Preparation and Composure

What separates an average talk from a good and great one is the composure and preparedness of the speaker. With both of these attributes a speaker can convey his or her message in an engaging manner and be able to adapt to any audience. A speaker who is so unprepared that he or she clings to dear life onto his or her written speech might not be able to adapt to an audience's question or any other unexpected interference. The ability to adapt to an audience is crucial for a speech to be effective at conveying its message. A good example to illustrate how bad a speech can be if it misses its target audience is Sheldon Cooper's speech on the Big Bang Theory season three episode 18.


The audience members are either confused, disgusted, or offended. This is of course an extreme and silly example, but it still captures the essence of a speech that misses its target audience and thus shows the important of being able to adapt to your audience.

Another way a speech can be a good or great one instead of average is to be different and memorable. It has to stand out in some way. This could mean a variety of things such as the speakers voice, the speakers pace of speech, or the content at hand. Take Will Ferrell's 2017 commencement address to USC for example.


Commencement speeches are almost always on the boring side mostly because they are full of numerous clichés. They generally are all the same. While Will Ferrell's ethos is great as far as comedy goes his voice and pace of speech is dynamic giving the speech a lot of character. It makes the speech enjoyable to listen to, which in itself differentiates itself from the norm.

In conclusion, a well prepared speech spoken by a well composed speaker goes a long way.

Comments

  1. UnknownOctober 5, 2017 at 7:00 AM

    I liked how you used an episode from the Big Bang theory because it was the perfect description for missing that target that is engaging in your audience. I agree that ability to adapt contributes to great speeches. I've never seen will ferrel's commencement speech but theres no doubt that I will be entertained the whole time.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Liam KennyOctober 5, 2017 at 7:00 AM

    Composure is extremely important! I can speak from personal experience when I say this, because although I practiced my speech a lot, without composure and the ability to shut out nerves well enough to give an accurate delivery it doesn't matter how many times you practice.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Morgan MalinichOctober 5, 2017 at 7:08 AM

    I think it's extremely important that you seem as engaged in what your saying as you want the audience to be. Having a dynamic voice, and bringing your words to life are very key features of a good/great speech. When you believe in what you're saying so will your audience! Even if you practice this skill can be hard to achieve!

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownOctober 5, 2017 at 7:09 AM

    I like how you showed an example of missing the mark. I feel like that was a really effective way to show the importance of composure and preparation. I feel like these two things are definitely important as they can not only make or break the credibility of the speaker, but also the content of the speech itself.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Leah JoslynOctober 5, 2017 at 1:47 PM

    I love your idea of including a what not to do when speaking and what to actually do in order to be more effective. I agree that delivery and composure makes a huge difference when it comes to speaking.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Jacob GlenisterOctober 5, 2017 at 6:56 PM

    I like the variety of examples that you used as well as their entertainment value. You made a good point and great read by using comedians to help your argument.

    ReplyDelete

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