How to make a good speech?

HOW TO MAKE A GOOD SPEECH

• Remember: an excellent speech does not require a brilliant orator - you can do it. Winston Churchill is commonly regarded as one of the greatest speakers in the English language, yet he regretted the lack of practice in public speaking that he would have gained had he gone to university and he suffered from a slight lisp and a stammer. The key is preparation.
• You are probably making this speech at an event which has a programme which has been published beforehand. So make sure that the title of your speech is catchy and then people will be looking forward to it even before the event.
• Making a good speech starts weeks before with thorough preparation. You should have been thinking of themes and points, noting down ideas and sources, crafting phrases and sentences.
• The best speeches tell your audience things they didn't know and/or give them insights they didn't have. So:
o In respect of the first, research some salient, accurate and up-date facts and figures.
o In respect of the second, look at the subject differently - think 'out of the box'.
• You should have finalised the notes or text or slides at least the day before, so that you can concentrate on reading through the material, becoming very familiar and comfortable with it, and thinking about the actual delivery.
• Remember: expectation shapes reality. This means that, to some extent you can have won or lost your audience even before you are really into your speech. If people think you're going to be good, that will help them to perceive you as good. So your biographical details in the programme material and how the chair introduces you are both important and you can influence them. Conversely, if people think you're going to be poor, that will condition them to seeing you as poor. So never begin by saying that you were unsure why you were invited to speak or what you should say and, unless it is obvious (for instance because you have a terrible cold), never admit to feeling anxious, unsure or unwell.
• Once you are called upon to make your speech, pause for a couple of moments before actually starting your delivery. If you've had to walk up to a platform or over to a rostrum, this gives you time to steady your breath. If you are nervous as a speaker, it gives you time to take a few shallow breaths and calm those nerves. In any event, it gives the audience an opportunity to settle down and focus on you and your message. But the pause should be a few seconds only.
• If you are not using a microphone, be aware of the need to speak sufficiently loudly that the furthest member of your audience can hear you clearly. Take the opportunity to move around a little which will help to command attention.
• If you are using a microphone, speak at normal volume, but a little more slowly and distinctly than if you were not using amplification. Don't move around because you'll leave the microphone behind (unless it is fixed to you).
• You should convey a sense of enthusiasm for the subject. This will effect your delivery and how your speech is received.
• Occasionally alter the speed, volume and tone of your delivery. Speaking slower or faster and quieter or louder and being more cheerful or more serious all adds dramatic effect and keeps the attention of your audience.
• Regularly sweep your eyes left-centre-right and back and front-middle-rear and back, so that you engage all members of your audience. The actor Tom Cruise once told an interviewer: "A lot of the time, what acting is really about is meeting someone's eye" - the same is true of public speaking.
• Don't make a rambling opening. There is nothing worse than the speaker who starts with something like: "When I was asked to speak on this subject, I wondered what to say .."
• Never apologise for your nervousness or your material. You and your speech are probably better tha you appreciate but, in any event, if you don't advertise any weaknesses in your style or content, they probably won't be noticed.
• Make a dramatic opening which seizes the attention with the very first words. This might be a stirring statement: "This year we are going to make a fundamental transformation of our whole organisation". It might be a challenging question: "How can we turn ourselves into an even more successful organisation?" Whatever you do, don't ask a question that invites a cynical answer from your audience: "Are we the best organisation in the country?"
• Have a very clear structure. A good technique is to tell your audience what you are going to say, tell them, and then tell them what you have said. A good structure is for the core message to be three linked points which can be sub-divided as necessary.
• If it is appropriate, use PowerPoint. It ensures that you stick to your structure and that the structure is clear to your audience. It looks professional and you can use images as well text.
• PowerPoint slides should not consist of simply a few words or conversely a mass of text. Three or four bullet points of four or five words each is ideal.
• Put the main verb early in the sentence, especially if it is a long sentence. So, not: "When we have all the facts and we have considered all the options, we shall make our decision". But instead: "We shall make our decision, when we have all the facts and we have considered all the options" .
• Consider the use of short sentences or even short phrases for dramatic effect. Examples of short sentences: "Failure is not an option" or"The place is here. The time is now. The prize is great". Examples of short phrases: "Never again", "No excuses".
• Use striking adjectives and adverbs. Not simply: "We face many challenges" but "We face many exciting challenges". Not simply: "We will work on our problems" but "We will work energetically on our problems".
• Consider the use of striking images in the form of metaphors or similes. For example: "an iron curtain" (Winston Churchill, 1946), "a paper tiger" (Mao Zedong, 1946),"the axis of evil" (George Bush, 2002).
• Make moderate use of alliteration in phrases or sentences. For example, some phrases: "broadband Britain", "the digital divide", "silver surfers". For example, some sentences: "The ballot is stronger than the bullet" (Abraham Lincoln, 1856) or "Now let us fulfil our mandate and our mission" (Gordon Brown, Labour Party Conference 2002) or "At our best when at our boldest" (Tony Blair, Labour Party Conference 2002).
• Consider the use of rhyme. For example: "We will fight to show that we are right".
• Use contrasts. For example: "Politics is war without bloodshed, while war is politics with bloodshed" (Mao Zedong, lecture, 1938) or "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few" (Winston Churchill, House of Commons, 1940) or "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country" (John F Kennedy, inaugural address, 1961) or "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" (Martin Luther King, letter from jail, 1963).
• Make temporal comparisons. For example: "When the company was first founded .." or "When we first moved to this office .." and "Many challenges are still the same" or "The situation now is so different".
• Make geographical comparisons. Compare and contrast your situation with other companies or other organisations or with other regions or other countries. What does this tell us?
• Use three-part lists. For example: "Government of the people, by the people, and for the people" (Abraham Lincoln, 1863) or "I see one-third of a nation ill-housed, ill-clad, ill-nourished" (Franklin D Roosevelt, second inaugural address, 1937) or "The ultimate case for the third way is that it works - good values, good vision, good policies" (Bill Clinton, Labour Party Conference 2002).
• Very occasionally, consider a longer list. For example, a list of four: "We shall fight on the beaches; we shall fight on the landing grounds; we shall fight in the fields and in the streets; we shall fight in the hills" (Winston Churchill, House of Commons, 1940). Another example, this time of five parts: "Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty" (John F Kennedy, Inaugral Address, 20 January 1961).
• Repetition can be very effective. Martin Luther King was the absolute master of judicious repetition. For example: in his Washington speech of 28 August 1963, he used the phrases "I have a dream .." and "Let freedom ring ..." again and again (seven times and eight times respectively). The same technique was used by Barack Obama in his speech following the 2008 New Hampshire primary when he repeatedly used the phrase "Yes we can".
• Use short, pithy quotes. Clever people over the years have created witty aphorisms, so you should borrow them when it is appropriate. For many examples
• "Here on the edge of the twenty-first century, a fundamental new rule of business is that the Internet changes everything."
"Business @ The Speed Of Thought" by Bill Gates (1999)
• "In the life of a man, his time is but a moment, his being an incessant flux, his senses a dim rushlight, his body a prey of worms, his soul an unquiet eddy, his fortune dark, and his fame doubtful. In short, all that is of the body is as coursing waters, all that is of the soul as dreams and vapours: life a warfare, a brief sojourning in an alien land; and after repute, oblivion. Where, then, can man find the power to guide and guard his steps? In one thing and one alone: philosophy."
"Meditations" by the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-180)
• "In the global marketplace of tomorrow, the successful company will be known for the quality of the employee that it keeps rather than the numbers of workers who are laid-off."
"From The Telegraph To The Internet" by Morton Bahr
• "The first rule in opera is the first rule in life: see to everything yourself."
"Memories and Memories" by Dame Nellie Melba, Australian operatic soprano (1861-1931)
Note: Dame Nellie was born Helen Porter Mitchell and took her professional name after her native city of Melbourne; in turn she gave this name to a new dessert called pêche melba.
• "I wouldn't like to have lived without ever having disturbed anyone."
Personal motto of Father Charles Urnick, my American pen-friend of 34 years
• "Intelligence is of the essence in warfare - it is what the armies depend upon in their every move…To be reliable, information must be firsthand …There is thus an important relationship between intelligence and timing."
"The Art Of Warfare" by Sun-tzu
• "Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself."
Mary Schmich, "Chicago Tribune", 1 June 1997 in a piece now known as "the Sunscreen Speech" which has been made into a record by the film director Baz Luhrmann
• "Astronomers estimate that there are at least 100 billion stars in the Milky Way" ('our' galaxy) and "It is estimated that 100 billion galaxies are in principle visible to our modern instruments."
"The Future Of Cosmology" by John Gribbin
• "A memorandum is written not to inform the reader but to protect the writer."
Dean Acheson (1893-1971), quoted in "Wall Street Journal", 8 September 1977
• "At the heart of science is an essential balance between two seemingly contradictory attitudes - an openness to new ideas, no matter how bizarre or counterintuitive, and the most ruthlessly sceptical scrutiny of all ideas, old and new."
"The Demon-Haunted World" by Carl Sagan
• "A life is never ended until all the lives it has touched have ended too."
Chinese proverb, quoted at funeral of Peter Cotgrove (1929-1999), father of our colleague Nigel, held on 30 June 1999
• "When a man has once broken through the paper walls of everyday circumstance, those unsubstantial walls that hold so many of us securely prisoned from the cradle to the grave, he has made a discovery. If the world does not please you, you can change it. Determine to alter it at any price, and you can change it altogether. You may change it into something sinister and angry, to something appalling, but it may be you will change it to something brighter, more agreeable, and at the worst something much more interesting."
"The History Of Mr. Polly" by H.G. Wells (1910)
• "The wealth of the three richest people in the world exceeds the combined GDP of the 48 smallest countries."
"Guardian", 12 June 1999
• "Five frogs are sitting on a log. Four decide to jump off. How many are left?
There are still five - because there's a difference between deciding and doing."
"Five Frogs On A Log" by Mark L Feldman & Michael F Spratt
• "The are only two ways to handle tense situations: you can change them, or you can change the way you look at them. There is enlightenment to be had in changing the way you look at things."
"The Little Book Of Calm" by Paul Wilson (1996)
• "Every breath you take contains atoms forged in the blistering furnaces deep inside stars. Every flower you pick contains atoms blasted into space by stellar explosions that blazed brighter than a billion suns. Every book you read contains atoms blown across unimaginable gulfs of space and time by the wind between the stars."
"The Magic Furnace: The Search For The Origin Of Atoms" by Marcus Chown
• "It's no longer about the big beating the small; it's about the fast beating the slow."
Larry Carter, Chief Executive Officer of Cisco Systems, quoted in "The Economist", 26 June 1999
• "Make a point of connecting with someone new every day. And re-acquaint yourself with anyone you have not spoken to for some time by going through your address book."
"Your Personal Survival Guide To The 21st Century" by Roy Sheppard (1998)
• "Life is like that old Spanish saying: 'He who plants the lettuce doesn't always eat the salad'."
The actor Anthony Quinn in the "Sunday Express", 13 October 1963
• "Enthusiastic people are the ones who actually get things done in this world. Enthusiasm is what turns any idea into reality. And enthusiasm is linked closely with happiness."
"Your Personal Survival Guide To The 21st Century" by Roy Sheppard (1998)
• Try humour - not by telling a story, but by using a short, witticism. For example: "I don't mind how much my ministers talk, as long as they do what I say" (Margaret Thatcher, 1980)
• Self-deprecating humour often works well. For example: President Ronald Reagan reassuring an audience: "I know you fellows think I'm lazy, but this week I've really been burning the midday oil" or former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher telling a Conservative Party Conference that, on the way to the event, she had seen a cinema advertising "The Mummy Returns".
• Try puns. For example: "Vodafone is now the largest telephone company in the UK which makes its Chief Executive the Lord of the Rings". Another example: TUC General Secretary Tony Monks, when asking for the President of the European Commission Jacques Santer to include a particular provision in a measure, said it would be known as "the Santer clause".
• Sometimes you can use the same word but in a different context. For example: "There can be no whitewash at the White House" (Richard Nixon, Watergate broadcast, 1973).
• One way of commanding attention is to use a redundant, but attention-seeking, short sentence. Tony Blair is very fond of "I say this to you" or "Let me be clear".
• KISS (Keep it simple, stupid). Don't try to impress with over-complicated terminology. For example: when he was Labour's Shadow Chancellor, Gordon Brown famously praised "neoclassical endogenous growth theory and a symbiotic relationship between investment in people and infrastructure" (1996). In the introduction to his compilation "Speeches That Changed The World", Simon Sebag Montefiore states: "As a rule, simplicity of language marks superb speeechmaking".
• Remember that 50% of statistics are meaningless (see what I mean?). So, if you are intending to use statistics - and some well-chosen figures can add credibility and authority to your arguments - be sure that you understand them, that they are meaningful, and that they are both reliable and up-to-date. Be ready in the question and answer session, or if approached later, to be able to source your statistics and supply the full context.
• Make clever use of the pause. If you expect laughter or applause or you would like to create a sense of drama, pause for a couple of seconds, before continuing your speech.
• Finish with a strong, affirmative statement, possibly referring back to the opening sentence or question (note how many film scripts end with a variation of a line from the beginning of the movie).
• Only use the techniques appropriate to the occasion. A speech in the mode of "We will fight them on the beaches" is not ideal for opening a church bazaar. An after-dinner speech needs lots of jokes, whereas an academic lecture needs lots of facts. In many respects, the most difficult speeches are family occasions like weddings and funerals - there are many sensitivities here, so think carefully about what you're going to say.
• If you are speaking to an international audience (especially if your words are being translated into other languages), don't use any of the language-specific tips such as alliteration, rhyme or puns and be careful not to use culturally-specific allusions or organisational jargon. I once gave a lecture on British industrial relations to a group of Russian trade union officials and they were baffled by my apparent reference to a department store which never closed. I had mentioned the "closed shop"!
• Beware of speaking for too long. The British aristocrat Lord Brabazon once said: "If you cannot say what you have to say in twenty minutes, you should go away and write a book about it". Abraham Lincoln's address at Gettysburg in 1863 lasted a mere two minutes, but it is one of the most memorable speeches ever delivered. Nobody ever complains that a speech is too short - and there's usually a question and answer session to use up the rest of the time and to make further points.
• When it's all over, consider creating an on-line version of the speech. If you put the text on a web site, you can add hyperlinks to more detailed information and provide up-dates to keep the material topical and relevant. In this way, you have a 'live' document and you reach a much wider audience.
FURTHER READING
"Speeches That Changed The World" with introduction by Simon Sebag Montefiore (Quercus, 2005)
ROGER DARLINGTON
How to deliver a good presentation
Skeleton of a presentation
To deliver a good presentation, you should follow the four steps below:
• Planning: Understand your audience - about their needs, their background, and the place where your presentation will be delivered. The way to present a topic to a group of elementary students is different from the way to present to undergraduates. To present in a meeting room, you can speak quickly; but when presenting in a hall, you need to speak slower. Plan your coverage so you can present within the time frame available.
• Preparing: Thesis statement -> objectives -> Outline -> coverage depth. Encourage responses, and stimulate reactions and their learning desire.
• Delivering: Deliver your presentation, with visual aids like presentation slides. Use animation sparingly, so it will not distract the audience. Think of putting summaries of each slide in the "note" portion of your presentation, and have them printed out as handouts to the audience.
• Reviewing: You may wish to to deliver your presentations again. Review your performances so you can improve them the next time you perform.
Useful illustrations
• Waterfall diagram: This diagram breaks down 100% of the market share into their holders, sorting from largest to smallest.
• BCG diagram: This diagram is extremely useful in marketing, although most people only learn the basics of the diagram at undergraduate level.
• SWOT Analysis: This is clear and precise, and states the problem effectively.
Caution on Presentations
• Keep characters large enough to be read by your audience – minimum 18 pt font.
o Consider the place where the presentation will be delivered, and also the visual ability of your audience.
• Use Bullet Points sparingly. Use visual images instead as these will increase message retention.
• Avoid tables with too many rows and columns (such as balance sheets, as when people cannot read the characters, they become useless)
• Avoid jamming too much content in a page. Break it into two or three pages. Keep only a few points on each page.
• Make sure that you rehearse your presentation. You should plan to rehearse your presentation out loud at least four times.
There are a number of pitfalls that one should try to avoid when using different types of presentations. Some are as follows.
PowerPoint: Keep the slide layout and color scheme constant to make the presentation look professional and non-distracting. Limit the color scheme to two or three colors so that the slides do not look too complicated. Transitions and animations may be fun, but they should be used sparingly so that you do not distract the audience. Also, when presenting, use slides as an outline. Do not put all of your information onto a slide. Keep notes with you so that you can speak freely and not have to read the slides for help.

Posters/Collages: Keep these visual aids concealed until they are needed. If they are left in the open while the presentation is taking place, the audience will not pay attention to the presenter, but rather the poster/collage. After the visual has been used, conceal it once again for the same reasons. Make sure that the visual can be seen from all parts of the room so that the audience can see. Collages may require clutter at times, but it is best to avoid this for posters. Include a manageable amount of information that will get the point across, but still make the visual appealing. Be sure to keep the typography of the poster readable from even the back of the room. Large and clean font should be used at all times. It is also important that the color of the text compared to that of the background is such that it is also readable.

Pamphlets/Handouts: Try not to hand these out to the audience if at all possible. You could use an overhead projector if you like. If it is necessary to hand them out, do so only when needed so that the audience does not look at them and/or play with them. If they are handed out early, ask the audience to keep the visual face down or direct their attention to a specific page so that they are always following along. Always number the pages if there is more than one. This will help in case an audience member accidentally gets the pages out of order. It is best to wait till the end to give them out.

The speaker: Keep eye contact with the audience and not the visual. This shows you know your information well. Do not pace or walk around unless it is part of the presentation. This will distract the audience. Do not block visuals with your body. Practice the presentation so that it is pulled off with ease and always be prepared for the unexpected.

Questions: Whilst you may prepare some questions to ask the audience, you should also be aware that the audience may also ask you questions so it is best to come prepared for that too.

First there was the blackboard, and all talks
were given using one. Then there was the
overhead projector. Now the method of
choice for a talk is PowerPoint. Here we discuss
how to give a talk where the assumption
is the speaker is using PowerPoint. However,
if you are not, most of the advice still
applies. Whether this is your first talk or your
100th, the advice is still worth reading.
Preparation
Ok, so you’ve decided to give a talk. We will
assume you already have, or are close to
having, all the results you need whether it’s
through an REU or some other sponsored
research program, or from independent research
overseen by someone at your institution.
When giving a talk, you need to have a title
and abstract. Some things to keep in mind:
• A title should be short and informative.
Cute titles are usually poor titles. “On a
Theorem of Erdös” is too vague. “On
Erdös’s Prime Number Theorem” is short
and informative.
• Your abstract should be one or two paragraphs.
It is not supposed to be a miniversion
of all your results, but a taste to
whet the audience’s appetite.
• Include in your abstract the level of the
talk; e.g. “This talk is intended for a general
audience.”
Next comes the actual putting together of the
talk. Of course a faculty advisor can help you,
but here are some key ideas.
• It’s almost impossible to overestimate
what the audience knows about your
subject.
• Keep technical terms and unfamiliar
symbols to a minimum.
• Don’t try to do too much.
• Use simple examples and concrete special
cases.
• Provide a context for your talk. Explain
how you got interested in the subject.
Mention others who have worked on the
subject of your talk.
• Use a very large font (even for a talk in a
small room). If you reproduce printed material,
enlarge it.
• Restrict each slide to a small number of
lines.
• Avoid filling slides with equations and
formulas.
• DO NOT COMPUTE IN PUBLIC.
• If you need a particular slide more than
once in your talk, reproduce it at the appropriate
places rather than going back
to it.
• Many people find unwarranted use of
special features of PowerPoint annoying.
No flying equations.
• Rehearse your talk, but do not memorize
it.
• Anticipate questions you may be asked
and have a response to them prepared.
Giving a Good Presentation
by
Joseph A. Gallian
University of Minnesota, Duluth
• Practice your talk using a projector and
time it. Don’t forget to leave time at the
end for questions.
• Conjectures and open problems add interest.
• Prepare transparencies as a backup.
Equipment can fail. Practice with these,
too.
• Be sure you know what equipment/
software is provided. You may have to
bring your own.
Delivery
You’ve practiced, but you’re still a little nervous.
That’s normal. Remember, the audience
wants you to do well. Some key points to
help you do your best:
• Show up early to check out the room and
the equipment.
• Erase chalkboards/whiteboards even if
you don’t plan to use them.
• It helps to have a laser pointer and use it
to highlight items.
• Keep some room lights on. The audience
wants to see the speaker.
• Begin by letting your audience know that
you are happy for the opportunity to
speak to them.
• Show enthusiasm for the subject.
• Generally stay off to the side, but MOVE,
MOVE, MOVE.
• Don’t read your slides to the audience.
Spend most of the time looking at the
audience.
• MAKE EYE CONTACT. Single out a particular
person in the audience who appears
to be interested in what you are
saying.
• Don’t distribute handouts at the beginning
or during your talk.
• Go over big ideas twice.
• Go over big ideas twice.
• Speak loudly. Project to the people in the
back.
• Vary your voice for dramatic effect. Pause
before stating a major result, raising a
question, or showing a complicated figure.
• It is not necessary to prove anything.
• Don’t belittle your own results or downplay
your own knowledge of the topic. It
reduces your credibility.
The End
You’re almost there. Just a few things to
keep in mind to with your talk.
• Don’t forget to leave time for questions.
If you are slotted for 15 minutes, speak
for 13.
• When you are asked a question, move
towards the person who asked it and repeat
or rephrase the question for the audience.
• Have a grand finale. It could be the main
result, a conjecture, an open problem, or
an application.
• Close by thanking your audience.
• DO NOT EXCEED YOUR ALLOTTED TIME.
• Plan to stay a while after your talk. People
may want to talk with you about it.
• After your talk, do a self-evaluation. Make
notes about what went well and what
could be done better next time.