How to Prepare and Deliver a Speech Effectively?

Let’s face it, it is not an easy task to address masses in a non-native language. Also, it is not impossible to improve from one’s current level. One can look for guidance from a mentor or a coach to get enough feed from their experience by joining public speaking courses in Delhi NCR.

1. FOCUS ON THE MAIN MESSAGE:. If you’ve been asked to give a speech, the first step is to choose a focused message. Even if you’ve been given a theme for your speech such as “inspiration” or “strength,” this is more a general umbrella under which your specific point (and point of view) will fall. Make a shortlist of five ideas for your speech. It can be helpful to write them in the command form. “Strength” a brainstorm of five speech messages could include: “don’t ever give up, “overcome failure,” “build physical strength,” and “know your strengths.” If you feel stuck for ideas, consider if there is a current political or social context that brings new insight to your theme.

2. BUILD THREE SUPPORTING POINTS: By focusing on your central message with supporting evidence, you strengthen it. A stronger message will resonate more with your listeners. To come up with supporting points, ask yourself “why” about the speech message you’ve selected. For example, for “don’t ever give up,” you should ask, “Why should you never give up? Make a list of several possible supporting ideas. Read through your finished list, and at the end, cross off the weaker ones that don’t support your main point as well. This way you’ll be left with the most potent arguments.

3. KEEP YOUR AUDIENCE IN MIND: After you have focused the central message and supporting points for your speech, you can flesh out the rest by considering our audience. Knowing who your audience is and what they are expecting from this encounter can help you pick the right tone to optimal effect.

4. BE A TACTFUL SPEAKER: Some speakers choose to generalize complex topics in a speech because they think it’s easier for the audience to understand. It’s actually better to do the opposite. Listeners tend to connect better with concrete examples and personal stories, so embrace detail in your speech. A personal anecdote about why one shouldn’t give up is more effective than just saying not to. Areas where your passion and knowledge overlap are generally richest. If appropriate to the context, don’t be afraid to tell a joke about the topic. A little self-deprecating humor can make the audience warm to you.

5. BREVITY IS THE SOUL OF THE WIT:  Some of the most effective speeches of all time have been brief. “The Gettysburg Address” was only 15 minutes, while “I Have A Dream” was 17. Aim for brevity. A good formula is to speak for less time than you’ve been asked to, as people tend to vastly overestimate the attention span of their audience.
This article has been prepared by expert faculty at Englishmate, a Hindustan Times venture. More than 7000 students have benefitted from its English speaking courses and other programs on public speaking skills.