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Writer's picturePaul Larkin

The quick way to prepare a speech

The quick and easy way to prepare a speech


Once you have chosen your topic and you can talk about it with enthusiasm, it is time to start the preparation. It is best to start with a catchy title.


What's the best type of title?


The best type of title is the question. It has two great benefits:

  • questions help you to research your speech's content

  • questions tap into the audience's curiosity and grabs their interest immediately

Examples: "Does climate change have any benefits?", "Do aliens visit planet earth?", "Are we too dependent on electricity?"


Word your title-question so that you have to answer YES or NO, TRUE or FALSE, AGREE or DISAGREE.


The way you structure your question is important. Make sure it is a question where the answer will be either YES or NO, TRUE or FALSE, AGREE or DISAGREE.


When you have constructed a title that uses a question, the rest of the preparation is easy.



How do 'YES or NO questions' in the title help me to prepare the speech?


Your task, now, is to decide how you will answer the question in the title. Do you answer YES or NO to the title-question? Do you believe the answer should be TRUE or do you think the answer should be FALSE? Do you AGREE or DISAGREE with the title-question?


You are taking a stance. You hold a definite position on the topic. You are committed to proving your point.


When you have to prove your point, you become emotional. Audience's love it when the speaker is enthusiastic about their topic. You will go to any lengths to show you are correct. You have your belief and you are right. And this is the key to preparing a speech quickly and easily.




Where do I get things to say?


Your aim is to prove that your stance on the title-question is correct. If you answered YES, you search for examples, facts, statistics, short stories to support your claim. If you answered NO, you search for examples, facts, statistics, short stories to prove you are correct.


The Internet is a valuable resource. Books, magazines, friends can also help. You are looking for anything that add ammunition to your stance. Your take on the question is correct. And you will prove it.


Remember, you are looking for ideas that support your stance. Forget everything else. You are right and here is the evidence to prove it.



How do I organise my findings?





You have taken a stance on your topic. You have answered either YES or NO, TRUE or FALSE, AGREE or DISAGREE.


No right or wrong way to do it. Group ideas that seem similar. Organise the groups so that they seem to follow on from the previous one.


Go back and add, delete, modify the possible finished-product.


Now for the final copy of your written speech:


  • Beginning: repeat the title of the talk. Tell your audience what you believe.

  • Middle: give them the proof by presenting the evidence that proves you were correct

  • Ending: repeat the title, tell them your stance, and confirm that you were correct.

Conclusion


Using a question in the title is a great way to create a speech quickly. You know what you want to prove, it makes finding content for your speech much easier, and you know how you will start, continue and finish your presentation.


Give your speech a title-question and watch how quickly you create your presentation.




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