Shreeya Garg#10 -- How to Deliver a Powerful Speech?
Over the last two weeks, we have explored how many different politicians and important figures delivered powerful speeches that influenced the people around them and changed history. Evidently, language can be very powerful, and in order to make impactful change, effective oratory skills are needed.
However, public speaking skills are not only needed by politicians or social advocates. Instead, communication skills are needed in every field and in daily life. A study by the National Education Association found that 90% of Americans believe that communication skills are the most important skill needed to get ahead in today's world.
Moreover, Amelia Harper finds that being able to speak powerfully and persuasively is the top quality that employers look for. In their article on public speaking, the University of the People explains that there are many benefits of public speaking. First of all, public speaking is an important asset for career development, as being able to speak persuasively helps in job interviews and promotions. Moreover, being a compelling speaker enables one to forge stronger social connections. Additionally, public speaking skills allow one to be a strong leader. Despite all of these benefits of having strong public speaking skills, most schools don’t teach students communication skills. Thus, in this blog, I am going to focus on examining how one can deliver a powerful speech.
The first step to preparing a captivating speech is to choose the right topic. Duncan Wardle, a former Tedx speaker, explains that it is important to “speak from your heart.” Although this may sound cliche, the fact is that if the speaker themselves is not interested in what they are saying, the audience will quickly lose interest. However, when someone speaks about something they truly care about, their passion helps make their speech so much more enthralling and powerful.
After you choose an idea, it is time to start planning your speech. Jacquelyn Smith emphasizes that the first step to writing a powerful speech is to consider your audience and their needs. It is imperative that you consider how you can best persuade and inspire your specific audience to agree with your point of view. In order to write an engrossing speech, you should start with a powerful hook that draws the audience’s attention. Smith recommends using a “compelling story.” Finally, your speech should end with an effective call to action that encourages the audience to take action.
The final element of public speaking is to deliver your speech in a compelling manner. Wardle explains that voice modulation and emoting are key in order to keep your audience engaged. In addition, you should also try to move around the stage. Additionally, Mike Michalowicz asserts that you should maintain eye contact and stand up straight, as that body language will help you look confident.
Hopefully, we can all use this advice to become powerful and impactful speakers, so that we can one day use our words to change the world.
Hi Shreeya! Thank you for the advice about giving a powerful speech. My mom is part of the 90% who believes that communication skills are the most important. She constantly tells me about needing to learn how to speak up because I'm usually very quiet and don't like talking to people more than I need to (unless they are my friend). Around selection for 9th grade, my mom dragged me on a hike with her colleagues, and I talked with her boss, and he also highly recommended me take Public speaking although I'm not sure if our school even offers it. My mom even made me attend speech and debate summer camp during the summer, but it was over zoom and I honestly just zoned out and hated the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteHi Shreeya, I enjoyed reading your blog post. Communication skills are really important, and just as much as public speaking, people should also learn how to conversate with others. I used to public speaking, and from my experience public speaking is a lot harder than it seems. At the surface, there is a set formula to what makes a good speech. As you said, a good topic and good body language and enunciation are one of the aspects that make a good speech. However, a few hours before the speech, the stage fright really starts in.
ReplyDeleteHey Shreeya, your blog post was very informative about advice revolving around powerful rhetoric and speech. I think being able to consistently speak in a manner that is understandable and effective is a very important part of communication. Another interesting aspect of communication I've found is the difference between conversational rhetoric and written vernacular. Conversational rhetoric is crucial to in person communication, but I've found there are significant differences and similarities between effective writing and speaking. Both of these facets of communication, I feel, as equally crucial and are definitely things I'd like to work on, so I appreciate the advice.
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ReplyDeleteHi Shreeya! While I had always thought that being able to communicate well was somewhat important in getting ahead, I had no idea that such a big majority of the population believed that it was essential. Even then, it's kind of funny to see that schools today still do not prioritize public speaking as a major course to prepare students for the real world. Personally, I've never been the biggest fan of speaking out in front of a crowd, but I agree that it always seems easier when you're talking about something you're genuinely interested in. I really liked all of your points about the actually logistics of planning a speech, and I hope to eventually use them in the future.
ReplyDeleteHi Shreeya! Public speaking has strongly been one of the best ways teachers and officials in our society have utilized their effective oratory skills in order to make an influence in our community as well as history. Politicians and social advocates use their communication skills to let out their ideas properly in a cohesive manner that directly connects to the way the audience continues to think. The benefits of improving career development skills, better public speaking skills and the overall enhancement of a more powerful speech work hand in hand to how these skills can help you in the real world. From assisting you in the job interview process to fostering better social connections, I also believe that these skills are vital to obtain for the well being of all of us. It keeps our confidence and opinions intact in a way that allows for the proper portrayal of answers to questions other night pose at you. Speaking on a topic that truly interests you and doing it on one that you have passion for leads into a much more enthralling speech overall. Thank you for your blog, Shreeya!
ReplyDeleteHi Shreeya, this is such a creative idea for your post! I definitely think people underestimate the value that good speaking skills have in the real world. It can help with networking, and can definitely help in making that great first impression. I personally love speeches and speaking(sometimes), so your advice is extremely insightful to me. Thank you for sharing it, and I look forward to your next post!
ReplyDeleteHi Shreeya! These are such good tips on creating a great speech. Though the content of the speech is one thing, delivery is just as if not even more important and like how you mentioned that toward the end. The best speech in the world would be nothing if it wasn’t said with the correct amount of passion and emotion it was meant to invoke. The correct inflection, tone, and volume is necessary to keep the audience engaged in what you have to say. Humor is also really great to keep the audience captivated every so often to make sure they don’t zone out during the important parts. Speaking is kind of what drives us as a species and this compelling form of communication is something that has given rise to every leader in modern history. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteCommunication is such an important part of our lives. The section in our blog regarding just how important it is to believe in what you are preaching about resounds with me. I like to stray from the script when I have to make presentations: it makes it seem more personal and less generic. People can tell when you are just reading off a piece of paper: the best speeches in American history have all strayed greatly from the script. President Kennedy's speech Ich bin ein Berliner is one such example: he truly believed in what he spoke in and went "off the tracks" of the speech he had written just days before. However, there are also speeches that are written so perfectly that "freestyling" it would be a shame: FDR's speech after the Pearl Harbor attack stands as one such instance. Speeches, presentations, communication all rely on the the orator actually believing in what they are saying. Else, any communication might as well be null.
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