It seems a very obvious thing to say but speeches should be suitable for the occasion. Quite often, in different ways, they are not. The best man who tells smutty jokes at a wedding reception is an example in point. Weddings are usually family occasions and what the groom might think hilarious might seriously embarrass the bride’s mother on what should be a special day. A good speech then suits the audience as well as the occasion. Acronyms such as NATO are fine if your audience knows you are speaking about the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation but if you speak about FOC you may be talking about a foreign office correspondent or using the union term for Father of the Chapel. If your audience has to think about what you mean you are not succeeding as a speaker simply because they will then lose the next few sentences while they ponder your remark. Jargon is alright if your audience consists only of those who will understand it but if there are guests there it is rude to use them as they may not understand it. So whatever your topic make sure it is suitable for your audience or else you won’t be getting your message across.

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Does nobody know the difference between there is and there are? On the radio, on television we commonly hear “There’s three houses” or “There’s three people.” It seems nobody has ever been told that there is one of something and that when the number increase we should say there are instead.
Obviously an interviewer cannot correct a person who is appearing on his or her programme but surely somebody in authority should be responsible for the standard of English used on a national station? If we can blank out offensive language we can blank out something which must offend the ears of anybody with even a basic knowledge of English? Failing that we could put out a warning that this programme contains bad grammar.
Professionals make this mistake, so, unfortunately do parents and teachers so how can we expect children to know any better? Certainly those in advertising companies don’t because so many advertisements tell us that there’s great advantages to be got by using their products.
Isn’t it time we got singular and plural right?

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Are you sure you know how to pronounce the words in your speech? Do you, for instance, know the exact pronunciation of the honoured guests? Get their names wrong and they will immediately have doubts about the rest of your speech. Sometimes too speakers use well known Latin or French sayings but don’t get the pronunciation just right. That’s not good if you have a Latin scholar in your audience. It’s a case of what your teacher in school would call “Sloppy homework”. There is plenty of help available of course and http://forvo.com/login/ is a great site to consult if you are in difficulties.

There are, of course, variations in language. If you are speaking to an audience in Mexico or Spain if your speech is in standard textbook Spanish it will be understood. There are local differences, though, and it is worth finding out what words or indeed colloquialisms are used where you are speaking.  If your audience is from that local area your use of a local expression will be understood and appreciated. . If you are speaking to an international audience it is better to stick to the standard version.  That is unless you can jokingly refer to the two pronunciations or two different expressions and show that you are all things to all people.

The same applies to the differences between America and England. Remember in Britain you pack a trunk with clothes for your holidays. In America it is what in Britain is termed the boot of a car. The rest of the sentence will probably ensure that your audience knows what you mean but they can be distracted for a moment by your use of a word or expression. Again the secret is to let your audience know that you know the difference and are sharing that fact with them.

Whatever you say or wherever you say it, prepare to pronounce it properly…

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You can’t become an accomplished public speaker overnight. Such an accomplished  speaker can speak professionally on any topic from rape to vacations simply because of his or her training and expertise.

What you can do though is give a good speech on a particular occasion. Whether it’s our daughters wedding or your mother’s anniversary with a little bit of time and effort you can pay a very personal and memorable tribute. Even if you are asked to speak about some work project you can, if you do the right things, make an impression.

Obviously you must prepare your speech and this is where you personal knowledge or job experience comes into play. You know your own daughter or your own mother very well. You are very good at your job or you wouldn’t be asked to speak. So you start to write your speech with a great advantage.

Of course you may find it difficult to write such a speech and may ask a friend or a professional to write it for you. Then all you have to do is print it on cue cards and read it aloud over and over again, preferably using a tape recorder. The tape will show you where you should have paused or where you should have put more emphasis. Soon you will become at ease with your speech and that is what is critically important.

On the day you should have a practise with the microphone if you are using one. Nine to twelve inches is about the distance you should stand from it. Take deep breaths before you start and remember that your audience wants you to succeed. They are interested in what you have to say. So speak to them as you would to friends or colleagues explaining why your daughter or mother is special to you or why you do what you do in work.

Remember you aren’t addressing the Senate. This is a personal occasion in your family or life. If you are only speaking once about your work you are speaking from experience of a job you do daily. You wouldn’t have trouble talking to anyone about it face to face. The same should apply to an audience. After all it too is made up of individuals so talk to them as you would to an individual.

If you speak from the heart about a person or a job you know well your speech will have that personal touch. People will love it and you will find yourself warming to your audience. In fact you will probably feel that public speaking is very satisfying and so you may become hooked on the satisfaction it brings.

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President Obama has his speechwriters but even so he has had a difficult job getting his new monetary package passed. Most speakers have no such speechwriters but can learn from the President’s speeches. If they listen to them they will see that his speeches have to be motivational and urgent yet show a long term vision. . So whether you are asking parents to subsidise a new school library or staff to work hard to ensure your company continues to be competitive you have to show that same urgency and that same vision of what can be accomplished.

The President was speaking to those who opposed his plans and you too may find opposition to what you want to do. Parents may feel they already pay enough fees to the school or your workers may feel you may be earning too much while they are badly paid. So your speech has to persuade and influence them to a new way of thinking.

That means that what you say must show compelling evidence of what can be achieved. You must show how it can be achieved and why it must be achieved. In that way you too can succeed in getting your message across.

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Free speeches are a bit like numbers on the front of buses. Everyone can see them and use them. That’s probably one very good reason why you shouldn’t use one when you have to speak in public.
That’s not to say that you cannot use one as a basis for your own speech. If it was a sporting occasion you might choose to read a speech about a famous star in that sport and throw in a few lines about him when giving your own speech.

Good speeches are all about preparation and so it is a good idea to do as much research as possible into the topic. That is where those free speeches can come into as background for your own work.

That’s all it should be though. Being asked to speak in public is a privilege. It may be one you would happily forego. Nonetheless someone is implying that they think you know your subject and can speak well on it. They are relying on you to produce the goods. If you accept the challenge it is up to you to do your best.

It’s easy to talk about something you know. Very few of us, for instance, have problems speaking about our jobs or our families. You won’t know as much about nuclear science as you do about your local sports. So if you have to speak about it you certainly will need to do your research.

That’s where the snags occur where free speeches are concerned. If the speeches are about birthdays you can easily pick up a few hints but what about nuclear science?  You would have to question the ability of the speaker to write about it and to know his credentials. His opinion may be completely inaccurate or off the wall. There’s a lot to be said for consulting a professional.

If you have to give an opinion speech you won’t have to check a free speech because you will already have your own ideas on the topic. It’s much more convincing. So, whatever the topic, you have been asked to speak because somebody thinks you have the ability. That should give you the confidence to say what you want to say.

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What do you say when you cannot think of anything to say? That’s a problem faced by many public speakers. They just cannot think of a topic that will be interesting and catch the attention of an audience. It’s well worth considering speaking about health. After all it’s something that affects us all and even if we don’t suffer from a complaint ourselves we usually know somebody who does. In an age where obesity is a growing problem you might choose to speak instead about those Deadly Diets - Anorexia and Bulimia. Topicality is always a winner where public speakers are concerned. At a time when unemployment is rampant a speech about depression is likely to be relevant to many people in the audience as are hints on how to keep calm and reduce stress. Whatever angle you choose or whatever illness you select you will have a captivated audience if you speak about something that affects us all.

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Writing a speech should make you think. It shouldn’t be something that you rattle off from the top of your head. If it’s a wedding speech, for instance, you should think about how you can enhance the day for the couple with loving words. If you are speaking in a debate, of course, you should think about the points the other side will use and undermine them with your clever rhetoric. If you are speaking at a parent teacher meeting you should consider why parents send their children to that particular school and slant your speech accordingly. Whatever the occasion you should study the audience and what will be relevant to them. It’s no good giving a dynamic speech on nuclear policies to
a group of people who are only interested in sport. That is not to say, though, that you shouldn’t be able to stimulate your audience by making your topic interesting and riveting. So if you can talk about a nuclear plant being built on the local football pitch you could use that topic but from a different angle. So think about your audience, think about how you will approach your speech and think of the standing ovation you will get if you get it right.

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It’s unlikely that you will persuade most ordinary audiences to climb Mouth Everest. So if you are giving a speech where you hope to motivate people you should choose as a topic something that will help them improve their own lives. You might speak to them about helping to improve their concentration for instance. You could encourage them to learn to breathe properly by doing yoga. You could suggest that they think outside the box, to be an original. You might show them how to be customers who are assertive and not aggressive. You might make them think if you suggested they ate brain foods or took out in the open the fact that they are jealous and that they could deal with this. All of us have our failing and most of us would be happy to have some sound advice on how to deal with them. So go on make your speech an action speech and help them to help themselves.

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Most of us would feel proud if someone told us that they thought we had leadership qualities. It is a quality, of course, that we expect army officers and business executives to possess. Community leadership is very important and good leaders can make a huge difference in the communities they serve. There is nothing magical about it. Leadership doesn’t have to be an innate quality. It can be an acquired skill and it can be taught. A speech that tells your audience how to develop the confidence necessary for a leadership role will be of interest to most listeners. Such skills can be developed in everyday life but if you can develop your leadership skills in the office you will certainly benefit and probably make a name for yourself.

So it doesn’t matter if your audience consists of high powered executives or a local group. Your speech can make them feel better about themselves and show them how to develop the necessary qualities of a Lee, a Nelson or a Lincoln.

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