Let Your Voice Be Heard

Michael Paulus, Ohio Association Historian

Hello fellow members of Business Professionals of America Ohio Association! Have you ever been in a position where you had to write a speech and present it to an audience?  If you have, you know how difficult it is to create one and address it to a group.  Fortunately, many schools provide public speaking classes to help students in this situation. However, some schools don’t have a speech class in their curriculum. Don’t worry. Here are a few tips to help you prepare a speech, whether it is a presentation for a board meeting or for an election in front of a group of two thousand.

First, understand your audience. Your speech should fit the personality of the meeting (for example: a board meeting would require a professional speech). Next, grab the attention of the audience with a witty opening line. This could be a comical statement or an interesting fact, as long as it is relevant to the theme or even the center of the speech.  Then, know how long you have to speak.  Many times, people perform a lengthy presentation which causes the attention of the audience to drift.  My suggestion is keep your speech as short as possible with enough information to get your point across while still keeping your audience’s attention.  Conclude with another interesting fact to let your audience know that the speech is ending, but remember to tie it into the theme.

Writing the speech is easier to some than actually presenting it. I’m one of the worst people to hang around with before giving a presentation because I pace and shake constantly. I believe that people handle stress in their own way, so there’s no wrong way in dealing with the pre-speech jitters.  In my pre-speech routine, I think of various situations that would happen when giving my speech.  Then I walk very slowly to the podium, which allows me to relax and observe the area to discover the mood of the crowd. While giving the speech, the key is to know that you are only on the “hot seat” for a few minutes.  Before you know it, your speech is given and everyone applauds at the end.  Finally you can leave the podium relieved that it’s over.

Not many people have the nerve to perform a speech to an audience, let alone a classroom.  It takes courage to present information to a room full of people you hardly know.  Through Business Professionals of America, I have tremendously increased my speech skills which allow me to meet many interesting students across Ohio. Though you may still be intimidated about presenting a speech, remember this: you never know until you try.