Giving a quality public speech is no easy task. This is especially true for inexperienced first timers who have little to no knowledge regarding what to do and what not to do during such an event. All of that being said, it is not an impossible task to say the least. The more you do it, the better you will get at it. Any seasoned public speaker will tell you that.
But for those starting out, the key lies in good planning from the very beginning. If you can write a good speech, you can deliver it as well. In fact, many people consider the speech delivery as the easier task believe it or not. If you too have been tasked with something like this, here are a few tips on How to Write a Great Speech for Public Speaking in 7 Steps.
Step 1: Detailed Research
Regarding the content of your speech, the only way to ensure that you have something of quality to talk about is to do some detailed research regarding your given topic. Considering the availability of resources these days with the internet and what not, there is no excuse for not finding the exact thing you are looking for.
Most people will agree that you should spend most of your time finding out content for your speech rather than preparing the speech itself. Refer to books as well if you feel the need to, alongside research papers and speeches written by other people. Whatever be the source, just make sure that you are gaining more information to include in your speech.
Step 2: Making a Plan
Once you have all of your info set up and ready to write, spend your time to come up with a decent plan. Your speech needs a structure after all. Without one, it will feel as if you are spewing out random pieces of information without any rhyme or reason. Keep in mind that this is something you must avoid at all costs. It is the most basic tip on How to Write a Great Speech for Public Speaking in 7 Steps.
Anything you say on stage must be within a certain context. All of the statistics and facts that you present to the audience must be interconnected with one another. Only then will a speech feel organic and something that the audience can relate to.
Step 3: Knowing Your Audience
A thing that most people forget to factor in is that the audience you are speaking to have a lot of impact on the kind of speech you will be writing for yourself. First of all, you need to know whether it is a formal or an informal gathering. Each one has its own kind of requirement with respect to the way you construct your sentences and basically deliver the speech itself.
So remember to take this into consideration because it definitely matters. If you know even more details regarding the nature of the crowd, then feel free to apply that knowledge and incorporate into the speech that you will be delivering.
Step 4: Writing Effectively
Another one of the most important tips on How to Write a Great Speech for Public Speaking in 7 Steps is with respect to the way you write your speech. Everything that you talk about on stage is something that you will have written on paper beforehand. As such, it only makes sense that you write the whole thing well to begin with.
The way to do so is by writing to your own strengths rather than by being needlessly extravagant. It is always best to write using simple words because that translates well when you are speaking. If you are using words that you are not comfortable with, it might end up being the same when the time comes to deliver the speech.
Step 5: Improvise When Necessary
A rookie mistake that a lot of newbies make is trying to memorize everything they write down. It is impossible to do unless you have photographic memory. Andeven if you can do it, there is no guarantee you will be able to spit it all out on stage without sounding like a robot.
Instead, what most tips on How to Write a Great Speech for Public Speaking in 7 Steps will recommend you to do is to improve upon is your onstage thinking capacity. Improvise in places where you cannot remember exactly what you had written. Understand your material well before attempting to deliver its contents. Only then will you be able to truly give a wonderful speech.
Step 6: Starting Off Strong
As far as the delivery itself is concerned, you should attempt to start off as strongly as possible. If you can do that, people’s attention will automatically be glued onto whatever it is that you have to say. Better your intro, longer the attention span that people will have towards your speech.
The same can be said about your conclusion as well. If you manage to start off well but lose steam midway, you can still make up for lost ground by ending things on a high. People will always remember what they hear last and as such, ending strongly can lead to a better impression of your speech than it would have otherwise.
Step 7: Staying On Track
Last but not the least on these tips on How to Write a Great Speech for Public Speaking in 7 Steps, make sure that your speech remains on track for the entire time. People do not like listening to fluff which is why you should include as less of it as possible in your speech. Talk only about points that contribute to the topic and the point that you are trying to make.
It is okay to stray off topic every now and then but even when you do, try not to stay there for too long. Even if you have to pack your speech with a bit of ‘filler’, make sure that it is not worthless content but something that indirectly affects whatever it is you are talking about to begin with.
