Speech by Some Speakers Makes an Impact on the Audience — Do You Like to be One of Them?

Photo by Reimond de Zuñiga on Unsplash

Many of us have had the opportunity to deliver a speech on certain occasions. It may be on the occasion of our colleague’s farewell, the introduction of a new company project, a departmental meeting of the organisation, or as a chief guest of a function, etc. Similarly, we have also had the opportunity to listen to the speeches delivered by various personalities. As listeners, we liked some of the speeches delivered by certain personalities, which had an impact on our minds. I hope you will also like to be one of them.

One has to prepare well in advance before delivering a speech. Preparation should focus on the subject matter of a speech. Given the subject matter, there is a need to develop points to enrich it. Every point needs to be elaborated. While elaborating, one important point to remember is that there should not be any dilution, and whatever you write should establish and enrich the point. Arouse curiosity in every point. The first point should be an introduction; briefly elaborate to draw the audience’s attention. All other points should be arranged based on their importance and priority, and such an arrangement of points should lead to a logical conclusion of the speech. The concluding point is very important as it can have a long-lasting impact on the audience. A message that you want to convey to the audience should be emphasised in the concluding point. Therefore, the concluding point should be drafted very carefully. Keep the content of the speech within the limitation of time that will be allotted to you. Even without a time limitation, it must be concluded within a reasonable time.

Before starting the speech, wish the chairperson, the programme organiser, other honourable persons on the dais, and the audience. While wishing, look at the person to whom you are wishing. While delivering the speech, maintain active eye contact with the audience with a smile. Introduce yourself in brief before starting the actual speech. In the introductory speech, mention clearly what you are going to discuss, and arouse curiosity about the subject matter of your speech. Arousing curiosity will draw the attention of the audience toward the speech that you will deliver. Your voice should be audible enough to the last person in the audience. It is better to ask the audience at the beginning whether you are audible to them. Before coming to the dais, ask the programme organiser or a friend in the audience to video-record your speech and provide a digital copy. If there is a time limitation, then you have to conclude the speech within the allotted time. Even if the organiser imposes no time limitation, you have to conclude your speech within a reasonable time, depending on the depth of the subject matter and the composition of the audience. Generally, it should not exceed 30 minutes. A speaker should be aware of the time limitation from the beginning and, accordingly, manage the time to conclude the speech within the allotted time without compromising the quality of the speech. During the last 10 minutes before concluding your speech, seek questions from the audience and answer them. Handling questions from the audience will give you insights that enrich you. Avoid repeating sentences during the speech, as it will waste time and may reduce audience interest. Your body language should be positive and full of confidence. During the course of your speech, use different sound modulations to emphasise important points of your speech. Your speech should include an important takeaway to have an impact on the audience. At the end, after concluding your speech and handling questions from the audience, say thanks to the organiser for the opportunity to deliver the speech and to the audience for their patience in listening.

After finishing the speech, collect the video recording of your speech. Watch the video of your speech at home. Analyse the video to identify areas for improvement. Analysis of the video recording of your speech will help you make improvements for the next speech. You can take honest feedback from your friend in the audience to continuously improve your subsequent speeches to have more impact on the audience.