The Art of Public Speaking

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.