Your Public Best - Lillian Brown [55]
Sometimes a true story or anecdote will make your speech more interesting. Lawyers and doctors often successfully refer to specific cases that are unusual, interesting, or historical. U.S. congressmen and congresswomen and other politicians are also known for using stories in an interesting way. For example, during the 1988 presidential campaign, in his public addresses Governor Michael Dukakis frequently told his listeners stories about his immigrant Greek parents. These stories were often reprinted in the press to a much wider audience than his immediate circle of listeners.
You can easily read or listen to a speech by someone you admire in your field and see how that person uses anecdotes effectively.
If you have trouble finding good speeches to listen to, you might try listening to some of the tapes of Garrison Keillor (the former host of “A Prairie Home Companion” radio show) or humorist Will Rogers. Study how these and similar Mark Twain-type humorists tell anecdotes and “spin out a tale.” Even though many of their stories are fiction, you can learn quite a bit from their style of storytelling.
Saying Something Memorable. The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., clergyman and civil rights leader, was one of the most riveting speakers of his time. His speeches were punctuated by alternating shouts of agreement and rapt attention on the part of his listeners. His speech delivered during the 1963 March on Washington has been called one of the best speeches ever given anywhere. This was certainly due in part to the simple, inspirational, and often-repeated phrase, “I have a dream.”
Other memorable sentences that tend to stick in our minds include: “Give me your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free”; “Let them eat cake”; “Give me liberty or give me death!”; and “United we stand, divided we fall.”
You don’t have to be a famous orator such as Patrick Henry, Daniel Webster, Winston Churchill, or Oscar Wilde to say something memorable. Some very famous phrases and sayings have passed down to us through history as anonymous quotations or were said or written by people who were not very well known.
Learn to turn a phrase your audience will remember long after your speech is over. Strive for the “quotable quote,” the “zinger,” or a memorable way to phrase the heart of your message that your listener cannot forget.
Memorable phrases should be worded like a telegram—simple, direct, and brief—but catching the attention of the listener. You should use such a phrase several times in the body of your speech, but also consider using it in your opening and close, as appropriate.
We tend to think in terms of code words, rather than long sentences. It is one way to take a complex issue and reduce it to a simple expression. Often that one memorable phrase or short sentence can describe a complicated situation, which might otherwise take an entire paragraph to explain.
The Close
The close of your speech is its second most important part. Decide in advance what the ending should be. You should regard your close as the climax to your remarks. It should bring you and your audience to a logical conclusion. Make the ending powerful.
An effective close might summarize your speech in words you expect your audience to remember. Spend time and thought on the wording to make it effective and memorable. Or you might close your speech with an upbeat look at the future. Whatever you decide, bring your speech to a definite conclusion that clearly signals the end to your audience. A good speaker knows when to stop and doesn’t ramble on. A speech should end before the audience wants it to end instead of ending long after the audience wishes it had ended.
At the conclusion of your presentation, plan to look your audience in the eye, smile, and say something pleasant. Expect your audience