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.

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

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.

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