Whether you're a novice or an accomplished speaker, delivering a speech to a roomful of people can be nerve-wracking. What makes public speaking easier is having a solid, well-written speech. A successful speech usually runs about thirty minutes long and contains five basic parts:
Opener (one to two minutes)
Your opener should set the tone, reveal the topic, and establish credibility and good will. Open your speech with something interesting to get your audience's attention--by asking an ice-breaking question to get them involved, for example. Telling a relevant short story is another way to engage your audience. You can also open with a startling or interesting fact. For example, if you trying to persuade your audience to recycle or donate their used cell phones, you might start with something like, “Discarded cell phones account for nearly 65,000 tons of toxic waste each year.”
Preview (three minutes)
Letting the audience know what to expect will help you to keep their attention. Write a few lines about what you plan to talk about to give them an overall idea of what they’re going to hear. Answer the questions: “Why should I care?” and “How does this affect me?” Using the cell phone example, you could continue with, “The good news is that mobile phone manufacturers have recognized the need for cell phone recycling, stepping up their efforts to stop this enormous threat to the environment.”
Body (twenty minutes)
The body of the speech is where most of the information will be given. Ideally your speech should have three to five parts. This is because, unlike the written word, audiences can only take in a limited amount verbal information at one time. Link your introduction, points and conclusions together using smooth transitions. Make sure each point is developed completely before going on to the next.
The body of your speech should follow a logical, understandable order. Examples include chronological order and reverse chronological order, most important to least important, least important to most important, problem/solution, comparative advantages, to name a few.
Review (two minutes)
Your audience will know when your speech is coming to a close when you review your material. When reviewing, summarize each of the points you talked about, and restate your main purpose, point or goal. Present your main ideas as complete sentences and a single idea.
Close (three minutes)
Just as your opening needs to grab your audience's attention, when closing your speech, you need to leave them with a memorable impression. Close your speech on a positive note with a clear, satisfying conclusion. Use quotations, a narrative or a call to action. For example, “Even without a wireless service plan, donated cell phones are reusable, because any working mobile phone can dial a 911 call center, an FCC requirement” can be followed with a call to action— asking your audience to donate their outdated cell phones.
“Self-confidence is essential,” says Richard Dowis in his book The Lost Art of the Great Speech. “Never doubt for a moment that you have it within yourself to make a great speech.”
Mimi Hashemi - Mimi Hashemi has more than twenty years experience in marketing, public relations, and new business development. With particular emphasis ...
