The mark of a successful public speech is that it is not read. It is insulting to an audience to stand up in front of them and read your text. They can read a hand out just as well as you. Many people such as politicians read from a prepared text but I assume that as your are reading this you aspire to a higher standard of oratory. This entails speaking fluently and looking your audience in the eye.



Therefore it has to be remembered. Do not confuse this with delivering your text verbatim. This article is for the guidance of human beings not robots! This can cause concern to someone new to public speaking but fortunately there are a number of easy techniques to help you.



The fear of most public speakers is losing the thread of their argument. They can remember the point they wished to make but then flounder as they try to remember what comes next. Fortunately there are many ways to overcome this.



In drafting your speech make sure that there is a link between the last sentence of one paragraph and the first sentence of the next. These can take the following forms...



Use the same word in the last sentence of one paragraph as in the first sentence of the new one. It should seem natural to the speech but you will know it is there and it will give you confidence to move on.



Make the last letter of the last word in the last sentence be the same as the first letter of the first word in the next sentence. This is emphasised when you practice but your audience will not know. For instance the last sentence could end, "... these problems became evident years later in the expansion to the west." The first sentence might then begin, "To this end ..." The point is that when you practice this speech you will emphasis the "t" at the end of the word west and then emphasise the letter "T" as the first letter of the word To. By doing this you will be gratified to find that you do remember these link words.



Use a pair of words that is easy for you to remember - horse & cart, face & lift, salt & pepper etc. Put the first of the pair in the last sentence of the last paragraph and the second of the pair in the first sentence of the new paragraph.



This last technique could use two colours.



Use a phrase in one paragraph that you pick up in the next. For instance, "... life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." The next paragraph could then begin, "Speaking of the pursuit of happiness ..."



It is important that none of the above should seem stilted. The words must appear natural. Only you will know the links. As you have worked hard on these links you will find that they stick in your mind.



Start each successive paragraph with the letters of the alphabet in order i.e. A, B, C etc. You will find that you can be quite capable of thinking what the next letter stands for whilst delivering your speech. Even if you miss out one letter you will have a key to find the beginning of the next paragraph i.e. the letter following the one you missed.



In a speech which is delivered to state a case the sequence of the argument will assist you to remember the next paragraph.



It is best not to use numbers blatantly as in, "firstly, secondly etc." It sounds didactic and makes your audience feel that they are being browbeaten. However, you can use this technique to remember the progression of the paragraphs - just do not say the words "firstly, secondly etc" out loud.



Remember that only you know what you intended to say. It usually does not matter if you miss out a sentence or even a whole paragraph. You do need to have a way of picking up the thread of your text by the use of one or some of the drafting techniques listed above. The result of your efforts in building links into your speech is that it will be fluent which is one of the criteria of effective rhetoric.



Finally, you should write one word from each paragraph of your speech on a small piece of card. The chosen words must be sufficient to jog your memory so they must be the most striking from each paragraph. Keep that card in your hand or on the lectern when you deliver your speech. You may never look at it but it will give you confidence.





------



Tim Ross is an accomplished public speaker in the United Kingdom covering a variety of locations, groups and subjects.The lessons in public speaking from these experiences are detailed in his blogs and articles. For more information visit http://www.howtobeapublicspeaker.com/publicspeaking/