How to Write a Speech That Will Make a Difference - My Takeaways !

“How to Write a Speech That Will Get Your Audience's Attention”

A well-structured speech will have a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction should grab your audience's attention and introduce the topic of your speech. The body should present your main points in a logical order, and the conclusion should summarise your main points and leave your audience with a final thought.

Language is a powerful tool that allows us to do many things. It is a way for us to connect with others, to express our emotions, and to learn and grow. Here are some common mistakes while structuring your speech.?

Got an opportunity to listen the session from business storytelling coach ???

Dr. Sundararaman Chintamani .

I found the session to be very helpful, and I wanted to share my experience with others. Feel free to add any additional points if you have them.

Here are the 9 key points to keep in mind when writing a speech, which we often overlook and make mistakes :

?1).Ignorant about why we speak?

Talking is a way to share information with others, a way to build relationships with others, a way to express ourselves , a way to make sense of the world. Talking is a complex behavior that is influenced by many factors, including our biology, our culture, and our individual experiences.?

?2).Lack of idea on the genre of speeches

There are many different types of speeches, but they can generally be divided into four categories: when we prepare any speech we should first identify which category the speech belongs to.

The genre of a speech will depend on the purpose of the speech and the audience.

Informative speeches are designed to educate the audience about a particular topic. They often use facts, statistics, and examples to support their claims.

Persuasive speeches are designed to convince the audience to take a particular action or to believe a particular point of view. They often use emotional appeals and logical arguments to achieve their goal.

Entertainment speeches are designed to make the audience laugh or to feel good. They often use jokes, stories, and music to achieve their goal.

Inspirational speeches are designed to motivate and inspire the audience to act or to believe in themselves. They often use stories, anecdotes, and personal experiences to connect with the audience and to make them feel motivated.

?3).Confusion regarding selection of topics

Once the speaker has considered the below factors, they can start to narrow down the list of possible topics. It is important to choose a topic that the speaker is passionate about and that the audience will be interested in. The topic should also be appropriate for the occasion and the time constraints.

Here are some tips for choosing a topic for your speech and the speech should touch all three below expectations.

• Choose a topic that you are familiar with. This means that you have some knowledge about the topic and can speak about it with confidence.
• Choose a topic that you are passionate about. This means that you enjoy talking about the topic and can share your enthusiasm with your audience.
• Choose a topic that your audience cares about. This means that they are interested in the topic and want to learn more about it.

?4).Not familiar with the 3 elements of the speech

These elements can help to make the speech more engaging and effective.The three elements of a speech are:

• Introduction. The introduction should grab your audience's attention and introduce the topic of your speech.
• Body. The body should present your main points in a logical order, and support them with evidence.
• Conclusion. The conclusion should summarize your main points and leave your audience with a final thought.

?5).Not clear on the structure

The best structure for a particular speech will depend on the topic, the audience, and the speaker's goals.The structure of a speech can also be used to create an emotional impact. For example, a speech that begins with a dramatic story or statistic can grab the audience's attention and make them more likely to listen to the rest of the speech.

Here are some support materials that can be used in a speech:

• Charts and graphs. Charts and graphs can be used to illustrate data and statistics.
• Images and videos. Images and videos can be used to illustrate points or to add visual interest to the speech.
• Testimonials. Testimonials from satisfied customers or clients can be used to add credibility to the speech.
• Statistics and facts. Statistics and facts can be used to support the speaker's claims.
• Quotations. Quotations from experts or famous figures can be used to add authority to the speech.
• Personal anecdotes. Personal anecdotes can be used to connect with the audience and to make the speech more relatable.

?6).Cliched / boring opening

These openings are clichés because they are overused and predictable. They do not grab the audience's attention and do not make them want to listen to what the speaker has to say.

Here are some examples of clichéd or boring openings to a speech:

"Good morning, everyone."

"Thank you for coming."

"I'm so glad to be here."

"I'm going to talk to you about..."

Here are some examples of more original and interesting openings to a speech:They grab the audience's attention and make them want to listen to what the speaker has to say.

• "Imagine a world where..."
• "What if I told you that..."
• "I'm here to tell you a story about..."
• "I've always been fascinated by..."

?7).Abrupt ending

An abrupt ending is one that is unexpected and does not provide a sense of closure. This can happen for a number of reasons, such as:

• The speaker may have run out of time.
• The speaker may have forgotten what they were going to say.
• The speaker may have been interrupted.
• The speaker may have decided to end the speech early.

The conclusion is very important in a speech because it is the last thing that the audience will remember. It is a chance for the speaker to summarize the main points of the speech and to leave the audience with a final thought. A good conclusion can help to reinforce the speaker's message and to make the audience more likely to act..

Here are some tips for writing a good conclusion:

• Summarise the main points. The conclusion should start by summarizing the main points of the speech. This will help the audience to remember what the speaker said.
• Leave the audience with a final thought. The conclusion should end with a final thought that will stay with the audience after the speech is over. This could be a call to action, a question, or a thought-provoking idea.
• Be memorable. The conclusion should be memorable and should leave the audience wanting to hear more. This could be done by using humor, a powerful image, or a personal story.

A good conclusion can make a speech more effective and can help to ensure that the speaker's message is remembered.

?8).Isolated contents

Isolated contents are contents that are not connected to each other. They may be different topics, different ideas, or different parts of the same idea. Continuity is the connection between isolated contents. It can be achieved by using transitions, which are words or phrases that help to connect one idea to another.

There are many different types of transitions, but some common ones include:

• Chronological transitions: These transitions help to connect ideas that are in chronological order. For example, you might use a chronological transition to connect two ideas about the history of a particular subject.
• Spatial transitions: These transitions help to connect ideas that are in spatial order. For example, you might use a spatial transition to connect two ideas about the layout of a particular building.
• Logical transitions: These transitions help to connect ideas that are logically connected. For example, you might use a logical transition to connect two ideas about the causes and effects of a particular problem.

Transitions can help to make your speech more effective by providing continuity and coherence. By using transitions effectively, you can help your audience to understand your ideas and to follow your argument.

?9).Obvious and revealing titles

Obvious and revealing titles are titles that give away the main point of a piece of writing. They can be useful for getting people to read or watch something, but they can also be frustrating if they give away the ending of a story or the solution to a mystery.

There are a few reasons why people might choose to use obvious and revealing titles. Sometimes, they are trying to be clever and to make people think they know what the piece of writing is about before they read it. Other times, they are trying to be honest and to let people know what they are getting into before they start reading.

Here are some tips for writing obvious and revealing titles:

• Keep it simple. The title should be easy to understand and remember.
• Be specific. The title should give the reader a good idea of what the writing is about.
• Be unique. The title should stand out from other titles on the same topic.
• Be catchy. The title should grab the reader's attention and make them want to read more.

For example titles like "How to Write a Speech That Will Make a Difference - My Takeaways !"