How To Give A Great Speech

How To Give A Great Speech

What is a great speech?

- Great speeches are primarily emotional, not logical

- Small shifts in tone make an enormous difference to the audience, so sweat the details

- A great speech has a clear voice speaking throughout

- A great speech conveys one idea only, though it can have lots of supporting points

- A great speech answers a great need

How to organize your speech?

A good speech must have structure. By providing your speech with a beginning, a middle, and an end, you will lay the foundations for a successful speech.

Opening

The first minute of your speech are very important. In those sixty seconds you must grab the attention of the audience, and engage their interest in what you have to say in your speech. This can be achieved in several ways. For example you could raise a thought-provoking question, make an interesting or controversial statement, recite a relevant quotation or even recount a joke.

Don't make a incoherent opening. There is nothing worse than the speaker who starts with something like: "When I was asked to speak on this subject, I wondered what to say .."

Instead make a dramatic opening which seizes the attention with the very first words. This might be a stirring statement: "This year we are going to make a fundamental transformation of our whole organisation". It might be a challenging question: "How can we turn ourselves into an even more successful organisation?" Whatever you do, don't ask a question that invites a cynical answer from your audience.

Once you have won the attention of the audience, your speech should move seamlessly to the middle of your speech.

The middle part, the body of your speech

The body of your speech will always be the largest part of your speech. At this point your audience will have been introduced to you and the subject of your speech (as set out in your opening) and will hopefully be ready to hear your arguments, your thoughts or even your ramblings on the subject of your speech.

The best way to set out the body of your speech is by formulating a series of points that you would like to raise. In the context of your speech, a "point" could be a statement about a product, a joke about the bridegroom or a fond memory of the subject of a eulogy.

The points should be organized so that related points follow one another so that each point builds upon the previous one. This will also give your speech a more logical progression, and make the job of the listener a far easier one.

Don't try to overwhelm your audience with countless points. It is better to make a small number of points well than to have too many points, none of which are made satisfactorily.

Close

Your speech closing is the most critical part of your speech even more important than the opening. An effective speech closing summarizes your main arguments, resolves loose ends, provides some further food for thought, leaves your audience with positive memories, and ends with a final thought. A poor speech closing is usually one that is absent altogether, one that drags on for half the speech, or one that fails to make any sort of conclusion at all.

How to prepare for your speech?

“Failure to prepare is preparing to fail”

Making a good speech starts weeks before with thorough preparation. You should have been thinking of themes and points, noting down ideas and sources, crafting phrases and sentences.

Without a great familiarity with your speech, you are putting yourself at a significant risk of failure.

It is very important to practice the speech:

- Set a timer. You should know how long your speech needs to be. If you can't deliver the speech within the given amount of time, then you may need to shorten it or lengthen it. Remember to include time for a Q&A period if appropriate.

- Practice your speech in front of a friend or a mirror. Practice looking up at your audience so that your eyes aren't always on your notes.

- Speak slowly and annunciate clearly. Pause between the sections of your speech so that your audience can digest the information.

- Mark up your speech as you go with a pen or pencil. If words sound unnatural to you or a sentence is awkward as you speak it, mark it out and edit it to make it sound natural.

- Make a video recording of yourself as you make the speech. Analyze your appearance, your body language and your delivery.

- Practice. If you've delivered your speech in rehearsal multiple times, then you will feel much more confident on-stage.

- Find the story of your speech, find the outer outline. If you can remember the flow of the speech, its story, from start to finish, then you're OK. It will be very unlikely that you will lose yourself when delivering  the speech and you will be very comfortable during your delivery.

It is also very important to know your audience. Are you speaking to children or adults? Are you speaking to people who know nothing about your topic or people who are experts on your topic? Understanding your audience will help you to target your speech appropriately.

Not knowing the location where you will give your speech can be devastating.

This checklist should act as a guideline to items you should consider when preparing

What is the capacity?

How many people will attend?

What are the dimensions of the venue?

Is the venue on a single level?

Will you be at the same level as the audience?

Will you be speaking with microphone?

Will there be a power source?

Will there be a computer?

Will there be water available?

Will the computer be connected to a screen visible by the audience?

Where will you be positioned prior to the speech?

Will you be standing during your speech

Will there be a lectern or table?

Will the lights be on? On stage?

How to deliver the speech?

It's time to deliver your speech in public. You're probably nervous, but that's normal. As seen above there is much preparation you can do that will put your mind at ease and make your public speaking event a comfortable, enjoyable, day.

Once you are called upon to make your speech, pause for a couple of moments before actually starting your delivery. If you've had to walk up to a platform this will give you time to steady your breath. If you are nervous it gives you time to take a few shallow breaths. In any event, it gives the audience an opportunity to settle down and focus on you and your message.

If you are not using a microphone, be aware of the need to speak sufficiently loudly that the furthest member of your audience can hear you clearly. Take the opportunity to move around a little which will help to command attention.

If you are using a microphone, speak at normal volume, but a little more slowly and distinctly than if you were not using amplification. Don't move around because you'll leave the microphone behind, unless it is fixed to you.

You should convey a sense of enthusiasm for the subject. This will effect your delivery and how your speech is received.

Occasionally alter the speed, volume and tone of your delivery. Speaking slower or faster and quieter or louder and being more cheerful or more serious all adds dramatic effect and keeps the attention of your audience.

Regularly sweep your eyes left-centre-right and back and front-middle-rear and back, so that you engage all members of your audience.

It is good to use your hands expressively but do not wave your arms around which will make you look manic.

Count up to 5 in your head before leaving the podium at the end of your speech. Acknowledge your audience with a smile, a brief nod or a slight bow, if appropriate.


Christiaan Janssens
Executive Coach
CRO @ Spa Akwa Belgium