Preparing A Speech Or Oral Report

How do you prepare for a speech?

 Audience-
o Know the profile of your listeners
o Know who will listen to you
o Know how much the audience knows about the topic
o Know how to read body language
o Know how to deal with any unpleasant incidents or conflicts.

 Logistics-
o Know who will be introducing you and who will be speaking before
and after you.
o Venue-
 Locate the lights and know where to position your visual
aids.
 Know how to position yourself and how you should move in
front to get the audience’s attention.
 DO NOT block your visual aids
 POSTURE!!!!!
o Facilities-
 Ask beforehand about the pieces of equipment available for
you. (Facilities should match the presentation aids that you
will use)
 Always have a projector especially if your visual aids are
complex.
 If there are any technical issues, know how to trouble-shoot
them.
  Content of the Report
o If the purpose of the event is to inform, it is expected that you are
able to provide new information to the audience.
o If the purpose of the event is to entertain, your speech should be
lighthearted, amusing, and lively.
o If the purpose of the event is to persuade, your presentation should
sound convincing.
o ANY COMMUNICATIVE EVENT MAY HAVE MULTIPLE
PURPOSES BUT THERE IS ALWAYS A MORE DOMINATE ONE.

Tips for preparing for a big event:

1. Read a lot. Research on the topic assigned to you
2. Prepare your speech with an introduction, body and a conclusion. There
are different techniques on opening and closing a speech:
a. Using a startling or shocking statements
b. Beginning by asking a question
c. Using quotes
d. Telling a story
e. Singing a line from a song
f. Presenting statistics
For the body of the presentation, emphasize major points and use strong
statements to back it up.
3. Rehearse by practicing aloud. Invite friends and family to listen while you
rehearse.
For introductions, use gambits such as:
a. I would like to talk about…
b. I believe that the topic is….
c. Let me relate a…
For conclusions, use:
a. Summing up the points I discussed earlier…
b. To summarize….
 c. In Conclusion…
d. To conclude…
e. Finally..
f. To end my talk or speech…
4. Use technology. Use technology as a visual and hearing aids. Audiences
can easily follow and understand the topic because not only can they see
the presentation but they can also hear it. A disadvantage, however, is
that some speakers rely on technology so much that when there is a
technical issue, they get caught off-guard and their presentations go awry.