How to prepare to speak in front of an audience: plan, techniques

Not all of us are born Cicero, but in the lives of almost all of us there are situations when we need to make a speech. For a person who has no experience in public speaking, such a prospect causes excitement and serious jitters. What can I say: even experienced lecturers experience similar emotions before meeting with an unfamiliar audience. A shy person will most likely try to avoid such a situation. But if you want to make a career, become a recognizable person, then you definitely cannot refuse to make a speech in front of the public, be it a congratulation, a campaign appeal, an annual report or a scientific report.

Moreover: it makes sense to volunteer to give a speech if there is such an opportunity. It is only important not to lose face and make a favorable impression on the audience by demonstrating erudition, sharpness of mind, a subtle sense of humor, competence, and sometimes even solidarity. By being well prepared to give a speech, you will be able to achieve your goals, and you will feel confident in front of the public. In this article you will find answers to all the most pressing questions regarding how to properly prepare for a public speech in front of a large audience.

Do you need to prepare for a performance if you have the ability to improvise?

People are divided into several categories:

on those who do not mince words;
for those who have difficulty finding words;
on those whose eloquence depends on the situation.

The most eloquent people are certainly more likely to give a good speech spontaneously, but even they cannot always count on success if they have to improvise in front of an unfamiliar audience, answering unexpected questions. Even famous showmen, who have a lot of looseness, a sense of humor and a vocabulary, claim that the best improvisation is prepared improvisation.

It will be a great idea to prepare jokes, witticisms, answers to tricky questions so that they seem to have been born during the performance itself and spontaneously uttered. But not a single experienced speaker will dare to let this matter take its course, and we do not advise you to do so.

Audience Features

Preparation for a public speech is carried out taking into account the characteristics and mood of the audience for whom the speech is being prepared. The following parameters are taken into account:

socio-professional characteristics (working class, intelligentsia, engineers);
cultural and educational level of participants (level of education – primary, secondary, higher);
Nature of activity;
listeners' awareness of the problem of the speech;
degree of interest.

The number of listeners, the time of the speech, the oratorical abilities of the speaker are factors that influence the outcome of a particular speech. As practice shows, the most difficulties arise with a “heterogeneous” audience. It is very difficult to interest, win over and attract a group of people whose representatives belong to different age, social, and cultural groups.

Difficulties also arise when working with a youth group. The thirst for contradiction, subjectivism, pride, and youth’s confidence in their own rightness are factors that will require a lot of effort and endurance from the speaker.

What does preparing for a public speaking include: plan

Typically, preparing to perform in front of an audience consists of the following main steps:

Audience assessment.
Setting the purpose of the speech, choosing a topic.
Selection of material.
Structuring, drawing up a plan.
Decoration of speech.
Speech memorization, rehearsal.

Let's look at each of these stages in more detail.

Audience rating

The most important thing is to create a social profile of the group you are speaking to, to understand what brought them together.

The audience can be scientific, student, gathered together to get acquainted with new scientific developments, discuss their work, and so on. These people will not be interested in listening to the truisms that the Volga flows into the Caspian Sea and the Earth revolves around the Sun. But such an audience will understand complex terms, and you will not need to try to describe complex phenomena in accessible language. It is advisable to immediately get to the point, reducing the introduction to a minimum, and pay more attention to the essence of the issue, rather than chewing on certain concepts.

It is completely different to speak to residents of a building who have gathered, say, to meet with a candidate for deputy. You need to speak to them in simple language, touching on issues that concern them. Similar advice can be given regarding speaking to the company team. Only the employees of your organization will be concerned about working conditions and wages, and the residents will be concerned about major home renovations, landscaping of the yard, or the opening of a kindergarten or school in the neighborhood.

Determining the purpose of the speech, choosing a topic

It often happens that the purpose and topic of the speech are already predetermined. For example, when your supervisor invited you to share your research on a specific problem with the scientific community at a thematic conference. Or when the head of the enterprise instructed you to tell the workforce about the results of work for the year and share with the employees plans for the development of the company.

But sometimes the choice of topic is left to the speaker. Then you should find where the interests of the audience intersect with your competencies. For example, at a meeting with the population, a teacher can speak on the issue of developing a network of educational institutions in a microdistrict, improving the quality of education, and organizing children’s leisure time. It’s not worth making the main topic of your speech solving the residents’ communal problems, if this is clearly not your strong point. Listeners will still feel that the speaker is “floating” on this issue, and these points will not be in his favor.

The choice of the topic of speech also depends on the purpose for which it is pronounced. Goals are often divided into:

socio-political (reports at non-scientific conferences and congresses, including response, parliamentary, campaign and rally);
academic (lectures, scientific reports);
spiritual (sermon);
judicial (accusatory speech of the prosecutor, defensive speech of the lawyer);
social and everyday (toasts, greetings, congratulatory and funeral speeches).

The goals and occasion of the speech dictate the choice of speech style, the possibility of using terms, jargon and colloquial expressions. So, at a business forum, colloquial words will be inappropriate, and complex terms will be incomprehensible to ordinary people. Professional jargon will decorate a speech delivered in front of a work collective, but it will also spoil it if people who have nothing to do with the relevant profession have gathered in front of you.

Selection of material, or invention

When choosing what to say, what information to touch upon in your speech, you can focus on the semantic models proposed by Socrates. The content of speech may include:

definition of certain concepts, phenomena;
indication of properties, characteristic features, distinctive features;
classification, place of the subject of conversation in it;
considering the subject of conversation as part of the whole;
comparisons, comparisons;
description of cause-and-effect relationships;
designation of the circumstances of the case (what, where, when and how it happened);
giving examples from life, history, literature, films or from personal experience;
reference to authorities (quotes, aphorisms, proverbs).

Additionally, it wouldn’t hurt to include in your speech:

contrast analysis (before – now, with us – with them);
indication of the future;
justified (reasoned) assessments;
identification (“I’m the same as you”) or solidarity (“I share your feelings”);
opposition (“your enemies are my enemies”).

It is clear that it is impossible to include all of the above at once in a speech. But it’s still easier to select the right one when there is plenty to choose from.

Structuring the introduction, or disposition

Any speech consists of three blocks:

Introduction.
Main part.
Conclusion.

The introduction usually includes an etiquette moment (greeting, introduction) and an indication of the topic of the speech. You need to figure out how to attract the attention of listeners, since this is also an important task of the introductory part. Tell a story, make a joke, ask the audience a question, and the task will be accomplished.

The main part can be built in different ways. Most often, information is arranged in a speech according to one of the following schemes:

inductive (from general to specific);
deductive (from particular to general);
analogies (comparisons);
concentric (around one idea to which the speaker constantly returns);
stepwise (sequential consideration of several problems);
historical (that is, chronological).

The choice of scheme is dictated by the material selected at the previous stage. A combination of several options is welcome.

The final part of the speech contains a summary of what was said in the central part and a conclusion. The conclusion should not be dry; it can carry a certain emotional charge or even a call to action if this corresponds to the purpose of the speech.

Decoration of speech, or elocution

Good speech is understandable, engaging, lively. What makes it so is not only the behavior of the speaker, but also his language. To decorate speech, so-called rhetorical tropes and figures of speech are used.

Examples of tropes:

metaphor (transferring the name of one object to another based on their similarity in some way);
epithet (figurative definition);
allegory (indication of a phenomenon using an abstract image, as in fables);
hyperbole and litotes (figurative exaggeration and understatement);
allusion (hint).

Some of the most commonly used figures of speech by speakers include:

a rhetorical question;
rhetorical exclamation;
sermocinatio (conditionally direct speech, for example, a speaker’s retelling of a dialogue in free presentation).

These techniques contribute to the dialogization of oratorical speech, creating a feeling of communication and feedback.

Memorization and speech rehearsal

Do I need to learn the speech by heart? Is it possible to read it in front of an audience? These are the questions that often worry a person who does not have much time to prepare for a performance.

We have to disappoint the laziest: reading a speech from a sheet is not the best practice. It seems that the speaker is unfamiliar with the topic of his speech, and this does not contribute to the formation of trust in him. This is only permissible in two cases:

it is important to deliver a speech in specific terms;
The speaker is out of shape (not feeling well), but is familiar with the topic of the speech.

But even in these cases, it doesn’t hurt to read what you’ve written at least once before the performance.

Regarding learning speech, on the contrary, we will support those who do not want to spend time and effort on this. This is really unnecessary. It is enough to give a speech 2-3 times, rehearsing it the day before the speech.

Instead of trying to remember everything, it is better to sketch out an outline of your speech, writing down numbers and dates, as well as quotes that you cannot reproduce from memory. If you sometimes look at the “cheat sheet”, there is no harm in it, because of this the impression of your performance will only improve. Let people see that you prepared for the meeting with them, and did not treat this event with disdain.

At the stage of memorizing a speech, it also doesn’t hurt to think about what questions listeners might ask you and how best to answer them. This home preparation will allow you to feel much more confident in front of an audience and overcome anxiety before a performance.

Stage one - preparation

At the preparatory stage, the most important thing to know is two things: the topic of the future speech and the degree of immersion of your audience in this topic.
If you are speaking to beginners, be prepared to chew on the material. If professionals are sitting in front of you, then there is no point in talking about the basics; get ready to give the public content of a higher level. Remember, a person’s attention is attracted only by things that are new to him. The next important point is the audience’s attitude to the topic. The ideal option is a positive attitude from the audience, a completely different matter is a clearly expressed negative opinion, which will require the speaker to more carefully establish contact, work with objections and select high-quality arguments.

Public speaking textbooks often advise finding out the gender and age composition of the audience. Thus, the young audience (aged 15-22 years) is more lively and dynamic, but at the same time they require constant interaction and “tricks”. To make a presentation a success, you will need drive and knowledge of your audience's values and interests.

The speaker is always like a fisherman with a fishing rod, the audience is his fish. If you go fishing with a bare hook, the catch will be modest. By “bare hook” I mean only rational facts, arguments, and influence on the logical component of the audience. “Bait” - emotional stories, metaphors, examples, this catches the audience and captures their attention. The ideal option is when the performance has both a “hook” and “bait”. Just a hook, story or metaphor will not be enough for the audience; listeners will want a serious evidence base.

A few minutes before the presentation, it is worth warming up a little physically to relieve nervous tension, train your voice and, of course, remember the purpose of the upcoming presentation. The lack of a clear goal is one of the most common mistakes of speakers, who often simply throw information blocks into slides, turning the presentation into a stream of thoughts without a clear task and problematization.

Psychological preparation for public speaking

It's normal to feel afraid of speaking in public. Don't be shy to admit to yourself that you are feeling anxious and worried. This is necessary in order to learn how to remove them.

Exercise to overcome pre-show jitters:

Imagine a room filled with unfriendly people. In the front row are the sharks of the pen, who are eager to “bite you” to feed their self-esteem. And so you go on stage, go to the podium. The crowd cheers, the journalists grin wickedly. And now you will give your speech. Feel your muscles tense and your heart beat faster. The next step is to learn how to relax muscle tension.
Imagine that you are lying on the seashore. We roll up a warm bath to you and wash your feet. The next wave gently washes you to the waist and so on, until the positive energy under the guise of a gentle sea wave covers you completely, forcing you to plunge into a relaxed, blissful state.
Remember this state and, when you are about to go on stage, try to resurrect it.

You can also paint yourself a picture that you are standing behind the scenes.
There are kind, beautiful, smiling people in the hall. They applaud, inviting you onto the stage. The applause gets louder and you finally part the curtain and step onto the stage, catching the admiring glances of the audience. Try to treat your upcoming public speaking not as a test, but as a reward, and you will definitely do well.

What does a person who needs to speak in front of an audience face?

Think back to your recent public appearance. What thoughts did you have when you learned that you had to perform? I think it’s rare that one of you will say - oh, I’ve been looking forward to this moment! Even I, despite twenty years of public speaking experience, often feel a little trembling at the thought of an audience waiting for my speech. Most likely, you thought: “Oh my God, not me, not now, maybe someone else, maybe it’s better to refuse?”

Well, okay, you couldn’t refuse or you decided to act out of fear, seeing prospects for yourself in this. Did you start preparing right away? More often than not, we put off preparation until the last minute, and this is directly related to the discomfort of the upcoming public speaking. We put off something unpleasant (we know how to do it, but we don’t feel pleasure) or incomprehensible (we don’t know how to do it, but we’ll do it later somehow). And then, of course, the stress intensifies. We may even panic and scrap our preparations. As a result, all resources are thrown into the fight against stress - experiences on stage and the ambiguous effect of the performance.

In my experience, more than 50% of speakers begin preparing for a speech with a presentation. As a result, listeners receive a kaleidoscope of data from texts, graphs, lists and pictures. And they don’t always understand why they listen to it.

What else should you consider when preparing to speak in public?

Before you utter your first words, a certain opinion has already been formed about you. The fact that people are greeted by appearance has not yet been canceled. Therefore, it will not be superfluous to get yourself in order, relax, and dress appropriately. Clothing should match your status and occasion.

Many women intuitively know what can be worn and what should be left for another time. But still, do not hesitate to seek advice from a stylist-image maker, especially if your career is at stake.

Speaking in front of a large audience is an excellent chance to express yourself, and you should not miss it. If you prepare well for giving a speech, this event will not become a nightmare memory for you, but quite the opposite. It is possible that over time you will even enjoy speaking in public. Eloquence to you and responsive listeners!

How to easily attract the attention of listeners?

Almost all criteria for assessing public speaking are based on attracting the attention of listeners. A few simple tips from experienced speakers will help you interest your audience, and thereby make your speech successful.

Before writing your speech, write down separately the main task and purpose of your speech.
Come up with an interesting and intriguing introduction that will easily attract attention and will not leave anyone indifferent.
Use quotes and sayings of famous people in the text.
To connect with your audience, enrich your talk with rhetorical questions.
To ensure that the public's trust in the speaker does not disappear, you do not need to apologize for anything in your speech. Even if you are very worried, try not to show it, and most likely no one will notice your fear.
Use analogies in your speech. Take for example any object or phenomenon that is known to everyone, and explain a complex thesis or concept in simple language. This way you will make your speech understandable to everyone, and the viewer will definitely appreciate your efforts.
Advancement is a deliberate delay in important information. Promise your audience to tell you something really interesting and unusual during your speech, and they will listen to your report very carefully. It is better to use an advance when composing an introduction.
Focus listeners' attention on important points. This can be done by changing the tone of speech or using special speech patterns (“I would like to draw your attention to...”).
A little humor never hurts. The main thing is that witty phrases be on topic, without using filler words, vulgarities or vernacular.

Preparing a report for a presentation in front of a large audience is a rather complex and responsible task. The speaker must take into account many nuances and criteria by which he will be evaluated. Use the tips above to improve your public speaking skills.

Bonuses

In conclusion, I would like to note a few more tips that will help make your performance bright and memorable:

Come early. In this case, there will be a feeling that “they came to you,” and not “you came to someone.”
If you feel a decrease in attention, do something that will wake everyone up (drop an object, make a joke, open/close a window, take off your jacket, walk to the hall and back, etc.)
Be dynamic. Don't stand there like a statue.
Keep the dialogue going. Feedback holds the audience well.
There will always be a “smart guy with tricky questions.” Give him maximum attention, satisfy his need to be heard, you can even bring him to your place.
Fewer dry numbers. Dilute the text, use adjectives and adverbs.
Try to talk less about yourself and more about your audience.
And be sure to smile. People are always drawn to the positive.

We hope that our article was once again useful and all your subsequent speeches are doomed to success.

We wish you success and public speaking achievements!

We also recommend reading:

Storytelling
7 Practical Ways to Improve Your Public Speaking Skills
10 mistakes in a presentation
Techniques for maintaining audience attention
Improvisational speaking skills
Techniques for a successful presentation: a selection of useful materials
Tips for working effectively with your audience
Preparing and delivering a speech
Modern Rhetoric: 7 Great Speeches
4 speaker mistakes: reasons why speeches are not successful
How to Impress Your Audience: Tips from Brian Tracy

Key words: 1 Communication, 1 Rhetoric