The fundamentals of good communication are to know your audience, have a clear message, and have a clear purpose.

Forget the gimmicks.  A great speech is all about the content. Although I’ve been trained to catch “ahs” and “umms” when a speaker presents her message, I focus on the content.  A great message shines through even if the delivery is flawed.

Join Toastmasters and eliminate some of the scuffs and crud of poor delivery. Great speakers take the time to polish up their presentation. However, anyone can make an impact with their message if they pay attention to a few fundamentals.

Know your audience. Ask yourself, “Why is this group meeting?” You may also want to know what turns on this group, and what turns them off. One professional speaker spent a full day watching operating rooms work before he spoke to the hospital team – he made sure he understood their work and culture! He earned his right to speak to this group.

If you are a paid speaker, you should ask some probing questions about the group’s composition in advance.  Are there any taboo subjects?  Professional speakers often have a questionnaire circulated in advance. If you offend the vice president’s values, you will probably not be invited back.

Have a clear message. Can you reduce your take home message to twelve words or less? Plan your speech so that the message is clear within the first minute of your speech. Organize your content so that a persuasive case is built into the structure of your speech.  Every argument in your presentation should offer support to the underlying message. Flashy gimmicks or jokes that don’t support the point will dilute your impact. Stay focused on what is important.

Have a purpose. Show the audience what your message means to them. Your meaningful purpose will speak to the soul of the listener – showing the person why they ought to be moved.  Many good speakers just deliver facts.  Connect with the heart as well as the mind.  If you have an important purpose, put it into human terms.

If your speech message is about “justice,” then your meaning level should show what happens when justice works – people live better, immigrants become a part of the social network, diverse people live harmoniously.  Tell stories of real people. 

When you reveal the purpose, you offer a compelling reason to act in support of your message. Your personal story that illustrates the point is an excellent way to create a face to the meaning. People aren’t moved by facts – that’s why pleas for donations for international relief show vivid pictures of children’s faces! The purpose level of the speech connects at a deep level, and people remember the feeling that they get.

Many techniques can help you build a great speech.  If you join Toastmasters, you’ll have a chance to observe strong and weak speakers, and you can copy from the best.  I encourage people to focus on the content. Know your audience, and speak to them. Have a well-organized message, and support that message with a purpose-filled idea. Audiences will listen carefully if you can deliver a thoughtful message, prepared conscientiously, and presented authentically. The conviction of your delivery is more important than gimmicks or joke-telling.

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