Over the summer, we’ve been sharing details on our Facebook page of who we are and what we do. We’ve also been sharing lots of useful public speaking tips.
For those that don’t know us, we’re one of the UK’s best-kept secrets and we’ve been around a long time! We have a network of public speaking clubs across the UK and we provide hands-on and very supportive public speaking training, practice, events, and advice. And no, you don’t have to spend thousands of pounds to join one of our clubs or have any public speaking experience. Our programme is designed to be accessible to all.
Some of our tips you may have heard before, some you may not. But they will all be useful and important to remember when preparing or delivering a speech. So, to start things off, here are three essential things to keep in mind as you start to plan your speech.
So, you’ve got to deliver a speech! Eeeek!
Don’t panic. With preparation and practice, you can pull this off. Start by finding out as much as you can about who you will be speaking to, why, where, and for how long. The answers to these questions will help you prepare your speech and set the right tone and style. That in turn helps build confidence and that will get you off to a great start.
Know your message
Perhaps one of the most important points which should be at the front of your mind as you start to think about any speech is knowing what the main message of your speech is going to be. This will help you prepare your speech and decide what material to include, and what to discard, and it will help make your speech more memorable whilst keeping it relevant and on track.
Give your speech structure
Behind every great speech is a great structure! A great speech flows along, taking the listener with it. It’s well signposted and well organised which makes it easy to follow and keep up with. It’s logical and straightforward making it easy to remember what was said. This also makes it easy for the speaker to deliver their speech without forgetting what they wanted to say. And the thing that achieves all this, is the structure you use as you plan and write your speech.
There are, of course, different structures you can use, but your starting point is to think about how you can organise your speech content in a logical and orderly way. That inevitably means having a clear opening (which gets the audience’s attention and tells them what your speech is about without giving too much away), a few main points organised in a logical way, and a compelling and memorable conclusion that signals to your listener that you’ve reached the end. It really is that simple!
Need more help and want to improve your public speaking? Want to practice your public speaking in a safe and supportive environment? We can help. Use our Find a Club feature or get in touch via our website. Public speaking is what we do.
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