WRITING CENTER "INFORMATION PICK-UP"  (S.S.C.C.)

 

 

SPEECH-WRITING AND DELIVERY

•   WHAT IS A SPEECH?

•   SOME PRINCIPLES OF SPEECH-MAKING: 

•   WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE?

•   RESEARCHING THE SPEECH: 

•   WRITING THE SPEECH: 

•   STYLE IN SPEECH: 

•   SPEECH DELIVERY TIPS CHECKLIST: 

 

•   WHAT IS A SPEECH?

 

            Simply, a speech is the formalized oral delivery of information to an audience and one of the oldest methods of communications.  It is a "literary composition designed to be heard rather than read." (Ott)

 

            A speech potentially has the power to achieve the following:

 

•     to connect with people emotionally,

•     convince them of new ideas,

•     encourage different behavior or action, and

•     convey information.

 

            Eloquent speech leads to power?  A silent person is seldom recognized, but an eloquent speaker may rise quickly into positions of power and responsibility in the work place and community. 

 

            Speechmaking is a part of everyday life.  In higher education, speech-making may well be required in a certain course for the presentation of information or research; in business, employees must present on new techniques or discoveries or achievements; in churches or places of worship, members may present testimonies or experiences orally to others in the congregation; in politics, officials and political candidates alike must speak eloquently to the public about their concerns, goals, proposed laws, political ambitions, backgrounds, and so on. 

 

 

•   SOME PRINCIPLES OF SPEECH-MAKING: 

 

 

Write for the ear and not the eye.  

            With the fact that you will be speaking the words aloud in your mind, write words which are easy to pronounce and have impact mentally and emotionally on the audience.

 

 

Use direct, simple, illustrated and concrete language.  Avoid generalities. 

            The ear responds to clear evocative images.  Because a speech is spoken once, the listener must be able to grasp the point the first time (unlike a reader who may return to a book passage again and again).  A speech writer has to discover the most revealing and memorable way to convey an idea.

 

 

A speech needs to make its thesis (main assertions) clearly with evidentiary (statistical, factual, expert witness and other support) and anecdotal support and ultimately "win over" the audience.  

            A speech is driven by its need to make its points in a direct, smooth, and well-supported way.  A strong speech must be logical (no inner contradictions), brief (so as not to bore the audience or include much excess), and passionate (engaging emotionally to the audience).

            "Verbal stretching" may be more acceptable in a speech than in essay writing (as hyperbole does sometimes look ridiculous in print that can be read over a number of times) as that may leave a stronger and deeper impression.

 

 

A speech must be tailored to an audience.  

            Depending on the audience, a speaker must decide what information to include or exclude, what tone to use, what terminology or level of expertise to show in the talk, the length of the speech, what would interest (or bore) the audience, what would be offensive information/approaches, and so on.

 

 

 

A speech has a clear objective which may include one of the following: 

 

•     to inform:  Most lectures fall into the category of passing along (usually new) information. 

            Such informative speeches occur in numerous venues from political campaigns to rallies to public demonstrations to medical conventions.

 

•     to persuade:  This common speech attempts to convince the audience of its thesis--which should be as-yet not totally proven.  A persuasive speech uses logic, facts, statistics and case studies to support its main idea. 

            Such speeches occur in political rallies, universities, and other venues.

 

•     to motivate:  A motivational speech tries to rally the audience to action, usually against a certain challenge or problem.  Such a speech will not only suggest possible solutions but try to foster enthusiasm and energy in the audience towards dealing with this issue. 

            Such speeches may be given by a company president for his/her employees, for example, or a sales manager to his/her salespeople.  Service organizations, professional educational societies, youth groups, sports clubs may all need motivational speeches every now and then to rally the group members to action.

 

•     to challenge or stimulate (intellectually or emotionally):  The purpose of challenging speeches merely is to develop or build the intellectual and emotional maturity or sophistication of the audience.  Here, the speaker is an "expert" or specialist who can provide unique and special information to the audience.  A questioning and open mind tends to be a prerequisite of the audience.

            Such intellectually or emotionally-stimulating speeches are often given in art museums, symphony halls, and universities. 

 

•     to entertain:  This type of address aims to amuse the audience through some humor and insight.

            Such speeches are usually given after dinner or after a demanding convention to relax participants. 

 

•     to commemorate:  To remember anniversaries, retiring employees; to express gratitude for services rendered; to conduct ground-breaking ceremonies; to express sympathy and sadness for a loss, are all reasons for commemorative speaking.

            Such commemorative speeches are given at funerals (eulogies), work parties, churches, social groups, ground-breaking or ribbon-cutting or grand-opening ceremonies, and other events of remembrance.

 

 

•   WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE?

 

 

To find out who your audience is and how to tailor your speech to them, consider the following questions:

 

•     How familiar is your audience with the subject matter?  What ground will you need to cover to set the stage?  How sophisticated can you get in terms of concepts before "losing" them?

 

•     What attitudes do they have towards the topic?  What do you expect their mood to be?  How can you reach through their emotion (e.g. if they're hostile) in order to deliver your message?  How can you use their emotion to enhance your information?

 

•     What will the audience size, age range, gender ratio, economic status, educational background, political orientation, cultural life, family life, work background (demographics) and such be?  How will these factors possibly affect your message and how you will need to communicate it?

 

 

•   RESEARCHING THE SPEECH: 

 

 

Basing a speech on facts:

 

            Your thesis and theme need to be based on comprehensive and solid research so as to be credible.  An opinion by itself is worthless. 

 

            A thesis must be built on the cornerstone of relevant, provable, timely (the most recent but built on a sense of history), interesting, applicable facts, statistics, research, expert testimony, examples, observations, witty quotations (hopefully by famous people) and concepts.

 

What to Omit: 

Leave out the following: 

•     any out-of-date information that has been superseded or replaced by new research or data,

•     irrelevant details and ideas (e.g. ideas not directly connected to your main ideas),

•     boring information,

•     any information which cannot be independently verified or proven,

•     anything that you wouldn't want to see quoted in print and attributed to you and

•     anything that you don't want to be reminded of in the future.

 

 

 

•   WRITING THE SPEECH: 

 

            Use active words (vs. the passive "be") to enliven your speech.  Avoid clichιs and redundancies.  Do not pepper your speech with much jargon or slang as these may be off-putting. 

 

            Speeches often follow certain "rhetorical" or organizational formats, in which the information is arranged logically.  They include some of the following:

 

CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER:  This is based on time units, usually from the past to the present to the future.

 

CAUSE AND EFFECT:  This identifies a causal relationship between one event and an outcome.

 

NUMERICAL ORDER or ORDER OF IMPORTANCE:  This form of organization has the ideas put in order of importance-- in ascending order or descending order.

 

PROBLEM-SOLUTION APPROACH:  This sets up a problem and then provides suggestions or ideas on how to solve it.

 

GEOGRAPHICAL or SPATIAL ORDER:  This uses a graphic oftentimes and deals with the subject matter by moving from one locale to another (e.g. from north to south or west to east, etc.).

 

ALPHABETICAL ORDER:  This uses alphabetical order to organize the ideas.

 

PSYCHOLOGICAL ORDER:  Here, it may be better to begin with less threatening information and move to the more controversial information--in order to ease the audience in to the topic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

•   STYLE IN SPEECH: 

 

Author Joan Detz has a "Never-Fail Formula" for general speech-giving:

 

1)  Inform the listeners of where you are going with the speech right at the beginning.  Start with an attention-grabbing story (anecdote) or statistic or quote or personal observation.  (Avoid using a joke because if that fails, one has little to fall back on to gain one's momentum.)

 

2)  Praise the audience.  Use this as a way to get on their sympathetic side.  Use some self-deprecating humor to relax them.

 

3)  Make some reference to the date so as to make the speech seem more timely, appropriate, and contemporary.

 

4)  Ask some specially-honed (e.g. to get a wide response and to avoid silence) questions to engage and involve the audience.

 

5)  Use a light-hearted story to bring dry statistics to life.  "Humanize" the numbers with stories.

 

6)  Use evocative imagery which is memorable and effective in making a point.

 

7)  Tell a story.  These are often memorable.

 

8)  Cite your professional and educational credentials, especially as they relate to the subject matter.  Do this skillfully so as not to be boasting.

 

9)  Be sincere, enthusiastic, and relaxed.

 

10)  Include a "Question and Answer" (Q&A) session in order to connect with the audience and encourage a greater free-flow of exchange. 

 

            Be ready to speak in an impromptu way.  (There is an element of risk when you open up to such interactions with the audience.  Use specific engaging questions to ensure a response or to avoid silence.)

 

 

•   SPEECH DELIVERY TIPS CHECKLIST: 

 

 

______•           Keep your speech to the assigned time limit.

______•           Speak clearly and slowly enough to be understood.  Control your tone so that your message is delivered with the mood you want.

______•           Use visual aids to emphasize important points or trends.

______•           Be yourself.  Do not imitate others, as that comes across as insincere.  Use your face consciously to show certain emotions or to punctuate certain ideas 

______•           Get past your sense of self-consciousness and relax.  Get rid of any nervous tics or habits which may detract from your speech.

______•           Project your voice so that all can hear you.

______•           Maintain eye contact with the members of the audience.  Make sure to be inclusive of those even at the sides and the back.

______•           Use hand gestures in a way so as to emphasize your points.  Don't overdo these, as that may draw attention away from the substance of your speech.

______•           Practice.

 

Sources: 

 

Carnegie, Dale, and Dorothy Carnegie.  The Quick and Easy Way to

            Effective Speaking.  Garden City:  Dale Carnegie & Associates, Inc.,

            1962. 

Detz, Joan.  How to Write & Give a Speech.  New York:  St. Martin's Press,

            1992.

Ott, John.  How to Write and Deliver a Speech.  New York:  Trident Press,

            1970.

(Revised 1998)