Skill of Public Speaking
- Do not speak too fast – pauses are very hard to make if you are nervous, but you will surprised how effective they can be in making people listen, as well as giving the speaker time to think.
- Make sure you know how long the speech is supposed to last. It’s much better to speak for too short a time than for too long, so rehearse the speech to check the time it takes
- It is a hundred times better to make a few points in several different ways than to try and make separate points – this is probably the most important rule of all so far as political speeches are concerned. The skill is to choose the right points
- Check what happened on previous occasions and how it was received. If last year’s speech was good you can try to repeat the line…
- Try to refer to one or two key people by name – this always created a good impression, but make sure you get the name right
- Use humour with great care
- If a speech has been written for you, go through it first, reading out loud
Source: Morgan, James, et al. Councillor’s Handbook: a Practical Guide to Success in Local Government
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