In considering how best to deliver a speech, it is desirable that a speaker should have some knowledge of the people he is to address. It will be to his advantage to know something of their range of thought and their likes and dislikes. He should also know something of the occasion, such as: Who will be there? What is expected of him? How long should he speak? Will there be any other speakers? What will be the spirit of the audience?
THE BEGINNING
The first impression made by a speaker will often determine the success or failure of his undertaking. He should assume a natural and easy standing position and begin in a quiet conversational voice. His face should be cheerful and somewhat animated, and his bearing should be modest. By modesty is not meant timidity or an attitude of subservience, for lack of self-confidence is destructive of successful effort. It means rather a sinking of self, or a merging of self into the subject in hand. Modesty is not incompatible with leadership, and a public speaker must be a leader.
PROGRESS
There must be evidence of substantial progress being made as a speaker advances in his subject, otherwise the audience will soon become weary and disinterested. A speech should have an onward rising tendency, marked by gradually increasing volume of voice, earnestness of feeling, intensity of facial expression and greater breadth and variety of gesture. Once having secured control of his audience the speaker must keep them so to speak "in his grasp" for should he loosen his hold upon them, even for a few moments, it is doubtful if he could again gain control of them. There should be special strong points in the address, upon which the speaker has particularly prepared himself, all leading up, however, to the great climax which will close his speech.
THE CLIMAX
In every speech there is a summit to be reached, and it is the duty of the speaker to lead his audience to it step by step. If the subject matter has been arranged in climactic order, as it should be, little difficulty should be experienced in working up the vocal climax. Here the highest powers of the speaker are brought into play, voice, gesture, facial expression and body movements, all are summoned to aid him in this final appeal. The man's soul seems on fire as he sends these last burning shafts of eloquence into the minds and hearts of his hearers.
THE CLOSE
Frequently the climax closes the address, although a few words may be added in a quieter style should it be found desirable. These words should be very few, however, and straight to the point. They should be concise, important and dignified. Nothing is more distressing than to have a speech "flatten out" toward the end. The closing argument should be put, as Emerson says, into concrete shape, some hard phrase, round and solid as a ball, which the people can see and handle and carry home with them.
GENERAL SUGGESTIONS
1. Let your first efforts be simple.
2. Do your work under immediate inspiration.
3. Be bold, but not too bold.
4. Make up your mind to accept the risk. Failure should lead to more persistent effort.
5. Prepare twice as much matter as you intend to use. The memory is sometimes treacherous.
6. Cultivate the extempore style as soon as possible.
7. Learn to select your words and cast your sentences accurately and fluently.
8. Be natural, not artificial.
9. Enunciate, deliberately.
10. Regulate the pitch and force of your voice by talking to your farthest auditors.
11. Conceal the bones in the skeleton of your address.
12. Avoid hurry.
13. Be yourself at your best.
14. If you bow, do so from the waist, not from the neck.
15. If your audience appears cold, warm them up.
16. Cultivate concentration.
17. Never let your words overshadow your thought.
18. Better stop too soon than too late.
These suggestion, if carried out, should provide the speaker with a high-quality speech every time.
How To Deliver A Speech
Central to the art of public speaking is the method used to prepare and deliver speeches. If we are sure we know how to go about preparing and delivering a speech, our fear subsides and we can lose ourselves in the preparation of our remarks. Good preparation will allow us to de?liver the speech with confidence and often with pleasure The purpose of this article is to outline and explain the steps of a tried and tested method.
1. Determine the purpose of your speech. Good public speaking is purposeful. There should be a good reason for the time and energy spent in preparing, delivering and of course listening to the speech. The best measure of a speech is what it does for the audience. Therefore the speech purpose should be defined in terms of the audience reaction. To determine the purpose of the speech ask the question, "What do you want the audience to do as a result of hearing your speech?
2. Select the Central Idea of the Speec.h The careful selection of the central idea is one of the most important steps because a major goal of good public speaking is the communication of ideas. The central idea is the unifying factor of your speech. This is achieved by breaking the idea down into subdivisions which can be used as headings for your speech.
3. Selecting the Means of Presenting the Central Idea. Once the central idea has been decided on the speaker is ready to select the means most appropriate to his task. Depending on the task the speaker will select one of, or, a combination of the following means;- Humour - should they joke with the audience Narration - tell a story Exposition 'present data Justify- argument Motivation - appeal to the audience's emotions
4. Researching Information to Support Your Ideas. There are 4 general sources that the speaker may go for help and generally in the following order (i) From himself - the knowledge and experience they have already gained (ii)Reading/Watching - from various sources e.g. internet, books, films (iii) Talking with others - interviewing by phone or face to face (iv)Writing or emailing for data
5. Selecting and Arranging Your Research (Outlining.) It will be usual if your research has been thorough that you will have more data than you can use for your speech. You will then have two problems. The first is what you should keep. The second is what order will you present the material. You will principally refer to the central idea to select the material to include in the speech, based on the relevancy of the material. The secondary points to consider in selecting the items to present are: (i) What is the most interesting? (ii) What is the emotional impact? (iii) Which is briefest? (iv) Which is most illustrative? (v) Which has the most authority?
The arrangement of the materials follows a 3 part process to prepare a working outline; (i) Into 3 parts 'introduction, body and conclusion (ii) Headings arranged into a logical order (iii)The material put in order to support the heading
6. Practicing the speech. Like a play you should deliver your speech several times in front of friends and if possible in the room where it is to be delivered. The closer the practice conditions and surroundings are to the actual conditions you will face the better prepared you will be for the actual delivery of your speech. You should practice your speech until you become familiar with it but not so often that it is committed to memory. You should not commit to memory because you will probably lose the conversational quality of the speech and the speech becomes inflexible.
7. Delivery Of The Speech. A speech should be seen as a sincere effort to communicate and this is done best in a direct, conversational, and lively delivery. It is a sincere effort to communicate not an act or a performance. Approach the position you will speak from enthusiastically. Take a firm but comfortable stance. Your hands should be at your side except when you are gesturing. It is good to move to enhance an idea or relieve any tension you may be feeling.
The main component to the art of speaking excellence is the communication of ideas. The method outlined here will enable you to present your ideas effectively and with confidence.
Both Jimmy Cox & Edward Hope are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Jimmy Cox has sinced written about articles on various topics from Web Development, Horse Racing and Investments. How To Give A Demonstrative Speech In Public And Never Have Another Attack Of Nerves!Click Here For Free Online Ebook. Jimmy Cox's top article generates over 2740000 views. Bookmark Jimmy Cox to your Favourites.
Edward Hope has sinced written about articles on various topics from Public Speaking, Public Speaking and Guide Guitar. Edward Hope is editor and publisher of the recently released ebook "The Art of Great Conversation." To claim your free preview visit . Edward Hope's top article generates over 2900 views. Bookmark Edward Hope to your Favourites.
Buy Fitness Equipment Online Not all people understand about the kitchen and therefore you will need a kitchen expert to advise you on the best safety equipment to choose. Make decisions you wont end up regretting