For an effective delivery of your carefully crafted arguments, you need to present them in a convincing order, and hence makes your message eligible.
There are a million ways of creating that order, and once familiar with the art, of course there are situations where breaking of the rules is the trick. Let me just reflect on that for one moment. I have heard many truly amazing speeches, from great public speakers. And I have of course also heard a number of not-so-great-speeches. But the thing that hits me when I lead workshops in public speaking, is how little that is needed to make a speech work. If you are not a super-experienced speaker, if you are hesitant and maybe nervous – don’t over-do it. Keep to the basics in terms of disposition, and you will see how a little order can bring sparks to your message.
So, to keep it simple, the basic formation you can hold on to is
- Present yourself and the topic (a sort of summary). It’s great to start off with something that really captures the interest of the audience.
- Structure your content into your proposition, and follow up with arguments for this. If there are known counter-arguments, this is where you will want to convey those – and your response to these. Much can be won by this simple act of proactiveness.
- A clear ending. What you say last is the thing that often gets remembered. A summary of the most important parts paired with a strong image will give you a powerful finale.
Of course, there are a million ways of “presenting oneself” or structure your arguments. I often refer to a director that I worked with when I was young. He once said to me; “Ciccie, the beginning is important and the ending is important. The mid-part, well, it is not such a big concern”. Great advice from a great man.
Of course, it doesn’t mean that you can literally forget about the content of your speech. But to pay extra attention to your opening and your closing. And the closing is extra important here. I have seen many speakers, drawing near the end, speeding up and start fumbling over crucial parts. Maybe feeling relieved that they (almost) have made it, maybe feeling that they have used enough of the audience time. Do not let that feeling get to you. The end is important. Plan your disposition ahead and make sure you have a good closing delivery.
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