It’s very likely that at one time or another, you’ll be called to make a speech before an audience.  Daunting as it may seem, the ability to give a good speech is within anyone’s grasp, given that they’re willing to put in the effort necessary.  It just takes some confidence, a strong grip on the fundamentals and something that people want to hear!

Preparation

  •  When given a choice, pick a good topic.  The best way to give a memorable speech is to say something that people are interested in hearing.   Current events and concerns make the message real and applicable, and in so doing, demand attention.  Talk about what’s on the front page, what’s in the media and take advantage of the zeitgeist.
  • If you’re assigned a topic that you don’t feel is interesting to your audience, look for common themes that touch everyone – basic interests like love, aspirations, security, friendship.  When crafting your speech, build it around themes that hold people’s interest to connect them to the topic.  So, when tasked to give a speech about the GNP of Haiti, turn it into a story about a typical family’s struggle for survival instead of a stack of charts.
  • Tell a story.  People get interested in stories, and often you can guide them through the points you want to make in order to reveal the rest of the story.  Avoid the classic “begin the story, interject the speech, finish the story” formula – it’s so well used that people learn to tune the middle out.  Thread your story all the way through your speech.  If it’s a report, find the story behind the facts.  If it’s a how-to, make it a story about someone learning how-to.
  • Craft your speech to draw attention.  Don’t just give them a bulleted list.  People have been trained by movies and TV to gravitate through some common storylines and approaches:
    • The “hero’s journey” – a classic coming of age story
    • David vs Goliath – when the underdog wins
    • Challenging assumptions – putting a twist in the plot to deliver an unexpected conclusion
    • Personalities – presenting the development of a character

    Draw some inspiration from a favorite movie or show and see how your speech could progress along those lines.

  • Keep it simple.  If you can’t condense the premise into a sentence, it’s not simple enough.
  • Get the words down pat.  Know your speech.  Study it so well you don’t need your notes – then you won’t need them nearly as much when nervousness kicks in.
  • Practice it aloud.  Get the words familiar to your lips so you don’t stumble.  Time yourself and know about how fast you have to talk in order to deliver it in the proper timeframe.
  • Practice it standing.  If you know you’ll have a podium, practice with a similar substitute.  This solidifies your confidence.  If you’ve already worked all the quirks of your body – how you will stand, gesture, when you will pause, look at notes, etc. you will feel much more familiar with the room at go time.
  • Eliminate “uuhs”, “wells” and similar pause expressions.  They’re terribly distracting.
  • Make notes.  Don’t try to read your whole speech.  Put together a basic outline to remind you of your direction and use it.
  • If your speech requires a question & answer period, go ahead and line up some expected questions and answers.  Also, think of some sources that you can pass along in case of an unexpected question.  For example: “That’s a very good question and a good answer would be a little more in-depth than we have time for here today.  I’d suggest reading…”.

Delivery

  • Speak confidently.  You know your subject, now deliver it.  Don’t hesitate.  If people feel like you doubt yourself, they won’t believe in you.
  • Speak naturally.  Don’t try to adopt an orator’s voice or exaggerated gestures.  People recognize phony behavior – just speak as you would in any situation.
  • Use your notes.  Don’t try to pretend they aren’t there.  Mark your current place whenever it’s convenient with something so that if you get lost, you have a reference point.
  • Show enthusiasm.  Your audience will never have greater enthusiasm than you…
  • Find faces in the audience for feedback.  Find someone who is attentive, then use their expressions to gauge your effectiveness.  If they show confusion, take a bit of time to better explain the point.  Don’t get lost chasing loose ends, but if you can offer a quick example or a descriptive sentence, it’s worth it to get your message across.
  • If you’re asked a question you don’t know, admit it and provide an opportunity to return the answer to them later.

Feedback

  • Record the speech if possible.  Learn from your mistakes for the next opportunity
  • Speak with the audience if possible.  Find out how much they understood and what impact it had.

The best teacher is experience, so my best advice is to take advantage of every opportunity to speak and refine your skills.