This is the time of the year that teachers or guest speakers often address students. They may be giving graduation speeches but they may also be speaking to students who are not graduating. Such a speech should be motivational, inspirational or persuasive in tone. They might speak to them about how to challenge themselves and reap the rewards or something more practical such as suggesting that they plant a tree and help reforest the earth. You might tell them to live each day as if it were their last or persuade them to be blood donors. You might explain the joys of volunteering or the enjoyment to be got by learning to swim. For older students how to be successful is a very relevant topic. Whatever the topic give them something to remember, discuss and hopefully they may even act upon your suggestions.

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Whether you are giving a graduation speech, a wedding speech or a persuasive speech you should always speak with sincerity. You must believe in what you are saying. So if you cannot say the bride’s mother has been caring you might, with truth, be able to mention the fact that she had an excellent eye for colour or was a great cook, talents which her daughter has obviously inherited. If you believe that graduates are in for a tough time because of an economic recession you should not say everything in the garden looks rosy. Instead your speech as a Dean should offer suggestions on how to overcome the recession. If you are giving a persuasive speech you should choose a topic in which you believe. If you are anti abortion for instance that should shine through your speech.

So be honest and be sincere and your audience will respect you for it.

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Has it ever occurred to you that what you say in a speech could change the world? If you give a speech against abortion or give an anti euthanasia speech you should do it with passion because you believe these things are wrong. Your speech should be so powerful and your argument so persuasive that you make people think… Christianity started for instance, with the speeches of only one man, Jesus Christ. In time he influenced his disciples and today Christianity is a worldwide religion. So never underestimate the power of your speech. You may not be addressing thousands but with every person you influence you are making that difference.

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Speeches need facts. They are the seasoning. Without them a speech is tasteless and unmemorable. Persuasive speeches need more than most. Without facts, and facts that are backed up, a speech is nothing more than uninformed opinion. Finding facts to use has never been easier. Check, cross check and double check those sources. Get the facts right and your speech will be informative and memorable. Get them right and they will back you up. They will even make you sound like you know what you are talking about.

Always, always cite your sources.

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ALL SPEECHES SHOULD ASPIRE TO INSPIRE

I think that every speech whether it is a eulogy, a wedding speech, a persuasive speech in fact pretty much any speech, should have one thing in common. That thing is inspiration. You must inspire the audience. You may look back at the past, and here you make reference to the ‘best of’.

You may look to the future. Here you can really inspire, because the future hasn’t (in most people’s opinions anyway) happened yet. In theory anything is possible. So, it is up to you to paint the most inspiring scenario of what is possible.

And what audience would fail to respond to that?

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