Masonry Magazine July 1980 Page. 14
Blueprint
For Public
Speaking
By Paul A. Theis
With more and more executives becoming involved in public policy communications in their communities, these speaking tips from an expert will be timely.
The author outlines the basic steps to get on the right footing. They include: building local color into the remarks to supplement the theme; preparing a colloquial speech, not a dissertation; including hard news in the text that can be picked up by the media; and keeping the humor light, brief and self-deprecating.
Even if you like to speak extemporaneously, have a text tucked away to keep your thoughts -and presentation-orderly, is the advice of the author.
"A speech well prepared is nine-tenths delivered" -Dale Carnegie
If you're a busy executive who's frequently called on to speak in public, you can make sure your talk is well prepared in one of several ways: (1) You can turn the assignment over to a staff speechwriter: (2) you can hire an experienced free-lancer to write the speech; or (3) you can write it yourself.
Whichever way you go, the importance of a text cannot be overemphasized. For one thing, it's a form of insurance to make sure the message you want to get over to your audience isn't lost in the rambling discourse which too often typifies ad-lib speaking. It's also a form of reassurance to the speaker.
If you've accepted a speaking engagement and it's up to you to produce the manuscript for it, where do you start? First, keep this in mind: Although you may have a knack for putting words onto paper, there is a difference between writing for the eye and for the ear. Good print writers often make bad speechwriters. Here are eight basic steps which can make your job easier:
Paul A. Theis, White House editor and speechwriter for President Ford, is a staff consultant for the House of Representatives. His article is reprinted with permission from the May, 1979 issue of "Enterprise," published by the National Association of Manufacturers, Washington, D.C.
Find out about your audience. The best way to start is with a few phone calls: to the person who invited you to speak, to the president of the group you will be addressing, or to people you know on a personal basis who will be in the audience. Find out not only the size and mix of the audience, but whether it will be friendly or hostile. What's bothering people in the audience? What causes are they promoting or opposing? Are there simmering local controversies you should either mention or avoid? What's the source of civic pride at the moment? Will there be others on the dais or in the audience you should single out for a compliment or at least a comment?
Although some of these questions may seem irrelevant, they're really not. Take the age of your audience, for instance. With an older crowd, you can refer to World War II and elicit a personal reaction. If you use this reference on teenagers, you're talking about ancient history to which they don't relate. Sure, all this research takes time. But properly worked into the speech, local references show that you've taken the time to find out something about the audience and few things are more flattering.
Decide on the theme of your speech. Since speeches are basically designed to either inform, motivate or entertain sometimes a combination of all three it'll be fairly easy to determine from your research which type is most appropriate.
Although the message you want to get over may differ from what the audience wants to hear, that's no problem. Talk first in terms of the audience's interest. Once that's done, you're free to deliver your own message. It's a fair exchange.
Use an outline to get started. Although speech-writers differ on ways to start, most prefer an outline built around the three main parts of the speech: the opening or introductory remarks (this is where you and your audience size each other up), the body of the speech (where your message is spelled out), and the conclusion (where you wrap it all up in a neat package). Develop a list of points you consider important then narrow the list down to two or three main ones, with subpoints under each. Support your points with hard facts and graphic examples. If you find an outline too formal, begin at least by drafting a paragraph summarizing what you plan to cover. It is important to construct a framework for building a speech that marches rather than meanders.
Develop a file of source materials. Fill it with copies of speeches by business associates and others, clippings from magazines and newspapers, good quotations and jokes or one-liners to adapt to your needs. If time permits, cross-index this file by subjects. Don't overlook your company library as well as your local public library. Keep handy a good dictionary, a thesaurus or dictionary of synonyms and a Bartlett's. When using quotes to support your point of view, make sure your source is a recognized authority.
Prepare a talk, not an essay. Consider your speech a conversation between friends you want to convince. This means using simple language and direct and active sentences. Avoid cliches and bro-