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Chapter 6

HOW TO MAKE A SPEECH

by George Plimpton

from How to Use the Power of the Printed Word One of life’s terrors for the uninitiated is to be asked to make a speech.

“Why me?” will probably be your first reaction. “I don’t have anything to say.” The fact is that each one of us has a store of material which should be of interest to others. There is no reason why it should not be adapted to a speech.

Why Know How to Speak?

Scary as it is, it’s important for anyone to be able to speak in front of others, whether twenty around a conference table or a hall filled with a thousand faces.

Being able to speak can mean better grades in any class. It can mean talking the town council out of increasing your property taxes. It can mean talking top management into buying your plan.

How to Pick a Topic

You were probably asked to speak in the first place in the hope that you would be able to articulate a topic that you know something about. Still, it helps to find out about your audience first. Who are they? Why are they there’? What are they interested in’? How much do you already know about your subject?

How to Plan What to Say

Here is where you must do your homework.

The more you sweat in advance, the less you’ll have to sweat once you appear on stage. Research your topic thoroughly. Check the library for facts, quotes, books, and timely magazine and newspaper articles on your subject. Get in touch with experts. Write to them, make phone calls, get interviews to help round out your material? In short, gather—and learn—-far more than you’ll ever use. You can’t imagine how much confidence that knowledge will inspire.

Now start organizing and writing. Most authorities suggest that a good speech breaks down into three basic parts: an introduction, the body of the speech, and the summation.

Introduction: An audience makes up its mind very quickly. Once the mood of an audience is set, it is difficult to change it, which is why introductions are important. If the speech is to be lighthearted in tone,3 the speaker can start off by telling a good-natured story about the subject or himself.

Main body: There are four main intents in the body of the wellmade speech. These are (1) to entertain, which is probably the hardest; (2) to instruct, which is the easiest if the speaker has done the research and knows the subject; (3) to persuade, which one does at a sales presentation, a political rally, or a town meeting; and finally, (4) to inspire, which is what the speaker emphasizes at a sales meeting, in a sermon, or at a pep rally.

Summation: An ending should probably incorporate a sentence or two which sounds like an ending—a short summary of the main points of the speech, perhaps, or the repeat of a phrase that most embodies what the speaker has hoped to convey. It is valuable to think of the last sentence or two as something which might produce applause. Phrases which are perfectly appropriate to signal this are: “In closing. . .” or “I have one last thing to say. . .” How to Sound Spontaneous

The best speakers are those who make their words sound spontaneous even if memorized. I’ve found its best to learn a speech point by point, not word for word. Careful preparation and a great deal of practicing are required to make it come together smoothly and easily. Mark Twain once said, “It takes three weeks to prepare a good ad-lib speech.6”

Brevity Is an Assets

A sensible plan, if you have been asked to speak to an exact limit, is to talk your speech into a mirror and stop at your allotted time;7 then cut the speech accordingly. The more familiar you become with your speech, the more confidently you can deliver it.

As anyone who listens to speeches knows, brevity is an asset. Twenty minutes are ideal. An hour is the limit an audience can listen comfortably.

How Questions Help

A question period at the end of a speech is a good notion. One would not ask questions following a tribute to the company treasurer on his retirement, say, but a technical talk or an informative speech can be enlivened with a question period.

The Crowd

The larger the crowd, the easier it is to speak, because the response is multiplied and increased. Most people do not believe this. They peek out from behind the curtain, and if the audience is filled to the rafters,” they begin to moan softly in the back of their throats.

What About Stage Fright?

Very few speakers escape the so-called “butterflies.” There does not seem to be any cure for them, except to realize that they are beneficial rather than harmful, and never fatal. The tension usually means that the speaker, being keyed up,” will do a better job.

Edward R. Murrow called stage fright “the sweat of perfection.” Mark Twain once comforted a fright—frozen friend about to speak: “Just remember they don’t expect much.” My own feeling is that with thought, preparation, and faith in your ideas, you can go out there and expect a pleasant surprise.