The ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
It is important to know the basic
structure of an effective speech and imperative to incorporate these concepts
into every speech you prepare.
A Speech is Heard, Not Read
The average speech has only one brief
exposure –the few minutes during which the speaker is presenting it. There is
no chance to go back, no time to let it slowly digest, on opportunity for
clarification. The message must get across now or never.
You
may be an accomplished writer, but you must realize that speaking is something
else. The words may be the same, but the grammar, rhetoric, and phrasing are
different. It is a different mode of expression – a different language.
One major difference is that you have to
build up to a major point and prepare the audience for what is coming. The lead
of a written story attempts to say everything in about 15 t0 25 words right at
the beginning. If a speaker used the same form, most of the audience probably
wouldn’t hear it. When a speaker begins to talk, the audience is still settling
down – so the first one or two minutes are devoted to giving unimportant
information: a humorous comment, remarks on how nice it is to be there, and so
on.
You should also be aware that people’s
minds wander. As your speech progresses, you must restate basic points and also
summarize your general message.
One platitude of the speaking circuit, but
still a valid one, is to “tell them what you are going to tell them, tell it to
them, and then tell them what you have told them.” In this way, an audience is
given a series of guideposts as they listen to the talk.
Some concepts used by writers are of
course transferable to speaking. The words you use should be clear, concise,
short and definite. Use words that specify, explain,, and paint pictures for
the audience.
A Speech Must Fit the Audience
Because every
speech is aimed at a specific audience, you must know as much as possible about
yours. Who are they? Such factors as age, occupation, gender, religion, race,
education, intelligence, vocabulary, residence, interests, attitudes, group
memberships, knowledge, politic, and income may bear on what they will find
interesting.
A talk before a professional group can
also end up being more relevant if you prepare for it by doing some audience
analysis and basic research. Talk to members of the profession. Get an idea of
the issues or problems that face them. If you don’t know anyone in the
profession, at least go to the local library and read five or six issuesof the
group’s professional journal. This will give you some insight and perhaps even provide you with some quotations from
leaders in the field.
In summary, most audiences have a core of
common interests; this should help you to prepare a speech that will appeal to
them. A talk to the stockholders of a corporation should be considerably
diffewrent from one to employees or to a consumer group.
A Speech Must Be Specific
People remember
only a small part of what they hear. You must therefore make sure that they
hear things they can remember. A vague generality has little or no chance of
being understood , let alone remembered. The speech must be built around
specific ideas phrased in clear and memorable language.
A vague statement – for example, “ We
ought to do something about illegal immigration” – has no chance of being
effective. If it were more specific – say,
“We should stop
illegal immigration by requiring everyone to carry a tamperproof identification
card” – it would offer the audience an idea that is definite and
understandable.
A Speech Must Get a Reaction
If a speech gets no response from the
listeners, it is a waste of the speaker’s breath
And the
audience’s time. Regardless of the subject, a speech must convey ideas and
arouse some emotion in the audience. At least the listeners must feel that they
have received new information and insight on a topic that concerns them.
In most cases, the person who is asked to
speak is perceived as an expert on a given subject. Consequently, the audience
wants the benefit of that person’s thinking and analysis. They don’t want
platitudes or statements that are self-evident. An economist should offer more
than the flat statement that the economy is in trouble; he or she should
explain why it is in trouble and what the solution might be.
A Speech Must Have an Objective
This is probably the most important
requirement of all. There is no point in making speeches unless they accomplish
something. In preparing a speech the first step is to determine what you want
the audience to know or do, in other words, what attitude do you want the
audience to have after listening to the speech?
A speech may inform, persuade, activate,
or celebrate. It may also amuse or entertain. That particular kind of speech
will not be considered here, but this does not rule out the use of some humour
in the other kinds of speeches.
An informative speech is one that tells
the audience something it does not know or that it does not understand.
A persuasive speech is designed to
convince the audience about the merits of some idea. Such a speech could try to
convince people that the tamperproof ID card previously mentioned could easily
be adopted and implemented. A similar speech could convince people of the need
for a higher sales tax or better funding for the police force’s crime –
fighting efforts.
A persuasive speech appeals to the
audience’s self – interest. You might mention that more money for police
protection will make the listeners families safer.
An activating speech is designed to get
the listener to do something. Direct and specific action is suggested and
urged. A basic principle of persuasion is that a speaker should provide an
audience with a specific course of action to take: write to a congressional
representative, vote for a candidate, purchase a product, take steps to
conserve energy.
A celebratory speech is designed to
honour some person or event. Such speeches are often trite and boring, but they
don’t have to be. If a person is being honoured for lifetime professional
achievement, why not start out with an anecdote that best exemplifies the feats
being honoured?This is much better than a chronological account of the person’s
life as if it were being read from an obituary.
Events like grand opening, anniversaries, and
retirements usually have friendly, receptive audience. In such cases, you can
be more emotional, and get away with some platitudes, which will probably be
warmly received. When you prepare such a speech, however, keep in brief. Five
minutes should be ample.
A Speech Must Be Timely
Regardless of the nature and the
objective of a speech, it must be interesting now. It must include up-to-date
facts and information; it does no good to talk about a situation that is no
longer current or has no present interest for the audience. If the topic is an
old one, it is imperative that the speaker talk about it in a new way. For
example, everyone knows that dinosaurs are extinct, but their demise still
retains current interest as scientists argue over the reasons for it.
If the speech is one of several in a
general program, it is wise to learn what others will be talking about. This
will provide a context for the talk and add interest by reference to the other
topics and speakers. It will also help you avoid saying the same thing as other
speakers.
Another dimension of timeliness is the
length of the speech. In general, shorter is better. For a meeting that has no
other business, the talk should be about 20 minutes long.
It is a typical practice in many
organizations to put the speaker on after a half hour of organizational
announcements and committee reports. In such a situation, since the audience
will already be getting tired, the talk should last no more than 10 or 15
minutes. If it is one of several speeches, the limit should be 10 minutes.
The time of day is very important. A
morning speech generally finds the audience most alert and receptive. At the
end of the day, with the cocktail hour only minutes away, a speaker is at an
extreme disadvantage. The latter situation calls for more skills on the part of
the speaker; he or she must be more enthusiastic, more forceful, and more
attention – getting than his or her morning counterpart.
