A Quick Guide to

Effective Speech Making.

New York District Forever Resource (Est. 2013)

Governor Daniel Ivan Lin

The following resource was made by

New York District Governor Daniel Ivan Lin and complied

by Bulletin Editor Holy Cheong. No part of this guide may

be copied or reproduced without prior permission from

either of the aforementioned. All rights reserved. © 2013

Note to the Reader………. 4

Parts of a Speech……....6 Purpose of the Speech……….8

Composition of the Speech…….…12 Delivering the Speech…….…16 OTHER THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND (TIPS, SUGGESTIONS, ETC.)……….20

Note: The formatting of the table of contents is meant only for stylization

and is not to signify relative importance.

A NOTE TO

THE READER

The next couple of pages will give you

ways to more effectively make speeches,

whether it be for elections or a presentation for the

Eliminate Project. Do keep in mind that these are not

necessarily guidelines as they are suggestions for what you

may want to keep in mind. The tips provided should not discourage

you from making a speech in a different way you believe is more effective.

Because there is no such thing as a perfect speech and everyone has a

unique personality, you should refer to this as a more general outline of what your

speech should look like and maybe even use it as a checklist.

Following the suggestions in this guide will not guarantee a successful speech, but will help give it a

better shape. Whether or not it will be successful depends on YOU! Good luck with your speech(es) and your

Key Club and non-Key Club endeavors. I hope this guide will prove to be useful and make you feel confident

about yourself and your beliefs! (This guide is geared more towards elections speeches than regular ones!)

Daniel Ivan Lin, New York District Governor ’12 –‘13

daniellin.gov@nydkc.org

Hello Fellow Key Clubbers,

Kiwanians, Advisors, and other

Special Guests! My name is

Daniel Ivan Lin and I am…

PARTS OF

A SPEECH

PURPOSE and contents OF THE SPEECH To have an effective speech, you must understand what it is you are trying to convey. No one

knows the point of your speech better than you do. The message is backed by content that

can either make or break your speech.

structure OF THE SPEECH An effective speech needs to have structure. It can help strengthen your argument and create

effects that will help leave a greater impression on your audience.

TONE OF THE SPEECH The tone of your speech and the way you deliver it will affect the meaning of your words. This

can be used to further your message, but can also detract from your message.

PURPOSE OF

THE SPEECH

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Your speech should deliver a clear message to the audience. Avoid trying to include too many points in one speech and instead focus on

the ones most important to you and elaborate on them.

After you have decided on the message of your speech, think about how you will support it. If your message is that communication needs

to be more consistent, develop detailed plans you have to complete them. This will help prepare the remaining content for your speech

and will allow you to clearly answer questions regarding your goals.

Sometimes you may find yourself listening to a speech filled with Key Club stories and anecdotes and why Key Club is great, but you will

find yourself asking, “Where’s the action?” If you plan on including a bit of your background, make sure to keep a good balance as to

keep your speech strong.

Each Key Club position has specific roles and realms which they can influence. Make sure your ideas are relevant and can be

accomplished by the position you are running for. Be careful with overlaps and make sure your goals are understandable to members.

Make sure that people understand what you are saying. Try less to impress with your choice of words and more with your goals!

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Your speech should convey how awesome you are and should be supported by examples of what you’ve done, your traits, and more. You

should not talk badly about others or try to compare yourself to someone else. The same goes for your plans; mention the good they will

bring and not the bad things that might have led to the need for change.

Who are you? Why are you running for this position? What goals do you have and how will you accomplish them? Developing bits and

pieces of your credentials will build up momentum, form smooth transitions, and create a strong chronological flow for your speech.

Establish! Develop! Enhance! Action verbs are exciting and highlight your leadership! Use them!

A speech is not just about what you do, it’s about you. Let members know who you are and the type of leader you will be.

As self-explanatory as this may sound, don’t bluff and say things that are untrue about yourself. Do not promise things in your campaign too

lightly. People remember these promises and it will take away credibility from your character if you fail to keep them.

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Keep the audience interested and engaged by throwing in an appropriate pun, small joke, or spirit-invoking line. Remember that this can

be risky and so make sure it flows, can be understood, and is suitable for your speech.

Be wise in choosing what to include in your speech. If the message of your speech is weak, the speech will be broken and even with a

strong core, poorly made points will not give it the ring it needs to be remembered.

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After you have sufficiently made your point, do not continue to ramble on about it. Move on to the next point you need to make. Be quick

and to the point so that the audience remains interested in what you have to say.

STRUCTURE OF

THE SPEECH

Your speech should (but does not have to) use a method of friendly aggression to make stronger point as your speech progresses. Push to

make your point understood and have your words be more and more meaningful, spectacular and whatever else you need it to be. This

will allow you to leave an impression and be memorable.

Cause and effect will allow you to have smooth transitions in your speech that make sense and allow for progression.

Assume your audience has a short attention span, which it may in fact have. If a point is important, remember to emphasize it throughout

the speech. Use an acronym, clincher, or word that captures the essence of your speech and makes it memorable. Remember not to use

too many and to use them in appropriate moments.

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You don’t need every single detail. As long as you know what you are talking about, use quick and effective details to support the

message of your speech. This will allow your audience to ask more questions and will allow you to say more.

As with any other piece of writing, your speech should start with an introduction, have a body, and close with a conclusion. While you want

to have progression, do keep in mind that you should not end your speech in an overly abrupt manner. The introduction should present the

purpose of your speech, your body adding on to it and explaining its significance, and the conclusion should sum it up in a clear way.

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Open your speech with your name and remember to close with it. The audience may not catch your name in the beginning and a strong

speech will make them more involved with who you are. That said, remind the audience what your name is.

Whether or not your speech is comfortable to listen to is extremely important. If your thoughts do not flow or if things sound awkward in the

manner in which they are presented, even strong ideas will be weakened.

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You might think telling your listeners to close their eyes and make them think about an issue is a strong way to get your audience involved,

but keep in mind that something dramatic may make you seem like you are trying too hard. Structure your speech so it remains effective

and presents you in the best possible way.

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Thought it depends on the effect you are trying to make or the way you want to present something, try your best not to be overly

ambiguous with what you are saying. If you pose a question, be sure to answer it. A rhetorical speech can leave something unanswered,

but an elections speech should definitely be more assertive.

Don’t be too abrupt as that may startle your audience. If you provide a clear closing to a previous idea, it should be easier to present a

new idea. Clean and crisp.

Not every sentence should start with “I…” or even contain I. Use active voice in your speech to help make it more effective as opposed to

passive voice, which may work depending on the situation, but can be risky.

The way you structure your speech should build excitement, inspire your audience, and make them anticipate more from you. However,

you do not want to overwork your audience by having complex sentences every 15 seconds. Exhilarate, not frustrate.

DELIVERING

THE SPEECH

Your speech should be delivered in a way that sounds like you. That will allow for a more personable impression of you. You may want to

record yourself making the speech and listen or watch the clips to see if it sounds like you. It is definitely recommended to run your

speech(es) through with your close friends or family because they should know you best. The tone of your speech should highlight your

personality, style of leadership and character, so let it glow!

Though you shouldn’t make a speech in a tone that’s not really yours, the way you speak should really bring energy to your audience. This

will help your listeners grow comfortable with you and be more inclined to know who you are and what you do.

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Keep a balance in terms of how you are making your speech. You should be confident, but not to the point of arrogance. Remember you

should be a servant leader that members should be able to converse with and rely on!

Don’t over enthuse or overdo certain actions – it may backfire. Find the proper balance between enthusiasm and professionalism and you

will find yourself delivering the speech in flying colors.

Find the proper balance in speaking volume. Volume can show a lot about someone: a soft speaker may not seem as confident as one

that can be heard; an overly loud speaker may not be taken as seriously. Practice speaking with and without a microphone to know how

loud you should speak.

Allow your listeners a comfortable time listening to what you have to say. An overly abrupt tone set at the beginning of a speech may be

too much to handle and likewise, you may want to close your speech in a more memorable and exciting tone. Find the proper way you

want to convey your message using tone.

Don’t put your audience to sleep. If you’re monotonous, vary your pitch to make your speech more exciting.

Know when you need to slow down your speech or make your members notice something. Hit the words or lines you want your members

to hear by increasing volume, clearer diction, and slower speaking.

Gestures can not only make you more comfortable, but may even help you set a better tone in terms of emphasizing important points or

painting out your words. Do be careful though, they may also distract the audience.

The way you dress will set a tone for your speech. Dressing professionally will set a more serious and attention grabbing atmosphere,

whereas wearing overly vibrant colors or a sloppily put together outfit will be rather startling in the wrong way.

Smile a bit and breathe. Speak in front of the mirror or video record yourself when making the speech. Practice in front of friends and family

and have them advise you on how you’re speaking. You don’t want to scare and you want them to care!

Take some time to find the right words you need to express yourself in your speech. This may help give your audience a more specific

definition of what you mean. Avoid slang and other informal language.

MORE TO

KEEP IN MIND

You should not use up all the time you have for the speech, meaning if you can use up to five minutes for the speech, you’d be better off

using four minutes and forty-five seconds. Unexpected things happen. If you stutter or lose your place in the speech, you will have time to

get yourself settled.

Your edits may be great, but sometimes we may decide to keep a past idea. Saving drafts will allow your previous work to be accessible at

all times. Label them by date to differentiate the edits (130112 Elections Speech vs. 130115 Elections Speech or ES_1 vs. ES_2).

’ ’

Some good things that need to be said can be cliché and that doesn’t matter. Just keep in mind whether or not it’s necessary or adds on

to your point. If not, you might not need to include it to actually avoid being cliché.

Avoid “umms” and “uhhs” in your speech. Be confident in your ideas. You don’t need to hope to do something or think that something will

happen. You will do something. You will make that something happen. Be assertive and let your ideas be heard.

TALL Posture matters and standing tall can not only make you look more confident, but can also help you project your voice better.

Maintain eye contact and remember the rule of three. Look at your left side, at the center, and at the right side. This will help keep your

voice afloat and will also make sure that all of your audience will receive attention and pay attention.

If a member asks you a question, refer to your speech and add on. That way you will seem organized in that you answered the

question or alluded to it in your speech and can add on to it.

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Don’t pretend to know an answer to something if you don’t. It’s okay to not know everything. We’re all human. Likewise be

honest with answering your questions. Honesty is always appreciated and you should never lose your integrity to yourself.

’ Questions may be challenging and may sometimes seem like attacks, but don’t let that get to you. Take a few good seconds to break

down the question and answer it carefully. Never lose your temper or show it on your face.

It’s no big deal and sometimes it may just be that the person isn’t speaking clearly or loudly enough, but try your best to answer the

question being asked and to answer it specifically and fully. A vague, dishonest answer will not help.

Even after you make your speech, make sure to interact with people with friendly discretion. Remember

there’s a difference between being friendly and outright selling yourself. Make people comfortable, be

yourself, and remember to say hello to people.

Pretty self-explanatory. Everyone loves to feel a bit more special and you can be the one to make them feel that way.

Most importantly…

Have fun!

Checklist YOUR SPEECH FOCUSES ON A FEW POINTS AND THEY ARE BACKED BY SUFFICIENTLY STRONG DETAILS.

THE MESSAGE OF YOUR SPEECH IS STRONG AND CLEAR TO THE READER.

YOUR SPEECH IS POSITIVE AND ITS CONTENTS ARE WELL BALANCED.

YOUR SPEECH SHOWS A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE POSITION YOU ARE RUNNING FOR.

YOUR SPEECH IS STRONG THROUGHOUT.

THE TRANSITIONS IN YOUR SPEECH ARE SMOOTH AND DO NOT DISRUPT THE MOOD OF YOUR SPEECH.

YOUR SPEECH IS HONEST AND SOUNDS LIKE YOU.

YOUR SPEECH HAS VARIED SENTENCE STRUCTURE.

YOUR SPEECH LEAVES A POWERFUL IMPRESSION WITHOUT DRAINING OUT THE LISTENER.

YOUR SPEECH GIVES ROOM FOR THE LISTENER TO ASK QUESTIONS.

YOUR SPEECH TELLS THE LISTENER ABOUT WHO YOU ARE AND CONTAINS SPECIFIC INFORMATION, PLANS, AND ACTIONS.

YOUR SPEECH USES APPRORIATE LANGUAGE AND PROPER GRAMMAR.

YOU ARE CONFIDENT AND PROUD OF YOUR SPEECH!

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