How to Structure a Speech by Vince Stevenson
Why do some speeches and presentations linger in
the mind while others pass from one ear, through
the brain and then out through the other ear,
generally without leaving a trace of … anything?
Well, there are many reasons, but I’d always
begin the detective work with the structure.
Over the years I have tried several different
speech formats, a number of which I have found
effective and I will describe some of the more
advanced possibilities in subsequent articles.
However, without a structure, the speech is
doomed to become a shambolic ramble of random
thoughts.
Have you ever watched the news on TV? Well, of
course you have. But have you ever taken time
out to observe the structure? It’s really simple
and effective.
It starts off with three news headlines:
1) The Bank of England announced interest rates
will rise by a ¼ point
2) A large manufacturer in the Midlands has shed
400 people because of falling demand
3) David Beckham is back in the England team
following a year in the footballing wilderness
These headlines essentially signpost what is to
come. Why do they do this? Well, if you have a
mortgage, another interest rate rise could cost
you more money than you had budgeted for. Or if
you work in the manufacturing industry, what
happens in the Midlands usually has an impact on
other aspects of industry. Or finally, anything
about David Beckham and football is newsworthy…
The idea of the headlines is to give you a taster
of what is to come. TV networks are searching
for viewer ratings because most of their revenues
come through the sponsorship of corporate
advertisers. They are trying to hook you because
they want you to stay and watch.
And surely, should we not be doing this with the
introduction of a speech or presentation? Of
course, we want to grab their attention. We tell
them what is to come and whet their appetites.
It’s designed to keep them listening.
When the headlines end, in comes the main body of
the news which builds on the headlines.
It tells us that the Bank of England meeting
lasted an hour longer than scheduled because
further analytical information was required with
regards to interest rate trends in Europe. The
British rate trend was discussed with the last
two years data described by graphs and so on.
The theme is expanded to cover the day’s
potential angles and then moves on to job losses
in the Midlands. If the presenter is quick on
his/her thoughts, they will somehow try to link
the first story with the second.
Now we hear about the details of the company and
its history of achievement. The decision to axe
jobs will have a major impact on other aspects of
the local economy. And so the story unfolds with
interviews of managers and workers alike. This
personalisation of the news has increased viewer
ratings because a lot of the comment is from
regular people in the street. People like you
and me.
So they work their way through the three stories
and usually try to end on a high. People like to
be informed and entertained and lots of news
channels will include a human interest story
where for example, a young child demonstrates
great character by overcoming a medical or
physical problem.
And finally, the news is coming to an end and the
presenters recap the main points which
unremarkably are the same points as the headlines.
But now that the item has been examined there
is room for further comment.
We know this as Winston Churchill’s, tell ‘em
what you’re going to tell ‘em – tell em – tell ‘
em what you’ve told ‘em.
With good linking and interesting development of
the main themes, anybody can achieve a successful
speech structure. Next time you plan a speech or
presentation, why don’t you give this advice a
try?
About The Author
Vince Stevenson is one of England’s greatest speaking enthusiasts, having competed for and won many prestigious competitions. Vince is a founder and lead trainer at the College of Public Speaking. Please visit us at => http://www.collegeofpublicspeaking.co.uk
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