A Simple Guide To Writing (and Giving) A Speech
|
Nearly as dreaded as snakes and spiders, public speaking ranks high in causing fear in many of us.
Whether your motivation is a desire to learn or simple necessity, here is a really simple guide to writing and giving a speech. Your Topic: is this speech about something already know? Then take a blank piece of paper and write down as many facts as you can think about this subject. Put them randomly around the page with circles or boxes drawn around each thought. Then draw lines to link the thoughts together in a meaningful way. An excellent website for this type of brainstorming can be found at www.mindmap.com.
Once you've exhausted your inner knowledge or, if this is a topic you don't know much about, do a google search (www.google.com) on the topic. Visit the sites that seem to speak to the topic and again write down individual thoughts or ideas on a blank sheet of paper.
Your Introduction: Now take your sheet of ideas and write a 3-sentence introduction. If you were going to describe this to me over a cup of coffee what would you say? A key to giving a speech is a conversational tone. In the introduction tell your audience what you're about to say.
Body: In three subsections (A, B, C or I, II, III or i, ii, iii) expand on your introduction. What is the first most important thing you want your audience to know? The second most important? The third? Make each section about 2 or 3 paragraphs long. Keep referring back to your brainstorm page.
Conclusion: In the introduction you told them what you were going to say. In the body, you told them again in detail. In the conclusion now tell them again. Tell them what you're going to say, tell them, and then tell them what you said. Make the conclusion about 2 times as long as your introduction.
Do you want action with that? A speech is made to inform, to persuade, or to move to action. Finish off your speech with a statement that meets one of those purposes.
As a rule of thumb, a single-spaced, typed page should take 3 to 4 minutes to read through at the correct pace. If it takes less, you're going too fast.
Practice, practice, practice - do NOT read your speech to your audience; either from 5X8 cards or from a typed sheet. To give a good speech you must sound familiar with the material; to become familiar with the material requires repetition. Repetition means reading the material aloud up to 50 times if necessary until you are totally familiar with it.
A good speech also involves feedback. During practice sessions you must recruit family or friends or coworkers to listen to you. Don't ask them if it's "good" or not; rather ask if it sounds conversational. Rewrite as needed to make your sentences sound like a normal conversation.
Fear: Since speech making often causes fear it must be dealt with beforehand. First, familiarity with your content will reduce fear. Repetition causes familiarity so practice, practice, practice. Ultimately, if you need notes for fear you'll forget, you are not familiar enough with the material. If you MUST use notes, keep them to a minimum - perhaps your outline points (introduction, ABC, conclusion).
While giving the speech do not READ, do not look down, do not go too fast. Some tricks - if you wear glasses, take them off. You'll be less nervous if you can't see the audience so clearly. If you have notes you'll be looking down and just make it more obvious how uncomfortable you are - especially if you lose your place and have to stop. Again a sign you are not familiar enough with your material. Instead of making eye contact, look at each individual's forehead. To your audience it looks as if you are making eye contact without actually having to.
Make your speech about half as fast as you feel the urge to. When giving a speech we often speed up making ourselves sound silly and making it difficult for the audience to get your points.
Speech making comes to most of us sooner or later. If you'll think out and organize what you want to say, if you'll practice until you sound conversational, and if you'll deal with fear up front, then you're speech will be well received.
As a final incentive, remember that your audience is not out there to ridicule or belittle you. They are actually rooting for you to give an interesting talk. Do you actually think they're there just waiting to pounce on your mistakes?
Good presenters are worth their weight in gold. How do I know? Just think for a moment about all the poor speeches you've endured. You would have given anything to be elsewhere. Now think about someone who made a memorable speech. Which would you rather listen to? Which would you rather be?
If you have questions about making a presentation, write me at the email address below.
Hal Warfield is a speaker, teacher and coach. Email him at warfield@midsouth.rr.com. Or visit http://www.halwarfield.com
|
|
|
Let Your Products Sell Your Name: For Public Speakers
Wouldn't it be great if you didn't have to be one long, giant commercial for yourself all the time? If maybe your products and your name did the promoting for you? When someo...(related: Public Speaking)
Speech Making - Reasons Why People Dont Listen
Making a speech seems simple. You speak, others listen. However this isn't always the case, in fact one of the biggest challenges for speakers is getting their audience listen.If you have to make a speech - you want it to be memorable and successful. If you understand why people don't listen, you will be more successful at getting them to listen!Here are nine reasons why people don't listen to a speech.1. Message overload.If you are at a seminar and spend most of the day listening, you simply have too much information in your...(related: Public Speaking)
A Simple Guide To Writing (and Giving) A Speech
Nearly as dreaded as snakes and spiders, public speaking ranks high in causing fear in many of us.Whether your motivation is a desire to learn or simple necessity, here is a really simple guide to writing and giving a speech. Your Topic: is this speech about something already know? Then take a blank piece of paper and write down as many facts as you can think about this subject. Put them randomly around the...(related: Public Speaking)
Start Conversations As Easily As You Start A Car
Starting a car is easy. Put the key in, turn it, and the car starts. Would it not be great if starting a c...(related: Public Speaking)
Speak With E?s Part 2
"Educate, Energize, Entertain, and provide an experience for your audience"1. Use the "Rule of 3." The most successful speakers limit their remarks to three major points. Here is where you use your signature stories (your own personal stories) to support your points and help people visualize what you are saying.2. Every five to seve...(related: Public Speaking)
How To Start With Public Speaking
I don't know how many books, articles, manuals and scripts have been written on that topic. But, I am sure that now there is one more. So why do I dare to write another one? Because I have to contribute a different perspective. I found that all these "how-to" writings about speaking focus on 2 basic things:1. How to overcome the fear of speaking in public2. How to write and deliver great speeches.Both attempts focus around techniques. They are well intended receipts, cook-book like laundry lists of ingredients and more or less good description on how to put all that stuff together to come up with an edible meal.Yet, if you want to be a cook you don't start with reading receipts but with developing a love for your area of expertise.
Public Speaking Tips
1. No speech is ever perfect. Perfectionism creates more fear. Do your best and leave it at that.2. Forget about what you forgot to say. Trust t...(related: Public Speaking)
Talk May Be Cheap But Your Speech Should Be Priceless!
Take a moment and imagine if you will any one of the following scenarios:--You've been contacted to schedule an interview for afantastic job opportunity.--You've been requested by your employer to make a key presentation at a Board of Director's meeting.--You have a lunch appointment with a prospective client from amajor account.--You've been asked to fill in for a colleague in teaching atraining session.--You've been designated to represent your organization ineither a live television or radio program interview.<...(related: Public Speaking)
Top 7 Ways To Succeed In The Business Of Speaking
How attractive are you as a speaker? No, your looks, but your consistent ability to provide a quality presenta...(related: Public Speaking)
How To Prepare Your Mind/body To Give Great Speeches
Sure you have catecholamines ? all speakers do. (including Sir Winston Churchill and Presidents Kennedy, Carter, and Reagan.) Those are the chemicals that make you sweat, make your heart beat fast and make your hands shake. Get rid of those chemical and psychological reactions by becoming message-centered and audience-centered, not self-centered.1 Replace fear and negative noise with positive affirmations. Create new beliefs that nurture you and support you with new ways of thinking. The New Adult You! example: "I am well prepared, and the audience wants me to succeed."2. Do a quiet meditation, visualization, or exercise before you speak. Breathe deeply. Deep breathing sends a message to your brain that you have nothing to fear. It calms you down.3 Who cares if you're nervous? Resear...(related: Public Speaking)
Make The Most Of Examples And Stories
Examples and stories can bring your presentations alive. They can transform a dull, dry subject into something which is interesting and alive. When presenters give examples, it helps explain what they are saying in a way that the audience can understand. Examples make the material you deliver less 'information' or and more 'entertainment'.If you can give your examples in the form of stories, you will be using a format that everyone can understand. We were all brought up on stories and some of the greatest influencers in history gave their messages as stories ? remember Aesop and his fables!So, to make the most of the examp...(related: Public Speaking)
Speaking Body Language
I observed an almost surreal event when I was a business student.At the front of the classroom, an entrepreneur was practicing a pitch he...(related: Public Speaking)
site-map - Copyright © 2006 | Contact Webmaster | All Rights Reserved. | Public Speaking