IN last week?s article, we covered ?Writing effective PR speeches?.
Today, we are looking at how to deliver such a speech to the audience.
Before we start such an important topic, we would like to thank our
readers who have been ringing me sending messages to my e-mail address
on how this column is helping public relations (PR) students, PR practitioners and organisations.
Among such readers is Mwaka Simbule of Lusaka. Ms Mwaka says the PR
Forum articles are always focused, educative and interesting. She says
she has studied PR, but likes reading such articles to add to what she
already knows and improve her PR knowledge and skills.
Delivering a speech is part of public speaking. Public speaking is an
art as well as a science. Therefore, delivering a PR speech is a
science as well as an art. It is a science in the sense that it
follows a format of a composition.
A good speech should have an introduction, a main body and a
conclusion. It is also a science in that it has to be systematic
following a logical presentation of points. It is an art because one
has to add creativity to presenting one?s speech.
It was stated in ?Writing effective PR s speeches? that a speech should
be finalised in good time. The purpose of finalising a speech in good
time is to allow a person delivering that speech enough time to
understand it. It is from such studying a speech that a person
delivering that speech can make note cards from the main points from
that speech.
Therefore, even if it is a written document, it serves as a good guide
to the person delivering it to add his/her own creativity to it. One
can also prepare relevant visual aides to support a written speech.
However, in most cases, speeches are written by technocrats and read
by policy or decision-makers. The former can be more conversant in
that message than the latter. Be conversant with speech you are going
to deliver.
Showing that one isn?t conversant with the topic one is presenting has
psychological effects on achieving the purpose of that speech on the
audience as the audience might easily read between the lines that a
speaker doesn?t know what he/she is saying.
Not being conversant with the speech one is presenting makes most
speakers to read a speech word-by-word. This can be boring. Delivering
a speech is supposed to be conversational. A speaker should talk to
the audience, and not reading to the audience.
Consider how President Michael Sata and his Commerce Trade and
Industry Minister, Robert Sichinga deliver their speeches. Movement of
Multi-party Democracy leader, Nevers Mumba and others are also among
effective presenters of speeches because they display that they are
conversant with what they are saying ? by not being glued to a written
speech.
To be effective in delivering a speech, prepare note cards from that
written speech. But as it was stated in ?Managing a crisis?, being
glued to a written speech is advisable on sensitive issues or
situations to prevent one?s tongue from straying in what is not
supposed to be said on that issue. If one speaks off-cuff, one should
also tame one?s tongue, especially on sensitive or controversial
issues or else?
The calibre of a person delivering a speech in the eyes of the
audience has a strong bearing on whether that speech will achieve its
purpose or not. Delivering a speech considers the integrity of a
person to deliver that speech in the eyes of the audience concerned.
While the audience might consider accepting or rejecting that speech
on the basis of its contents or the image of the organisation
concerned, the integrity of a person delivering such a speech also
plays a critical role in achieving the purpose of that speech. It is
also important to dress oneself in a presentable manner.
Dressing creates an image of a person delivering a speech. For
example, the presentable dressing of Art and Tourism Minister, Silver
Masebo is good when it comes to building a good image and confidence
in what one says. Even the way Honourable Masebo speaks creates
confidence that she knows what she is talking about at all times.
Delivering a speech needs effective organisation. Be punctual. Don?t
leave room for you to start your speech with an apology for coming
late or so. Starting a speech with an apology subtracts positive
impact of your speech on the audience. If you are going to deliver a
speech go early. Interact with some of your members of the audience
before delivering that speech.
This is part of familiarising yourself with some members of the
audience to kill some nervousness. Avoid talking about contents of a
speech at this time. Know how to start your speech. One can start with
an anecdote or a joke. As stated in ?Writing effective PR speeches?;
read the mood of the audience or understand the nature of the topic or
situation before you start a speech with a joke or with an anecdote.
Develop your speech from introduction to the main body systematically.
Connect each prepared point to the other tactfully. Explain each point
prepared effectively with relevant examples and case studies where
possible.
Appeal to the feelings of your audience on each point you make. Use
your body language effectively so that it coincides with what you are
saying. Facial expressions can be a good tool in the effective use of
body language in delivering a speech.
Cry with your audience or laugh with them as you deliver your speech
depending on the nature of a point you are delivering at that time.
Modulate your voice to suit the purpose of a point you are delivering
at each stage. Raise or lower your voice depending on what you want to
achieve with that point or what you are saying at that time.
Depending on how one is managing the science and art of delivering a
PR speech, most members of the audience can listen attentively to the
speech or can sleep or can be talking about other things while someone
is delivering a speech. Make your speech live.
If you are conversational in your speech, the audience will give you
immediate feedback through nodding their heads, laughter, or mumouring
to the point or what you are saying. This is a sign that they are
following what you are saying. Attract attention from the audience
each time you are delivering a speech.
Establish a regular eye-contact with each member of the audience. It
would be helpful, depending on the nature of the audience and the
topic or issue involved, to get an immediate feedback from some
members of the audience as one delivers a point or some points from a
speech. If you have prepared note cards, use your note cards logically
and effectively.
It is important to prepare a speech with relevant visual aides. This
can be in form of relevant pictures, tables, graphs, charts or a brief
power point presentation on the topic so that people see what you are
talking about. Know the importance of each point prepared in relation
to the purpose of the speech, and explain each point accordingly.
Some speeches can be on tense or ceremonious situation. Depending on
the nature of the audience, topic or situation, delivering a speech
should be punctuated with humour. Don?t always be too serious to relax
the audience. Continuous tense delivery of a speech can make some
members of the audience to leave you or even sleep while you are
delivering a speech. Relax the audience with a light moment statement
or jokes where necessary.
Avoid mannerisms. Mannerisms are common but in most cases unconscious
somehow irritating behaviour to some or all members of the audience.
For example, some people like saying: ?ok? at the end of every
sentence. Some start every sentence with: ?Eeeh? or ?Aaah?. Some
people like ending every sentence or most sentences with: ?Are we
together? or ?Are you getting what I am saying?.
Such regular acts or behaviours can irritate some members of the
audience, and in the process distract the attention of such members of
the audience in what you are saying. This can negatively affect
achieving the purpose of your speech. Carry every member of the
audience with you at all times of your speech delivery.
Depending on the nature of the speech, it is advisable to get an
immediate feedback from the audience on what has been said before you
conclude your speech. This is where questions come from the audience.
End your speech with summarising the main points. Appeal or urge your
members of the audience to take appropriate actions or develop
relevant attitude on what you have said.
As it has been said before, a speech delivery is a science as well as
an art. This means that while there are certain guidelines on what one
should always consider, there are many ways of delivering a speech as
long as it achieves the desired purpose.
Cell: 0967/0977 450151
E-mail:sycoraxtndhlovu@yahoo.co.uk
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Source: http://www.times.co.zm/sunday/?p=9980
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