by Bonnie Kimbrel

Created on: September 07, 2010   Last Updated: October 19, 2010

For many people, the prospect of writing and delivering a dynamite speech may seem terrifying. Ultimately, learning how give a compelling speech can actually be very exciting and rewarding. Remembering a few tips can lead you to becoming a successful orator.  The two most important pieces of speech-giving are the only two you will need to concentrate on: Preparation and Delivery. The tips below will alleviate the mystery and pain associated with public speaking and show how easy writing and delivering a dynamite speech can be.

Preparation goes a long way toward achieving the perfect speech. Exceptional prep work includes learning about your audience, content research, as well as organizing and writing the speech. The area that matters most is knowing your audience.  Who your audience is will shape everything from how the speech should be presented (formal/informal), to the level of clarification on the ideas being communicated (experts/general knowledge). Good questions to consider in regards to the audience are: What is the intended outcome of the speech? Is it persuasive, informative, or commemorative?  Is the audience friendly to the idea? What is the audience’s expertise on the subject? Finally, try to find information that will challenge the audience’s perspective. Once you have a good idea of who your audience will be you can move to the next step of preparation; research.

 Solid research lends credibility to what you are saying and helps solidify the ideas you are trying to relate. Depending on the type of speech you will give, it is beneficial to have more than one perspective on a given subject to provide balance to the stance being taken. This lets the audience know that you understand competing opinions and are ready to confront them. Analysis and statistics from credible sources also help add validity to a speech. Just remember to always give credit to the source of the information you are using.

The organization of the speech should be easy to follow; introduction, body, and conclusion; with each phase of the speech, reiterating your main point. The introduction is the audience’s first impression of your point, and with that being the case, it needs to be dynamite! This is where you grab your audience’s attention. The body of the speech will build on the ideas hinted at in the intro and is where you deliver the proof. The conclusion will drive the point home by reinforcing the ideas through an exciting

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