”A good speech should be like a women’s skirt; Long enough to cover the subject and short enough to create Interest” – Winston Churchill
When you know you’re left with no choice but deliver your speech, the first thing that comes to mind is not the content but the fear of appearing in front of a crowd. As a normal human being, let alone a student, you’re capable of memorizing things. The only concern is that you think you’re not capable of facing a crowd. By the time you reach the end of this article, we assure you would have a change of opinion.
Just imagine that you’ve got two jobs to choose from. First one is to give a decent speech in front of a multitude and the other one is to fill a cracked pot full of water. Wait! Why did you choose the latter?
Giving a speech in front of a plethora of hungry pairs of eyes that are ready to devour you anytime has been the biggest fear in every student’s life who is yet to deliver his first speech. The main intention of this article is to make it clear that giving a speech is not that much frightening as the above lines project. First of all, we are dividing the speech preparation process into two parts.
1) Preparing the content
2) Preparing for the speech
Out of the two, the second one is the real deal. Fingers crossed! Let’s start with the first part.
Getting your speech ready.
You must have deciphered by now that writing a speech is the easiest part of the preparation process.But that doesn’t mean that you can under-estimate the process. It is a foundation for your successful speech. Chill…You can crack it. Just concentrate on the following five points of wisdom.
Five points for perfection…
Choose wisely & sensibly
If you have the pleasure of choosing a topic from a list of a dozen, choose wisely & sensibly. That’s the first step toward glory. Never run a risk of choosing a topic just because it seems attractive. Pick the one you’re familiar or at least vaguely familiar with no matter how lame it might seem. The point is that you must be able to sound conversational. That’s what matters. That is how you can win everyone’s attention.Choose the topic that seems easy for you and put all your effort into writing an attractive and informative speech on that topic. That way the memorizing part will be easy and stressless for you.
Research is the Key
Try to avoid copying some random speech from the internet and tormenting your brain memorizing it. Prepare your own speech for that’s how you’ll know what you speak and gain the fluency naturally. Research is the key to perfection. The more time you spend on research the more your mind will absorb the idea that will flow on stage breaking all barriers. The research part always starts with the Google. The websites like wikihow will be your life saver in this part. Learn more and more on the topic you chose so that you’ll know what you speak.
Make it simple
Avoid using words that are hard to pronounce. Your flow should not be interrupted just because you struggle with some particular word. Always use simple words in your speech. That saves the extra effort put on practicing those complicated words and also reduce your nervousness to some extent.
Always have a backup
Keeping a note card is not a sin! In fact it’s a necessary part of the speech. But do not mistake a dictionary for a note card. You should not carry your entire speech on a paper and rent your eyes to it while delivering your speech. Use the Note card like a power bank. Even though (when) you have a phone with 5000 mAh battery, you always keep your hope on that tiny piece of machine during your travel. A power bank gives peace of mind, has our back at the worst situation, a real savior. That’s the exact part a note card must play. It should only be a (last resort) hidden hope. Keep it short and detailed as it’s just a spark that stirs your memory at a glimpse of time.
Take advantage
Last but not least, proofreading is an essential process in preparing a speech. You never want to highlight the fact that you’re illiterate in front of hundred PERFECT audiences. Never compromise on perfection. The perfection starts with the content.
A Perfect speech is free from grammatical errors. Make your speech perfect. There’s always the Internet which got your back in every difficult situation. Use some online grammar checking tools that are available in hundreds to serve you. One of the main tools which we prefer is Grammarly. It solves all your grammatical sins. Upload your speech on Grammarly and check for errors. Make your content error free.
In a nutshell,
- Write
- Edit
- review
Finally, You have written your perfect speech. Now Inject some caffeine in your bloodstream and relax for a while before we drown into the second part.
2)The actual Preparation.
Appear on stage wearing a green shirt and yellow trouser with a magician hat! You do not even have to open your mouth. Because you have already managed to have all eyes fixed on you with your captivating look!(Pun Intended)
Attention is the formula. Even though you’ve written a world class speech and memorized it by heart. Everything goes to waste if you cannot deliver it right. Do not let the smallest of excuses spoil your play. You need attention. For that, you need to deliver a meticulous speech. You may have some failure history in speech delivery. Everyone has a history. But how you learn from your mistakes is all that matters. This article might behave as a key to your next successful speech. Consider each and every point with utmost dedication.Excuses are for losers. You do not seem like one.Are you?
Before you steal the show, concentrate and work on few things THAT MATTER…
* There is no such thing called ‘Awesome speech’.
* Attention is proportional to the contradiction.
* Never stop being a mystery.
Everyone makes mistakes
* First impression is always the best impression. How you introduce yourself to the audience matters. The first word of your mouth would reveal whether you are nervous or not. You have all the rights to be nervous.Would you believe if I told that Steve Jobs was always nervous before his every speech? It’s okay to be nervous.But, do not advertise it on your face for god’s sake. No one gives ear to the desperate you. Wear a genuine smile as your armor. Better start your speech with a question.A rhetoric question! You should get their attention in response, not answer.
Learn from the lives of people who made miracles. Realize the fact that they were not born gifted. The amount of effort they took, struggles they endured,embarrassment they had to face were all concealed behind their success. You have to concentrate on that part and seek inspiration from them. Steve Jobs is an excellent example.
“I’d almost never seen him more nervous” – Laurene Powell Jobs
Rehearse your speech well either in front of your friends or your bathroom mirror. But every time you rehearse, just assume that you’re on stage. Rehearsing doesn’t mean that you have to shout the same thing again and again like the exact way as before. Remember you’re just rehearsing to be casual and conversational. You’re actually rehearsing to interact with the audience.
Watch videos of some big personality’s speeches and presentations. Pay attention to details. Observe their gestures and flow of speech. You do not have to become them. You just have to learn from them and try to be more than that. Watch Steve Jobs’ presentation on the first Apple iPhone. A video which is highly recommended and it’s worth it.
Fear of making mistakes and facing embarrassment is a powerful barrier that would never allow you to wear the crown. No one is naturally gifted. It takes a lot of practice and effort to finally polish on stage. Bring yourself to the mentality that it’s okay to make mistakes. That way you’ve overcome your fears.
“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.” – Paulo Coelho (Best-selling Author of The Alchemist)
Take a good night’s sleep and have a good meal. Do not let the tiredness and hunger spoil your day. After all, they will be the poorest excuses to justify the ruin you made on stage.
Ensure whether there’ll be a podium or not. The Podium is a consolation for every first timer who doesn’t want the crowd to see his legs quiver. Be prepared for the otherwise. do not rely on it. Remember you didn’t have a podium in front of your bathroom mirror.
Know your Audience or Judges. You should be aware of whom you’re going to face. You should try to understand their mindset and imagine yourself in their shoes.So that you’ll decipher how will they evaluate your speech or how will they react to the points you emphasize. On the whole, try to give what they want. Make them sync to your vibe. Keep them in a trance.That indeed needs practice and you can do it.
Do not ever let the crowd know that you forgot an interesting line in between, on which you relied the most. Always skip to the part you know well to maintain a flow. Because only you know what’s on your note card.
Plan a captivating conclusion. Try to be more interactive at the end for that will be the most memorable portion of your speech. Your conclusion must justify whatever you spoke before. Make them feel like it’s worth it as this article makes you feel now.
You have the power to manipulate even the strongest forces in the earth. Emotions; It’s in your hands whether to fear something or win it. Do not ever let your fear overcome your confidence. After all, life is what you make it!