A EULOGY

While I hope that many of you will not need to give a eulogy, it is something that you should be prepared for if you were to be asked.

If you are asked to give a eulogy, remember this will be an emotional time for the friends and family.

A eulogy is an address to the person who has passed. It is a time to remember and celebrate the life of a loved one.

Before reading the following tips and tricks, watch this video.

There are a few things to remember when you preparing:

• First, make sure you introduce yourself to the audience.
• Then address the person whom you are remembering.
• To connect to your audience, share a few memories you share and/or qualities you admired about the lost loved one.
• Also, be sure to highlight special moments of the loved one’s life.
• Lastly, use a quote or your own words to bring comfort to those who are mourning. A eulogy should end on an encouraging note, even though there are still people mourning.
• Furthermore, make sure that you are dressed appropriately. It is important to note it is not always best to wear black to a funeral. 
• Some families want the funeral to be a celebration. So be aware of what color would be appropriate to wear. It is best to ask the family.

Above all, be sincere. This is a time to honor and celebrate the life of a loved one.

Give a Killer Speech With Only Seconds to Prepare

Public speaking is intimidating, especially when you're put on the spot. Use these tips and techniques to give a great speech on the fly.

It happens all the time. Even if you’re not a professional speaker, we all have moments when we’re asked to say a few words on short notice. Being asked to make a speech on the spot can intimidate even the most composed, outgoing person. It’s the kind of scenario that gives people nightmares.
Until now.
Use these six tips to make sure what you say is both coherent and memorable, even if you have just seconds to prepare.

1. Use the callback technique. One of the tactics employed by standup comedians, the callback technique, is used to anchor your words to concepts or points that have already occurred during the event. The idea is to tie your speech to something that the audience—as a group—can relate to. You want to capitalize on the shared experience of the evening. Making a joke about something that happened earlier or mentioning the highlights of the evening so far creates a closer bond between you and the audience, and it sets them up to receive your words favorably.

2. Put the punchline first. Let your audience know upfront what you plan to accomplish in your speech. Not only is it a good idea to prep your audience with a preview, but it also gives you a little more think time. While you’re laying out your main points, you can be mentally sorting out the details—the specifics you’ll need to flesh out your speech.

3. Refer to audience members by name. Not only will you command the attention of the people you call out, you’re also grabbing the attention of all the people in the room who know those folks. You’re creating an affinity with the group by demonstrating your personal relationships in the room. You’re making apparent the connections that you share with your audience and strengthening your bond as a member of the group.

4. Use mnemonics. You may not have time to develop a complicated acronym to help you remember a dozen points, but you will have time to generate a handful of significant points and create a vivid mental picture to help you remember what you want to say. You won’t need notecards if you can call up an image in your head that helps you remember what you want to cover.

5. Share stories. Pictures are so powerful, and if you can spin a yarn that paints pictures in the minds of your audience, then you’re drawing them in—making them more active participants. Listeners who are engaged in your story will be more likely to accept your conclusions and are more apt to be persuaded by your words. Whether you’re making an impromptu pitch for a contribution to a worthy charitable cause, or merely saying a few words about a beloved colleague who is retiring, your goal is to win your audience’s approval—get them to agree with you. Stories bring your speeches to life.

6. Be brief. Short wins over long every time. You’re going to be far more effective if you put your energy into compelling, vivid points with richly detailed stories than you will be if you feel obligated to prattle on to fill up the time you’ve been allotted. Be genuine, be lively and be brief.

I can’t count the number of times that I’ve been unexpectedly asked to stand up and say a few words, and it might surprise people to know that even though I’m a practiced public speaker, I still get a little rush of anxiety if I feel unprepared.

Having a process alleviates anxiety and lets me make the most of the few moments that I may have to get my thoughts together and work up some compelling stories to make the speech memorable. Every one of us has something to contribute, and by practicing your public speaking process, you’re ensuring that the next time you’re unexpectedly thrust into the limelight, you can handle it gracefully.

by Ma'am Dahl S.

ORAL PRESENTATION SKILLS : Body language

Consider that the most important visual you can show an audience is yourself. Add the fact that your voice is produced physically, and you realize that in one way or another body language (including an audience's unconscious physical response to you) joins content to help determine whether you are successful as a speaker.

Working with the body is a key element of my executive speech coaching and team presentation training. Below are 5 key areas every speaker needs to understand and practice to use body language powerfully and productively.

• Movement and gestures. This is where we all land when we think about body language and public speaking: "How can I use movement and gestures to be effective in my presentation?" Here's an easy formula to remember that will help you avoid any sleepy audience NODS: Neutral, Open, Defined, and Strong. You should begin in a neutral position with hands at your sides (it may feel awkward at first, but it looks fine). That keeps you open to your audience, so influence flows freely in both directions. Gesture sparingly, using defined, i.e., clean and limited hand movements; and make them strong. Do these things and your upper body movement will support and amplify what you say.

• Use of space. When you speak in public, a certain amount of space on the stage or floor is yours by right and you should claim it. Leaders know how to project power by the way they stand and move; and when you speak, you are a leader. Occupy space in a way that shows you are comfortable within it. Nothing demonstrates confidence like a person who is at ease in their own skin and with their place in the world. In speaking, the stage is your world. Show your listeners they can have confidence in what you're telling them by commanding the space around you. Don't overdo it, but don't minimize the area through which you move.

• Dealing with objects. Stage actors know that good actors use props, and bad actors are used by their props. This isn't just a clever expression. Inexperienced performers are discombobulated by a property -- a cigarette holder, a wine glass, even a sword or a gun. Solid professionals understand that the prop exists to help them define their character for the audience. So they use it in a way that only that character would. When you deal with objects in a presentation, from a remote clicker to a handout to the slide screen itself, find a way to help the object further your message and its impact. That object is there for a reason; or there may be more than one reason. Find as many as you can.
• Facial expressiveness. This one can be called the forgotten relative in the body language family gathering. The face is incredibly important to human experience, from recognizing another person, to understanding the subtle clues that underlie motive. Audience members depend upon your facial expressions to augment meaning. If you don't have an expressive face, go to the mirror and work on creating a link between what you are trying to express verbally, and how your facial expressions make your meaning as clear as possible. As part of your practice, give your entire talk without a sound coming out of your mouth, letting your face do all the communicating.

• Voice. As mentioned above, the voice is physical, so it is obviously a component of effective body language. Your voice is the most flexible communication instrument you own. You should learn how to use your voice to influence others, not only for voice improvement and speech improvement, but for the many ways vocal expressiveness indicates meaning and intention. Listen to speakers good and bad, and listen some more. Take a voice and diction course, or hire a speech coach. My motto is "Find Your True Voice." Literally and figuratively, it makes a difference in whether and how you are heard.

Overcoming Stage Fright (Performance Anxiety)

If you dread the thought of getting up in front of a group of people and performing, you are not alone. Millions of people suffer from performance anxiety, commonly called "stage fright." In fact, most people would rather get the flu than perform. Athletes, musicians, actors, and public speakers often get performance anxiety.

Performance anxiety can prevent you from doing what you enjoy and can affect your career. Worst of all, performance anxiety can negatively affect your self-esteem and self-confidence. Although it may be impossible to totally overcome performance anxiety, there are many things you can do to control your emotions and reduce anxiety.

Performance Anxiety Symptoms
Being the center of attention and having all eyes on you can be stressful. Your body reacts to this situation in much the same way as it would if you were being attacked. Your body's "fight-or-flight" mechanism kicks in, which is why symptoms of stage fright are similar to symptoms that occur when you are in real danger.

Performance anxiety symptoms may include:

• Racing pulse and rapid breathing
• Dry mouth and tight throat
• Trembling hands, knees, lips, and voice
• Sweaty and cold hands
• Nausea and an uneasy feeling in your stomach
• Vision changes
  
  Performance Anxiety Causes
• Simply put, stress and anxiety about performing in front of people causes performance anxiety. 
• Confronting your fears and vulnerabilities, accepting yourself for who you are, and not feeling like you have to prove yourself to others, is the first step toward overcoming performance anxiety.
•  Keep in mind that nobody is perfect, nobody expects you to be perfect, and it is OK to make mistakes.

The second step is learning how to redirect your negative thoughts, beliefs, images, and predictions about performing in public. Doing this is not as difficult as you might think.

Performance Anxiety Treatments
Here are 10 tips to help you overcome your fears and shine on stage, on the field, or at the podium:

1. Be prepared: practice, practice, practice.
2. Limit caffeine and sugar intake the day of the performance. Eat a sensible meal a few hours before you are to perform so that you have energy and don't get hungry. A low-fat meal including complex carbohydrates -- whole-grain pasta, pizza, or a bean and rice burrito -- is a good choice.
3. Shift the focus off of yourself and your fear to the enjoyment you are providing to the spectators. Close your eyes and imagine the audience laughing and cheering, and you feeling good.
4. Don't focus on what could go wrong. Instead focus on the positive. Visualize your success.
5. Avoid thoughts that produce self-doubt.
6. Practice controlled breathing, meditation, biofeedback, and other strategies to help you relax and redirect your thoughts when they turn negative. It is best to practice some type of relaxation technique every day, regardless of whether you have a performance, so that the skill is there for you when you need it.
7. Take a walk, jump up and down, shake out your muscles, or do whatever feels right to ease your anxious feelings before the performance.
8. Connect with your audience -- smile, make eye contact, and think of them as friends.
9. Act natural and be yourself.
10. Exercise, eat a healthy diet, get adequate sleep, and live a healthy lifestyle.

Keep in mind that stage fright is usually worse before the performance and often goes away once you get started.

Tips for More Effective PowerPoint Presentations

 

How to Deliver Effective PowerPoint Presentations 

There are so many times when you have to deliver PowerPoint presentations - be it in a corporate setting, as part of a school project or to your business clients. Here are some tips for delivering effective PowerPoint presentations that can help you seize the day! 

Presentation First, PowerPoint Second 

PowerPoint presentation is an acquired skill. It's also one that's commonly overlooked during training, whether that learning effort is completed independently or in the work setting. It's important to make sure you fully grasp the dos and don'ts necessary to deliver a good PowerPoint presentation before you step in front of a room filled with a hushed and expectant audience; otherwise, whatever important information you have to relay will likely be totally lost on your listeners. 

So what's the first pitfall to avoid on the way to a great PowerPoint speech? 

The biggest mistake people often make when creating a PowerPoint presentation is that they make the slides the focus. Many of you are probably still haunted by high school teachers and college professors who ponderously read almost exactly what was being shown on the screen -- whether by an old school projector or on a newer digital medium -- without any elaboration or additional scholarly flourishes. How dull and repetitive. Attention should be on the presenter and on the compelling story that he or she has to tell. 

PowerPoint is effective at providing supplementary information, like simple, colorful graphs or other relevant imagery, but should never be the main source of information. The worst thing a presenter can do is to turn around and read from the PowerPoint. If all of the information is already on the screen, then there's no need for the person speaking to ramble on about it .

Know Your Audience 

As you begin preparing a PowerPoint presentation, consider whom you'll be addressing. A classroom crammed with novice students? A somber boardroom composed of barely attentive commissioners ? A meeting room packed with veteran colleagues? 

You'll want to tailor your message and your presentation format based on a number of factors, like the current knowledge level your audience possesses on the topic and how much it engages them. If they grasp quite a bit and (better) are already excited to hear what you have to say, then you can delve into more detail.

On the flip side, if they know nothing about the topic you're about to present or (worse) hold doubts they'll be persuaded by your talk, you'll want to make sure your PowerPoint is especially straightforward and simple. In the latter case especially, really focus on letting your words do the explaining, in particular when it comes to persuading them on any complex ideas you need to convey.

 Inspire your Audience 

 The goal of any presentation is to sell the audience on an idea. It could be a pitch for investing in a new company, a plan for reorganizing a business or a proposal for a scientific research project. For the audience to understand the presentation intellectually as well as emotionally, it needs to be told as a cohesive narrative -- a story. 

 The audience needs to know three things: 

•  Where we are now
•  Where we want to end up 
• How we're going to get there
  
  Slides should communicate those three simple ideas backed by simple text statements, strong images and graphs. But in most cases, try not to get too heavy on the text aspect -- let the story you're telling play off the slides, and keep in mind, as we'll learn on the next page, seeing is believing.

   Show It, Don't Write It

Human beings are highly visual learners. It's much easier for our brains to remember a strong, unique image than a series of facts and figures. PowerPoint is a great, easy-to-use program for creating dozens of different types of graphs and charts. Remember that the simpler and bigger the graph, the better.

The purely visual portion of your PowerPoint presentation will be chiefly responsible for about 55 percent of the impact you have on your audience, compared with 38 percent in regards to the things you say, and 7 percent of the text you quote on each slide

Embrace Color – CarefullySlides should communicate those three simple ideas backed by simple text statements, strong images and graphs. But in most cases, try not to get too heavy on the text aspect -- let the story you're telling play off the slides,and keep in mind,  seeing is believing. 

FLY THE COLORS 

Some colors may look different when thrown up on a projector screen. It's a smart idea to do a test run to make sure your carefully crafted slideshow doesn't look weird on the available machinery when the moment of truth arrives. You can also ensure your slides have enough contrast to be read clearly at appropriate distances and are agreeable for easy audience consumption -- even if some of those audience members are colorblind. 

Color psychology is an interesting field, and one that you can draw on to make a successful PowerPoint presentation. You want to use meaningful and memorable colors, but you don't want to get too busy or flashy. PowerPoint is an extremely versatile program, but that doesn't mean you need to exploit every gimmick and design trick available. Rather, look for ways color combinations can assist you in delivering both the contextual detail and the emotional impact in each slide you craft, so they support your message succinctly, clearly and intuitively. 

A vivid contrast or a soothing balance might be called for to help make your points. By using complementary colors (those opposite on the color wheel) and analogous colors (those adjacent on the color wheel) you can affect how your audience perceives your message. Also, let colors work for you.

Green is commonly associated with both action (such as at a stoplight) and wealth (the old greenback) so you might want to employ it strategically if you're hoping to convey these sentiments. 

 Use large fonts throughout your presentation. It is OK even if you include only two three major points on each slide - but make sure the points are clearly visible to your audience. On the right you can see an example of a slide with large fonts.

Try to add enough interesting pictures and animations related to topic on your slides as possible. You must tnto add pictures when they are not very much required! This is because pictures and animations make the slides less interesting - and they make your audience not want to look at the slides.
If you were being shown a PowerPoint presentation, animations makes text interesting.However, use of additional pictures must not off tangent the Topic.

You can gain access to loads of free pictures by clicking on the "ClipArt" option under the Insert tab in PowerPoint. You can animate text and pictures using the "Custom Animation" option under the Animations tab in PowerPoint.

 Draw charts, tables and blocks whenever you need to explain a concept in detail. 
This way, you will able to make your presentations more interesting as people don't like reading through lots of text to grasp a concept. You can insert special charts using the "Smart Art" option under the Insert tab in PowerPoint. You can similarly use the "Table" option under the Insert tab to insert a table.

 Follow the Rule of 10
Guy Kawasaki -- former Apple "chief evangelist," venture capitalist and professional speaking guru -- has established his famous "Kawasaki Rule of Ten" in which he only uses 10 slides during a PowerPoint presentation, often in a top 10 fashion. Those slides generally consist of nothing more than a single sentence or phrase and a supporting image. All 10 give the audience powerful visual cues that reinforce the message that Kawasaki is communicating. And since audience members know that there are only going to be 10 slides, they know when the presentation is about to end. Kawasaki suggests a steady narrative stream for these 10 slides. Starting, for example, with the problem on slide No. 1 and the solution on slide No. 2, all the way down to the timeline on No. 9 and the summarizing call to action on slide No. 10

The 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint
It’s quite simple: a PowerPoint presentation should have ten slides, last no more than twenty minutes, and contain no font smaller than thirty points.

 • Ten slides. Ten is the optimal number of slides in a PowerPoint presentation because a normal human being cannot comprehend more than ten concepts in a meeting—and venture capitalists are very normal. (The only difference between you and venture capitalist is that he is getting paid to gamble with someone else’s money). If you must use more than ten slides to explain your business, you probably don’t have a business.
The ten topics that a venture capitalist cares about are:

1.  Problem 
2. Your solution 
3.  Business model 
4.  Underlying magic/technology 
5.  Marketing and sales
6.  Competition 
7.  Team 
8.  Projections and milestones 
9.  Status and timeline 
10.  Summary and call to action 

• Twenty minutes. You should give your ten slides in twenty minutes. Sure, you have an hour time slot, but you’re using a Windows laptop, so it will take forty minutes to make it work with the projector. Even if setup goes perfectly, people will arrive late and have to leave early. In a perfect world, you give your pitch in twenty minutes, and you have forty minutes left for discussion.
 • Thirty-point font. The majority of the presentations that I see have text in a ten point font. As much text as possible is jammed into the slide, and then the presenter reads it. However, as soon as the audience figures out that you’re reading the text, it reads ahead of you because it can read faster than you can speak. The result is that you and the audience are out of synch.
 The reason people use a small font is twofold: 

• first, that they don’t know their material well enough; 
• second, they think that more text is more convincing.
  
  Total bozosity. Force yourself to use no font smaller than thirty points. I guarantee it will make your presentations better because it requires you to find the most salient points and to know how to explain them well. If “thirty points,” is too dogmatic, the I offer you an algorithm: find out the age of the oldest person in your audience and divide it by two. That’s your optimal font size.
  
•  So please observe the 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint. If nothing else, the next time someone in your audience complains of hearing loss, ringing, or vertigo, you’ll know what caused the problem.

Source

Don't choose messy fonts. 

You're trying to sell an idea, not seem like you write ransom notes in your spare time. In closing: When you deliver your PowerPoint presentation, make sure you talk to the audience with the intention to explain your topic to them - not just to read what is written in the slides and finish off with the presentation.

Use the points on the slides as markers that tell you which direction you should proceed in but don't only read out those points. Let the points give you ideas which you can explain in detail as you talk to the audience. Talk to the audience as if you were talking to a friend - with the intention to make them understand what you are saying. A wonderful way to make your presentation interesting is to involve the audience in your presentation.

 As you talk, ask your audience some questions. For example, if you are talking about designing a website, ask your audience - "Which website do you visit the most? What do you like about this site?" The audience will then feel more involved and interested and you will be able to get your point across in an even better way. Or better yet..Conduct an Open Forum after presentation.

by:  Ms. Dahlia D. Sagucio - Ph D Linguistics

Methods of Speech Delivery

There are four basic methods of delivering a speech: (1) reading verbatim from a manuscript; (2) reciting a memorized text; (3) speaking impromptu; and (4) speaking extemporaneously. Let us look at each.

• READING FROM A MANUSCRIPT

Certain speeches must be delivered word for word, according to a meticulously prepared manuscript. Examples include a Pope’s religious proclamation, an engineer’s report to a professional meeting, or a President’s message to Congress. In such situations, absolute accuracy is essential. Every word of the speech will be analyzed by the press, by colleagues, perhaps by enemies. In the case of the President, a misstated phrase could cause an international incident.

Although it looks easy, delivering a speech from manuscript requires great skill. Some people do it well. Their words “come alive as if coined on the spot.”2 Others ruin it every time. Instead of sounding vibrant and conversational, they come across as wooden and artificial. They falter over words, pause in the wrong places, read too quickly or too slowly, speak in a monotone, and march through the speech without even glancing at their audience. In short, they come across as reading to their listeners, rather than talking with them.
If you are in a situation where you must speak from a manuscript, practice aloud to make sure the speech sounds natural. Work on establishing eye contact with your listeners. Be certain the final manuscript is legible at a glance. Above all, reach out to your audience with the same directness and sincerity that you would if you were speaking extemporaneously.

• RECITING FROM MEMORY

Among the feats of the legendary orators, none leaves us more in awe than their practice of presenting even the longest and most complex speeches entirely from memory. Nowadays it is no longer customary to memorize any but the shortest of speeches—toasts, congratulatory remarks, acceptance speeches, introductions, and the like.
If you are giving a speech of this kind and want to memorize it, by all means do so. However, be sure to memorize it so thoroughly that you will be able to concentrate on communicating with the audience, not on trying to remember the words. Speakers who gaze at the ceiling or stare out the window trying to recall what they have memorized are no better off than those who read dully from a manuscript.

• SPEAKING IMPROMPTU

An impromptu speech is delivered with little or no immediate preparation. Few people choose to speak impromptu, but sometimes it cannot be avoided. In fact, many of the speeches you give in life will be impromptu. You might be called on suddenly to “say a few words” or, in the course of a class discussion, business meeting, or committee report, want to respond to a previous speaker.
When such situations arise, don’t panic. No one expects you to deliver a perfect speech on the spur of the moment. If you are in a meeting or discussion, pay close attention to what the other speakers say. Take notes of major points with which you agree or disagree. In the process, you will automatically begin to formulate what you will say when it is your turn to speak.

Whenever you are responding to a previous speaker, try to present your speech in four simple steps:

1. State the point you are answering. 
2. State the point you wish to make. 
3. Support your point with appropriate statistics, examples, or testimony. 
4. Summarize your point.
   
   This four-step method will help you organize your thoughts quickly and clearly.

If time allows, sketch a quick outline of your remarks on a piece of paper before you rise to speak. Use the same method of jotting down key words and phrases followed in a more formal speaking outline
 This will help you remember what you want to say and will keep you from rambling.

In many cases, you will be able to speak informally without rising from your chair. But if the situation calls for you to speak from a lectern, walk to it calmly, take a deep breath or two (not a visible gasp), establish eye contact with your audience, and begin speaking. No matter how nervous you are inside, do your best to look calm and assured on the outside.

Once you begin speaking, maintain strong eye contact with the audience. If you are prone to talking rapidly when you are nervous, concentrate on speaking at a slower pace. Help the audience keep track of your ideas with signposts such as “My first point is …; second, we can see that …; in conclusion, I would like to say ….” If you have had time to prepare notes, stick to what you have written. By stating your points clearly and concisely, you will come across as organized and confident.

Whether you realize it or not, you have given thousands of impromptu “speeches” in daily conversation—as when you informed a new student how to register for classes, explained to your boss why you were late for work, or answered questions in a job interview. There is no reason to fall apart when you are asked to speak impromptu in a more formal situation. If you keep cool, organize your thoughts, and limit yourself to a few remarks, you should do just fine.

As with other kinds of public speaking, the best way to become a better impromptu speaker is to practice. If you are assigned an impromptu speech in class, do your best to follow the guidelines discussed here. You can also practice impromptu speaking on your own. Simply choose a topic on which you are already well informed, and give a one- or two-minute impromptu talk on some aspect of that topic. Any topic will do, no matter how serious or frivolous it may be. Nor do you need an audience—you can speak to an empty room. Better yet, you can speak to a digital recorder and play the speech back to hear how you sound. The purpose is to gain experience in pulling your ideas together quickly and stating them succinctly.

• SPEAKING EXTEMPORANEOUSLY

In popular usage, “extemporaneous” means the same as “impromptu.” But technically the two are different. Unlike an impromptu speech, which is delivered off-the-cuff, an extemporaneous speech is carefully prepared and practiced in advance. In presenting the speech, the extemporaneous speaker uses only a set of brief notes or a speaking outline to jog the memory (see Chapter 10). The exact wording is chosen at the moment of delivery.

Extemporaneous speeches are prepared ahead of time, but the exact words are chosen at the moment of presentation. This allows for more direct delivery than does reading from a manuscript.
This is not as hard as it sounds. Once you have your outline (or notes) and know what topics you are going to cover and in what order, you can begin to practice the speech. Every time you run through it, the wording will be slightly different. As you practice the speech over and over, the best way to present each part will emerge and stick in your mind.

The extemporaneous method has several advantages.

• It gives more precise control over thought and language than does impromptu speaking;
•  it offers greater spontaneity and directness than does speaking from memory or from a full manuscript;
•  and it is adaptable to a wide range of situations;
•  It also encourages the conversational quality audiences look for in speech delivery.
  “Conversational quality” means that no matter how many times a speech has been rehearsed, it still sounds spontaneous. 

When you speak extemporaneously—and have prepared properly—you have full control over your ideas, yet you are not tied to a manuscript. You are free to establish strong eye contact, to gesture naturally, and to concentrate on talking with the audience rather than declaiming to them.

A good speaker  clearly has practiced a great deal, and she knows what she wants to say,and  she may or may  not memorized her  speech. She can have  a brief set of speaking notes in case she needs them, but she is not tied to the notes. Rather, she selects her words as she goes along, maintains strong eye contact with the audience, and has excellent conversational quality.

source : Inklink

English Conversation - Lecture series : 01

Let's learn from this Video, and be an English speaker.

How To Make A Persuasive Speech - Public Speaking Tips

Here is a Video that will teach you on How to make a Persuasive speech.
Don't forget to pass it on.

The Major Types of Speeches

Whatever your speech occasion may be, you will have two goals in mind before you even begin. The first goal is firm and fixed—to communicate and be understood—while the second goal will determine the type of speech you write. There are probably as many types of speech as there are speeches given, in the sense that every speech is unique, but we can categorize most speeches into four groups:

1. Informative
2. Demonstrative
3. Persuasive
4. Special Occasions

Informative Speeches
An informative speech is essentially a lecture. It is intended simply to inform your audience on some topic. If you're a student, you hear informative speeches all day long in your classes, as your teachers and professors stand up front and lecture on various subjects. Your teachers are trying to inform you, and their lectures are essentially informative speeches.
An informative speech is different from a how-to speech or a persuasive speech because it is only intended to provide information. You will leave it up to your audience to decide for themselves what to do with the information.

      1. Informative speeches are useful as an introduction to some topic that is unfamiliar to your audience.  You will also want to be acquainted with what your audience already knows. You will also want to know what topics will be of interest to your audience.  The best way of answering this question, if you don't already know your audience, will be to conduct some basic interviews, beginning with the person who invited you to speak.

       2.Demonstrative Speeches
The demonstrative speech is closely related to the informative speech because it centers on providing your audience with information. The main difference, however, is that the demonstrative speech is a "how-to" lecture. Rather than passing on raw information to your listeners, you are teaching them some very practical skills.

The key to a demonstrative speech is to focus on practical application, not on abstract facts and statistics. Your goal is to teach the audience how to, not to tell them what is—how to bake a chocolate cake, not what is a chocolate cake. Here are some topic ideas to get you brainstorming:

What to Do
Use visual aids! These are helpful in any speech, but they are the very backbone of a demonstrative speech. If you want to tell your audience how to fix a computer, you'll certainly need a computer to demonstrate on.
What to Avoid
Visual aids are critically important to your demonstrative speech, but you must also avoid letting them become a source of distraction.

Persuasive Speeches - Ethos, Logos, and Pathos

The persuasive speech is also related to the informative speech, except that you are doing more than simply providing information on your topic—you are also providing your own opinion on that topic and attempting to persuade your audience that your opinion is correct. And this element of opinion and persuasion is what makes the persuasive speech the most challenging of the four types.

The key to writing a persuasive speech is to begin by having an opinion—preferably an opinion that you feel strongly about. If you have no opinion on a topic, you won't be able to persuade anyone else to hold an opinion. You must first know what you believe and why you believe it.

Aristotle was a Greek philosopher who lived in the fourth century b.c. He outlined the three basic ways in which a speaker can persuade his audience to embrace his beliefs. He used Greek words to describe these methods, but we'll update them into modern concepts as we go. They are:

Ethos: Credibility, image, public reputation, perceived expertise
Logos: Words, concepts, logic
Pathos: Emotions, feelings, gut reactions

Ethos - Appealing to Authority

First, a persuasive speaker must be a credible speaker, fitting into Aristotle's category of ethos or credibility. The audience needs to recognize that you know what you're talking about, and that you are qualified to be telling them the difference between right (your opinion) and wrong (your opponents' opinions).

Logos - Appealing to Logic
Logic is more difficult to master than emotional appeals, but it is far more effective. You build a logical argument by stating an opinion, then explaining a number of reasons that logically support that opinion, and finally, providing examples of each that illustrate your point and prove that it's true.

Pathos - Appealing to Emotions
You can also appeal to the emotions of your audience (Aristotle's pathos) with an argument that has little basis on logical fact.

             3. Special Occasions
This final category of speechmaking is quite broad and differs significantly from the others. You might be asked to "say a few words" at a special occasion, which could be as little as a one-minute toast or as lengthy as a 30-minute speech. Here are some examples:

1. Toasting the bride and groom at a wedding
2. Introducing the main speaker at a conference
3. Summarizing your project status at a business meeting
4. Eulogizing a friend at a funeral
5. Presenting or accepting an award at a banquet

There are two subtypes of speeches within this category: the prepared speech, and the impromptu speech.

Making a Prepared Speech at a Special Occasion

If you're warned ahead of time that you'll be called upon to say a few words at some special occasion, you will follow all the same techniques that we've been discussing thus far. You'll want to think about your audience, considering who will be present when you speak and what they'll want to hear you say.

Making an Impromptu Speech at a Special Occasion

There will be times when someone will ask you to say a few words without advance notice, asking you to stand up right there and then to address the audience. This can seem terribly intimidating, but the same principles apply to an impromptu speech as to any other speech: Consider your audience, and speak about what you know.
Self confidence and enough stock knowledge to discuss your topic, is the key to a successful impromptu speech.

  By ;  Dr. Dahl D. Sagucio- Ph D. Linguistics

The Power of Pause in Public Speaking

Pause is the most important skill of a speaker.When you pause your audience thinks about your message and reflects. Pause builds audience confidence in you. If you don’t pause your audience doesn’t have time to digest what you told and hence will not remember a word from what you said. You need to master an art of making pauses if you want to be an effective speaker. Here are few tips on when and how to make pauses.

a)     Pause before your first word

Pause for few seconds after you are introduced before you say your first word. When most people are introduced they shake a hand of the introducer and start to speak right away. These speakers feel awkward with silence. When you start speaking on stage right away after the introduction, it is the same as you meet your friend and start talking to him without even saying “Hi.”

When you go on stage don’t say anything for 3-7 seconds. Look at the audience members and acknowledge their presence. Only then start talking. This pause in public speaking is the same as saying “Hi” in your everyday conversations. Pause also conveys your confidence and draws attention of the audience. People will stop doing what they did before and begin listening to you, because when they see a speaker that doesn’t speak it’s something unusual. People pay attention to everything unusual.

b)    Pause before and after you make an important point.

Pause before and after you make an important point and stand still. During this pause people think about your words and your message sinks in. Don’t move after a powerful statement or you will dilute its power.

c)     Pause when one character reacts to words or actions of another character.

Remember when characters hear words from another character they first emotionally react, the emotion builds up, they reply and then the emotion continues. In order for emotion to build up you need time. Make a pause. Only then answer.

d)    Pause before you respond to an audience member.

Pause before you answer a question from an audience member. Pause will give you couple of seconds to think about the answer and will show your thoughtfulness. Even if you have your answer ready, pause for couple of seconds before a response.

e)    Pause after you finish delivering lines at a fast rate

For making your speech dynamic you should use contrast. Vocal variety is not an exception. Speak loudly, softly, quickly and slow. When you finish delivering your lines at fast pace and switch to slow pace make a pause to let people digest what you said.

f)    Make a pause instead of saying a filler word.

If you listen to a beginner speaker you will probably notice many filler words such as hmm, ah, you know, so etc. Neither of these words conveys information, but all of them irritate your audience. “Good morning, ah, my name is Andrii, hmm, you know, I am going to talk with you, hmm about public speaking.” It sounds irritating. Speakers say filler words when they don’t know what to say but feel uncomfortable with silence.

Every time you don’t know what to say and need time to think make a pause. You will sound confident and thoughtful and in most cases people will not even notice that something is wrong with your speech. It takes practice. Do pauses consciously every time you stumble and very soon you will notice that filler words never pop up in your speech.