Points to Consider When Giving a Speech

Now that I have delivered my first speech, I feel fortunate to only be held accountable for what I know. Yes, the introduction and conclusion of a speech are very

important, however, the body of the speech needs to be given adequate consideration during the preparation of a speech. Once the introduction is completed

I believe the audience subconsciously demands that the body of the speech is well organized and informative. This is important to ensure that the audience stays

engaged in the presentation. Although I believe I did a decent job in my introduction speech, I now know which areas I need to work on in the body to make

the presentation more complete. After reading Chapter 8 of The Art of Public Speaking, by Steven Lucas, I understand it's very important to balance the amount

of time devoted to main points, ensure the speech uses effective connectives, and to use the strategic order of main points effectively in order to deliver a successful

presentation.

Balancing the amount of time devoted to main points is very important. It reflects well on the speaker. Preparation is vital to ensuring the main points receive

equal consideration. It is the speaker's responsibility to determine whether or not a point is actually a main point by determining if there is enough information for it to

be divided up equally with the remaining points. If not, then it's probably not a main point and should either be omitted or included in one of the other points. Main

points are, in essence, the speech topic, and they needed to be given proper attention in order to have maximum impact. Lucas makes this clear on page 175 when he

writes, "Because your main points are so important, you want to be sure they all receive enough empha...

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...oth the speaker and the listener. Lucas

writes on page 166, "Listeners demand coherence. Unlike readers, they cannot flip back to a previous page if they have trouble grasping a speaker's ideas" (Lucas,

2009, p.166). There is no "reset" button when delivering a speech, so it is important to be well organized to ensure the audiences undivided attention and ultimately

a successful speaking experience.

Knowledge is power. A speaker who is properly prepared and has knowledge about the methods used to deliver a successful speech will be successful. In

public speaking, there is no substitute for proper preparation. By using their organizational skills, they can determine which connective method is best suited for the

situation, as well as ensuring the continued interest of the audience by maintaining an equal balance of the main points they are speaking on.