It has been proven that any person can learn to deliver a speech so that it not only produces the desired effect on the audience, but is also remembered for a long time.
Political and cultural figures of the past and present mastered the art of oratory without fail. They all speak passionately and energetically, using lively language that awakens the right emotions in the audience and touches the right “strings” in the souls of listeners. Vivid examples are Winston Churchill, John Kennedy, Bill Gates and many others, which you will read about below. They all inspire and motivate with stories from their own lives or the lives of others. They often talk about their own experiences, how they overcame difficulties and achieved success against all odds. And here are 5 great speakers and their energy-killing speeches (based on materials from the magazine Hot English Magazine).
Joanne "Jo" Rowling
JK Rowling is the author of the acclaimed Harry Potter books. However, she was not always as successful as she is now. When she began writing the first Harry novel, she was an unemployed single mother. In 2008, in her speech at Harvard University, the writer spoke about how important it is to believe in yourself, follow your dreams and not be afraid to make mistakes; if it weren’t for mistakes, she would not be where she is now.
“Had I really succeeded at anything else, I might never have found the determination to succeed in the one arena where I believed I truly belonged. I was set free because my greatest fear had been realized and I was still alive and I still had a daughter whom I adored and I had an old typewriter and a big idea, and so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life .”
- Succeed at- achieve success in.
- To find determination- make up your mind.
- Arena- field of activity.
- To be/set free- to free yourself, to liberate yourself.
- Fear- fear.
- To be alive- to be alive.
- Rock bottom became the solid foundation– misfortune has become a solid foundation.
- To rebuild the life- rebuild your life.
Oprah Winfrey
In 2013, American TV presenter Oprah Winfrey gave a speech at the 22nd awards ceremony. Women in Entertainment. Oprah Winfrey is considered the most powerful woman in the American television industry. In her speech, she spoke about the challenges modern women face in a world ruled by men.
“And this is what I’ve been reflecting about. Do you know what kind of woman you have to rise in an all-male run, all-male controlled, all-male executed, all-male domain, all men, all the time? Do you know what kind of woman you have to be to survive? Do you know what kind of woman you had to be in 1980? You gotta be powerful! ”
- To reflect about– think about.
- All-male- purely masculine.
- To execute- perform.
- To survive- survive.
John F. Kennedy
In 1963, US President John Kennedy spoke to thousands of residents of West Berlin (Note: West Berlin is a political entity on the territory of the American, French and British sectors of the occupation of Berlin in 1949-1990). The final phrase of the speech “ Ich bin ein Berliner” has become a cult.
“Two thousand years ago the proudest boast was “civis Romanus sum.” Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is “Ich bin ein Berliner.”
- Civis Romanus sum(lat.) – I am a citizen of Rome.
- Ich bin ein Berliner(German) – I am a Berliner.
- Proudest boast- building the proudest phrase ( boast- to brag)
Steve Jobs
“... ten years later, again you can’t connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards. So, you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something: your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road, will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well-worn path. And that makes all the difference.”
- To look forward- look forward.
- To look backwards- look back.
- A gut– inner core, character.
- Down the road- in future.
- To give the confidence- give confidence.
- To follow your heart– follow your heart;
- To lead smb off the well-worn path- take you off the beaten track.
- That makes all the difference– that’s the whole difference, that’s the whole point.
- Connect the dots– connect the dots (meaning pieces of experience acquired throughout life that may not be useful right away).
Bill Gates
In 2007, Bill Gates gave his Harvard commencement speech. Calling himself one of Harvard's top non-graduating students, he recalled his college days and how the place once inspired him.
“What I remember, above all about Harvard, was being in the midst of so much energy and intelligence. It could be exhilarating, intimidating, and sometimes even discouraging but always challenging. It was an amazing privilege, and though I left early, I was transformed by my years at Harvard, the friendships I made and the ideas I worked on.”
- To be in the midst of energy and intelligence– to be in the midst of energy and intelligence.
- Exhilarating– invigorating.
- Intimidating– terrifying.
- Discouraging– discouraging.
- Challenging– experiencing.
- Amazing privilege– an amazing privilege.
Here are 9 rules that everyone who wants to make the right impression on their audience should follow.
1. Practice beforehand. Practice before your performance
2. Work with people. Work with the audience
Chat with audience members before speaking. This will give you the opportunity to focus on a friendly face or two as you speak, which is especially helpful if you tend to worry. In addition, when a speaker makes eye contact with the person listening to him, he gets the impression that he is talking to him. Thus, the performance seemed to turn into a series of short conversations with different people.
3. Relax. Learn to relax
If you start to feel nervous on the way to the lectern (or to another place where you will speak), it is worth thinking about how you will deal with it in advance. The first thing that will help you cope with anxiety is a few deep breaths. The second is confidence that everything will work out for you. Understand that there’s nowhere to go anyway, so it’s better to channel your adrenaline in a positive direction! Everyone's methods of gaining calm in front of an audience are different. Perhaps you need to think about something positive, remember the purpose of your stay here, and so on. It is noteworthy that even those people who are usually very nervous on the eve of speaking in front of an audience only become nervous at the beginning. Sooner or later, everyone has a moment when the excitement passes, and speech begins to “flow like a river.” Your task is to shorten this “adaptation” period as much as possible.
4. Don’t read your speech. Don't read from a leaf
It is important to speak from the heart. As a last resort, in order not to get lost and talk about unnecessary things, you can use small cards with the points of your plan, where you can peek if necessary. A person who monotonously sight-reads will not interest anyone. A striking example of such a person can often be found in universities: lecturers make this serious mistake, as a result of which students, instead of enthusiastically listening and delving into the subject, play naval battle or listen to music. Share your emotions and speak from the heart: expressively and “infectiously”!
5. Stand up straight. Stand straight
Whether you are walking on stage or standing in front of a lectern, be aware of your body position. Imagine that your body is a string, but do not overdo it so as not to look too tense and unnatural.
6. Get right into the story. Don't delay the introduction
A lot of times people make the mistake of starting a speech with words of gratitude or saying something like, “I'm incredibly happy to be here.” In addition to being very banal, it is also boring. This is unlikely to instantly attract the attention of the audience to you, but this is exactly what you need to achieve. You can thank him later. Instead, start with a question, statistic, anecdote, quote, or some other audience interaction. People should listen to you from the very first word, and it is better if it is to the point.
7. Keep it simple. Keep it simple
The main thing in speech is a clear and understandable presentation of the essence of the information. Forget about colorful presentations Power Point and a bunch of information no one needs. Instead, keep your speech simple, clearly structured, and interesting to others. Focus on one topic and avoid anything unrelated to it. Experts at Columbia University argue that people waste time writing eloquent 10-page reports because all they need to do is present the audience with the essence and three clear examples that reveal it. Nick Morgan, one of the most famous and respected public speaking coaches in the United States, believes that giving a speech today is no longer as popular or effective as it once was. He insists that people don't remember much of what they hear anyway, so speech should be as simple and short as possible.
8. Use body language attentively. Use body language with caution
We are talking about gestures during a speech. Your behavior should be as natural as possible. If the speech is too emotional, it will most likely be supported by some kind of body movements, and this is not bad. However, if you show signs of anxiety (wringing your fingers, fiddling with your hair, crumpling paper in your hand, or clacking your pen), this will not have a positive effect on your performance. It is important to add positive emotions, passion and pleasant excitement, which will be transmitted to the audience like a virus and will help you reach them.
9. Slow down – Take your time
Pronounce all words clearly and distinctly. Even if you speak quickly in life, make allowances for the fact that you need to speak at a slower pace with a large audience. It is not at all necessary to turn into another person and speak unnaturally for yourself, you can simply find a new facet in yourself. Believe me, anyone can speak softly and easily.
Brilliant thoughts, expressed in successful word forms, can change the world. But what if your amazing project needs to be presented in front of an unfamiliar audience, and you are catastrophically afraid of public speaking? Speaking publicly in a way that does not lull the audience to sleep, but inspires them, draws them into the labyrinth of their own ideas, makes them think about important things and look for answers, no matter how difficult it may be, is not given to everyone. However, it is quite possible to try to master public speaking. Just start - and maybe it will turn for you not only into a way of self-PR, but also into an entertaining psychological game. You will find 8 secrets of a successful speaker for audience 2.0 in this article.
Oratory 2.0, or How to be successful speaking in public
After reading the title of the article, an inquisitive reader will probably immediately have a number of questions: “Why public speaking 2.0?”, “And what then is public speaking 1.0?”, “How do they differ from each other?” etc.
Just as computer programs are given a version number as they evolve, we will give the advanced principles of public speaking the number 2.0.
So, modern successful speakers are people who speak interestingly from the first minute and completely capture the attention of the public. Their voice sounds rhythmic. They gesticulate actively. Successful speakers don't build long, complex sentences. They express their thoughts briefly and simply, literally at a 3rd grade level. Their speech is not a boring hour-long monologue, but an interactive communication with the listener, filled with examples, discussions, illustrations and presentation materials.
Thus, oratory 1.0 is something left in the past, when the speaker’s speech sounded boring, monotonous, difficult, and long. A striking example of oratory 1.0 is the speeches of lecturers and politicians during the USSR. It is clear that this kind of style of communication with the audience will not succeed today.
Agree that the ability to speak effectively in public is useful for a wide variety of professional activities - for politicians, lawyers, teachers, sales managers, and managers when conducting negotiations and presentations at any level.
How to become a successful speaker? How to master public speaking 2.0?
Firstly, we should not forget that the main impression on the listener is not what we talk about, and not even how we talk, but how we look while doing it. It turns out that 55% of success with an interlocutor or a group of listeners is ensured by your visual component: how you are dressed, how you comb your hair, the openness of your gestures, the good nature of your facial expressions, the confidence of your movements, etc. A successful speaker should look either a little unusual in the eyes of the public (trendy jeans, contrasting jewelry, etc.), or a little better, more pathetic than her (ultra-elegant suit, shiny patent leather shoes, expensive accessory, etc.).
Secondly, you must learn to actively gesticulate. Most people cannot read body language, but subconsciously they perceive the meta-messages that you convey through various movements. So, by more often showing the public open palms, you thereby speak of good intentions, openness and win over your listeners. When talking about the advantages and positive aspects of the subject of your speech, you can reinforce what you said with an “OK” or “Cool” gesture. When listening to your opponent, nod your head, even if you disagree on something. By doing this, you show your connection to the person. Then you can object to him, but your initial nod will already soften your objection. But you shouldn’t hold your hands behind your back or fold them on your chest. This way you demonstrate your closedness or secrecy. In addition, you must be congruent - that is, your gestures, movements, facial expressions must be consistent with the words you say, enhance their meaning, and not contradict them.
Thirdly, during a monologue, speak emotionally: change the pace of speech, pitch and volume of your voice more often. 38% of the impression you make on your audience depends on how you speak. You shouldn't speak quickly. The peculiarity of women's speech is that the faster you speak, the more your speech begins to resemble a squeak.
Fourthly, in the arsenal of good speaker there should be many examples, visual statistical information, aphorisms, anecdotes, parables on the topic. All this will warm up the public’s interest in the performance, return attention, and sharpen it.
Fifthly, be correct when dealing with the objections of your listeners. Avoid the particle "not". It is better to use the verbal constructions “Yes, and...” or “Yes, and therefore...”.
Sixth, learn to parry a tricky question with humor. If the audience is sluggish and does not ask questions, ask them yourself, sway the listeners by asking for advice, asking for opinions.
Seventh, do not forget to thank the interlocutor for asking the question, and in order to gain time to think through the answer, you can repeat the question, rephrasing it, clarifying it.
Eighth, record your performances on video. This is an excellent tool for subsequent analysis of your performance, working on mistakes and self-improvement. No feedback will serve you better than watching a video of your performance.
However, the best teacher oratory skills is practice. The more often you speak publicly, the more seasoned you become. speaker become. With practice comes confidence in presenting material, experience in handling objections well, and a relaxed demeanor in public.
Good luck to you and the good audience!
Public speaking is one of the most valuable skills that allows you to competently and beautifully convey your point of view to a wide range of listeners. Few have the innate ability to perform such performances.
Those who have mastered the secrets of oratory have a great chance of becoming an outstanding personality and achieving amazing success in almost any area, be it politics, art, business, etc.
A true speaker must have a number of qualities at his disposal that will ensure his success in public speaking. Firstly, he should be well-read and erudite in order to be able to choose the right words to express his thoughts at the right moment. Secondly, the speaker’s speech must be clear and literate; it must be understandable for the target audience of listeners. Thirdly, a professional speaker must be able to maintain cool calm during the presentation process, subordinating the excitement to his will.
- The art of oratory
Basic criteria that must be met to be a skilled speaker
First of all, the speaker must have a well-trained voice and clear pronunciation, since they serve as the key to intelligible and beautiful speech. This can be achieved by pronouncing consonants correctly and pronouncing vowel sounds clearly. In order for the speaker's speech to bring pleasure to his listeners and himself, it is necessary to practice through exercises to develop his voice.
In addition, to avoid accidentally slipping into slang during your presentation, you need to eliminate many low-grade slang words from your vocabulary.
Make sure your voice flows smoothly as this will help you build favor with your audience. Volume and tempo should be chosen based on the number of listeners and location. Slow and loud speech is ideal for large audiences. Also watch your intonation.
In order for your audience to listen to you, you need to have a good understanding of the topic being discussed and speak in the context of those aspects that are interesting to your viewers. If you build your speech in the form of a dialogue with the public, you will be guaranteed to have interested parties looking at you from the audience.
Always talk only about the main thing during the presentation, excluding unnecessary unnecessary secondary issues.
Please note that a good speaker must maintain neutrality regarding various controversial aspects. Be a skillful diplomat, not an aggressor - sometimes it is better to remain silent.
If suddenly, while speaking to the public, you were involved in a discussion, then you need to be as objective as possible. In the process of public dialogue, you may encounter opinions that contradict yours. Don’t try to argue, but simply accept and recognize a person’s right to their own opinion. The goal of any discussion should be to reconcile several parties.
Remember that during the dialogue you need to behave in a balanced and correct manner. Don't be led by emotions. The art of oratory lies in the harmonious combination of confidence and calm.
Try to stay on topic, since deviations from the main topic and specific statements will irritate both observers and opponents. On the contrary, clear and precise thoughts will help convince the listener to believe you and what you are saying.
Start speaking only after you are sure that your opponent has completed his thought. The ability to listen to your interlocutor is a very valuable quality.
Skillful oratory presupposes that the speaker has certain personal qualities. These include internal composure and calm, good imagination and memory, and a tendency to self-development. In addition, such a quality as insight will not be superfluous. Eloquence is also very important, since the ability to formulate your thoughts in an attractive form is a great gift. Confidence is an important component of a professional speaker, because this trait energizes the audience, and they subconsciously begin to trust every statement of the speaker. Communication skills will allow you to find the “key” to any interlocutor or listener, so try to develop this skill in every possible way.
Watch the plasticity of your body. If your movements are smooth, this will work to your advantage. Good posture will also put you in a better light. Don't slouch, or vice versa, sit back in your chair. Remember that all eyes are on you, so be focused.
During a conversation, always look at the person you are speaking to. The speaker's speech must exclude any negligence. Try to ensure that your facial expressions coincide with what you are talking about, otherwise you may be caught in insincerity.
The basis of oratory is that during the speech you talk about one main idea, and all your remarks and statements should be aimed only at it or lead to it. Try to remove from your consciousness all thoughts that are not related to the main goal. If you organize the information you are going to convey in your head, then your speech will be as consistent and logical as possible. Try to keep an eye on what you want to talk about at all times. Remember, the more interest you show in the subject of the dialogue, the better your speech will be.
It is also necessary to remember that constructive criticism is an integral part of any dialogue with the public or opponent. If you are accused of something, take it calmly and move forward with confidence. It is better to criticize opponents condescendingly and carefully. This way you will convince your positive attitude and will not look like an enemy in the eyes of your interlocutor.
- Key aspects of working with an audience
Firstly, it is necessary to understand that listeners differ in many ways: age, education, gender, etc. Therefore, you need to consider who you are going to speak to and what to talk about, otherwise you may face indifference or, even worse, aggression.
Secondly, public speaking involves the ability to win the attention of the audience, so before your speech, try to think through as much as possible what your audience will be interested in hearing.
Third, the speaker must be aware of what the audience wants to hear from him and provide it to them. Understanding the needs of each listener will make the presentation interesting.
Fourthly, oratory is based on a positive attitude towards the opponent, even if the purpose of the speech is criticism.
Remember that a positive person will evoke the same feelings in the audience, which means that during the speech the speaker will be able to achieve his goals without problems.
- The most common mistakes that many wordsmiths make
When speaking to audiences, very often people construct sentences that are too difficult to understand and use long words. Firstly, it can confuse the speaker himself, and, secondly, it confuses his listeners. Therefore, it is better to avoid this format of speech construction.
In addition, beginning speakers often make the mistake of using impersonal sentences. With this format of communication with the audience, mistrust may arise, so use more definite personal pronouns.
- Don't be indecisive. Be self-sufficient and make more affirmations.
Judge your audience correctly and avoid using slang expressions that your listeners may not understand. Think through every joke, every thesis, every sentence, etc.
Find the optimal balance between interrogative and affirmative sentences. Dilute your speech with soft inserts, for example, “among other things,” “also,” etc.
In addition, inept speakers very often fail because they do not know how to ask the audience questions correctly. Remember that if you want to bring your listeners into an active dialogue, then for this you need to use open questions.
And finally, never take your eyes off the audience. Constantly maintain eye contact with the audience, and then your speech will become convincing and more striking.
“We listen not to speech, but to the person who speaks,” says the rhetoric.
In this chapter we will look at the factors that influence a speaker's popularity with the audience.
Appearance
The speaker's clothing must correspond to the nature of the environment in which the speech is given, and be neat and tidy. A.F. Koni advised lecturers:
You should get dressed simple and decent. There should be nothing pretentious or flashy in the suit (sharp color, unusual style); a dirty, sloppy suit makes an unpleasant impression. This is important to remember because the psychological effect on those gathered begins before the speech, from the moment the lecturer appears in front of the public.
Behavior.
The feminine manner of speech and all behavior is emphasized in women and the masculine manner in men.
Expressiveness of individual, personality traits - expressiveness of behavior, its expressiveness and emotionality while respecting generally accepted boundaries.
A sense of self-confidence and mastery of the means to convey this feeling to the audience.
Many beginning speakers experience stage fright. The reasons for fear can be formulated as follows:
individual personality characteristics - increased nervous excitability;
unrealistic expectations - the mindset that speech should have some extraordinary impact;
audience indifference or hostility;
poor preparation, ignorance, incompetence.
Ways to overcome fear
a) Self-conviction:
“my friends are listening to me”;
“my words and beliefs will definitely find a response.”
b) You need to know that it is difficult to determine the degree of excitement from the outside. Therefore, no one knows that you are worried. If fear interferes with the speaker, then excitement.
It is excitement that makes the speaker on the ball and inspires.
Friendliness in the behavior of the speaker is one of the main conditions for the success of communication and the effectiveness of speech.
One of the most valued traits of a speaker is sincerity in his speech behavior.
In relation to public speech, this property is called “oratorical honesty.”
Speaker's objectivity. The listener must be respected.
Take into account opposing opinions Ignoring someone else’s opinion is a violation of the ethics of speech communication, in particular public speaking ethics.
Interest in the subject of speech, living, genuine passion for it is one of the most important conditions for success. “Try not to talk about what doesn’t interest you,” the rhetoric recommends. This advice is formulated perhaps too harshly for real life. Let's reformulate it into a practical version: avoid, as much as possible, talking about what you are completely indifferent to.
So, the confidence, friendliness, sincerity, objectivity, and passion of the speaker are contagious: they are transmitted to the listeners.
Control questions
What is the reason for the interest in public speaking today?
Describe the stages of preparing a public speech.
What is the methodology for selecting literature and working with sources in preparing a public speech?
What is the compositional structure of public speech. Expand the tasks of each part.
Formulate requirements for the content of public speech.
Name the main methods of presenting material in a public speech.
Discover techniques for managing audience attention.
What are the requirements for a speaker's speech?
Name the components of public speaking success. How do you imagine the image of a speaker?
Do you agree with Cicero’s statement: “Poets are born, orators are made”?
Where should any successful performance begin? The answer is simple: from a pause. No matter what kind of speech you give: a detailed presentation of several minutes or a short introduction of the next speaker, you must achieve silence in the room. Once on the podium, look around the audience and fix your gaze on one of the listeners. Then mentally say the first sentence to yourself and, after an expressive pause, begin speaking.
2. First phrase
All successful speakers place great importance on the first sentence of their speech. It must be powerful and definitely evoke a positive response from the audience.
The first phrase is, in TV terminology, the “prime time” of your speech. At this moment, the audience is at its maximum size: every person in the room wants to look at you and find out what kind of bird you are. In just a few seconds, the screening of listeners can begin: someone will continue the conversation with a neighbor, someone will bury their head in the phone, and someone will even fall asleep. However, everyone without exception will listen to the first phrase.
3. Bright start
If you don’t have a bright, suitable aphorism that can attract everyone’s attention, start with a story from your life. If you have an important fact or news that is unknown to your listeners, start right away with it (“Yesterday at 10 o’clock in the morning...”). In order for the audience to perceive you as a leader, you need to immediately take the bull by the horns: choose a strong beginning.
4. Main idea
Before you even sit down to write your speech, you must determine its main idea. This key point that you want to convey to the audience should be concise, capacious, “fit in a matchbox.”
Stop, look and make a plan: first, highlight the key ideas, and then you can supplement and clarify them with real-life examples or quotes.
As Churchill said, a good speech is like a symphony: it can be performed at three different tempos, but it must maintain the main melody.
5. Quotes
There are several rules, the observance of which will give strength to the citation. First, the quote should be close to you. Never cite statements from an author who is unfamiliar to you, uninteresting, or whom you do not like to quote. Secondly, the name of the author should be known to listeners, and the quote itself should be short.
You also have to learn how to create an environment for quoting. Many successful speakers use similar techniques: before quoting, they pause and put on glasses, or with a serious look they read a quote from a card or, for example, a sheet of newspaper.
If you want to make a special impression with a quote, write it down on a small card, take it out of your wallet during your speech, and read the statement.
6. Wit
Surely you have been advised many times to add a joke or anecdote to your presentation. There is some truth in this advice, but do not forget that a joke for the sake of a joke only insults the listener.
There is no need to start your speech with an anecdote that is not related to the situation (“It seems that it is customary to start a speech with an anecdote, so here it is. Somehow a man comes to see a psychiatrist...”). It's best to sneak in your funny story mid-speech to lighten the mood.
7. Reading
Reading a speech from a sheet of paper with your eyes downcast does not, to put it mildly, excite the audience. What should we do then? Is it really necessary to memorize a half-hour long speech? Not at all. You need to learn to read correctly.
The first rule of reading a speech: never say words while your eyes are looking at the paper.
Use the SOS technique: look - stop - say.
For training, take any text. Lower your eyes and take a mental picture of a few words. Then raise your head and stop. Then, looking at any object at the other end of the room, tell what you remember. And so on: look at the text, stop, speak.
8. Speaker techniques
It is known that Churchill recorded his speeches like poetry, dividing them into separate phrases and writing each on a separate line. To make your speech sound even more convincing, use this technique.
Use rhyme and internal consonance in a phrase to give the sound of your speech poetic impact (for example, Churchill's phrase “We must follow the principles of HUMANISM, not bureaucracy”).
It’s very easy to come up with rhymes, just remember the most common ones: -na (war, silence, needed), -ta (darkness, emptiness, dream), -ch (sword, speech, flow, meetings), -oses / wasps (roses , threats, tears, questions), -anie, -yes, -on, -tion, -ism and so on. Practice these simple rhymes to create sonorous phrases.
But remember: the rhymed phrase should be the same for the entire speech; there is no need to turn your speech into a poem.
And so that the rhyme does not go to waste, express the key idea of the speech in this phrase.
9. Questions and pauses
Many speakers use questions to connect with the audience. Don't forget one rule: never ask a question if you don't know the answer. Only by predicting the audience's reaction can you prepare and get the most out of the question.
10. Final
Even if your speech was inexpressive, a successful ending can fix everything. To make an impression in the finale, tune in, call on your emotions to help: pride, hope, love and others. Try to convey these feelings to your listeners the way great speakers of the past did.
Under no circumstances should you end your speech on a minor note, as this will simply destroy your career. Use uplifting quotes, poems or jokes.
