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Introduction to Public Speaking

Public speaking in one form or another is thousands of years old. In some ways it goes back to the beginnings of the human race. But even beyond chats around a fire, giving a talk to a gathered crowd is at least as old as the ancient Greeks. Amphitheaters 2,500 years ago were used for much more than just presenting plays.

Many of the principles that were effective then are still valid today.

A public speech to which no one listens is not a success by any reasonable measure. You may or may not inform, sway opinion or provide entertainment. But if what you say is ignored you have no chance at any of them. Keeping audience interest for the length of a speech, usually anywhere between twenty minutes and two hours, is a challenge. But there are several common sense ideas that will help you achieve just that.

A good public speaker projects an air that makes people want to listen, regardless of the topic and (to some extent) independent of the content. Body language, use of voice and gesture, and a variety of other techniques that can be learned are key. It's a cliché that a good speaker can keep an audience spellbound reading from the phone book. An exaggeration, to be sure, but one containing a grain of truth.

Still, content is important. How you write the speech will go a long way toward keeping your audience intrigued. Often, injecting humor or relating an anecdote will work well. But take care to match the style and content of the speech with any humor or tale you tell. Serious subjects require discretion and judgment. Even more lighthearted speeches can go astray if the anecdote is just thrown in for effect.

You can be guided by the event and the expected audience. A gathering of businesspersons who came to hear a talk on international finance may well respond to a story of success won the hard way. Making it personal always helps. But few mothers who came to hear you speak on how to raise a child will be interested in off-color jokes about a politician's bad behavior.

When you give that speech judge the audience you actually have, not just the one you expected. Watch them as carefully as you hope they are watching you. It isn't difficult to tell the difference between a rapt audience, hanging on your every word, and one that has drifted off into multiple private conversations.

How you deliver the speech will help you achieve the first and avoid the latter. You may write the speech in full and read it word for word (so long as you don't appear to be doing so). Or, you may prefer to make a few notes and improvise fleshing them out. That's a matter of personal taste combined with experience and your skill set. But in every case, be sure you can deliver the content you want in a way that will keep the audience riveted. Appearing knowledgeable and in control of your material and delivery are key whichever method you choose.

Being a good public speaker can be learned by anyone. Practice, attention to detail and having something worth hearing will take you a long way.