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.
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.