Have you ever listened to someone’s speech and wondered how they could ever do something of that nature in front of a crowd? Have you ever given a speech before and experienced the exact definition of stage fright? There is an indescribable nervousness that arises as you gaze over a filled room of your colleagues, classmates, or possible clients. If you are looking for tips on what makes a good speech delivery, you’ve come to the right place!
Everything You Need to Know about Good Speech Delivery
At some point, whether age 13 or 30, we have all had one public speaking engagement where we wish we could just crawl into a hole afterwards. Do not be discouraged! It happens to the best of us. Use the event as motivation to learn how to deliver a speech better next time.
Whether giving a speech at work or school, these tips will help you through this nail-biting experience.
Be yourself
To the naked eye, giving a speech is just reading words and delivering it to the audience. To the trained eye, a speech is an opportunity to express your personality, values, charisma, voice, and passions. Don’t be afraid to show who you are and embrace the moment!
Showing passion for what you are speaking about can engage the audience and is one of the best characteristics of a good speech delivery. Don’t forget to smile!
Speak with your hands
Using hand gestures is a great tip for giving a good performance. Although it might seem silly, gesticulating during a speech is ideal. Subtle hand movements can be enough to keep the attention of your crowd.
Hand gestures are a fundamental part of our language. Gestures can make it easier to explain what you are trying to say. Watch yourself and try not to get carried away—too much hand movement can easily distract your audience from what you’re saying.
Get up and move around
If you don’t have to stand behind a podium, don’t. Hiding behind a lectern or staying seated in a chair are signs of nervousness that will instantly turn your audience off. Stand up straight and and have confidence while you speak. Hand gestures help but moving to your audience gives them a sense of being with you and keeps them engaged.
Make eye contact
Are you wondering how you can make eye contact if your audience is a large crowd of people? You can, and should, make an effort to make eye contact with each of them. Why? It‘s just one more way to connect with your audience and shows that you are confident. Eye contact makes a person in the crowd feel personally invested in the speech you are giving.
Have you ever witnessed a speech where the speaker kept looking up at the ceiling or down on the ground? This is a clear-cut sign of unpreparedness, nervousness, and uncertainty. Not only is it a passive way to deliver a speech, but it is also very distracting to your audience.
Memorize your speech
It’s a good idea to read your speech in preparation for your delivery. It’s an even better idea to try and remember it. Memorizing your speech will help you keep eye contact and will show confidence.
This doesn’t mean you have to remember it word for word; you can use cards. Even seasoned public speakers like Martin Luther King Jr. used cards and can be seen picking up his place in many public appearances. However, knowing your speech ahead of time is good speech delivery and allows more wiggle room to engage.
Watch others deliver good speeches
Research your favorite speech-givers. What are the aspects of their delivery that impress you? What aspects of how they present do you think are actions you can emulate? Just like sports players analyze their games to perfect their craft, a seasoned public speaker can learn from watching others giving great speeches as well.
Practice, practice, practice
Before you get up in front of audience members, give the speech in front of no one, give it in front of mirror, and give it in front of one person. Practicing your speech will help you pick out points you feel comfortable emphasizing. It may also help you realize ways you can communicate points better to your audience through movement, word emphasis and body language.
The more you practice, the less nerve wrecking it will be. And if you slowly build your audience, it will help to get feedback on the effectiveness of your speech.
Don’t rush yourself
Public speeches are nerve wrecking, even for the best of us. We tend to want to get it done as soon as possible. Rushing your speech is another sign of nervousness that can make or break your audience’s attention span.
As much as some of us may want to get it over with, the intentions of a well written speech can be lost. Take your time, and try to relax. You’ll thank yourself for it later
Don’t Let Your Nightmares Become Reality
For some people, speeches flow naturally. If you’re like most of us, giving speeches are at the top of your “worst nightmares” list. However, with these good speech delivery tips, we’re sure it will ease your fear of the spotlight. If you need speech writing services, you can always contact our staff at PR Plus for more help.
