Delivering a speech is no easy task, for most of us fear public speaking. It is but understandable because it is a talent possessed only by a few. But that does not mean it has to remain this way. Yes, with thorough determination and practice this skill for influential public speaking can be developed by anyone!
Delivering a power packed, successful military speech is very much possible if you keep in mind the following rules:
- Choosing a topic and plan an outline – The first task is to pick a topic. Remember to keep it relevant to the occasion. The next step is simple too; plan the basic structure inclusive of introduction, body and conclusion.
- Create a rough draft, tell a tale – Military life offers you great experiences and delivering a speech is the best time to bring them to use. Now is the time when you should use the art of storytelling. It will let you connect with the audience, be it your juniors, seniors or your fellow men. And whatever the topic, do remember the unsung heroes. Ensure a flow in the speech and you must end on a catchy note!
- Edit to impress and engage with rhetorical devices – With the use of storytelling you’ll already be doing great but to impress and engage the audience you need more. Use quotation relevant to your story, make use of images with a side by side slide show, use humor too and other such elements to make it hard for the audience to get their eyes and ears off you while you speak!
- Practice to be through with staging and get vocal variety and gestures just right – Focus on using the stage area rather than standing at one place. Mobility will let you reach out to the crowds and engage them batter. So practice this if it doesn’t come naturally. You must also practice voice modulation at different stages of the speech and controlled use of gestures. Both these factors help communicate a given emotion with greater impact.
- Be a self critique – Rate yourself on grounds of practice sessions and past experiences to know how you are performing. Bring about changes accordingly.
Follow these rules and you can be assured of winning the audience over without a doubt!