose and developed your theme, and before you start to write your speech, it is a good idea to prepare a working outline. This is used to plan and develop the speech. It briefly states the theme,  headings and subheadings of the speech.

Good houses are  usually built with a well prepared plan. It is the same with good speeches. They need a good working outline. The outline  will ensure the speech has harmony, sequence and completeness.

 Harmony

You are able to view the speech as a whole with out the distractions of a written speech such as the language used. This helps to check the harmony by:-

(i)   Is there an effective link between the theme of the speech and it purpose

(ii)  Do each of the headings and subheadings support and/or develop the theme

(iii) Enables all supporting information to be united into a single piece of  communication

(iv) The speaker can see and remove any overlapping portions of the speech that could be confusing to the listener.

Sequence

The outline will help you determine the best sequence for the speech. As in harmony you are able to see the sequence of the ideas without the distractions of a speech written out in full. You are able to “visualise” the speech and see the ideas in relation to each other. You can re-sequence the speech until you achieve the most effective order for your speech.

Completeness

You can readily assess the completeness of the headings and supporting information in this form. You are able to spot gaps in any missing sub headings and supporting information.  

By completing a working outline it makes the organisation of your speech easier by giving you an overview of your speech, enabling you to check the completeness of theme and supporting information and sequence your speech in the most effective way.

For more public speaking tips, please claim your free preview of my resource “The Art of Great Conversation”  by visiting http://www.SelfConfidentSpeaking.com

Public speaking is but conversation with more people present. And the best public speaking is conversational in style. In conversation it is common to use collquialisms and addled adages to communicate.

The aim of public speaking is to effectively communicate. By using colloquialisms and adages you can sometimes communicate more in a few words than 5 minutes in foraml English.  To be effectic public speaking it is better to use common everyday English than fancy expressions because colloquial English is the language most people use privately and are most likely to grasp.

Your audience has gathered to hear you to speak in a way that they understand, not a word perfect incomprehensible oratory. Short words should be used in preference to long ones. Even William Shakespeare supported this when Hamlet asked the question ” To be or not to be” – a huge question asked in the shortest words.

In addition to colloquialisms use adages. Unlike cliches they have not become overused. They are short sentences based on long experience. A few examples are;

If at first you don’t succeed, you are like everyone else.

Too many martinis spoil the broth

Early to bed early to rise until you have enough cash to do otherwise.

When preparing your speech use simple language. Use colloquialisms and adage where they are more effective than grammatically correct English. The only caution is that it should be understood by the audience – common sayings in one part of the world may not be used elsewhere – and it should not offend the listener.

Take a look at my resource for more tips on speaking with confidence   ”The Art of Great Confidence”. To claim a free preview visit http://www.SelfConfidentSpeaking.com

Let In Laughter

Never consider your subject so serious that you won’t consider using humor in your talk. Using humor will will light up your speech and lighten the audience’s mood.  Only a small amount of humor is needed in the same way that it can be used in conversation.

A small amount practice can make your talks more entertaining.

In using humor it is useful to comment on happenings of the day, e.g. eating and talking often go together – these comments may be used to add some spice;-

Heavy eating can make a man thick at his stomach

Waiters turn your check face down to keep you from choking to death

By keeping you eyes and ears open you will soon find more humorous stories and anecdotes that can be used to brighten up your talk.

Copying

Try to avoid copying other speakers. Imitating may be a great flattery to the other speaker but it can detract from your delivery as it can appear false. 

It is great to observe other skillful speakers and study what they say and how they say it.  You can then apply those observations to improve your perfomance by using them as a model.

Using Cliches In Your Speech

Either avoid using cliches altogther or keep them ot a minimum. Using cliches leaves your listeners with the impression that you lack originality.

There are a great many factors that will determine the language that you use in your speech. Factors such as - the type of listeners, the ideas you are seeking to convey, the type of speech (informative or persuasive), your own natural style.  There is not one perfect set of language that will cover every circumstance.

There are very few rules that cover every occasion;-

Dont’ speak up to your audience

Your audience will quickly sense this and you will lose any goodwill that you had before you started to speak. The audience will think “Who does he think he is?

Don’t speak down to your listeners

Also they will quickly catch on to any inferiority behavior and interpret it as a phoney air. Your speech will be dead in the water.