Tips For Successful Public Speaking

Some Opening Techniques

• State importance of topic.
• Startle the audience.
• Arouse suspense/curiosity.
• Tell a story.
• Ask a rhetorical question.
• Begin with a quotation.
• Reference the occasion.

Attention Getting Openings

• Ask a provocative question, "How many of you own a foreign car, camera or watch?"
• Use a quote that relates to your subject, "The best way to help the poor is not to be one of them.""The duration of marriage is inversely proportional to the cost of the wedding."
• State a startling fact or statistic.
• Appeal to human interest.
• Tell a story or personal experience that relates to your subject. A side benefit of telling a story is overcoming nervousness in the first two minutes.
• Refer to a recent well known event or local newsworthy story - and bring your local paper with you.
• Pay a sincere compliment to the audience's organisation, their profession, etc.

Steps for preparing a speech

• Select or tailor a topic based on your purpose, your audience, and the details of your speaking situation.
• Limit the topic to one central theme.
• Collect data about the subject.
• Select a method of organisation.
• Outline the main points; use three main points to support your central theme.
• Gather supporting information, such as stories to support your main theme.
• Check for accuracy.
• Design a catchy, energetic introduction.
• Write a strong conclusion.
• Put together your final draft.
• Practice.
• Practice.
• Practice.
• Practice.
• Practice.
  

DO'S and DON'TS For Conclusion

• Don'ts
  1. Don't apologise.
  2. Don't stretch it out.
  3. Don't merely stop.
  4. Don't introduce new points.
  5. Don't pack up early.
  6. Don't continue to speak as you leave the lectern.
  
• Do's
  1. Do work on your conclusion carefully.
  2. Do end with strength.
  3. Do get to the point and summarise.
  4. Do bring your speech to a smooth ending.
  5. Do signal your audience that you are concluding.

What Makes a Good Speaker?

Ideas
A good speech contains sound and stimulating ideas. These don't have to be original but they should be expressed in a fresh and stimulating manner.

Purpose
Whatever the purpose of the speech - be it to entertain, arouse, convince, inform or instruct - it will be clearly recognised in advance and it will match the expectation of the audience.

Material
Fact, opinion and evidence will be chosen and logically marshalled to meet the purpose of the speech.

Consideration
The speaker will know his/her audience and speak to their needs. He/she will observe the courtesies of speaking to time, of keeping the audience interested and of being clear and pleasant to listen to.

Delivery
The voice will be well used and varied. Rate and pitch will be modified appropriately to particular passages of the speech. Pause and emphasis will be thoughtfully incorporated and feeling will be reflected naturally.

Control
The speaker will be in command of him/herself, the direction of the speech and the audience. He/she will appear calm and confident and be able to think ahead while he/she is speaking.

Language
Words will be used exactly and will serve to provide colour, imagery and feeling to the speech. The speech will be spontaneous, fluent and interesting.

Personality
The speech will reflect the speaker as a person, his/her feeling for people and his/her topic. It will be natural, sincere and convincing.

from Handbook for Public Speakers by James D Milburn.