How Famous Speakers Prepared their Address.

How Famous Speakers Prepared their Address. 

"The art of war," said Napoleon, "is a science in which nothing succeeds which has not been calculated and thought out." That is as true of speaking as of war. A talk is like a ship. It must be charted. The speaker who starts nowhere, usually gets nowhere.

On our previous post, we spoke on how proper preparation aids our confidence, click the link below if you didn't see the previous post. ( how to prepare confidently for a speech ). Today we would be outlining the methods some of the greatest and famous speakers used in preparing their addresses.
It's wise that we establish that no infallible iron-clad rules can be given for the arrangement of ideas and the construction of all talks. Each address presents it's own particular problems.

A few tips coined from the famous speakers. 

1. The speaker should cover a point thoroughly while he is on it, and then not to refer to it again. As an illustration, see the price winning address on Philadelphia. There should be no darting from one point to another and then back again as aimlessly as a bat in the twilight.

2. The late Dr. Conwell built many of his talks on this plan.

• State your facts.
• Argue from them.
• Appeal for action.

3. This another similar plan that you will probably find this plan very helpful:

• Show something that is wrong.
• Show how to remedy it.
• Appeal for action.

4. Here is an excellent speech plan:

• Secure interested attention.
• Win confidence.
• State your facts.
• Appeal for the motives that make men act. 

5. "All the facts on both sides of your subject", advised former senator Albert Beveridge, " must be collected, arranged, studied, digested. Prove them; be sure they are facts; then think out for yourself the solution those facts compel. 

6. If possible record your speech and listen to it.

7. Do not read your talk. Notes destroy about 50% of the interest in your talk. An audience can hardly be brought to endure listening to a read speech.

8. After you have thought out and arranged your talk, then practise it silently as you walk along the street. Also get off somewhere by yourself and go over it from beginning to the end, using gestures, letting yourself go. Imagine that you are addressing a real audience. The more of this you do, the more comfortable you will feel when the time comes for you to make your talk.

I perceive that you are on your way to becoming an excellent speaker. See at top. Bye bye.