[efficacious speaking] some points

It's a risk putting up this post when it is basically only my own notes for the day on the topic of Efficacious Speaking.

Please remember - it's a point form skeleton only, has no meat on that skeleton and is only intended as a reminder for myself in a speech I have to give today. I have to add the meat from my own experience as I go.

Still, it might be worth looking at so it's below:

PART 1

1. There are different types:

a] report of facts, figures and dates, e.g. history, science reports

Style: Didactic delivery like a parrot;

b] speech to an audience

Style: combination of the report and the play [below];

c] play or dialogue type

Style: playing a role, acting skills required.

2. Looking at 1b in detail, certain things are required to deliver an excellent speech:

a] Knowledge of the topic - you have to have done your preparation. If you haven't had the chance, then there are ways around it:

[i] have a store of general facts and figures from life and connect them to your topic;

[ii] change it into a rhetorical question session e.g. how many of you know about …?

[iii] not always possible but if the rules allow, turn it into a forum where the audience input their knowledge or even turn it into a dialogue with a knowledgeable friend;

[iv] use it for an analogy for something you do know about e.g. this reminds me of …

[v] if all else fails, try to remember what has been said about this topic in the news, film etc. and give a highly personalized view e.g. I'm not at all sure about this because …

b] Passion for the topic which requires:

[i] knowledge in the first place;

[ii] developing a personal point of view and arguing it. All good research uses this, rather than the fact after fact, cut and paste method;

c] Connection with the audience - a speech will always fail without this:

[i] personal warmth - caring for the audience e.g. don't say: "Do you love holidays, I do."

[ii] sense of humour which comes through to the audience by:

- your manner

- carefully placed dry comments, anecdotes, rhetorical questions or even facial expressions;

[iii] not taking yourself too seriously;

[iv] eye contact - the 2 second rule;

[v] playing the room:

- the four corner procedure

- proximity or immediacy to wake people up;

[v] handling sleepers or talkers;

[vi] handling interruptions, always with:

- humour

- tact

- honesty if you don't know something e.g. I'll find out and tell you tomorrow if you like.

PART 2 [not to be given today and these are only some rough notes so far]

The speech itself

There are four major factors militating against a good speech:

1. lack of preparation - preparation gives confidence;

2. unreasoning fear;

3. time;

4. taking your speech too seriously without remembering why the audience is there:

a] to hear something interesting you might not have known before;

b] to enjoy the speaker and feel a bit special for these few minutes;

c] to not be bored by endless facts and figures.