Make Your Message Clear - Title- Opening / Punchline

Speakers sometimes give a speech without a title. Or you have a generic term such as Teaching. Or even more person, A Teacher.
    Are you being paid? If so, give the audience what they want.
    If you are paid simply to be entertaining, a striking outfit, a uniform, a puppet or prop might entertain.
    If you are not being paid, why not? Is it because they argue that you are promoting your book? If so, you need a book display; a talk about why you wrote the book and what your book will do for them. (That could be amuse them.)
   
TITLE
   You should start with a title. That keeps you on track. Otherwise you talk around the subject. You start by saying how you became a teacher, then your fun as a teacher. You forget the purpose of your speech, to persuade people to send their children to you because you are a good teacher.
  Let's look at some kinds of speeches:

 

CLARIFY & MATCH YOUR MESSAGE & CALL TO ACTION 

     Let’s start with purpose and title. What is the purpose? Your title, opening sentence and punchline should all state and reinforce this message. Is it:

1 Give money For Publishing Your Book / a Gift Book For Your Grandchild / Toilets In Schools In Africa.

2 My name is Angela, and I want a job working with a school / charity.

3 As a teacher, I can teach you grammar, spelling, punctuation.

3 Give Money to Me / Oxfam / the NSPCCC / Volunteer Action Development.

4 GIVE TIME, GIVE HELP Africa / Harrow / Singapore / New York / this school /this club needs you - write to them /see our website and volunteer to help today.  

5 Follow your dream - you can make a difference. 

6 I CAN HELP YOU What’s your favourite charity? Project? Life dream? - I am a manager / life coach / teacher / financier and I can help you. 

JOKEY PUNCHLINE / PUN ..........  

CALL TO ACTION

My name’s Angela / whatever - ask me for my business card. 

Hecklers - how to answer amusingly

Hecklers shouting what?

1 Get off the stage. 

(Reply - how much is it worth?)

Sit down. (I am sitting down.)

 Shut up. ( ) 

Not funny.  Boring. Not again.  

(Answer: That makes two of us. )  

(Sorry about my brother/ex/husband/father.) 

(We thought he’d be OK on day release.)

2 Nonsense.    Not true. 

(So true.)  

Rubbish. 

(If you’ve got rubbish, Rubbish collection is Friday.)

3 What do you know about it? Who says! (…) 

(I said. I'll say it again.)

4 Suggestive remarks. - Nice pair of …. Sleep with you any time. 

(May I use that as a testimonial?) 

(Can I put that on my CV?) 

(Will you tell my ex?) 

(Your flies are undone. Sorry, wishful thinking.) 

(You look different with your clothes on.)

5 Disputed facts.  

(Which year was that? When did you last check the figures. On my phone it says … 

There are lies, damned lies and interruptions.

 Never let the truth stand in the way of a good story. 

The figures go up and down hourly.  )

6 Attack on credibility of speaker.

 (You must be right. You are half my age.)

7 Attack on race, religion, country. 

(What do you know about it?)

8 Irrelevant nonsense eg Anybody seen my gloves? I dropped my crisps. 

(If you get on the floor - you might find it under the seat in front.)

(Answer: Not a political party I recognise. I can give you the number of social services.) 

9 Chat up lines - hello darling.I fancy you. 

( Reply The guy sitting next to the one who shouted - give him your phone number. He seems willing, up for anything, or anyone.) 

(You buy me a drink later. Anyone else? Just the two of us then. Sorry, this is a group activity, and I don’t think. Let’s have a vote on it. How many think he’s a good person to sleep with? i’ll have to ask my mother, father, son, minder.)

10 Shouting, talking, muttering ; 

( Sorry, what’s on the shopping list? The toilets are upstairs. Mens upstairs. Ladies downstairs, Depending what you’re after. or who you’re waiting for.)

11 Rambling personal story. 

(Answer: Yes, I had a dream like that once - then I woke up. And found myself here.) 

(Can we talk about this some other time. With my psychiatrist.)

12 Drunk singing. 

(Answer. Say, she sells sea shells on the sea shore. I thought you couldn’t

.I wish I were as drunk as you are. then I wouldn’t know what you were saying. 

Give him a drink. Preferably water.) 

(Please show him the toilet. He’s going to need it. 

Please show him the gents. Before it’s too late.) 

(Who’s going to leave first - him - or the rest of us?) 

(The bar is downstairs.) 

(That drink was a mistake. The last one.) 

(Is somebody driving you home? Take him now.) 

(What time are you leaving? Good. We’re leaving five minutes after you.)

(Can you afford another drink? No, never mind, you’ve had enough by the sound of it. 

Can you afford another drink, yes? How about a round of drinks? Thank you. We’ll have twenty five beers/glasses of wine. Can you afford a round of drinks. On second thoughts save your money for a taxi home. Can you play the guitar as well as you sing? Can you dance? Can you walk a straight line. There’s one leading to the door.)

13 Personal insults: fattie, 

(Speak for yourself. 

Are you describing your dream?

Yes, more to get hold of) 

Look but don’t touch.

shortie. 

oldie …

(age before beauty, my darling. )

stupid 

Half the people here are above average weight, height/age IQ. Half are below average weight. That's what average means. How many of you knew that? More than half the people here are above average intelligence. 

14 I hate you./him

(I love you, too.

Funny he speaks well of you.)

Certificates For Speakers, Prize Winners, Thanks, Participants

Many clubs present certificates to participants or winners of competitions.
You can find certificate templates in your computer software programs.
A writer's group, training workshop, speaking competition, all have many occasions when certificates reward the speaker, workshop trainer, workshop participants, prize winners, and other competition entrants.

Advantages to your club:
You can print them off at the last minute. You can personalise them with the title of the speech. You can remind the speaker or participant of your venue or club. It's cheaper and quicker than rushing out to buy a thank-you card.

Advantages of certificates to recipients:
It reminds you which year you won a competition for a c.v.
It remind you of the venue.
It reminds you which poem or story won a competition. (Really handy if you've moved house or lost your old computer files.)
It cheers you up on a rainy day.
You remember who was president or secretary to write back and offer another course.
On your wall its a sign to other organisers or pupils that you are successful.

An A4 certificate is presented for major events. But a small A6 certificate is often equally useful. You can stick it between the pages of a book. It's small to pack when travelling. It uses less paper and printer ink. The frame is cheaper if the club presents it framed or the recipient buys a frame. It takes up less wall space when you have ten years' certificates to stick on the wall behind an office desk.

Some examples:

SPEAKING COMPETITION

POETRY COMPETITION

When looking for certificate templates on the internet some are listed as Award Certificates.

Top Tips For Speakers' Meetings

1 Focus on your call to action.
Which of these is it? Join our club. Buy my book. Be confident. Trust me. Laugh. Cry. Think about this. Change your mind on this issue. Applaud the next speaker, give us the money, or come back to the next meeting? Help me. Call on me for help. A big, loud, long round of applause for that wonderful speaker and splendid speech.
2 The title of the meeting is your promise:
Christmas party. Summer Barbecue. AGM. Officer Training. Workshops with our Winners. Potluck Dinner. Welcome New Members Meeting. Open House - Free evening.
3 The title of the speech is your promise:
How to Write A Humorous Speech. My Funny Family. How to Conquer Your Fears and be Confident. Forget your fears. Life After Death. Life After Debt. Make Money with this Method. You can win.
4 A theme provides interest and variety.
All things Christmassy.  White Christmas party. Winter Wonderland. Summer Holiday Stories. Evening. Harvest festival. Travel Tales. Puppets, Parcels and Props in Presentations.
5 Have a spare speech.
Your speaker is sick or delayed. Weather has kept the speaker away. Your planned speech is not suitable for the audience/event and you need another.
6 If you are timer get attention and keep it.
Explain why timing is important. Have an anecdote or story about time. Keep attention by starting confidently.
7 Be heard at the back.
That's why experienced speakers check 'Can you hear me'.  In a huge meeting you can have a friend in the back row with a signal to tell you if sound is fading.
8 Repeat Success.
If you are successful, offer to come back with another similar session.
9 Be seen. If you are small, wear heels or a hat. or a dramatic colour or outfit.
10 Stay cheerful despite setbacks.
Don't apologise. Make a joke. Or thank the person who reminded you of an omission or suggested a new plan. Learn from mistakes.
11 Engage your friendly audience.
Look at them. Smile at them. Pay attention to the back as well as the front row. Look to both sides of the room. Move around. But don't page up and down like a caged animal. Don't talk to your feet, the ceiling, your book. Don't turn your back on the audience. If you leave or stop, tell them how soon you will be back. (e.g., when I come back with my visitor/hat I want you all to be silent.)
12 Ask the audience for rewards. Reward the audience.

Your hero or heroine - lives, quotes, more

You are often asked to describe your hero or heroine. Who should you choose?

SPEECHES  & HEROES & HEROINES
    I am compiling a list of the world's heroes and heroines who I think you will find inspirational. I am selecting a succinct quotation and an interesting story which encapsulates their lives, a new person to learn about and talk about for each day of the year.
   I started this list to help myself write opening speeches, to help myself as a speaker at a speakers' training club. (I am a former presidents of Harrovian Toastmasters in London, England.}
   Then I thought I should share my research with other writers and readers so they could enjoy the stories, benefit from my research and share my enthusiasm. This list should be useful to you if you are ever a toastmasters, president, chairman, after dinner speaker, or motivational speaker at a meeting. I am looking for the sort of story you might hear at school, as a student, on the radio or TV.    
   But even when you are between jobs, looking for work, not yet working, or retired, you might enjoy the stories. The characters are people you would like to hear about if you were in the audience or listening or watching.
    This task is not as simple as you might think. It involves finding at least 365 inspirational people.
That's why I have still not finished.
    Why did I start compiling my list? Every time I go to a speakers' meeting at Toastmasters International anywhere in the world I might be asked to speak. Or I might find a speaker who has had to take over at the last minute from somebody who is unable to attend. So I look for one person. In the back of my book Quick Quotations For Successful Speakers I have a list of some of the seasonal and national days. For example, Christmas Day - see quotations on Christmas, Mother's Day - see quotations on mothers - and Valentine's Day - see quotations on love.
    A speaker can usually use the lives of the people who started a festival as inspiration for a speech in that week or that month. I started a list.