The first law of good speaking is adequate preparation.
Preparing a good speech is like preparing to run a 400-meter dash in a track meet. Each requires many trial runs before the event actually starts. To attempt a speech without preparation is just as foolhardy as to attempt a quarter-mile run without practice. The well-trained and conditioned runner makes it look easy, just as does the well-prepared speaker. To an uninformed person, both the speaker and the runner may appear to be performing effortlessly and impromptu, yet in most cases nothing could be further from the truth. Only many hours of intense preparation make it possible for the good speaker and the good athlete to display great ability. If there is any doubt about this point in your mind, you should ask the person who makes the speeches or runs the race.
There are several initial requisites which should be considered at this time in order to explain
adequate speech preparation. Here they are:
YOUR SUBJECT - Consider It.
- Be sure you can find sufficient material on your subject.
- Be sure the subject your plan to discuss is appropriate to you, your audience, and the occasion.
- Be certain that your subject can be adequately discussed in the time allotted for you speech.
- Weigh carefully the time you allow yourself for preparation; otherwise, your speech will not be fully "grown."
THINK OF YOUR AUDIENCE
To best adapt your material to your audience, you must understand the people in it. It is your obligation to know who you will be speaking to. Are they students, adults, or both? What do they expect from your speech? What knowledge, or experiences do you share? Whether you are taking the time of ten or fifteen persons, perhaps several hundred, you will be wise to give them a speech which is worth their time.
Now that you have considered your subject and analyzed your audience, you are ready to begin the mechanical preparation of your speech. Here are the steps to follow:
THE MECHANICS OF SPEECH PREPARATION
1. Decide on the purpose of your speech, that is, what do you want to accomplish with your speech? What reaction do you want from the people who hear you? Do you want them to understand an idea better? To appreciate something more? To change their minds? To become stirred up and excited about something? To perform an act, such as to vote for or against a candidate or contribute to a fund or join an organization?
In your own mind it is absolutely essential that you now definitely what you want your speech to do to your
listeners. You cannot expect your audience to get anything from your speech if you yourself don't know what you want them to get.
2. Gather material for your speech. Use our research links to locate credible, relevant sources. Having found your sources, you should take comprehensive notes on what you decide to use. Be sure to indicate your sources exactly and completely. This includes the specific names of the articles, books, or websites the material was taken from, authors' full names, dates of publications. If a source is a person, identify him or her completely by title, position, occupation.The validity of your remarks will be no greater than the sources you use.
3. Organize the material in an orderly and logical sequence. This means that all examples, analogies, facts, quotation, and other evidence which you use to support main ideas must be in their proper place where they will do the most good. The best way to achieve organization that is progressive and unified is to prepare an outline of your speech.
4. Determine the wording of your speech. Here you must decide what words you will use when you expand your outline into a full speech. You should not only know "what" you want to say, but "how" you want to say it.
One method for wording your speech is to write it out in full, then read your manuscript aloud several times to master the general ideas and the necessary details. After doing this, you should construct a set of very brief notes containing only the main ideas of your speech and rehearse aloud from them until you master the general wording and order of the main points.
A second method for wording your speech is to rehearse aloud from your outline until you have attained a definite mastery of the words you plan to use.
Do not rehearse by mumbling in a monotone or by "thinking about" your wording. It is usually advisable to memorize your introduction and conclusion, but not the body of your speech. The number of rehearsals needed will depend solely on you, but probably it will be at least four to six times and quite possibly more. In any case, if you plan to use notes while speaking, be sure to use the final copy of your speaking notes during your last few rehearsals.
5. Development a positive mental attitude towards yourself and the entire speaking situation. Expect nervousness and stage fright during your first few speeches. You should realize that although your stage fright will largely disappear after a reasonably short time, your nervousness just before speaking probably will not. You should look upon it as a form of energy that can have a positive effect on your delivery. You will gain self-confidence and poise as you make more speeches; do not be terribly disturbed because you aren't a great success on your first attempts. Take pride in your own personal improvement and feelings of self-confidence.
In your own mind it is absolutely essential that you now definitely what you want your speech to do to your
listeners. You cannot expect your audience to get anything from your speech if you yourself don't know what you want them to get.
2. Gather material for your speech. Use our research links to locate credible, relevant sources. Having found your sources, you should take comprehensive notes on what you decide to use. Be sure to indicate your sources exactly and completely. This includes the specific names of the articles, books, or websites the material was taken from, authors' full names, dates of publications. If a source is a person, identify him or her completely by title, position, occupation.The validity of your remarks will be no greater than the sources you use.
3. Organize the material in an orderly and logical sequence. This means that all examples, analogies, facts, quotation, and other evidence which you use to support main ideas must be in their proper place where they will do the most good. The best way to achieve organization that is progressive and unified is to prepare an outline of your speech.
4. Determine the wording of your speech. Here you must decide what words you will use when you expand your outline into a full speech. You should not only know "what" you want to say, but "how" you want to say it.
One method for wording your speech is to write it out in full, then read your manuscript aloud several times to master the general ideas and the necessary details. After doing this, you should construct a set of very brief notes containing only the main ideas of your speech and rehearse aloud from them until you master the general wording and order of the main points.
A second method for wording your speech is to rehearse aloud from your outline until you have attained a definite mastery of the words you plan to use.
Do not rehearse by mumbling in a monotone or by "thinking about" your wording. It is usually advisable to memorize your introduction and conclusion, but not the body of your speech. The number of rehearsals needed will depend solely on you, but probably it will be at least four to six times and quite possibly more. In any case, if you plan to use notes while speaking, be sure to use the final copy of your speaking notes during your last few rehearsals.
5. Development a positive mental attitude towards yourself and the entire speaking situation. Expect nervousness and stage fright during your first few speeches. You should realize that although your stage fright will largely disappear after a reasonably short time, your nervousness just before speaking probably will not. You should look upon it as a form of energy that can have a positive effect on your delivery. You will gain self-confidence and poise as you make more speeches; do not be terribly disturbed because you aren't a great success on your first attempts. Take pride in your own personal improvement and feelings of self-confidence.
HOW TO BEGIN AND END A SPEECH
The opening seconds of a television commercial are carefully crafted to get your attention. The closing seconds rename the product or service, summarize its virtues, and often suggest where you can purchase it. The person who designed that message knows something you should know, too: The introduction and conclusion of a message are vital to achieving your communication goal. Just as a trumpet fanfare signals the appearance of an important person, your speech introduction signals the arrival of your message to your listeners. And just as most fireworks displays end with a grand finale, your speech should end, not necessarily with fireworks, but with a conclusion worthy of your well-crafted message.
Although they make up only about 20 percent of the total speech you deliver, the introduction and conclusion provide audiences with important first and final impressions of speaker and speech. These elements are too important to the overall success of your speech to be left to change or last-minute preparation.
Although they make up only about 20 percent of the total speech you deliver, the introduction and conclusion provide audiences with important first and final impressions of speaker and speech. These elements are too important to the overall success of your speech to be left to change or last-minute preparation.
Purposes of Introductions
As a speaker, your task is to ensure that your introduction convinces your audience to listen to you. Specifically, a good introduction must perform five important functions:
1. Get the audience’s attention.
2. Introduce the subject.
3. Give the audience a reason to listen.
4. Establish your credibility
5. Preview your main ideas.
1. Get the audience’s attention.
2. Introduce the subject.
3. Give the audience a reason to listen.
4. Establish your credibility
5. Preview your main ideas.
Purposes of a Conclusion
Your introduction creates an important first impression; your conclusion leaves an equally important final impression. Long after you finish speaking, your audience is likely to remember the effect, if not the content, of your closing remarks.
Unfortunately, many speakers pay less attention to their conclusions than to any other part of their speeches.
An effective conclusion will serve four purposes. It will
1. cue the audience that the presentation is ending,
2. reemphasize the main idea in a memorable way,
3. motivate the audience to respond or simply remember the message, and
4. unify the message.
Unfortunately, many speakers pay less attention to their conclusions than to any other part of their speeches.
An effective conclusion will serve four purposes. It will
1. cue the audience that the presentation is ending,
2. reemphasize the main idea in a memorable way,
3. motivate the audience to respond or simply remember the message, and
4. unify the message.
3. Motivate the Audience to Respond
Motivate your audience to respond to the speech in some way.
You may want the audience to think about the topic or to research it further.
You may want the audience to think about the topic or to research it further.
4. Unify the Message
An important way to achieve unification is to develop a link between the introduction and conclusion.