Speech Craft

PARTICIPANT'S MANUAL

A PUBLICATION OF

JCI INDIA

National Secretariat
Ami Kalash, 2nd Floor, Ami Complex, IC Colony Road Borivali (W), Mumbai - 400
103. Tel.: (022) 28912354, 278913355 Fax : 022 - 28910807 Email :
ijcns@vsnl.com www.jciindia.in
Recycle Paper

Contents
Why Public Speaking?
What is SpeechCraft really?
The Conquest of Stage Fright.
Preparing for a speech
Presenting a speech Cliches and avoiding them
Some common mistakes Sir Winston formula
Borden Formula
Know your audience
Some Regular Speeches Welcome
Introduction
Opening Remarks Felicitation Speeches
Reply to Felicitation
Vote of thanks
Humour in Public Speaking
The Ten Commandments of effective speaking

Some popular quotes on Public Speaking

"it takes one hour of preparation for each minute of
presentation time."
- Garne Curgra!!

"A theme is a memory aid, it helps you through the

presentation just as it also provides the thread of
continuity for our audience."
- Dave Carey

"There are always three speeches, for every one you

actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you
gave, and the one you wish you gave."
- Dale Carnegie

"No one can remember more than three points."

- Philip Crosby

"The audience only pays attention as long as

know where you are going."

you

- Philip Crosby

"No one ever complains about a speech being too

short!"
- Ira Wares

"They expect a professional presentation, so the

expect to see a "'professional.'' Press appropriate[ for
the occasion, but don't be one of the crowd."
- Wess Coberts

What Public speaking means to

you
t would be erroneous to presume that Effective
Public Speaking means only delivering speeches
to a huge audience from a podium.
When you successfully undergo a course in public
speaking you will learn the following invaluable
skills, which will help you in making an effective
presentations to even an audience of one.
1
You will learn to marshal your thoughts and present them
in a logical sequence
2
You will learn to focus only on your subject.
3
You will learn to use your vocabulary to maximum
advantage
4
You will learn to present all your thoughts in as few words
as possible.
5
You will learn to describe your points appropriately with the
use of facts, examples, parallels
6
You will learn to control your voice and make it pleasant to
the ears.
7
You will learn to control and convey your emotions
dramatically through your words.
8
You will learn poise even under adverse situations
9
You will appear more presentable, more confident, more
mature and more positive to your listeners.

The speechcraft workshop:

SpeechCraft is one of JCI INDIA' most effective
programs and has resulted in developing
hundreds of wonderful speakers. The workshop is
designed to give you all the inputs that can
transform you into impressive speaker. This
manual will serve as a reminder of the sessions
you went through and a reference in future when
you are called upon to deliver a speech for some
occasion

Stage Fright
omebody once rightly said."
The human brain is a wonderful
organ. It begins functioning the
moment you are born and does not
stop until you are called upon to
deliver a speech!" The most
carefully prepared speeches are
never heard because of this mind block
called "Stage Fear" "Nerves" "Topophobia"
What really happens?
When you are seated in the audience, waiting for your turn to
speak, you start thinking,
"I am scared of what might happen"
"My grammar's so bad" "How can I do justice to such a vast
subject in just three minutes?" "Ooh, look at the size of the
audience" "They all seem to be so clever. I'm making a fool out of
myself" "Suppose someone picks an argument with me" "Oh God,
what will happen if I cannot even utter a word" "So many ladies
present, and I did not even shave properly" "So many men! I
should have worn my silk saree" "What will my father / mother/
wife/ husband/ employer / teacher/ sitting in the audience think of
this stupid speech?"
All these thoughts make you a trifle anxious, this increases your
heartbeat, you start breathing faster, and lo, the next thing you
know is that your mouth has dried up, your knees go wonky, your
mind goes blank and you are in the grip of that universal
phenomenon, "Stage Fear"

So, what do you do?

You start wringing your hands You drum your fingers on the
table/podium You tap a pencil or keep pressing the on / off button
of your pen. You scratch your hair You tap your foot or both your
feet You lean on the podium / table You keep removing your
spotless spectacles, clean with a kerchief,
put them on, only to remove them a minute later, clean them.
You fold, unfold or twist your hanky. You fidget with objects placed
on the table You grip the mike tightly You keep pulling your \ears,
digging your nose, or rubbing your
eyes, You keep chewing the locket of your chain You put your
hands in your pocket, or worse, You start jingling coins while your
hands are in the pocket And in short, you have lost your
confidence to speak.
Why does this happen?
When your brain senses your anxiety, it signals the release of
extra amounts of "Adrenaline" an energy giving fluid into your
body to help you combat the anxiety. An inexperienced person
does not know how to handle this extra flow of adrenaline resulting
in any or all the above manifestations of" Stage fear"
How do you get rid of your stage fear?
Ever tried taking a bath in cold water on a cold morning? Isn't the
first touch of the cold water pure torture? After the first jug, the
second is not all that bad, the third one is ok and soon you start
revelling in the tingling, refreshing feeling that only a cold water
bath can give you. Stage fear is something like this. The first
speech is the worst. The first thirty seconds are the worst even for
accomplished speakers.

You can never really conquer stage fear. After thousands of

speeches, accomplished speakers still feel the flutter of butterflies
in the stomach, as soon as they get up to speak. This is a good
sign. It is your body telling you that extra energy is available to you
in case you need it. So the difference between an accomplished
speaker and a novice is that the accomplished speaker has
learned to channelise this flow of energy.
The following tips will help you tackle this phenomenon:
1

Ensure that every speech is well prepared.

I repeat, ensure that you prepare, prepare, prepare

3
As you walk up to the dais to begin speaking, try to walk
slowly. Consciously take deep breaths.
4
Before you begin, look around the hall. LOOK at your
audience. You are sure to find some friendly faces. Address your
first words to them.
1

Welcome every opportunity to speak.

2
Get your spouse to critically observe your speech and give
you suggestions on improving the next time.
3
Begin your speech with formalities or a good personal
anecdote. It need not be very funny. Its main purpose is to help
you and not the audience.
4
Never attempt to "by heart" your speech. You are
guaranteed to fail!!
So, you have something in common with EVERY speaker in the
world. Remember as long as you are nervous at the beginning,
you can use it to deliver your best.

Preparing for a
Speech
here is no such thing as an
impromptu speech. Every speech has to
be prepared. The amount of preparation
depends on the newness of your
subject. For example, if someone were
to ask you to speak about your college
days, you would need less than minute to prepare.
the "current
political scenario" will need more thinking and
hence more time to prepare.

I am sure

Most often, when you are invited to speak, your hosts will say,
"Speak on anything. Whatever your favourite is" (In the beginning,
try to get your host to give you a subject. If not, find out what is the
occasion, what is the background, who are the organisers, what is
the objective of their organisation. These should give you enough
for a generalized speech.
When you have a subject:
1
Try and do as much research as you can on the subject.
The libraries, the Internet, experts on the subject, newspapers,
magazines, even your family are good sources. Try and make
notes, even if they are disjointed, after every such interaction.
2
Remember, the audience is not expecting a treatise on the
subject. And try as you might, there's going to be at least one
person in the audience who knows more than you know!
3
Using the material you have gathered; write out on an
essay, as if you have been asked to write an article for a
magazine. Remember every speech or every essay has a
Beginning, Body, and Conclusion. So, when you write your essay
try to sequence it using all the various tidbits of information you
have gathered.
4
Read the entire essay once. Use the marker and highlight
the main points.

1
Put down the main points on 5"x 3" cards. Number the
cards sequence.
2

Now, relax. You do not have to do anything else.

On the day of the speech, just carry the cards with you.

4
As you stand up to speak and glance at the card, all the
matter you have written in your essay about a particular point will
come back automatically to you.
5
Do not attempt to learn a speech by heart. Your memory
will play tricks on you and you will end up embarrassing yourself.
6
Even if you know a subject very well, the points written on
the card will help you to sequence yourself and deliver the best.

FORMULAE FOR EFFECTIVE SPEECHES

"A well prepared speech is already Nine - tenths Delivered."
Though there are many formulae for this, let us discuss 2 popular
formulae

The Sir Winston Method

Borden formula

THE SIR WINSTON METHOD:

The five secrets of speaking the language of leadership.

Begin strongly: Impress your audience with an opening

zinger.

Focus on one theme: A speech is like a song using a full

orchestra. There are many different instruments but it has one
dominant melody.

Use simple language: Toss out the beat -around -the bush'
jargon and pick up your pace with personal, colourful language.

Draw a picture in the listener's mind: Transform dry

abstractions into powerful pictures

End with an emotion: Express feeling from the heart when

you cap your speech.

Remember:
Everyftimefyoufspeakf-fyoufarefauditioningf orfleadership.
JamesfC.fHumes
B. BORDEN FORMULA:
The use of this simple formula is the difference between good
speeches and very ordinary ones. It can be applied to most types
of speeches particularly those of an informative nature. As the
informative speech is the most common type of speech delivered
today, you will readily agree that the Borden formula is important
to know and follow.

Ho Hum! In this phase of the formula, you must arouse the

audience interest in what you have to say - you must awaken
them! In your opening remarks ask a question, tell a story, startle
your audience, Use an exhibit. Don't think for one minute that the
audience is sitting on the edge of their chairs waiting eagerly for
you to speak. They are asleep! Ho Hum, they say -" I wonder what
this fellow is going to talk about." So in your first sentence you
must arouse them from their Ho Hum! Attitude.

Why bring that up: In this you must build a bridge -your
listener lives on an island, an island of his own interests - you
must build a bridge from yourself to that island. The listener says
to himself: "You caught my attention with your intriguing opening,
but why - bring this subject up? What has it got to do with me?"
Here is how a tax expert caught the attention of his audience.
"You are probably wondering why you should be worried about
VAT. There are a vast number of traders who do not show their
true accounts to the government. Under VAT this practice will
become virtually non existent. So how are you, an honest tax
payer affected? Let us say, at some stage, between the
manufacturer, the C&F agent, distributor, super stockist and you,
someone did not pay tax or did not

reveal this transaction. Under VAT it would be possible to trace

the exact source and the penalties when found could be
crippling. There could be repercussions in the entire chain.."
Thus you must build a bridge to your listeners. Until this bridge
is built, you are not ready to begin the body of your speech.
For instance: In this third phase of the formula, get down to
cases. Ever since childhood, grandmothers have found that the
best way of driving home a point is by way of stories. Let us
assume that you have introduced your speech subject
interestingly, arresting all "Ho Hums" with your first sentence
-that you convinced your listeners that the subject hits their
interest. Now, get down to cases. Make your points with the help
of real life, INDIAN or even local examples.
So What? In this concluding section of your speech, demand
action from the audience. The end of the speech like the lead of a
pencil should have a point. The conclusion must be more than a
forceful leave taking. It must answer the audience's question, SO
WHAT? Therefore, in your conclusion, ask the audience for some
specific action for e.g.
Contribute
Vote
Write
Buy
Boycott
Enlist
Investigate
Acquit
Convict
End your Speech with request for action.

Know your
audience
ry and get to know as much as
possible about your audience, in
advance. Answers to the following
questions will
be of valuable help in preparing and
presenting your speech.
1. How many people will be present ? This will help you know
whether you need a mike. Larger audience demand a little
more formality while, with small audiences you can even be
conversational in your speech delivery.
2. What age groups ?
The young want a little more entertainment than the older
ones.
3. Educational levels ? A broad idea is more than enough. You do
not need not go into too many particulars. They might be
embarrassing.
4. Occupation ? Are you speaking to businessmen?
Professionals? Students? The approach to your speech will
vary, even if the subject is the same.
5. Subject Knowledge ? Is the audience aware of the subject? Has
somebody else handled it in recent times? Is it possible to find
out what he said ?
6. Time ? How much time do you have? Will the meeting start on
time? What else is on the agenda? Will you be required to stay
till the end of the meeting ?
7. Dress: How are members generally dressed?. Are they formal
or casual ? This will help you to be suitably dressed.

The Welcome
Speech:
n a Jaycee meeting it is normally
the president who delivers the
welcome speech or the welcome
address as it is formally known.
Some guidelines:
1
Salutation: This is the first formal speech in a meeting. It is
the duty of the speechmaker to start building a bridge between the
audience and the people on the dais (Incidentally, the stage is
called Dais pronounced dayis and not dayas) and so, his
salutation will include the names and designations of all the
people on the dais.
2
General Welcome: "It is my pleasant duty to welcome you
all to this meeting"
3
History: A few words about the past of the event that is
happening, "XXX Jaycees was started in the year 1999...."
4
Purpose of the meeting: "In the Jaycee set up, the
president of a chapter is elected and holds office for one year We
are present here today to witness the installation ceremony of the
19 president of our chapter"
th

5
Individual Welcome: All the people on the dais who are not
members of your chapter need to be individually welcomed. The
order is first, the most important person for that meeting, generally
the chief guest. Followed by the guest of honour, if any, the
installation officer, the zone president, zone vice president and so
on. Do not begin the individual welcome by saying, "when we went
to meet Mr. our chief guest,.." This is irrelevant. Similarly phrases
like "Who readily accepted our invitation" "Who has come here in
spite of his busy schedule" These are cliches and spoil the impact
of your speech.

It would be much nicer to say "We are honoured with the

presence of ..We welcome you Sir". "A long pending desire
has been fulfilled today with the presence of Mr...in our midst, I
welcome you, sir."
1
Specific Welcome: Welcome the VIPs in the audience, not
necessarily by name, such as, "The past presidents of our
chapter, presidents of the Rotary and Lions Clubs, Pressperson
present in our midst.."
2
General Welcome: Once again, welcome everyone
present.
. Conclusion: "I hope you will have a pleasant evening" Thank
you.
It is not necessary to say, "On behalf of . Jaycees and on my
personal behalf" This is another cliche. The fact that you are
standing on the dais denotes that you are doing so on behalf of
your organisation and it does not matter whether you personally
want to welcome someone or not!!!
The welcome speech in the biggest of meetings, should not last
for more than 5 minutes. A normal meeting requires only a 2
minute speech

The
Introductory
Speech:
he objective of this
speech is, apart from letting
the audience know the relevance of the person being introduced,
to build a bridge between the guest and the audience. You will be
given a resume of the person being introduced well in advance. If
not, ask the president for the resume. If he does not have it, there
is no harm in asking the guest himself to give you a copy.
Underline all the points you think are relevant for your audience.
Just as you would in a prepared speech, prepare a 5x3 card of the
main points and deliver as you would, a prepared speech. Some
things to remember:
1
However important the speaker, you will not take more
than 2 minutes to introduce.
2
It is an unpardonable sin to READ the bio data of the
guest. Don't ever do it.
3
The salutation in the beginning of your speech is to be
abbreviated, probably, "Mr President /Mr Chairman, Ladies and
Gentlemen."
4
Keep the name of the introducee in suspense till the end of
your speech
5
Your speech should highlight the achievements of the
speaker relevant to his assignments with you. For Eg., when a
trainer is doing a program, give his credentials as a trainer. He
might also be a successful businessman. Unless his training is
business related, you need not give too many details about his
business

1
It is a good idea to give some details about his personal
background. Avoid the word "happily" when you talk about his
marriage!
2
Announce his current assignment in a slightly louder tone
at the end of the speech and then his name, even more loudly.
"May I present to you, ladies and Gentlemen, the Managing
Director of Reliance, Mr Mukesh Ambani"
3
When a person is well known to the audience, spend some
time with him before the meeting; highlight a few things that the
audience may not know, likes hobbies, his children's
achievements.
4
Even when someone is well known, it is incorrect to say
"our guest is so well known, he needs no introduction, but I have
the task and so for formality's sake." Your job is to introduce, not
pass comments. In this case as said before, concentrate on little
known aspects of the guest's personality.
5

Avoid the cliches, " None other than" No one else but"
If a speaker is being invited to
speak
on
a
particular
subject, your introductory
speech
should
loosely
answer the following:
Why this subject,
Why this subject for this
audience
Why this subject for this
audience at this time
Why this speaker for this
audience for this subject at
this time.

Felicitation Speeches:
felicitation speech is
delivered
when
someone's
achievements
are
publicly
recognised. While following the
formula given for the prepared
speech, particular mention must
be made of the hardships the
honouree went through to
achieve what he did. This speech
serves to praise the
speaker, appreciate his efforts. Something that he cannot do to
himself! It also serves as a motivator to the audience to emulate
his feats. The honouree's bio data is your ground document. You
need to spend some time with him and get him to talk about his
achievements, before the event.
A full salutation, a few remarks related to the subject and the
honouree are the right beginnings of this speech.

Reply to the
Felicitation Speech:
This speech is given
by the person who is
being felicitated. It is
generally a thank you
speech. A thank you to
the organizers who
honoured him, the
people who helped
him achieve what he
did.
A full salutation precedes this
speech.

Vote of Thanks:

his is the speech which triggers off an exodus to the exits!

So the speech must be short enough for people to catch it before
they leave the hall! 30-45 seconds Max. No salutation. Go straight
to the subject, "I
have the pleasant task
of thanking.."

OH God, please Save us from...

Over a number of years, many speakers have used phrases which
have no meaning, are inappropriate; do not reflect the right
emotion, or downright plain silly. They are called cliches. The
following is a small list. I am sure you can add to it: Do avoid them.
They do not add value to your speech. They subtract from its
effectiveness.
In spite of his busy schedule Sparing a few precious moments of
his time When the organizers came to invite me I was.. Unless
and Until None other than Last but not the least Friend
philosopher and guide I am sorry to take up so much of your time
With these words I conclude my speech For making this function a
grand success Thought provoking speech I assure the speaker.. A
token of our love
Some common mistakes we make:
Dais: it is Dayis and not Dayas
A person or an organiser who sponsors is called a SPONSOR.
There is no word in the English language called sponsorer.
It is MEMENTO and not MOMENTO
It is always Ladies and Gentlemen and not Gentlemen and Ladies.
Ladies are mentioned only if there are women in the audience!
Chairman (when it is a man) Chairperson (When it is a woman)
but not chairwoman.
If you are shortening the name of a person - Mr Rakesh Tandon is
either Rakesh (if you know him very well) or Mr Tandon. Never is it
Mr Rakesh.

It is either "Jc Murthy" or it is "Mr Murthy", never "Jc Mr Murthy".

It is always, RISE "for the Jaycee Creed". Not RAISE. The two
words have totally different meanings here.
When you stand before the audience
The audience sees a speaker before it hears him. It also forms an
opinion of him before he says a word. "Timid", or "aggressive", it
may say to itself, or "How poised". Whether these judgments are
valid or not, they are made. Hence a speaker must consider how
he looks to the audience. The following elements help the
audience form an opinion:

Posture
Movement
Gesture
Eye -contact
Visual factors
Dress

POSTURE:
You should stand, with your
feet 12-15" apart. One foot
should be slightly in front of the other. This position will enable you
to distribute the weight of your body equally and help you stand for
a long time without feeling the strain. Your body should lean
forward slightly.
Your hands should be loosely resting on one another near your
belt buckle. Your fists should be open. They should look like you
are about to clap, with one hand over the other. Never rock back
and forth on your feet. This easy position of the hands makes for
good gestures or use of notes. Under no circumstances should the
hands be in the pocket or on the hips, folded in front of your chest,
or clasped behind your back. These positions give an
unfavourable impression of the speaker.
The question, "What shall I do with my hands?" is a psychological
rather than a physical one. The answer is, "Concentrate on what
you are saying and the audience will not notice your hands." If
there is a speaker's stand, you may grasp it or rest one arm on it.
But do not lean over it, or drape yourself on it as though it were a
prop to hold you up. If there is a desk, place your notes on it if you
wish. But then stand clear of it. Avoid slumping over stand or desk.
In general avoid stiffness and exaggeration. Strive to be natural.

Movement
During a speech, only your face, hands and upper body do the
moving. Your waist and legs are generally steady. If it is a long
speech, you may shift your weight from one leg to the other.
GESTURES:
Gestures, that is movements of the hands, body or face should be
meaningful. The good gesture illustrates or emphasizes what is
said, strengthening and clarifying it. A speaker may count off
points on his fingers; he may point with full arm extended to some
object or in some direction. He may outline with his hands and
arms contrasting sizes or shapes. He may let his face mimic an
emotion, a grimace; or he may use his entire body to simulate
some action, such as throwing a ball. Don't think of a gesture as
being just a hand gesture. Get the whole arm, the whole body into
it. Let the gesture precede the word by a fraction of a second.
Don/t be halfhearted in your gesturing. Carry the gesture through
to the end. But avoid making showy gestures for their own sake.
Let the test of the gesture be that it is decisive, significant and
natural.
The amount of gestures you use will depend on your personal
preference. Gestures can be powerful aids to good speaking.
When you rehearse your speeches, practice appropriate
accompanying gestures. After you have tested them, decide
whether you will use them or not.

Exercise:
Work out and practice appropriate gestures for:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Contrasting a tiny tot with a sumo fighter

I demand to be heard
When I see the tricolour flying there.
You know what a temple gopuram looks like

EE CONTACT:
In conversation, we
all tend to look at the
person we are talking
to. Yet in public
speaking, many
beginners make the
mistake of looking at everything but the persons they are
addressing. Looking at the eyes of the audience makes people
feel that you are interested in them. It also gives you more
assurance. Let your eyes sweep around from person to person,
section to section, forward and back, side to side. You need not
keep eye- contact constantly; but do not neglect this excellent
method of establishing and maintaining rapport with your
audience. If you intend to read a quotation during the speech, do
not keep your eyes glued to the page. Take in a half - dozen or
more words of the text, and then look up at the audience as you
say them.
Notes:
There is little use bringing disorganized scribbling to the platform
with you. Your notes should consist of key-words, phrases or brief
sentences. These should be written clearly on small, numbered
cards, which can be kept in order and held unobtrusively in the
hand. quotations should be copied out in their entirety, preferably
type-written, and double - spaced. If you plan to read from a book,
use a large and obvious marker for your place. Neither you nor
your audience will enjoy your search for an elusive page.
DRESS:
The most important thing about your clothes is that they should be
appropriate to the occasion. What you have to wear depends on
the time, place and character of the function apart from your own
preference. The next most important thing is that your grooming
be neat. Untidy or rumpled clothes are as grave a fault as show in
dress.

Generally speaking, for men, you cannot go wrong with a light

coloured shirt and dark coloured
pants. Do colour coordinate
them. Wear the same coloured
belt and shoes with colour of the
pant. For Eg. A white or pale
blue shirt goes well with a black,
dark grey or dark blue pant.
Your belt should be black and so should your shoes. Your socks
should match your shoes (They match your pants only in informal
or casual wear) your socks must be changed at least once every
day. Please do not remove your shoes when you are on the dais.
Your socked feet could probably be seen by the audience. Worse,
the feet smell could put off other people on the dais. An underarm
deodorant is an absolute must especially in summer. Do not wear
garishly coloured shirts. Check with your host in advance whether
a tie and /or Coat will help or hinder. Follow his advice. If you are
wearing a Coat, the front coat buttons must be undone when you
are seated and you must fasten your coat buttons when you get
up. In a three button coat, it is enough to fasten the middle button
in this kind of an exercise. Do check in a mirror. If your belly
protrudes below the button, do fasten all buttons!
Remember to shave and shower before you go the meeting. Avoid
garlic and /or raw onions in the meal before the meeting. Use a
toilet just before your go on to the dais. Use the opportunity to
check on your hair, whether your shirt is tucked in properly.
Use a damp cloth to wipe your face of the shininess of grime or
sweat.
For women, a cotton saree or a salwar kameez suit are ideal.
Underarm pads in a choli will prevent the sweat stains from
showing. A light perfume / deodorant will lend grace. Light makeup
and a neutral shade of lipstick enhance the appeal.

VI. USING MICROPHONE:

Many people are afraid of this little gizmo. It can be your best
friend or your worst enemy. It can lend stature to your voice or
highlight all its limitations
A. TIPS TO USE A MIKE:

Consider the mike as your friend after all if it weren't for the mike, the audience
could not have heard you.

Always keep the mike at a level

slightly below your lips; and its mid point in
level with your chin. Make adjustments before
you start talking

Maintain a distance of approximately 12". This distance

varies, depending upon the mike's pick up' ability. Your best
would be to establish every time a suitable distance and then keep
it steady.

Never let your face be covered completely be the mike.

This will hide the animation, smile and enthusiasm which your face
is radiating. Only the mike will be seen in the photograph!

Don't shout. Talk naturally and distinctly.

Once a mike is adjusted, do not hold it or the rod that

supports it.

Remember you are mostly voice only to the largest portion

of your audience. Use your voice effectively and don't worry if you
think it sounds queer. 99.9% - it does not
OUR VOICE:
It is no secret that sound is produced when the air you breathe
vibrates the vocal chords. It is modified and improved through the
movement of your tongue and lips. Ergo, the more control you
have over your breath, the better will be the quality of your voice.
The following exercises will help you take charge of your breath:

1
Take a deep breath. Block your nostrils. Start counting
aloud until there is no breath left
and you are forced to take in air
from your mouth. Stop. Do this
over three weeks. From an initial
count of 5055 you could go up to
120-150
2
Place a candle on a table
about five feet away from you.
Blow slowly on the flame from this distance so that it wavers but
does not get extinguished. Do this for three minutes daily for three
weeks.
3
Count from one to ten, with your "1" being an almost
inaudible whisper and your "10" being a Shout at the top of your
voice. Count backwards again with "10" being a shout down to
1" being whisper. Do this three times a day as often as you can.
4
Repeat the words "EEEEE" "AAAA" "OOOO" ten times
each every day. They help you exercise your lips in three
directions
5
limit.

Open your mouth wide. Move your tongue in and out to its

Move your tongue around your lips in a circle.

The Pause:
Public Speaking is like writing an essay. In an essay there are
commas, full stops, paragraphs, exclamations and questions, In
Public Speaking these are achieved by pauses. While a pause
conveys a measured tone of voice, it also gives you an opportunity
to breathe and even more important, to marshal your thoughts for
the next point. Some tips:
1
As soon as you reach the podium, don't start talking
immediately. Pause. Look around the audience, like a batsman
looking around at the field before he faces the bowler. This will
take care of some of your nervousness, help you measure up the
mood of your audience.
2
When you pause, do so clearly. There must be complete
silence. Do not use "Um" "er" as pauses.

1
Pause at every place where punctuation is necessary in a
written sentence.
2
Vary the length of your pauses to indicate the transition of
your thoughts, the movement from point to point, and so on
3

Use silence as effectively as you would use your speech.

The Pitch:
A speech made in one tone throughout can make it dull and
monotonous. The volume control of your voice needs to vary to
convey different emotions. Anger, outrageousness are best
conveyed at a higher pitch while jokes and persuasive speeches
do no need a high pitch. Varying the pitch also ensure that you do
not damage your vocal chords unduly. When you talk, assume a
normal tone. Raise it or lower it when the occasion demands. If
you begin too high, you cannot keep it up for too long. Start too
low - nobody can hear you.
Emphasis:
When you lay a little more emphasis on some words in a
sentence, it is as if you are highlighting or underling them. The
emphasis is an immensely useful tool in the public speakers
armoury. Look at the following sentence:
Ram married Sita at Ayodhya yesterday.
Now see what emphasis can do to this sentence. Read it again
while emphasizing the words in capitals:
RAM married Sita at Ayodhya yesterday. Ram
MARRIED Sita at Ayodhya yesterday. Ram
married SITA at Ayodhya yesterday. Ram
married Sita at AYODHYA yesterday. Ram
married Sita at Ayodhya YESTERDAY.
Each sentence now carries a different meaning!
When you want to emphasize a word or phrase, pause for 2
seconds, before the phrase, and then say out the word or phrase
in a slightly louder voice. Simple. You have achieved your
purpose.

Humour in Public Speaking:

umour in Public speaking is used to lighten a moment, to
is a fine line that divides an entertaining speaker and a comedian.
The following guidelines will help:
There should not be any non-vegetarian jokes from the podium,
no, not even "eggetarian" Even if there are no women, do not risk
hurting the sensibilities of your audience. Look for CLEAN jokes.
The joke should NEVER be at the expense of any member of the
audience or any person on the dais. Rather it should be
complimentary, if is possible
Do not go for subtle jokes. They do not work in a crowd.
On the banana peel theory, the audience will simply love it if you
make yourself the victim of the joke.
Your joke should not be complex, long. You should not be using
more than six-eight sentences to crack your joke.
Your joke should be relevant to the subject or the point you have
just made or are about to make.
While it is a good idea to start with a joke, it is not strictly
necessary. Likewise the ending.
When you start cracking your joke, you will observe at least one
member whispering your punch line to his neighbour. This is a
particularly obnoxious Indian behaviour trait. Ignore it. There will
be quite a few who have not heard your joke. Even if they have,
there is no harm in repeating it. Remember, "It is not the joke
itself, it is HOW you relate it that makes it a hit"

Speaker's Ten Commandments

Thou shall not commence thy speech with
apologies. Thou shall not fill thy speech with
statistics. Thou shall not be overly sentimental.
Thou shall not exaggerates. Thou shall not be
sarcastic or unfairs. Thou shall not be dulls. There is
no excuse for a dull speech. Thou shall not murder
the queens English.
Thou shall not wander !rom the subject. Thou shall
not steal the time o! the audience and shall not be
long winded.

SCC
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