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Guest Writer: Lynette Mitchell

Your friend has asked you to be emcee at her wedding. You said yes without thinking about what you were getting yourself into. It’s all right, though, because you’re prepared. You’ve got all your ducks in a row, and made your plans. Until you start writing your first speech.

The blank page is looming ominously in front of you. You have no idea where to start. I’ll give you some ideas.

Let’s start with something easy: the introductory speech. Read more »

This has got to be the most important question you need to answer when preparing for a speech: Who is your audience? What are their needs? What do they hope to gain by listening to you speak?

If you don’t know the answer to these questions, then your sure to fail. Your speech must meet or exceed the needs and expectations of your audience in order to be successful.

If you do know the answer to these questions, then the next steps are much more simple:

* You’ll have an idea of what you will need to cover within your topic, and which points to can skip.

* You’ll have an ideas of how to organize your speech in a logical sequence.

* You’ll have an idea of what your speech needs to be entertaining to this audience.

* You’ll even know what kinds of support materials are appropriate.

Here are list of things you should know about your audience before preparing your talk:

1. What is the age range of your audience?
2. What brings them together as a group?
3. What is educational level of your audience?
4. What level of knowledge about your topic does this audience have?
5. What expectations of your speech will the audience bring?

Do your best to answer these questions and your success is much more likely.

Working on your public speaking skills can affect more than just your ability to speak to groups of people.

Improving your public speaking skills can raise your self-worth and confidence. In Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, realizing your self-worth ranks the highest. When you’ve given a good speech, your personal satisfaction increases your sense of self-worth. You become more confident, especially when the audience responds positively.

There was once a student who dropped a course five times because he hated speaking in front of the class. But after a self-study on building up confidence, he decided to give public speaking a try and was successful. In fact, he came to enjoy the experience and even volunteered to give more speeches. Read more »

The following essay was published in The DiSCOurser, Issue #6, Aug. 2, 1990, the newsletter for the SCO Toasmasters club.

I have an idea that I feel strongly about and I would like you to be just as fired up about it as I am. How do I do this? I can plead. I can coerce. Or I can persuade.

The art of persuasion comes easily to some, but is hard work for others. With practice, though, anyone can be effectively persuasive.

First, focus on what you would like to get across. Persuasive people have clarity of vision. They know what they want and they go after it. Visualize what it is that you want. Understand what will happen if your vision comes true, and what will happen if it doesn’t. You will then have a clearer focus. For example, Mrs. Fox feels that there are too many road kills on the road near her home. She feels that the speed limit has something to do with this, so she decides that she is going to try to have the speed limit on the road reduced. She visualizes less animals dying on the road, but realizes that there will be no change in the death count if she doesn’t succeed. Although her motivation is animal preservation, her focus is the lowering of the speed limit.

Read more »