Fundamentals of public speaking: rules for speaking at a speech

The ability to win over an audience is the most important skill for a person striving for success in various areas of life. All studies of the phenomenon of first impression confirm one thing: our brain perceives the initial assessment as the most complete and correct. The first impression is very stable; everything that contradicts it is considered an exception by the brain. To erase a negative opinion about yourself, you will have to correct the situation many times in different contexts, otherwise the unpleasant impression will remain dominant.

The Roman patricians placed the basics of oratory above knowledge of the laws. Since then, little has changed. The ability to speak effectively and impress the public is a necessary quality of a leader. A person who masters rhetoric expresses his thoughts clearly and clearly, listens and hears opponents, is able to convince skeptics and come to an agreement with opponents.

A charismatic leader is a success for the company. Some bright personalities are charismatic by nature, but this is very rare, so entire PR departments work on the image of top managers. And yet, no PR person can speak in front of the public or negotiate for his boss, so the manager has no choice but to learn the art of public speaking. This is necessary not only for top managers and public politicians; public speaking skills are necessary for managers at any level, teachers, and anyone who plans to advance their career.

Content

• What a speaker should be able to do
• What is the basis of oratory?
• Development of public speaking skills
• Composition of oratorical speech
• How to structure a speech according to the rules of oratory. A clear structure of the speech.
• Competent and expressive language
• Objective and useful information
• Balance between emotions and facts
• Laconic speech
• Appropriate pauses
• Portrait of the audience
• Improvisation
• Prepared jokes, quotes, stories
• Sense of humor
• Narrative style

Oratorical techniques

Two ways to develop speaking abilities

Conclusion

What a speaker should be able to do

An orator is a speaker who knows how to speak in front of an audience and has a whole arsenal of rhetorical skills. The speaker can be called a man-orchestra, he:

• knows the techniques of oratory - competently, beautifully and intelligibly conveys his thoughts to the public;
• knows the psychological mechanisms of influence on the audience;
• has acting skills - understands the laws of stage speech, controls gestures and facial expressions;
• feels the response of the audience and knows how to improvise;
• He is well versed in the topic he is talking about.

Back in Ancient Greece, where rhetoric was born and flourished, there was debate as to whether eloquence was an innate talent of the elite, or a skill that could be developed. Many people are still convinced that successful public speaking is the destiny of charismatic leaders, while this option is not available to others. But the story of the famous ancient Greek orator Demosthenes is a lesson for everyone who considers oratory abilities to be exclusively a gift from God.

Demosthenes was tongue-tied, had a quiet voice and constantly twitched his shoulder. It is difficult to imagine a person more unsuited to rhetoric. But the dream of becoming a famous speaker came true thanks to exceptional perseverance and endless training. So the fame of Demosthenes’ talent has survived for a couple of millennia and has become an example of how to develop oratory, having obvious contraindications to public speaking.

Who will benefit from the courses?

There is an opinion that rhetoric is needed only for those who are going to connect their lives with the theater. At least for future film actors. But the lessons will benefit not only future actors.

Mastering the intricacies of oratory will come in handy:

For managers, clear, expressive speech will make encouraging speeches more pleasant, and edifying ones more convincing;

HR managers, even if they do not deal with employees personally, but by correspondence, will never be hindered by coherent written speech and the ability to accurately formulate a thought;

therapists will benefit from the habit of oratory to formulate what needs to be said briefly and as clearly as possible for the interlocutor, without general phrases, but with the necessary amount of emotionality;

For those who like to be the center of attention all the time, such classes will give them the skill to colorfully talk about any event, describe any subject in such a way that they will be listened to endlessly;

Missionaries and preachers should include a course in public speaking as part of their compulsory curriculum, because their success depends on how emotional, persuasive and attention-holding the speech is.

There is no area where rhetoric is not useful

In life or professional activity, in personal relationships or business - the ability to beautifully and accurately convey a thought to an interlocutor occupies an important place in the list of skills

What is the basis of oratory?

Rhetoric was born in Ancient Greece as the science of oratory. Even then, it united the art of eloquence itself, the science that studies oratory techniques, and the very process of persuasion with the help of words.

In short, what public speaking is is the skill of public speaking in front of an audience. Rhetoric teaches how to effectively influence the public based on three main factors:

1. Ethos - the conditions for delivering a speech: time, place, composition of the audience.
2. Pathos is the message of the speaker, the topic and goals of his speech.
3. Logos - linguistic means and oratorical techniques in speech.

Depending on the specific situation (ethos), different types of eloquence :

• academic rhetoric - lectures, scientific reports;
• socio-political rhetoric - parliamentary speeches, diplomatic speeches, manifestos and reports, rallies, military-patriotic speeches;
• judicial rhetoric - speeches of prosecutors and defense attorneys;
• theological rhetoric - sermons, the word of the pastor;
• social and everyday rhetoric - table and welcoming speeches, civil funeral services, commercial eloquence.

Pathos determines the purpose and features of the style of oratory :

• informational speech communicates new facts or knowledge to the audience;
• entertaining - designed to amuse and captivate the audience;
• persuasive - has the goal of convincing listeners that the speaker is right;
• agitating - calls on the audience to take some action;
• inspiring - infects with emotions.

Development of public speaking skills

The definition of oratory in the modern sense is, in essence, the culture of speech and psychological skills that make a person effective in the field of public speaking and interpersonal communication. Rhetoric uses emotional and psychological techniques to influence listeners and takes into account the portrait of the audience. Its main task is not so much to convey knowledge as to form an opinion and convince.

Why is public speaking necessary today? A speaker who has mastered the skills of eloquence not only controls himself during a speech, he completely controls the situation. Developing skills is impossible without constant training. Rhetoric has never been a mere theory; in this discipline, quantity of practice develops into quality.

The speech of a trained speaker has special properties:

• contains linguistic and non-verbal methods of influencing the listener;
• focused on receiving feedback from the audience;
• The effectiveness of influencing the public is achieved through the interaction of the psychological state of the speaker and his authority among the audience.

Get rid of the words of parasites

Words are parasites - the most insidious enemy of oratory. They appear in your speech unnoticed, at moments when you are excited, in a hurry to express your thoughts, or find it difficult to find the right words. But gradually and imperceptibly for you, they begin to sound more and more often and, as a result, literally in every sentence. They hurt the ear of the interlocutor, but are not noticeable to you. Getting rid of the words of parasites is difficult, but possible.

To begin with, make it a habit to record your speech from time to time in a relaxed and casual environment - any conversation with a close friend or relative will do. In the recording you will hear which words you need to get rid of. Think ahead about what you want to say, form whole sentences. It is clear that this should be done in private at home. But when communicating with people, you should watch your speech. Once you discover the words parasites, you will pay attention to them and try to avoid using them.

Don't worry that thinking about sentences will make your speech too slow. We'll talk about this in the next section.

Composition of oratorical speech

The composition of an oratorical speech is the structure of a speech, where each part works to present the speaker’s idea in the most convincing way. A thoughtful composition keeps the audience in constant suspense. Any speech must have an introduction, a main semantic part and a conclusion. One of the secrets of oratory is that a successful beginning and ending can “stretch out” a weak middle.

1. The purpose of the introduction is to win over the audience, arouse interest, and establish the necessary form of interaction with the public. A bright opening draws attention to the speaker. It is good form to outline the topic and issues of the speech at the very beginning. To hook the audience, tell a relevant life story, an interesting fact, a paradox, or ask an unexpected question on the topic.
2. The purpose of the main part of the oratorical speech is to convince listeners of the legitimacy of the thesis presented with the help of arguments, examples, and refutations. Facts, logic and oratory techniques that hold attention work here.
3. The conclusion is not just a summary of what has been said and summing up. In conclusion, pathos is important, since here an emotional impression is formed, the reaction the speaker needs to all of the above. The listener may not remember all the points and arguments, but the strong emotion at the end leaves a strong impression of the speech as a whole. The main thing is not to end on a minor note. Regardless of the topic, the ending should inspire optimism.

Working with the audience

An oratorical performance, although monologue, is essentially always a dialogue with the audience. The speaker must capture the reaction of the audience, its mood, and, if necessary, adjust the vector. Ways to connect with those present:

• Addresses to the public.
• Rhetorical questions.
• Calls to action.
• Please ask questions at the end.

It also helps to establish a connection if the speaker shares personal experiences, observations, experiences, and life events. This brings him closer to the listener, makes him “one of our own,” and increases confidence.

How to structure a speech according to the rules of oratory

In order to catch and hold the attention of the audience, competent speech must obey the rules of oratory, regardless of the goals, composition and conditions of the speech.

Briefly, the basics of oratory can be formulated as the basic rules to which any direction of rhetoric is subject.

Clear structure of the speech.

The structure and purpose of the speech delivered must be clear not only to the speaker, but also to the audience. The narrative is constructed in a logical sequence, when each subsequent thought follows from the previous one. In this case, the law of amplification is observed, when each subsequent argument is more weighty and convincing than the previous one.

Competent and expressive language.

Nothing kills a performance like speech with grammatical and spelling errors. Another disease of speakers is parasitic words that can drive listeners to white heat. The basis of oratory speech is its purity and literacy.

Objective and useful information.

The speaker has the right to his own point of view, which he convincingly conveys to the audience, but the information must be verified, truthful and objective.

Balance between emotions and facts.

Bare emotions do not inspire confidence in anyone, while at the same time, dry facts and figures are boring to listen to even for a trained public. Dilute the numbers with emotions and interesting stories, this will make the presentation balanced.

Laconic speech.

A long, confusing monologue with a lot of deviations from the topic causes boredom in listeners at best, and irritation at worst. Aerobatics when brevity is combined with information capacity. They say about such performances that “every word is worth its weight in gold.” Learn to strictly adhere to the rules, this is how you show respect for the audience and practice speaking strictly to the point.

Appropriate pauses.

Give special attention to pauses in oral speech. Short stops after key points or before particularly important information set a certain rhythm, the listener gets the opportunity to think about what he heard, and the speaker gets to collect his thoughts. Don’t be afraid of pauses and don’t fill them with mooing, groaning and other parasitic interjections.

Portrait of the audience.

Any speaker must take into account the nature and composition of the audience to which he speaks. There is a fine line here: you need to raise your listeners to your level, but at the same time speak in such a way that people understand you. The power of words in oratory depends on the impression the speaker makes on the audience. This includes intonation, appearance, and demeanor. It is necessary to maintain a balance, without stooping to familiarity or ingratiation, but also without raising the bar of demands on the audience.

Improvisation.

The speaker must take into account the response of the audience. A speaker who does not feel the “breath of the audience” will not convince anyone of anything. One of the essential qualities of a good speaker is flexibility and the ability to improvise. To develop the skill of improvisation, you need to work on logical and imaginative thinking, expand your horizons and vocabulary. The more immersed you are in the topic of your speech, the more natural the improvisation will be.

Prepared jokes, quotes, stories.

“Not a single improvisation comes to me as well as the one that I prepared for three days.” Mark Twain.

To liven up the presentation, experienced speakers do “homework” that helps defuse the situation, find the key to a difficult audience, or fill a forced pause due to a technical failure. It could be a funny story, a paradoxical fact, a joke or an anecdote on the topic.

The speech is decorated with quotes from recognized leaders. Jokes shouldn't be sight-read, but reading quotes is fine. To enhance the effect of a bright saying, write it down on a card, pause during your speech, take out the card and read out the quote.

Sense of humor.

A good joke relieves tension, puts the audience at ease with the speaker, and smoothes out the rough edges of speech. Witty speeches are remembered better. But humor must be appropriate and resonate with the situation.

Narrative style.

The style of oratory should take into account the situation, the type of rhetorical speech and the nature of the audience. The style should be appropriate and not cause confusion among the audience.

Oratorical techniques

Features of oratory are associated with the mechanisms of influence of the speaker’s speech on the audience here and now. Rhetoric is oral speech, and most people do not perceive information well by ear. Oratorical techniques stimulate the attention and imaginative thinking of listeners, and help to assimilate the material.

• When presenting complex material or dry digital data, use visual comparisons and examples that evoke figurative associations.
• Explain a complex concept several times , coming up with new images and comparisons. Use different forms of repetition to reinforce the material.
• Use means of artistic expression that make speech figurative and help the perception of information: allegory - an explanation of an abstract concept through a concrete image, all fables are based on allegories;
• antithesis - a sharp opposition of concepts, the contrast of images makes speech bright and emotional;
• hyperbole - deliberate exaggeration helps to place emphasis, but the main thing here is not to go too far.

A rhetorical question is an effective, emotionally charged technique, but it must be used with confidence in the loyalty of the audience. A rhetorical question does not presuppose an answer; the answer itself is already contained in it. But if the audience does not agree with the speaker's point of view, then there is a risk of causing a negative reaction. To protect against barbs from the audience, experienced speakers use the “boomerang method,” as if reflecting a remark in the style of their opponent. The most successful boomerangs become jokes. For example, William Churchill once spoke impartially against Labor in the English Parliament. An angry Labor woman shouted: “Mr. Churchill, you are so disgusting that if I were your wife, I would put poison in your coffee!” The parliamentarians burst out laughing. Churchill paused and answered the lady in the same spirit: “If you were my wife, I would happily drink the poison myself!”

To focus attention or emphasize your commonality with the audience, the text is supplemented with inserts - short remarks made as if by chance, but carrying a strong emotional charge. For example, the phrase “the highway repaired last year needs major repairs again after the winter,” supplemented by the insertion “this has never happened before and here it is again,” will increase the audience’s loyalty to the speaker.

Unexpected words or actions are remembered by the public for a long time. It is not for nothing that eccentric speakers remain in history. But you shouldn’t overuse this technique: the main thing here is to know when to stop and feel the appropriateness. For example, a specialist in Silver Age poetry, Vladimir Nikolaevich Alfonsov, already at an advanced age, reciting Mayakovsky’s poems at his lectures, jumped up on his desk in the heat of the moment or threw his glasses at the back of the audience. His lectures became a legend, and students adored their brilliant teacher.

How to overcome stage fright

Here are tips to help you overcome stage fright. These rules are also very important when speaking. Especially in front of a large audience. If you follow the recommendations below, you will not have any problems with fear.

Why do so many people have stage fright?

Where does stage fright come from? The first problem is that people are always afraid of new things

or something that is rarely done. If you practice speaking weekly, you won't have such fear. You are no longer afraid to stand in front of a group of people and explain something to them.

And for a standard person who does not perform, this is a very unusual situation. People often feel awkward in it.

Therefore, you need to constantly practice and speak in public as often as possible. This way the situation will become ordinary and familiar to you.

The second reason why people are afraid to speak in public is the fear of making a mistake.

. Our culture is built on catching mistakes and giving negative points for them.

For example, at school, because of mistakes, they give a worse grade. At home, our parents punished us for bad behavior. That's why we are afraid of making a mistake.

This is where fear arises in the compartment!

I recommend not paying attention to mistakes and treating them calmly. Mistake is normal. You learn a lesson from it. And if you suddenly make a mistake again, it will only take you to the next level of knowledge.

Competence effect

The competence effect is the first tip against stage fright. If you are knowledgeable about the topic, you will feel more confident during the presentation. If you master the topic, then the words will automatically follow you.

Therefore, if you are not a big expert in your topic, then it is better to prepare for the presentation in advance. Otherwise, you simply won’t know where to start.

If you have a free hour, it is better to divide it into several pieces of 12 minutes each. For example, we prepare 12 minutes on Monday. Then we prepare for 12 minutes on Tuesday and so on.

This kind of repeated preparation will allow you to gradually integrate into the topic. This is much better than preparing once in an hour. This is how the brain gets used to the material. As a result, stage fright is greatly reduced, and you begin to feel more confident.

Acclimatization

The next method that helps overcome stage fright in front of the public is the acclimatization effect.

When we hold a presentation in an unfamiliar room, it makes itself felt. If we don’t know exactly where the windows, doors and entrance are, then we don’t acclimatize to the room. This again creates uncertainty.

How are Olympic champions trained?

They arrive in advance at the place where they will compete. For example, they check what the pool looks like. What is the temperature of the water in it? Runners usually want to run a few times and get a feel for the track.

Therefore, if you are performing in a new room, ask to inspect it in advance.

It would also be good if the day before the event you ask to perform in this room. This is necessary to find out the effect of the sound of your voice and how many people will be able to listen to you.

And just get acquainted with all the parameters of the hall. Where are the doors? Where do people usually come from? What distance do you want to take from the audience and so on.

If they don’t allow it in advance, then arrive at least 40 minutes early and get ready.

Two ways to develop speaking abilities

Every person without serious speech pathologies is capable of learning rhetoric; all it takes is time and perseverance. Perhaps the only quality that does not contribute to mastering the art of oratory is laziness.

Honed eloquence skills play into our hands in different areas of life and situations: during an interview, project presentation, answering an exam, when delivering ceremonial speeches, reports, etc.

There are 2 ways to master rhetoric:

• Regular self-study will help you master the skills of oratory, as they once helped even the tongue-tied Demosthenes. First of all, this is work on the technique and culture of speech. The more you practice in front of a mirror or phone camera, the freer, cleaner and more harmonious your monologues will be. What you can work on at home: Practice calm, measured breathing, low speech rate, lively intonation without falsehood.
• Develop the strength of your voice and clear diction.
• Learn to work with texts: paraphrase the content of small passages in your own words, concentrating the meaning in one sentence;
• look for key phrases in the texts and formulate them in your own way;
• retell what you read, highlighting only the most important things.

Self-study will make your speech noticeably clearer, but rhetoric doesn’t stop there. Sign up for specialized courses or training . Here you will receive comprehensive knowledge and truly developed skills. The courses are a study of the psychological foundations of oratory, classes on preparing speeches and, most importantly, practice. Without real practice in public speaking, it is impossible to advance in eloquence.

Get ready for performances

Even the most experienced speakers do not leave anything to chance and diligently prepare for any speech in front of an audience. Think in advance about what you want to tell people and write down your talking points.

If you know how long you'll be speaking, write your speech and read it out loud. Record your performance rehearsal and listen to how your voice sounds from the outside. Analyze intonation and pauses. It’s great if you can read what you wrote to a loved one and ask his opinion. Perhaps something in the presentation looks unconvincing or unclear. Take into account all comments and correct errors.

The art of public speaking is hard daily work. But the response from the audience, the results that you can achieve, will instill in you great enthusiasm and a burning desire to continue working on self-improvement. There are very few people who are able to convince and infect others with their ideas. Anyone who manages to develop the talent of a speaker is able to achieve unprecedented heights in any field. But remember, listening to others is equally important. Communication is the path to mutual understanding and finding the best solution in any situation.