Any sort of public gathering is incomplete without two things, a presenter and audience. Both of these are equally responsible in their own sense. If on one side, speaker is the prime face of a presentation, then on the flip side, it is an audience that will complete the speaking equation.
In the recent past, a lot has been said and written about the important elements of a good speech. So in this post, we are slightly shifting the focus towards a typical technique for engaging audience so that they go back with a clearly understood message. And, this is rhetoric! Wondering what is it?
“Primarily, it is the art of persuasion to convince an audience to agree with your argument.”
Have you ever noticed the speaking style of Barack Obama? He is habitual of repeating phrases and using the technique of anaphora so as to shift audience’s attention to a specific instance, without even making a deliberate attempt. Now, that is rhetoric!
The scope of this technique is not limited to mere repetition of a few words but, it can be anything ranging from- adding humor, metaphor, association or whatsoever suits the context of your script. However, trying to befool listeners by unnecessarily incorporating irrelevant one liners, stands as a complete failure. So, beware!
To help you gain a clear insight into this concept, we are highlighting a few important parameters for use of rhetoric in delivering an impressive speech:
- Repetition: By continually stressing on the key points of your presentation, you can actually grab their attention comparatively easily. ‘I have a dream’ speech of Martin Luther King Jr. is a perfect example in this regard.
- Association: It is the method of connecting your main points with alternate ideas, so as to enhance understandability of original idea in the light of another concept.
- Humor: When a speaker showcases his side of humility, it becomes easier for the audience to open up their mind and look at your opinions with a different mindset.
But, when you are using any of the above stated techniques, it is suggested to keep an open eye to three tips, viz-
- Avoid being monotonous because you may end up losing out on the actual aim of your speech.
- Stay natural and try to maintain relevance between your jokes and serious information.
- Be ready to introduce on the spot changes depending upon whether or not your current tone is able to match up with audience interest.
Grabbing audience’s attention by simple techniques is not quite a difficult job. You just need to remain in sync, be natural and connect with your audience.
