Delivering an Iconic Speech

Impromptu Speaking

Also known as the last minute speech. These kind of speeches are usually assigned by the teachers to their students by giving them a particular topic that they would need to talk about with only but a few minutes to prepare. The advantage of this kind of speaking is that it’s spontaneous and responsive in an animated group context. The disadvantage is that the speaker is given little or no time to contemplate the central theme of his or her message. As a result, the message may be disorganized and difficult for listeners to follow. Here are a few tips that you might want to consider as you begin delivering your impromptu speech: 

1. Take a moment to collect your thoughts.

At most you are only given 5 to 10 minutes to prepare for your speech (not a lot of time is it?). But the thing about impromptu speeches is that you are not going to be tasked to do any form of research whatsoever. You still have to get your facts right, however. So with such little time, all you have to do is simply rely on your stock knowledge and think back on what you know about that particular topic. You may also see how to start a speech.

2. Make your main point as briefly as you can.

Take a moment to breathe knowing that you will be fine and that you can do it. After taking a moment to gather your thoughts and structure your speech, deliver it. Just do not forget however that time is of the essence and that you cannot waste it. Although it still has to be delivered formally, but you are not expected to rush it despite the time you are given to deliver it. Remember to keep your cool at all times and deliver it calmly. You may also see other speech examples for your reference.

Extemporaneous Speaking

Extemporaneous speaking is the presentation of a carefully planned and rehearsed speech, spoken in a conversational manner using brief notes. By using notes rather than a full manuscript, the extemporaneous speaker can establish and maintain eye contact with the audience and assess how well they are understanding the speech as it progresses. The disadvantage of extemporaneous speaking meanwhile is that it requires a great deal of preparation for both the verbal and the nonverbal components of the speech. Adequate preparation cannot be achieved the day before you’re scheduled to speak. You may also like thank-you speech examples & samples.

Tips on How to Deliver an Iconic Speech

Not everyone can easily wing a speech. It needs time, patience and lots of practice. Here are a few tips to try and consider applying just before you deliver your speech to the audience:

1. Know your goal.

What is it that you are trying to achieve with your speech? As you very well know, there are at least three kinds of speeches that can be delivered: informative, persuasive and for special occasion. Based from the word itself, the purpose of an informative is none other than to inform. There can be no limit as to the topics that can be delivered so as long as the gal is to purely inform. You may also see appreciation speech examples & samples.

2. Memorize your speech.

Next thing to do would be to actually memorize the speech word for word. In memorizing a speech word for word, you do not have to actually worry about improvising or adding some other side comments in the middle of your speech since everything is already being laid out in your simple script. Don’t forget to take note of the pauses and emphasis that you will include in your speech.

3. If you don’t want to knock it out of the park, don’t follow rule 2.

There are some people who do not necessarily stick to the script. Sometimes, they will go out of their own way to create some improvisations just for your speech that act as an icebreaker to add some humor and life into the speech so that it would sound more creative and gives it that personal flair and touch that only you can actually add. Improvisational theater, often called improv or impro, is the form of theater, often comedy, in which most or all of what is performed is unplanned or unscripted: created spontaneously by the performers. You may also like presentation speech examples & samples.

You do not have to be too conscious about adding new material to your speech every now and then. Just let it come to you naturally.

4. Practice the transitions.

The number one enemy in a speech are: “uhm”, “eh”, “aahh”, “hmmmm”. Are these familiar? These are not really new. We all commit that mistake every now and then in our general speeches. Even the best and well-prepared speakers have the mistake to use these stallers in order to better gather their thoughts. Which is why you would need to practice these transitions every now and then so that you can be able to keep track as to where you are progressing with your speech. There are any kinds of speech transitions, but here are a few examples on some of them: likewise, similarly, This is just like, In a similar way, We see the same thing if we consider, and many others.

5. Don’t fear silence.

You want to silence a room? Don’t talk. Be silent and look at the audience. Five seconds. Seven seconds. Just taking them in. Connecting with them. But never do it for effect. Do it to get intimate with your audience. It silences a room like you wouldn’t believe. Why? Because it’s not normal. Audiences are used to speakers filling every nanosecond with the sound of their own voice, leaving zero time for reflection. Audiences are used to being avoided, not appreciated. When they come upon someone who can command their own silence, they understand, “This person is serious.” You may also like dedication speech examples.

6. Never, ever, ever use PowerPoint as your speech notes.

You never read from the Powerpoint presentation! Never. Those are for your audience, and not for you to actually read. They know how to do that themselves. The audience are not there just to listen to you read your own slides. Because in the first place, you are not supposed to put all the information in the slides. You are supposed to present bits of information that the audience needs to know. Not in paragraph form either, but in bullet form. Make your Powerpoint presentation as brief and possible. And you just have to take care of the rest. That’s what the speakers are there for. You may also see speech examples for students.

7. Give something of yourself.

Don’t be afraid to feel something in front of an audience. Don’t be afraid to say something that will make you feel something, and that will make the audience feel something.

8. Be yourself.

No one likes plastic people. No one. If you are trying to impress the audience with a mask that you are not used to wearing, do not bother even delivering the speech in the first place. It will ingloriously fail. Just learn on how to be yourself in everything. Who knows? Maybe the audience will even like you. You may also see launch speech examples.

9. Don’t speak in abstractions.

Get straight to the point. Never try to sugarcoat things or not even saying what you mean. That will just make things worse and even more confusing. No one likes complicated things.

10. Feel what’s happening in the room.

And use it to connect your speech to this moment. In this way, if your mike goes out, you can make a joke out of it, rather than it making a nervous wreck, and a joke, out of you. You may also like youth speech examples.

11. Make eye contact until it scares you.

If you think that continuous eye contact scares you, then you can try to stop it for a while.

12. Don’t miss your own talk.

It is a privilege and an honor to be asked to speak. Take the opportunity to commune with other human beings. It’s like getting to watch a falling star.

13. Come from a place of love for your audience.

That’s mastery. When you allow yourself to feel the humanity of your audience, you have succeeded in taking the focus off yourself. There is a universe of difference between this place and a PowerPoint presentation. This is the place from which change is made. You may also check out 8 steps in speech composition.

Iconic Movie Speech Example

Perhaps one of the most iconic movie speeches of all time would be found in the movie entitled Facing the Giants. In this particular scene, Coach Taylor is seen trying to inspire his football team to do their best. And then, he calls on Brock to do the death crawl with someone on his back blindfolded. You may also see leadership speech examples & samples.

At first, he thought it was impossible and even joked it off. But it was Coach Taylor and his determination that allowed him to keep going no matter how exhausted he was. When Coach Taylor was expecting him to only go 50 yards, he was able to do the death crawl all the way till the end of the football field. Here is an excerpt of his speech to Brock:

Coach: “You gotta keep moving. Let’s keep moving. Let’s go. Don’t quit till you got nothing left. There you go. Keep moving. Keep moving. Keep moving Brock. That’s it. You keep driving. Keep your knees off the ground. Keep driving it. Your very best. Your very best. YOUR VERY BEST.” You may also like debate speech examples.

Delivering a speech is not meant to be easy. But with enough practice and hard work, you will be fine. You may also see thank you speech examples as a guide to help you understand better.