Public Speaking Without Hitches

Once a group of instructors were asked to write on a slip of paper what they considered was the biggest problem they had with beginning speakers. When the slips were tallied, it was found out that getting beginners to talk on the right topic was the problem most frequently encountered in early sessions. The right topic to engender smooth delivery of extemporaneous speeches must be one the speaker might have lived with it, made it his/her own experience and reflection by dipping into memory and searching backgrounds for those significant aspects of own lives that made vivid impression on yourselves.

 

Early Years and Upbringing. Topics that deal with the family, childhood memories, schooldays, invariably get attention, because most of us are interested in the way other people met and overcame obstacles in the environment in which they were reared. Whenever possible, work into your talks, illustrations and examples from your early years. The popularity of plays, movies, and stories that deal with the subject of meeting the challenges of the world in one’s early years attests to the value of this area for the subject matter of talks. But how can you be sure anyone will be interested in what happened to you when you were young ? There is one test. If something stands out vividly in your memory after many years have gone by, that almost guarantees that it will be of interest to an audience.

 

Early Struggles to Get Ahead.  This is an area rich in human interest. Here again, the attention of a group can be held by recounting your first attempts to make your mark on the world. How did you get into a particular job or profession ? What twist of circumstances accounted for your career ? Tell us about your setbacks, your hopes, your triumphs when you were establishing yourself in the competitive world. A real life picture of anyone’s life, if told modestly, is almost sure-fire material.

Hobbies and Recreation. Topics in this area are based on personal choice, and as such, are subjects which command attention. You can’t go wrong talking about something you do out of enjoyment. Your natural enthusiasm for your particular hobby will get this topic across to your audience.

 

Special Areas of Knowledge. Many years of working in same field have made you an expert in your line of endeavor. You can be certain of respectful attention if you discuss aspects of your job or profession, based on your years of experience or study.

Unusual Experiences. Have you ever met a great man ? Were you under fire during the war ? Have you gone through spiritual crisis in your life ? These are some of the experiences that make the best kind of speech material.

Beliefs and Convictions. Perhaps you have given a great deal of time and effort to thinking about your position on vital subjects confronting the world today. If you have devoted many hours to the study of issues of importance, you have earned the right to talk about them. But when you do, be certain that you give specific instances for your convictions. Audiences do not relish a talk filled with generalizations. Please don’t consider the casual reading of newspaper articles sufficient preparation to talk on these subjects. If you know little more about the topic than the people in your audience, it is best to avoid it. On the other hand, if you have devoted many years of study to some subject, it is undoubtedly a topic that is made to order for you. By all means, use it

( FROM LETTERS OF DALE CARNEGIE)