Speech Writing Tips: How to Impress the Audience
It is common knowledge that many people fear public speaking. It is also common knowledge that a great speech can actually make public speaking an enjoyable experience. Instead of imaging the audience in their underwear to fight your fear of public speaking, write an impressive speech that will keep the audience riveted to every word you say. Here are some tips:
Write a clever introduction. Your introduction is the only chance you get to prove to the audience that you are actually worth their attention. You do not need to layout your credentials, because a good introduction can show them your credentials. There are several types of introductions to use, but the ones that work the best are the ones that make them laugh or make them want to cry.
Be clear about the purpose of the speech. You are speaking to people, so you want to let them know what you are trying to do in the speech. You can tell them and you can show them. But, tell them after you have presented your introduction. The point of your speech should come at the end of the introduction.
Organize the speech logically. Nothing is worse than having to listen to a speech that has not organization. You will need to decide if you speech is better presented in chronological order, order of importance, causal order, or another order. One fun way to present a speech is in a gimmick order, which can use a mnemonic device to help the audience remember the point of the speech.
Limit your visuals. If you have too many visuals, do you really need to be there. No one wants to read a slide when they can hear the speaker instead. Your visuals should really be visuals, not words. A bad slide show can turn a good speech into a disaster. If you really feel the need to use visuals to enhance your speech, try to use real three-dimensional things instead of a two-dimensional screen.
Include repetition. When you speak, you want your audience to remember you speech. If you include a keyword or phrase, you want to repeat it in order for the audience to really remember it. You can make that keyword something that you use to transition into different parts of the speech. You can even make the keyword something that the audience says to get them involved, too.