Public speaking courses and speech ideas…You can’t have one without the other
One of the most disheartening, frustrating and irritating aspects of writing a presentation is coming up with a novel speech idea.
Take for example the situation where your friend asks you to be the best man at their wedding. Two days before the happy event, because their original best man was run over by a bus. All of his notes for the speech had been mangled as the tyres went over him.
While you may be slightly offended about having been the second choice, you still want to dazzle the happy couple and the audience with your oratory skills.
How are you going to do this?.
How are you going to produce a captivating speech topic?
Great speech ideas which command effective speaking that wows the audience are different to the run of the mill “I’ve known John since we were kids… raddy raddy raddy…”" etc. etc. etc.
Dull…! Mind numbingly tiresome…
The people in the audience want to be entertained. To have a good time. And they want to celebrate the happy couple.
You may be wondering how you can come up with good speech ideas, make your speech different.
Here’s my personal formula for coming up with a dazzling speech:
I start off by introducing myself and telling the audience what I’m going to be talking about. I keep this part as short as possible because I’m not a celebrity, they’re not particularly interested in me. They want to be entertained and informed. The next thing I do is to thank them for being there. Acknowledge them.
Usually, I make a special mention if someone has made a big effort to attend.
For example: “…and I really want to thank the bride’s uncle Bobby and his daughter Sue who came here all the way from Tierra del Fuego in their trusty old stage coach pulled by their team of donkeys. It was one tough time crossing the Gulf of Mexico under cover of darkness to avoid the border patrol and the bandits. We all really appreciate their gifts of fine beer from Paraguay”
Even if the happy pair don’t have a relative Bobby from Tierra del Fuego, you can still ask him to identify himself, because the mules have fouled the road outside ….and the time is up on their parking meter.
Now it’s time to get personal. You would explain how you came to be there, before them, knees knocking while you quiver with fear. You explain how the groom’s first choice for the position of best man isn’t available to be here today. Express condolences to his widow, parents and children.
The next thing I do is tell the audience that I’m going to make the afternoon more interesting by telling them about, the hay barn and what happened at summer camp last year .( Please, please remember to smile at this point or you may be torn apart by the crowd)
By now, the audience is leaning forward, sitting on the edge of their seat, waiting to get the inside line on the scandal. I then proceed to extoll the virtues of the happy couple and tell them that I’ll get to the hay barn story later on.
Praise the parents and families of the bride and groom, the virtues of their upbringing, how hard they have worked and what good solid people they are.
Tell the guests about little acts of charity carried out by the happy couple. The good works they do, the work they did with the peace corps, or any other community service they have performed.
This is the part where you express your appreciation to them for letting you share the same planet.
I would then ask the gathered guests to drink atoast, offer your best wishes for a happy future to the newly weds, wishing them much fortune, many children and a good and happy life together. I will also wish them financial success to be able to afford the children.
Have you seen the price of diapers theses days…?
Once all the formalities of congratulations and good wishes are done with, I’ll then say, “Oh, by the way… the hay barn… summer camp… last year! John’s construction company made a fine job of building it and all the kids are really grateful to him for building it.”
The hay barn is an example of an embedded loop.
If it worked for Dallas, it’ll work for you. Does anyone really know who shot JR? I’m sure that, like me, you’re still wondering “Whodunnit”.
Through your knowledge of your audience, you can easily come up with an attention-grabbing cliff hanger.
Try it and see, next time you’re looking for speech ideas.
Cliff hangers work every time.
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