Tell Them Plainly
Your big job as a speaker is to TELL SOMEBODY SOMETHING! Present your meaning
clearly and exactly enough that the listener clearly understands the message that
YOU intended.
All language is symbolic. An audience does not hear meaning—they only hear
symbols—words, phrases, and sentences. These stand for the meaning that
you had in mind. The listener must try to cull out the point, message, or information
by the WORDS YOU USE.
When your audience misunderstands the meaning of the sounds you use—words,
phrases and sentences—YOUR MESSAGE HAS NOT GOTTEN THROUGH TO THEM!
The task is not to get words out of your mouth—but into the listener's mind.
Move From Idea To idea
Let nothing divert your thought. Keep out extraneous material. Keep your story
moving. Move on a straight verbal line, the shortest distance between your mind
and the listener's mind.
When a speech moves in a straight line, each IDEA LEADS TO THE NEXT IDEA.
Each idea will be understood clearly! Preserve an "expected" SEQUENCE RELATIONSHIP
between ideas, otherwise, your audience will constantly be running in the wrong
direction. They will have to back up again and try to catch on to your next thought.
Exhausted and disappointed, they are likely to give up the effort. STRAIGHT-LINE
FOLLOW-THROUGH (from idea to idea) is more effective than here-to-there-to-here-again
wandering from the route laid out in the first specific purpose statement.
Step Off Your Subject (Give Your Reasons)
Many speakers—when preparing their speeches—think deeply about a subject,
then write down a conclusion. They research, study and think deeply and then add
another conclusion. They then—in their speech—race on from conclusion to conclusion
and leave out the steps they went through to arrive at their conclusions. As a
result their audience is lost.
Learn to lead your audience THROUGH THE SAME steps you went through to get
to your conclusions. GIVE THEM THE FACTS AS WELL AS THE CONCLUSIONS.
Know Your Subject
SPEAKING is THINKING. Get your specific audience clearly in mind. Decide
the main idea or ideas you want to leave in their mind. Know to whom you
are speaking. Know what would be GOOD for them to know. Then think your subject
through—KNOW ALL ABOUT YOUR SUBJECT! All too often speaking begins before thinking
does.
If you can't be plain—you probably don't know the subject well enough yourself.
ANYONE WHO REALLY KNOWS HIS SUBJECT CAN MAKE HIMSELF CLEAR!
Approach the subject from the audience's point of view. Begin with their
level of thinking, with
their level of understanding.
Use simple, direct, expressive and effective English—within the hearing vocabulary
range of the average listener. The PURPOSE OF WORDS is TO CONVEY A MESSAGE and
to convey it effectively!
Be Convicted
Don't speak anything that you don't really BELIEVE YOURSELF. Be sincere, really
in earnest, filled with conviction. Be sure of what you are saying, and then say
it with authority and with conviction!
Know the true need of your audience. Be truthful, honest, and an expert
adviser to your audience.
Use The Familiar
Use objects and situations within your audience's experience and understanding.
Use analogies, comparissons with every day life items, easy enough so that we
all understand what those things signify. Make your ideas live— put them in solid,
earthy clothing!
When you speak you are using tools—the building blocks of language—letters,
words, phrases and sentences. Use them wisely, discreetly, correctly, clearly—
AND WITH CONVICTION!
|