Public Speaking

Spellbound – What Makes A Speech Great

There have been speeches that fifty years later continue to inspire people. Great orators like Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King, Franklin D. Roosevelt and others
live on not soley because of their actions and wisdom but because of some of the great speeches they made.

None of the great speeches in history were blase. They were full of passion and ideas and important events. Not every speech a person makes is a barnburner nor will it become a benchmark of history, but whenever an orator is able to stir emotions of their listeners, the speech will remain memorable. The great speakers in history remain relevant in later generations because they appealed to the human condition. The topics were ones that all people could relate to – poverty, pride, joy, sadness, war or racism. Any speech that can touch on one of these can make an audience relate on a personal level and thats what makes them memorable.

Great speakers choose their words carefully. They write their speeches making every single word count and learn that repeating words can reinforce their message. The words in a speech can be beautiful – like poetry – and it mesmorizes listeners when said out loud. A real command and understanding of language and the written word turns a so so speech into a great one.

Speeches given in times of crisis usually have an urgency to them and urgency makes people sit up and listen. The great speakers knew and know how to make what they are saying seem important. They use active verbs, know how to change the tone of their voice and end up giving the audience the impression that they need to listen. Very few people will ever be able to give speeches like Churchill, but going back and listening to historical ones is a great public speaking education. public speaking