Organizing a Speech – The Five Steps Required

So you have to give a speech! It could be for a friend’s wedding, for an eulogy, or a presentation at work. No matter what the reason if you are not used to public speaking your first thought might be “how can I get out of it.” But don’t panic as I can help you overcome your fears with organizing a speech.

A good speech that you are complemented on is great for your self-esteem. Good preparation and practice at least twenty times is the key to success and helps deal with nervousness.

I have been public speaking since 2006 and can help you get organized. Here is what I do when organizing a speech.

All speeches have five essential steps in the following order.

1. A Goal

A goal is essential for organizing a speech. It is never part of the speech but is a guide to organizing a clear and meaningful message. Discussing everything possible about a subject is usually impossible because of time constraints and of not overwhelming your audience with information.

A goal therefore contains only one idea that specifies the speech’s purpose. It maybe to persuade, entertain or inform.

Here is an example of an effective speech goal for a Best Man speech.

“I want my audience to know the three reasons why John and Emma are the perfect couple.”

2. The Preview Statement

The preview statement is a direct result of the speech Goal. The Preview Statement should be one complete sentence that highlights the three or four things you want to say about a particular topic. Your preview statement lets the audience know what is coming in the speech.

An example for the best Man speech would be:

“The three reasons John and Emma are the perfect couple is because they love each other, they laugh with each other and they learn from each other.”

This will be the last sentence of your introduction which I will discuss in step 4.

3. Main Points

The main points make up the bulk of your speech. Your main points should be consistent with your preview statement and be in the same order because your audience now has an expectation about what you will say.

Your first main point is “they love each other.” You can then fill in the reasons, examples or stories.

Your second main point is “they laugh with each other.” You could tell a funny story or something funny that might have happened.

Your third main point is that “they learn from each other.” You could explain how much they have changed and grown since meeting.

4. Introduction

Many people think that writing an introduction is the first step to planning a speech. This is not true. The reason I have put it at number four is because it is important to know what the speech is about before you tackle the introduction.

An introduction must grab the audience attention and make sense with the rest of the speech and should set a tone. Is it funny, somber, serious or urgent? It can come in many forms: a story, a joke, or even a song. Use your preview statement as the last sentence to lead into your main body content as mentioned in number two.

5. Conclusion

The conclusion, in part, is a repeat of your preview statement. So you could start the conclusion by saying the example from the best man’s speech as follows:So “The three reasons John and Emma are the perfect couple is because they love each other, they laugh with each other and they learn from each other.”

This will let the audience know the speech is ending. You can then give a brief outline of the body of the speech to complete the conclusion.

Organizing a speech helps your audience follow your message and they will walk away remembering your key points. It is also great for self-confidence. You can do it!

Terry Luffman is the creator of Get Self Improvement. Visit My Site to find out more information and articles on Self Improvement and Overcoming Fears that will help you with giving a speech.