Finding Focus When Preparing a Speech
By Robyn Dear
A good speech should be like a
woman’s skirt:
long enough to cover the subject but
short enough to keep it interesting.
A common challenge
people have when
preparing a speech is too
much material.
Instead of the tailored suit they set out to present, they end
up with an unflattering burka which conceals the beauty of
their idea.
The secret is to keep it brief.
Well, perhaps not THAT
brief!
Now what was I saying?
Oh yeah, don’t get side-tracked on irrelevant information
however compelling it might be in its own right.
It is great to use props and humour but do not let them
detract from your primary goal.
What is the message you want to deliver?
Sift your material enough and combine the ingredients well
so that you are left with a light delicious layered sponge cake
that melts in the mouth and becomes an unforgettable
moment in time,
rather than a mish mash of
random elements tossed
together in the hope that
they meld to make
something palatable.
Get clear on your goal then choose just two or three aspects
because more than three layers and your sponge cake is
unwieldy and prone to collapse before you complete delivery.
Just like a cake, a
speech needs a good
foundation on which to
sit. So make your
opening sentence bold
and stimulating enough
to pique interest.
Then layer up your cake – one, two, three; and now for the
icing on the cake – the conclusion of your speech.
Without a cake – the body of your speech – the icing is
irrelevant; but with a good, well layered speech, the icing
leaves the audience salivating, wishing they could have
another slice.
That is the secret that we started out with – leave them
wanting, rather than completely satiated.
Thus I leave you with this parting thought:
If you can touch a man with
words and pierce his heart
so that he becomes changed
forever more
then you have given him
one small part
of opening new horizons
to explore.
