So much of what we do at Toastmasters can be summarised under the
heading of Learning by Doing. However, it makes sense that one can't really Do
unless one is first shown How to Do.
For this reason then, I am going to publish the bones of a recent speech
I did on the subject of Speech Construction. It can all be broken down into
Ten basic steps:
- Step 1: The Idea
Select a topic on which you can speak with
conviction, authority and enthusiasm.
- Step 2: The Central Theme
Jot down one or two sentences describing what you
want the audience to learn from your speech. Use this central theme as a guide
during the rest of your speech development, to avoid getting side-tracked.
- Step 3: The Purpose
Decide what you want to achieve through your
speech. For example, do want to inform or educate or entertain the audience, or
do you want to motivate or inspire the audience to action?
- Step 4: The Broad Outline
Introduction; 2 or 3 basic points of the Body; Conclusion
Select one or two phrases describing the content or
approach of each part of the speech. Each part must support your central theme.
Many studies
have shown that people can remember very few of the facts or items of
information that speakers convey. You only need to make 2 or 3 points to have
your talk be successful.
- Step 5: Formulate Your Opening
and Conclusion
The purpose
of the introduction is:
-
To grip and
hold the attention of the audience
-
To motivate
the audience to listen to the speaker’s message
-
To give the audience
some indication what the speaker is going to talk about, and why
Some possible
effective openings:
-
Ask a
question
-
Refer to a
recent event of interest
-
Begin with
an unusual statement or question
-
Refer
directly to the problem
-
Show a
picture, diagram or object
-
Announce
clearly the main points you want to make
Beware of the joke or personal story in your introduction
The introduction should take up about 10 % of the
total time of your presentation.
An effective conclusion draws all points
presented in the speech together, and focuses attention and emphasis on the
central theme.
No new information should be introduced in the
conclusion of a speech.
You might try the following:
-
Summarise
the main points of your presentation
-
Restate your
opening
-
Use a quotation,
statistics, an analogy, or a vivid illustration to epitomize the whole idea
-
End with a
direct appeal for support or action
-
Give your
audience something challenging to think about
- Step 6: Filling in the Details
Concentrating on details right away causes us to
lose direction, and we could end up with a mass of detail rather than a focused
speech.
As you add detail, ask yourself “What is it about
this that is important to supporting my central theme and purpose?”
Do the research that is required to add facts,
figures, examples and quotations to substantiate your content. (Remember that
the source of quotations, statistics and even pictures must be acknowledged.)
Decide on the audio-visual aids you require, e.g.
music, flip chart, overhead transparencies or data projector.
The body of your speech should take up about 85 %
of the presentation time.
- Step 7: Give Your Speech a Title
When your speech title is announced immediately
before your presentation, it should have the same effect on your listeners as a
newspaper headline has on its readers. They will decide immediately whether
they are interested; whether they want to know more; or whether the topic does
not interest them at all.
-
Step 8:
Write the Speech Out, Word for Word
Also,
prepare your audio-visual aids
-
Step 9:
Rehearse and Revise
Check the length of the speech, to fit in
with your allocated time. Say your speech out loud, and time yourself. Have you
taken into account the time that you will use to show visual material, and for
questions and discussion? If your speech is humorous, allow time for laughter.
Check the content. Have you said all you
need to say? Do you have any unnecessary information in your presentation? Go
through it carefully, remembering that after each thing you are going to say,
the audience is going to ask “So what?”
This will help you to determine what information to remove. Go back to
the analysis of your audience, and check that your content meets the needs of
your audience.
Check the balance and proportion. Is there
enough background relative to detail? Is there not too much time spent on one
area, causing you to rush through another?
Check the sequence. Does it appear to be
logical? Order your points so that information flows naturally, leading the
audience comfortably towards your conclusion.
Check for continuity. Evaluate the
transitions between the parts of the speech. Is each part of your presentation
logically linked to the next part? Do you seem to be “jumping” into new
subjects? Make sure you build transition bridges between the various parts of
the speech.
Check for clarity. Do you need to give
summaries of certain sections of the presentation as you go along, because the
content is complex, or contains a lot of information?
Check the opening and
conclusion. All openings must be attention-getters. A good conclusion will
recap the high points of the speech and present a memorable wrap-up statement
or call to action. Have you phrased your conclusion in a way which will remain
in the minds of your audience after they have forgotten the rest of what you
have said?The end should be the obvious
end. It should never be necessary to say “In conclusion…”
Check for purpose. Does
everything still work towards achieving your objectives? Imagine your audience as you
rehearse.
- Step 10: Make Keyword Notes for use during the actual
presentation
The opening and closing sentences should be
written out in full, and memorized.
Any quotations should also be written out in
full. This will prevent you from
misquoting.
Now I know that merely applying the steps as they occur will not
necessarily turn you into an overnight speaking sensation, but it can't hurt to
try the recipe, can it?
Until next time
Ricky Woods
The country was in mourning and everyone arrived at the meeting with heavy hearts and Madiba uppermost in their mind. 
