Speaking is an act of communication.
The basic purpose of communication is to convey an idea or a thought from the speaker to the audience. When giving a public speech, the speaker is meant to be
believed. If the speaker is not believed, then the entire speaker’s effort to
communicate his idea or thought will not be accomplished.
Several books have been written on how
to give and how not to give a speech. This article is just to throw more light
in its simplest language on just how to do that (public speech giving).
There are three basic elements which a
speaker should always consider before mounting any podium to give his speech. I
term these elements, the 3 C’s
of speaking. They are;
Consider yourself:
Considering yourself have to do with taking notice of your strengths,
weaknesses, knowledge on the subject, your ability to deliver the subject and
your composure when delivering your speech.
Consider your purpose:
This second consideration, there are two forms of purpose i.e self
benefit and public benefit. The purpose of your speech is determined by
these two forms. Your speech could be to serve yourself (for example: a
politician who is campaigning will give his speech in such a way that he hopes
the audience are moved enough to give him their votes). The other form could be
to serve the public’s interest (for example: a motivational speaker who is
called upon to talk to give a talk to the youths of a local church, to
encourage them to be self-employed).
Consider your audience:
For a speaker to consider his audience, he has to know the type of group he is
speaking to; are they students, doctors, professors, farmers, retired civil
servants, a religious body or any other type of group. The speaker has to
prepare his speech in such a way that his ideas and words are easily
assimilated by the audience. The speaker has to consider his choice of words,
level of explicit contents, usage of terms e.t.c.
Steps In Preparing And Delivering A Speech
For a speaker to give a worthwhile
speech, he has to present and deliver his speech in a well-detailed manner.
Mannerism is very important in public speaking because it has its way of
turning on or off your audience. A speaker has to put in mind that his audience
is made up of people with different level of understanding. The speaker is
expected to prepare and deliver his speech in such a way that he uses the right
gestures, smile where necessary and he must be a person of humor.
Below are some steps in preparing and
delivering a good speech.
- First, stand with confidence.
- Make sure that you are dressed according to the type of audience you have. Dress smart and neat, have a neat hair cut and put on a smile.
- Start by recognizing the audience.
- After recognizing the audience, begin your speech with a joke, humorous observation, or a question that can arouse the curiosity of the audience.
- When giving your speech, use gestures. Do not stand at a place like a stump of tree, or pace around nervously.
- Use pause often. This gives the speaker the change to catch his breath and adjust his composure.
- Do not rush your words because of time. You could end up crashing.
- Always note the tone of your voice. Is it too high or too low.
- Use examples that relates with the topic before you.
- Let your emotions be that which makes the audience feel at ease. When you wear an angry face, or a face that expresses fear or surprise, the audience can spot it quickly.
- Show interest in the topic you are delivering.
- Use simple words. When your terms become bogus, the audience could lose interest in your speech.
- Always leave your audience with the determination to act.
- End by summarizing all your important points. You could also end with a relating quote or a catchy phrase. The audience could use this to remember all you’ve said.
- Walk with your head held high.
Conclusion
Audiences are usually critical of a
speaker’s opening and closing remarks, so always give considerable thought and
attention to the best ways to begin and end your speech. Regardless of how the
speaker chose to begin or end his speech, what he says and how he says it are
very important.
Most importantly, do not just end your
speech suddenly, carefully plan the finishing points as they are very powerful
in delivering a good speech.