Know the basics-what are you saying, who are you saying it to, and how long do you have to get it said? What is the purpose of your speech? What are you trying to say and to whom are you talking? A speech on the benefits of owning a pet presented to a group of pre-schoolers will be totally different than a speech on the role that pets have played in the development of human society given to a group of anthropologists.
I teach business to non-traditional students in the evenings.
To design an effective presentation for this audience, I must consider there needs.
They usually have two classes a night and many of them work a full day before they come to the first class.
By the time they walk into the second class, they are tired and easily distracted.
To keep their attention, I plan lots of group interaction and activities that get them physically moving.
No, we don't do jumping jacks, but I might have them move across the room to form their groups, just to get them moving around and help keep them alert.
In order to effectively reach your audience, you must understand the obstacles that keep them from being fully attentive and help them to overcome those obstacles.
It's important to stay within the time guidelines established for your speech.
Any event at which you speak will have established times to break for meals and an established ending time.
To keep things moving on schedule, all speakers must adhere to the time limits.
A speaker that goes over time may cause problems with meal service or room scheduling, while a speaker that does not fill the allotted time leaves a "dead" space in the event that is difficult for the organizer to fill at the last minute.
If you want to really endear yourself to conference organizers, write a speech that can easily be adjusted to fill a few extra minutes or be delivered in a shorter time frame than scheduled.
Then, if another presenter throws the conference off schedule, you can ask if they would like you to lengthen or shorten or speech to get the meeting back on track or if they prefer you to deliver the speech as planned.
When you show your professionalism in this way, you will garner call backs and referrals to further your speaking career.
Write it down.
Outline your speech.
I like to start by planning the beginning and ending of the speech first.
The beginning of the speech should grab listeners' attention.
Some ways to do this are asking a question, making a starting statement, use a quote, or tell a story.
However you open your speech, make sure the opening ties into the rest of the speech.
Don't tell a story that has no connection to the speech just because it's a good story.
Save that story for another time and find a different story that better fits the speech you are giving.
Your closing should restate your conclusion and tie up any loose ends in the speech.
If you want to have a question and answer period, allow one shortly before you end your speech.
Then conclude the Q & A and go onto your planned conclusion.
This allows you to remain in control of the speech and deliver a much stronger conclusion.
Once you have the beginning and ending planned, think through the speech logically.
How will you take your audience from through your speech? Will you use a chronological order? List your points in the order you will deliver them as the main headings of your outline.
Supporting stories, statistics, quotes, and other information will be your subheadings.
Make sure that you plan appropriate transitions as you move from point to point so your speech will flow smoothly.
Some people will want to write the speech out word for word, while others prefer to go directly to the next step after writing their outline.
Either way is fine.
But it's important to allow for spontaneity as you give your speech.
Don't read it word for word or be afraid to word things differently as you give the speech.
The important points to remember are stay within the specified time frame and follow the logical order of your speech, including transitions.
Practice, practice, practice.
Now that you've got a well-written speech, it's important to rehearse.
Practice the speech until you can go through it without notes and are positive you can deliver it as scheduled.
Then, practice some more.
Think about how you use your voice.
A monotone will put your audience to sleep.
Identify the places in your speech that call for a change in vocal tone or pace.
Watch your body language.
If you are speaking on a big stage in front of a large audience, you will want to use expansive gestures to help fill the space.
Consider your movement on the stage.
"Block" your movements as if you were an actor in a film.
For example, if part of your speech tells stories about your day at the office and part of the speech uses stories about your family at home, one side of the stage could represent your workplace while the other side of the stage would be your home.
As you transition between the two, you will be walking through the middle of the stage.
While it's important to have movement in your speech, movement without purpose is distracting for the audience.
If you follow these tips, you will be well on your way to creating a successful speech.
If you'd like to practice your public speaking skills, consider joining an organization like Toastmasters, which offers invaluable opportunities to improve your communication and leadership skills.
I teach business to non-traditional students in the evenings.
To design an effective presentation for this audience, I must consider there needs.
They usually have two classes a night and many of them work a full day before they come to the first class.
By the time they walk into the second class, they are tired and easily distracted.
To keep their attention, I plan lots of group interaction and activities that get them physically moving.
No, we don't do jumping jacks, but I might have them move across the room to form their groups, just to get them moving around and help keep them alert.
In order to effectively reach your audience, you must understand the obstacles that keep them from being fully attentive and help them to overcome those obstacles.
It's important to stay within the time guidelines established for your speech.
Any event at which you speak will have established times to break for meals and an established ending time.
To keep things moving on schedule, all speakers must adhere to the time limits.
A speaker that goes over time may cause problems with meal service or room scheduling, while a speaker that does not fill the allotted time leaves a "dead" space in the event that is difficult for the organizer to fill at the last minute.
If you want to really endear yourself to conference organizers, write a speech that can easily be adjusted to fill a few extra minutes or be delivered in a shorter time frame than scheduled.
Then, if another presenter throws the conference off schedule, you can ask if they would like you to lengthen or shorten or speech to get the meeting back on track or if they prefer you to deliver the speech as planned.
When you show your professionalism in this way, you will garner call backs and referrals to further your speaking career.
Write it down.
Outline your speech.
I like to start by planning the beginning and ending of the speech first.
The beginning of the speech should grab listeners' attention.
Some ways to do this are asking a question, making a starting statement, use a quote, or tell a story.
However you open your speech, make sure the opening ties into the rest of the speech.
Don't tell a story that has no connection to the speech just because it's a good story.
Save that story for another time and find a different story that better fits the speech you are giving.
Your closing should restate your conclusion and tie up any loose ends in the speech.
If you want to have a question and answer period, allow one shortly before you end your speech.
Then conclude the Q & A and go onto your planned conclusion.
This allows you to remain in control of the speech and deliver a much stronger conclusion.
Once you have the beginning and ending planned, think through the speech logically.
How will you take your audience from through your speech? Will you use a chronological order? List your points in the order you will deliver them as the main headings of your outline.
Supporting stories, statistics, quotes, and other information will be your subheadings.
Make sure that you plan appropriate transitions as you move from point to point so your speech will flow smoothly.
Some people will want to write the speech out word for word, while others prefer to go directly to the next step after writing their outline.
Either way is fine.
But it's important to allow for spontaneity as you give your speech.
Don't read it word for word or be afraid to word things differently as you give the speech.
The important points to remember are stay within the specified time frame and follow the logical order of your speech, including transitions.
Practice, practice, practice.
Now that you've got a well-written speech, it's important to rehearse.
Practice the speech until you can go through it without notes and are positive you can deliver it as scheduled.
Then, practice some more.
Think about how you use your voice.
A monotone will put your audience to sleep.
Identify the places in your speech that call for a change in vocal tone or pace.
Watch your body language.
If you are speaking on a big stage in front of a large audience, you will want to use expansive gestures to help fill the space.
Consider your movement on the stage.
"Block" your movements as if you were an actor in a film.
For example, if part of your speech tells stories about your day at the office and part of the speech uses stories about your family at home, one side of the stage could represent your workplace while the other side of the stage would be your home.
As you transition between the two, you will be walking through the middle of the stage.
While it's important to have movement in your speech, movement without purpose is distracting for the audience.
If you follow these tips, you will be well on your way to creating a successful speech.
If you'd like to practice your public speaking skills, consider joining an organization like Toastmasters, which offers invaluable opportunities to improve your communication and leadership skills.