Speeches and Quotations
It’s always good to start or end a speech with a quotation. This is usually a quotation from someone a bit famous that can underline your message emphatically as well as adding a little gravitas and experience. My favourite quote of all time is from Winston Churchill. It’s from a speech he gave to his old school during the Second World War. It is brilliant for motivational and inspirational speeches. He simply said, ‘Never, no matter what the odds, ever give in.’

It also goes against the grain of another favourite speech quote of mine from Rosita Perez. I like this one a lot and you can apply it so many aspects of life. It reads, ‘If the horse is dead, it’s time to get off’. Quite.

Check out our sample speeches

Interminable speeches

Going down (I’d like to know when it was ever up) in popularity according to the New Zealand Sunday Star Times magazine this week are Interminable speeches. I quote ‘If public speaking is our greatest human phobia - why is it so hard to get the speakers off?’

The public speakers obvioulsy have to yet discover this blog. Better still hire a speech writer.

I read somewhere too that some people rate their fear of speaking next to their fear of death itself. Well at least that is putting some perspective on the matter. After all, you’re a long time dead. If anyone out there has a worst speech story or scenario, send it in and we can set up a file for the best or worst cases.

Check out our sample speeches

Ever since I worked one summer in an engineering workshop, I have had an anathema to Meatloaf. The trouble with the hit record - starting to date myself here - was that a large ‘don’t mess with me’ biker type welder had taped the title song ‘Bat out of Hell’ end to end. He played it non-stop loudly for the entire day. Every day.

Even now (alright, some thirty years later) the intro, the chorus the whole darn lot is etched somewhere permanently into my brain. There too is the track, ‘You took the words right out of my mouth’. But here, I have to say, Meatloaf had a point.

When it comes to getting ideas across in speeches, getting other people to think they came up with the idea in the first place wins every time. Hey, it works in marriages, works too when it comes to setting ground rules for sulky adolescents (Get them to suggest the guidelines). If people think it’s their idea, they are more responsible, more cooperative and more interested in the outcome.

That’s the bit when the audience is looking up at you, nodding with their eyes and ears firmly focused on you and what you are saying..

How you do it? Well I guess it’s a bit like flattery. Appeal to their better natures, talk up to them, and yes flatter them a little bit it you have to. Get them thinking how bright smart and intelligent they are. Just don’t let on that an overweight biker in a leather jacket told you so.

Check out our sample speeches