Planning Your Public Speech

There are terrible moments in life when you may have to speak off the cuff, a saying that has come through from the days when men wore stiff cuffs and when faced with such a situation wrote a few suggestions on their cuffs to aid them in an impromptu speech. If this happens just try to make the best speech you can under difficult circumstances. Usually if you are asked to speak in public you know beforehand when you will have to do it and what it will be about.

So you have time to plan. There will be many different times and opportunities for speeches. It may be a wedding and in that case many traditions will be involved. You need to be sure of what you are supposed to be doing. Is it your job to thank certain people such as the bridesmaids or the parents of the groom? If it is then make sure you at least know their names and ferret around and find out what you can about them to enliven your speech.

It may be to "say a few words" at a farewell to friends who are retiring and moving away, or to give an engagement congratulation speech to someone at work. In every case if you have time think about it carefully and make your words "well chosen." If you are asked to speak at a seminar or some major business occasion you will be speaking about your business or your career.
This will give you an opportunity to stand out and to interest many people. If you plan carefully, what you say will not be forgotten.

You will know what your subject is. Begin by assessing the situation and your audience.
Where is it to be held? Will you be speaking in a huge auditorium with an audience of hundreds or will you be speaking to a small but important group of people in a modest sized room. What age will your audience be? There's a lot of difference needed in speaking to a restless group of teenagers than there is in speaking to a mixed group or to elderly people.

To plan the speech itself take the central theme and then name and develop points that will support it. This will give you the material to prepare an outline. Now that you have the substance of your speech, work on it until you have brought it to life. Begin by telling your audience what you plan to cover in your speech, then do it, and then reinforce what you have told them.
Sound dull? Well it must not be.

You can lead into this structure with the usual "Ladies and gentlemen etc. etc. " depending on who is in attendance and how important they are. It could be that ladies and gentlemen come in last after "Prime Minister, Archbishop This or That and General Sir Something or other." Or you may start with "Fellow architects." It all depends on the gathering. When you actually start on the real substance of your talk make it a sentence that will rivet their attention. Work hard on the beginning. Make it a sentence that would grab your own attention. As you speak remember that your body also speaks to that gathering. You are standing or sitting before them so don't be diffident about it. Be confident. Remember your body language is also on display.

It is natural to speak from notes but try not to actually read your speech. People don't like to be read to in public. They assume that if it is a published speech they should be able to get a copy of it and read it themselves later. You may be speaking to them from a typed copy of your speech but try to give it as though you are just speaking your thoughts. Don't memorise it and give it like a recitation either. This is just yourself speaking to people each one of whom will hear it directly and benefit accordingly. Give something of yourself with it and what you say will be remembered.

April Hersey for http://speakerscoach.net/

SpeakersCoach is an organization totally devoted to modern public speaking and presentation skills.By offering fresh techniques to grow talent, I have helped many of the world's leading communicators develop their sales presentations, extend their Master of Ceremonies abilities, and increase their online success. I believe Confidence comes from Technique; so I have collected the world's best resources on how to improve your voice, plan your speech, sell from the stage, increase the humor content in your talk, and expand your speaking career.

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