PART TWO-HOW TO MAKE GOOD SPEECH FOR PUBLIC PRESENTATION

HOW TO MAKE GOOD SPEECH

 

 

PART TWO

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Continued from part one.....

• It is good to use your hands expressively - but do not wave your arms around which will make you look manic.

• Never apologise for your nervousness or your material. You and your speech are probably better than you appreciate but, in any event, if you don't advertise any weaknesses in your style or content, they probably won't be noticed.

• Don't make a rambling opening. There is nothing worse than the speaker who starts with something like: "When I was asked to speak on this subject, I wondered what to say .."

• Make a dramatic opening which seizes the attention with the very first words. This might be a stirring statement: "This year we are going to make a fundamental transformation of our whole organisation". It might be a challenging question: "How can we turn ourselves into an even more successful organisation?" Whatever you do, don't ask a question that invites a cynical answer from your audience: "Are we the best organisation in the country?"

• Have a very clear structure. A good technique is to tell your audience what you are going to say, tell them, and then tell them what you have said. .

• Another possible structure which can work well, if it is appropriate is, to use a narrative or a story. Stories really engage listeners and give a speech direction and flow. For instance, you might be describing how you chose your career or enjoyed a holiday or how a company found success or came to change strategy.

• If you use a narrative structure, you don't necessarily have to begin at the chronological start. Having begun with a dramatic entry point, you can then jump back to the chronological beginning of the story and work forwards. Many novels and films use this structure and it can work for speeches too.

• If you use a narrative structure, you don't necessarily have to finish at the chronological end. You might want to conclude your speech at a dramatic high point - such as when you or the company achieved a particular success - and leave the aftermath to come out in the question and answer session which usually follows a speech. It can be very effective to leave an audience wanting more (rather than the frequent experience of wanting the speaker to hurry up and finish!).

• If it is appropriate, use PowerPoint. It ensures that you stick to your structure and that the structure is clear to your audience. It looks professional and you can use images as well text. On the other hand, use of PowerPoint will probably increase the time it takes you to prepare your speech and it will make it harder to vary the speech on the day if that is what you find you want to do.

•  Finally, many people feel that they've seen far too many PowerPoint presentations and quite like a less formal approach.

• If you do decide to use PowerPoint, slides should not consist of simply a few words or conversely a mass of text. Three to five bullet points of five or six words each is ideal. For further advice on the use of slides.

• Put the main verb early in the sentence, especially if it is a long sentence. So, not: "When we have all the facts and we have considered all the options, we shall make our decision". But instead: "We shall make our decision, when we have all the facts and we have considered all the options" .

I believe this improves your ability in improving your public speaking ability. You may invite your fellows as we learn more in part three.Remember.."Candle doesn't loose its light by lighting another candle"