Good speakers are disciplined.

Good speakers are disciplined.

Most of them spend more time preparing, ruthlessly separating chaff from the quality elements of their presentation.

Preparation is the best guarantee against a poor performance. Good preparation will allow for you to work on your speech often - adding and taking things out - and to practise as often as you can. With a well-prepared speech, you should be able to face your audience with confidence.

Using the fingers on your hand, ask yourself the following five questions:

l Whom are you speaking to?

l What are the needs, ages and education levels of your

audience?

l What is their cultural background?

l What do you think will be the attitude of your audience to your topic?

Different group attitudes require different methods of presentation.

What?

l What do you want to convey to your audience? What subject matter do you need to include?

l The goal of your presentation?

l Will it be useful to use humour?

l Will it be helpful to use props, posters or diagrams?

Where?

l It is very important that you familiarise yourself with the venue at which you will be speaking.

l If possible, practise with the microphone in your venue.

Why?

l At what type of event or occasion will you be speaking?

When?

l The kind of speech you prepare must suit the occasion.

l Do make note of factors such as the time of day and, or season of the year.