(Part 2)
Well, I wrote on this very same topic one year back. I liked writing it. Now, in this one year, I learnt a lot about delivering effective speeches (thanks to college seminars, presentations and english club) and thought it would be good to share it with you all. After doing this perhaps, I myself would never forget what I’ve learned. Let me write what I’d do the next time I’ll have to go and give a speech….
On the first place, what I wudn’t want to do is to make a big fool of myself before everyone. I’d want to stand tall and talk to them… for this the first thing I’d do is this- I’d learn everything about the topic- It gives you the much needed confidence.
So I’ve collected all the material, have acquired that extensive knowledge, organized my thoughts, have put down all the main points on a piece of paper in the proper order, memorized the order (not the speech) ya ya fine. But what next?
It’s going to be the interaction that I create with the audience…. Well let me take you through this…
I’d prefer not to stand in the dais (given that it’s not a very formal speech) Maybe my friends who’re going to listen to my speech are a bit tired now after listening to a few other speeches. So to get them to listen to me, I’d probably say something like this, “Hi friends… Don’t worry. I’m not going to dump loads of information on you”
Then I’ll have to tell them all, with all the enthusiasm, how important and interesting this topic is- an effort to make them understand that they’re not wasting their time listening to me. Sure I know, if I don’t talk with a love for the subject, they’re not going to listen to me…
So my main job is done. Now it’s the body of the speech. During my preparation, I’d try to spot the areas, the particular areas that I myself found it difficult to understand and the areas that can be made a bit more interesting…
See, for an example, if I am to explain an equation, before starting that I’d say “Well I know, you don’t like equations and formulas but this one in particular is interesting….”
Well there’s every possibility that quite a few did not understand the explanation given… So, I’ll have to explain it again and I’ll go back to give the explanation, saying something like, “I can see Raghav is smiling… guess he didn’t get it… and maybe you too didn’t understand, but see it isn’t so complex….” (Explanation again)
So in my speech I’d try to talk in such a way that those who’re listening can relate to it.
Should tell you one thing, I wouldn’t dare to crack any jokes there… I may try a bit of interaction, but humor? No. No way. Not me. That’s difficult
Then once I finish the body of the speech, I’d give them a summary of the speech and then comes the most important part- “the conclusion” Whether I have practiced reciting the main speech or not, I’d have practiced my conclusion really well- this is for quite a few reasons:
1. I want a nice conclusion since that’s what would reach the audience ultimately…
2. If at all I get stuck, somewhere (which is unlikely to happen though) or say I’m exceeding the given time, I have this “separate and disjoint” conclusion that’d help me not to mess things up.
3.If I just don’t give a proper conclusion, well then I wouldn’t get a good applause and wouldn’t that be discouraging?
(See, maybe all this that suits me won’t suit for everyone’s speech, but hope the message implied is clear )
· An intro grabbing everyone’s attention
· Revealing the importance of the topic
· The enthusiasm in the talk
· The interaction during the main speech
· Making everyone relate to it
· Simple analogies if possible
· Repetition of the hard to grasp areas
· A summary
· A very good conclusion
Hey one last thing- Reciting the speech to friends and asking for their suggestions helps a lot.All this should make a speech worth calling “a speech”
You know what- I have one technical presentation to make.(on “Multimedia” in three weeks time as a part of internal assessment)
So wish me luck And ya, do post your comments :)
(The whole of this is updated--- To read the previous one see the comments section)
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