A Few Thoughts on Speech Making

Speeches are a unique form of communication. They represent a special brand of declaration that is different than, say, a written piece. Please do not misunderstand, words put down on paper have been known to have tremendous impact. The power of that kind of communication form is not to be minimized in any way. But my focus in this entry is on the spoken word. Specifically, I speak of remarks made before an audience. Historically, such a way to communicate was the primary manner in which leaders of the day made know their positions and/or declarations. Philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle were among the pioneers.

When one gives a speech, they do so with the intent of not hiding behind any other. "Here I am and this is what I think" is the direct message of the speech maker. Audiences see the face and hear the voice of that person and from that moment forward associate him or her with whatever comes out of their mouth. With such a reality, it is no wonder the come with any speech is pressure. The speech maker stands at the podium and seconds before letting out with the first word becomes very aware that what they are about to say had better be coherent, logical and understandable. If the attention of the audience is to be retained, then the text of the speech must ring-true.

This is the challenge of the public communicator. What they say must be credible. If not, particularly if this person communicates publically on a regular basis, then their credibility will be tarnished and, ultimately, lost. Once that happens, then such a reputation is nearly impossible to reverse. The speech maker and their speech are judged as one-in-the-same. Thus, in terms of actually giving a speech, sincerity ranks higher than "performance." Yes, speakers should project, make eye contact with the audience, and even be articulate, but if they are viewed as not being sincere or honest, then no amount of performance will help.