Preparing
the speech
When you
are preparing the speech you need to bear in mind the following:
a) Audience
attending: the speech has to be appropriate for the public that is
going to attend. You need to think about which topics would interest
them, what their level of knowledge is on the topic, you also need
to use an adequate language, bear in mind their knowledge of technical
terms, etc.
It is
not the same explaining the results of the exercise to the shareholders
as to the employees of the company. In the first case the speech
would be a lot more formal.
Neither
is it the same speaking about climate changes infront of a comission
of scientists as to a secondary school. The level of precision and
technical language that you can use is very different in both cases.
Neither
is it the same speaking in front of 10 people as 1000 people. In
the first example, there are more possibilities of interaction with
the public, they are nearer, in the second example the speech will
be a lot more formal.
b) Objective
of the speech. You need to be very clear as to what the motive of
the speech is.
Congratulate
the emploees for the good results, communicate a staff cut back,
congratulate a member of staff for their 25 years service to the
company, convince the public to vote for a particular political
party, etc.
The speech
can have the objective of informing, motivating, entertaining, advising,
warning, etc..and according to the objective you choose will depend
on the style you use: formal or informal, serious or entertaining,
near or distant, monologue or participating audience, etc.
c) Subject
of the speech: It depends on the subject that you are going to talk
abut as to which style you adopt, they can be radically different.
It is
not the same talking at the Town Hall about the year's budget as
talking to an organization about their company's party.
It
is not the same talking to the employees about the year's results,
as talking to them about their new objectives. In the first example,
you are looking to communicate (precise language) and in the second
example you are looking to motivate (passionate and enthusiastic
speech).
d) Place
where speech to take place. The place gives character.
It is
not the same talking in an auditorium, as in a company's meeting
room, at a birthday party, a wedding, etc.
e) Duration
of the speech: the type of speech will be completly different depending
on if it lasts 5 minutes or if it lasts an hour and a half. The possibilities
to improvize, talk about the subject in depth, structure the speech
(introduction, development and conclusion) use notes, use the projector,
etc) will vary in each case.
You will
need to bear all of these aspects in mind when it comes down to defining
the type of speech which you wish to present.
