Good speeches are a lot like a three-course meal according to Christine Rusk, area director of public speaking consultancy Toastmasters International.
The key to a successful speech is preparation and planning, Ms Rusk said, adding they should be created and delivered in a manner which is easily followed, thus allowing full audience participation.
She said: “Speakers and speech writers often refer to the ‘power of three’; an effective speech must have an interesting introduction, a well-constructed middle, which expands on the introduction, and a conclusion that wraps up the speech.”
Extending the dining motif, Ms Rusk added: “In the introduction the speaker whets the appetite by briefly outlining the content of the speech. If appropriate it can be helpful to sprinkle in a little humour. This gives the audience permission to relax and to sit back in preparation for the delivery.”
The midway point of the speech, the main course, is the part that should give the most sustenance. Here, it is useful to make no more that three points – each should be further explored and flow onto the next point, according to Ms Rusk.
The conclusion, she said, is the equivalent to the cup of coffee or glass of wine at the end of a meal. It should be the reiteration of the introduction and the confirmation of the middle.
She added: “Like a good waiter, one would wish to deliver a speech with panache. It takes time to achieve excellence as a waiter, and developing great public speaking skills is no different.”
Ms Rusk outlined several practices to implement during a presentation.
Adopting a variety of tones during a speech goes some way in maintaining the attention of the audience. An awareness of hand movement is equally important, she said, adding they have the power to include, embrace or exclude.
On eye contact, Ms Rusk said: “Gently including the audience, not by staring, but making short eye contact to various members seated throughout the room.
“It takes a whole to feel natural doing this, but the more you do it, the better (and more natural) it will feel. It will help you build rapport and enable your audience to engage with you.
“A great speech is like a great meal – it should be enjoyed by the speaker (chef) and audience (diners) and it should be remembered long after the last mouthful.”
Carl Melvin, director of Renfrewshire-based Affluent Financial Planning, said: “It is usually death by PowerPoint. I’ve seen many speakers who have been wholly reliant on the information on their slides – so much so that they speak with their back turned on the audience for the majority of their presentation to regurgitate the information on the slide rather than engaging the audience explaining what the information means. A monotonous voice is also a huge turn off. Speakers must adopt a variety of tones.
“Public speaking is not easy. I went on a training course to get better at it. Really good speakers make it look effortless, but the key to that is preparation.”
