Making Formal Speeches
MAKING FORMAL SPEECHES
Often this is the most difficult part of oral communication for many people.
Selection of the Topic
This is the first step in formal speechmaking. You may be assigned a topic, such as to introduce a speaker. Here, you are likely to be assigned a topic because you have some knowledge of the subject matter (the speaker).
In other cases, you will have to choose a topic by yourself. Do this using 3 basic factors:
1. background and knowledge (you need some knowledge of the topic and should be able to talk about it) 2. interests of your audience (audience appreciates and understands topic) 3. occasion of the speech: is the occasion a meeting commemorating a historic event, A monthly meeting of the executives’ club? An annual meeting of a hairstylist’s association? Whatever topic you select should fit the occasion. A speech about Japanese management practices might be quite appropriate for the members of the executives’ club, but not for the hairstylists.
Preparation of the Presentation
After deciding the topic to talk about, you must do the research; in a library, in company files, or maybe online.
After you have gathered the information, you can organize the speech according to the following order: introduction, body, conclusion.
Although not a formal part of the speech, the first words usually spoken are the greeting. “ladies and Gentlemen” is appropriate for a mixed audience; and ‘my fellow rotarians’ fits an audience of rotary club members.
Introduction:
The purpose is to prepare the listeners (or readers) to receive the message. But it usually has the additional goal of arousing interest. Unless you can arouse interest at the beginning, your presentation is likely to fail. There are several ways to get the attention and interest of your audience:
1. Human-interest story (a speaker talking about opportunities available to people with original ideas may tell a story of an immigrant boy of 17, who 150 years ago walked the
Often this is the most difficult part of oral communication for many people.
Selection of the Topic
This is the first step in formal speechmaking. You may be assigned a topic, such as to introduce a speaker. Here, you are likely to be assigned a topic because you have some knowledge of the subject matter (the speaker).
In other cases, you will have to choose a topic by yourself. Do this using 3 basic factors:
1. background and knowledge (you need some knowledge of the topic and should be able to talk about it) 2. interests of your audience (audience appreciates and understands topic) 3. occasion of the speech: is the occasion a meeting commemorating a historic event, A monthly meeting of the executives’ club? An annual meeting of a hairstylist’s association? Whatever topic you select should fit the occasion. A speech about Japanese management practices might be quite appropriate for the members of the executives’ club, but not for the hairstylists.
Preparation of the Presentation
After deciding the topic to talk about, you must do the research; in a library, in company files, or maybe online.
After you have gathered the information, you can organize the speech according to the following order: introduction, body, conclusion.
Although not a formal part of the speech, the first words usually spoken are the greeting. “ladies and Gentlemen” is appropriate for a mixed audience; and ‘my fellow rotarians’ fits an audience of rotary club members.
Introduction:
The purpose is to prepare the listeners (or readers) to receive the message. But it usually has the additional goal of arousing interest. Unless you can arouse interest at the beginning, your presentation is likely to fail. There are several ways to get the attention and interest of your audience:
1. Human-interest story (a speaker talking about opportunities available to people with original ideas may tell a story of an immigrant boy of 17, who 150 years ago walked the