Content of Speeches

Advice on the Content of Speeches

Thor May

A. The purpose of a speech

The purpose of a speech can be to …..

* persuade an audience to action; OR

* entertain an audience; OR

* give an audience new information; OR

* encourage morale in an audience; OR

* warn, threaten or punish an audience.

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B. The fog of abstract language

* Speeches full of abstract rhetoric achieve nothing. Avoid abstract nouns and vague ideas.

* Speeches only containing abstract language show the speaker’s insincerity.

C. Effective speeches

An effective speech should ……

* address audiences personally. Look into their eyes. Include the audience with your body language. Talk to people, not at them.

* avoid abstract language;

* use clear, concrete, colourful examples about real people, real things and real places;

* engage the emotions, beliefs and logic of the listeners. Make them laugh, or cry, or say “aha, now I understand”, or say “wow! That’s a good idea!”.

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