Ten ways to improve a speech

 

John Shosky

 

email

print

Also in this section:

• Building local coalitions David Canzini
• Why negative campaigning works Jonathan Upton
• How Boris Won: The Lynton Crosby Interview Iain Dale
• From Facebook to ballot box Jag Singh
• Campaign doctor Christian Schnee
• Learning Lessons from Crewe and Nantwich

Public speaking is a complex art, requiring the orator must to be aware of everything from audience analysis and character, to word selection and message development. Good public speaking is the product of hard work and the development of artful skills.

 

The quality of delivery, and use of persuasive words, has led many politicians to ask a simple question: how can I become a better speaker?

 

There are some quick-fix steps that can have an immediate impact which go to heart of public speaking.

 

1. Develop a simple, straightforward message. It would be best if it was one line, like the thesis to an argument. Good examples are: “We must lower taxes,” “We must reduce the size of government,” or “We must increase personal responsibility.”  State this message straight away at the start of your speech. Front-load the thesis just like a journalist will front-load a story.

 

2. Use the speech as the development of an argument to support this thesis. This can help to give a speech its flow. Each paragraph is another step in the development of the argument. That gives each paragraph an identifiable purpose.

 

3. Use examples. They prove your thesis. They show what you say. They also humanise the abstract. Examples have a powerful impact because people can visualise your view and can relate to the examples from their own lives (“Oh that could have happened to me.”).

 

4. Use short sentences and short words. Simplicity has great strength in this context. You are trying to communicate to people with great differences in their backgrounds and experiences. It is better to talk in words that will be understood by all of your audience.

 

5. Look for the right words. After all, words have jobs. All words are not equal or good. Find the right word for the right job. Understanding this point alone is the key to improvement in public speaking and successful political communication.

 

6. Look for organic statements that condense your argument into a memorable line. These are usually short sentences that carry the message. They take your entire argument and squeeze it into four or five words. Here are some examples: “I have a dream”, “The audacity of hope”, or one of my favorites, former New York Governor Mario Cuomo’s “This is a tale of two cities.”

7. Sell a vision. Contrast the present with the future. The future should be bright, better, and more noble. Give people hope.  Help them to believe that improvement is possible.  Your vision should be credible, honest, and uplifting. Hope, not hype. Aspirations, not aspersions.

 

8. Be bold.  Audiences dislike quibbling or waffling. But this doesn’t mean that you should be stupid or shallow. Show why your bold thinking is the road to a better future, not evidence of ignorance or blindness.

 

9. Avoid humour, unless you are good at it. And make sure that the humour is self-directed.  A good piece of advice here: humour is combustible. It often blows up on you, as Peter Lilley learnt when he produced his “little list” at the Conservative Party conference in 1992.  Don’t play with it unless you really know what you are doing.

 

10. Unite people with inclusive language. Good political rhetoric brings people together, it doesn’t drive them apart. Those who seek to win using the language of class warfare or religious intolerance polarise, divide, and drive away. Political public speaking is not about “I”; it is about “we” and “us.”

 

These are easy points to make. They can have an immediate impact. But they are no substitute for message, proof, character, trust, faith, or conviction. The problem with public speaking is that it does take work. Often those who are least successful have larger problems than laziness. But these suggestions can help make a speech better.  That’s important in any set of circumstances.  Such quick improvement can be the difference in an election, a board meeting, a stockholder’s speech, community activism, or any other situation where you must communicate clearly and persuade an audience to adopt an action.  

 

John Shosky has been a speechwriter in Washington, D.C. for over 20 years, working in the Reagan and both Bush Administrations.