The appearance of the company's leader, his leadership qualities and sales skills determine the success of the enterprise. This is known to PR specialists who write speeches for managers, think over their appearance, teach them how to speak in public and how to place accents correctly. However, even the best PR specialist will not be able to independently turn an ordinary person into a bright personality, a hero of public speeches.
The book by James Humes, a famous writer and former speechwriter for five American presidents, reveals some of the secrets of oratory and creating charisma. Having mastered the techniques offered by the author, you will gain confidence and learn how to easily and successfully cope with public speaking.
1. Pause
Where should any successful performance begin? The answer is simple: from a pause. No matter what kind of speech you give: a detailed presentation of several minutes or a short introduction of the next speaker, you must achieve silence in the room. Once on the podium, look around the audience and fix your gaze on one of the listeners. Then mentally say the first sentence to yourself and, after an expressive pause, begin speaking.
2. First phrase
All successful speakers place great importance on the first sentence of their speech. It must be powerful and definitely evoke a positive response from the audience.
The first phrase is, in TV terminology, the “prime time” of your speech. At this moment, the audience is at its maximum size: every person in the room wants to look at you and find out what kind of bird you are. In just a few seconds, the screening of listeners can begin: someone will continue the conversation with a neighbor, someone will bury their head in their phone, and someone will even fall asleep. However, everyone without exception will listen to the first phrase.
3. Bright start
If you don’t have a bright, suitable aphorism that can attract everyone’s attention, start with a story from your life. If you have an important fact or news that is unknown to your listeners, start right away with it (“Yesterday at 10 o’clock in the morning...”). In order for the audience to perceive you as a leader, you need to immediately take the bull by the horns: choose a strong beginning.
4. Main idea
Before you even sit down to write your speech, you must determine its main idea. This key point that you want to convey to the audience should be concise, capacious, “fit in a matchbox.”
Stop, look and make a plan: first, highlight the key ideas, and then you can supplement and clarify them with real-life examples or quotes.
As Churchill said, a good speech is like a symphony: it can be performed at three different tempos, but it must maintain the main melody.
5. Quotes
There are several rules, the observance of which will give strength to the citation. First, the quote should be close to you. Never cite statements from an author who is unfamiliar to you, uninteresting, or whom you do not like to quote. Secondly, the name of the author should be known to the audience, and the quote itself should be short.
You must also learn how to create an environment for quoting. Many successful speakers use similar techniques: before quoting, they pause and put on glasses, or with a serious look they read a quote from a card or, for example, a sheet of newspaper.
If you want to make a special impression with a quote, write it down on a small card, take it out of your wallet during your speech, and read the statement.
6. Wit
Surely you have been advised many times to add a joke or anecdote to your presentation. There is some truth in this advice, but do not forget that a joke for the sake of a joke only insults the listener.
There is no need to start your speech with an anecdote that is not related to the situation (“It seems that it is customary to start a speech with an anecdote, so here it is. Somehow a man comes to see a psychiatrist...”). It's best to sneak in your funny story mid-speech to lighten the mood.
7. Reading
Reading a speech from a sheet of paper with your eyes downcast does not, to put it mildly, excite the audience. What should we do then? Is it really necessary to memorize a half-hour long speech? Not at all. You need to learn to read correctly.
The first rule of reading a speech: never say words while your eyes are looking at the paper.
Use the SOS technique: look - stop - say.
For training, take any text. Lower your eyes and take a mental picture of a few words. Then raise your head and stop. Then, looking at any object at the other end of the room, tell what you remember. And so on: look at the text, stop, speak.
8. Speaker techniques
It is known that Churchill recorded his speeches like poetry, dividing them into separate phrases and writing each on a separate line. To make your speech sound even more convincing, use this technique.
Use rhyme and internal consonance in a phrase to give the sound of your speech poetic impact (for example, Churchill's phrase “We must follow the principles of HUMANISM, not bureaucracy”).
It’s very easy to come up with rhymes, just remember the most common ones: -na (war, silence, needed), -ta (darkness, emptiness, dream), -ch (sword, speech, flow, meetings), -oses / wasps (roses , threats, tears, questions), -anie, -yes, -on, -tion, -ism and so on. Practice these simple rhymes to create sonorous phrases.
But remember: the rhymed phrase should be the same for the entire speech; there is no need to turn your speech into a poem.
And so that the rhyme does not go to waste, express the key idea of the speech in this phrase.
9. Questions and pauses
Many speakers use questions to connect with the audience. Don't forget one rule: never ask a question if you don't know the answer. Only by predicting the audience's reaction can you prepare and get the most out of the question.
10. Final
Even if your speech was inexpressive, a successful ending can fix everything. To make an impression in the finale, tune in, call on your emotions to help: pride, hope, love and others. Try to convey these feelings to your listeners the way great speakers of the past did.
Under no circumstances should you end your speech on a minor note, as this will simply destroy your career. Use uplifting quotes, poems or jokes.
People with public speaking skills always easily acquire the status of a leader among friends and colleagues, and quickly achieve success in many matters. It is impossible to imagine a politician who cannot speak logically and structuredly. Throughout human history, there have been people whose oratory skills reached an outstanding level. Such people can rightly be called great orators.
Oratory began its development in Ancient Greece, the secrets of which are still used today. There were already quite a lot of people who could speak beautifully at that time. The list of outstanding figures includes such great orators as Pericles, Cicero, Lysias, Demosthenes, Aristotle and others. In particular, Lysias and Demosthenes should be highlighted, since it was these great orators that all subsequent generations looked up to.
Lysias was an excellent judicial orator of ancient times, whose speeches were always distinguished by originality, expressiveness and uniqueness. He thought through and carefully worked out every detail of his text. Irony was often present in the speeches of this speaker, which aroused great sympathy among the audience. At the same time, the speech was always brief and did not contain anything superfluous. Lysias's speech is considered a standard for orators around the world. Many speakers who spoke in court took their cue from him, borrowing his style of eloquence.
Another great orator whom many public figures looked up to was Demosthenes. This man is considered a genius, because in order to become a speaker, he had to change a lot in himself. From birth, Demosthenes had a weak voice and short breathing.
Through long and rigorous training using a variety of techniques, he was able to achieve brilliant results and became one of the best speakers of all time. One could only envy his diction, beautiful and understandable speech. The speeches of this famous speaker were bright, his expressions were short and concise.
Famous speakers abroad
In foreign countries there are many famous great speakers who were distinguished by their excellent ability to structure their speech during speeches so that people did not doubt their beliefs. The most outstanding personalities include two prominent political figures:
Adolf Gitler
Despite all his devilish essence, this man was a powerful speaker who, while speaking, always kept the masses in suspense and full attention. In his speeches, he used sharp hand gestures, spoke emotionally and even rudely. In his speeches there was such a feature as the use of long pauses in order to emphasize something important and basic.
He prepared his speech in advance, writing everything down on paper. Hitler was not known for his restraint, so he often gave vent to his emotions, splashing them out on his listeners. People were attracted by the fact that he sometimes spoke slowly and sometimes quickly. Therefore, he used this technique in every speech. Despite the fact that his ideas were often evil and wrong, the people supported him. In this regard, Hitler is called the speaker of evil. Despite all the dark side of this man, he always ends up on the list - “The Greatest Speakers of the 20-21st Century”.
Winston Churchill
This politician always prepared in advance for each of his speeches, even thinking through his facial expressions and gestures. He worked out the text so that it was perfect. This man was distinguished by charisma and often used humor in his speech.
He was so inspired by his ideas that he could infect the entire people with them. When composing the text, he actively used such artistic techniques as metaphor and comparison. During the communication process, Churchill tried to be calm and behave naturally. From birth he had a speech defect such as a lisp, however, over time he managed to get rid of it.
Russian speakers
In Russia, too, there have always been famous outstanding speakers, which include such famous personalities as Kony, Trotsky, Zhirinovsky, Putin and others.
Anatoly Fedorovich Koni
Anatoly Fedorovich was engaged in legal and social activities at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. He urged everyone to maintain morality in the legal process. Kony's speech was always lively and dynamic, never sounding monotonous.
He believed that speakers speaking in court should be fair and defend the truth. In his speeches, Kony was not dry, but gave free rein to his emotions. But he knew how to combine facts with feelings so that the text had a positive impact on the minds of the judges. This speaker's defense speech left no doubt that the verdict would be pronounced in his favor.
Anatoly Fedorovich Koni had high individual and socially significant moral qualities, followed the rules of honor, always delivered his speech clearly, without using terminology unknown to others, and was fluent in eloquence.
Lev Davidovich Trotsky
Many people said that Lev Davidovich is the best speaker of the 20th century. He had a powerful timbre of his voice, his words were pronounced clearly and understandably. He was an intelligent and active man who was feared by many opponents. The great orator himself did not feel fear of a single person, so he said everything to his face, without hiding anything.
Trotsky's speech was always structured consistently, logically and briefly. He was good at convincing people, so he had a large number of associates. His gift of eloquence was clearly visible during political speeches.
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
Great orators of the 20th century - this list should undoubtedly include Lenin. Vladimir Ilyich gave speeches that were accessible and understandable to every representative of the people. He had a great sense of people's mood, so he could entice them with almost any idea. Most of all, he used dialogue, communicating with people, answering their questions.
His speech was distinguished by brevity and specificity. He also used directing hand gestures, which only increased his influence on people. Lenin had a charisma that attracted all listening people. His phrases became catchphrases, they were used by other people and published in publications.
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich is perhaps the most famous Russian political speaker of our time. He speaks easily, using a bit of humor in his speech. His speeches are always well thought out and contain nothing superfluous. The gestures of the hands are smooth, which does not distract people’s attention at all, and once again emphasizes confidence.
This politician is distinguished by restraint and calmness when communicating with people or colleagues, not allowing himself to say a harsh or rude word. He always answers people’s questions clearly, as he is well versed in many areas of life.
Vladimir Volfovich Zhirinovsky
Vladimir Volfovich is distinguished by the fact that his speech is always accompanied by emotional overtones, it is unpredictable and even sometimes has some aggressiveness. His performances are more like a show. He often puts pressure on his interlocutor with his words and uses energetic gestures.
Zhirinovsky has strong charisma. But he is not only a great orator, but a very smart and fair politician. Vladimir Volfovich can easily start a dispute, as he understands any topic. He is not distinguished by restraint, he always says what he thinks, expresses his emotions, and can often allow himself to say too much to focus attention on his person.
All the best speakers in the world mentioned above are not the entire list of outstanding masters of eloquence (let’s not forget about such great speakers as James Humes, Abraham Lincoln, Steve Jobs, etc.). It is difficult to answer the question of who is the best speaker of all time. Some had the gift of eloquence from birth, while others went a long way, coping with their speech deficiencies and acquiring oratory skills, becoming great. But one thing can be said for everyone: thanks to their wonderful eloquence, they were able to become famous figures in public and political life.
One of the most mysterious. And one of the most impressive too. Indeed, eloquence is a great, unstoppable force. It is not entirely clear what kind of gift the greatest speakers have, and yet everyone simply listens to them. And they control and lead the crowd, skillfully using their eloquence.
History remembers cases when a successful speech helped to seize power. And a correctly pronounced call to action can awaken the crowd and incite it to revolt. And just as the consequences of the speeches delivered by history's greatest speakers will be forever preserved in the archives, so too will the names of those who stood behind them be recorded. Let's consider them.
Great Speakers of the World: List
Below are the names of those who most influenced us, achieved mastery in it and, improving themselves, left a mark on history. Naturally, these are not all the greatest speakers: it is simply impossible to fit them all into this short article. But these are significant personalities about whom it is worth knowing more than just their names.
Demosthenes
Ancient Greece was not stingy with talent. The world remembers its artists. Demosthenes became famous for his eloquence; many great orators of antiquity took their example from him. What was the path of this brilliant man? From childhood, the Greek knew what he wanted, and from an early age he understood how much he would have to overcome for this: after all, the boy suffered from tongue-tiedness, his voice was weak, and his breathing was too short. Severe training corrected all these shortcomings: the future master of political speech put pebbles in his mouth and took the elements as his assistant - he learned to recite on the seashore and while climbing high hills. The first method is still recommended for the development of diction and is considered very effective - there are strong arguments and numerous confirmations of this. As you can see, it is not for nothing that Demosthenes is the first to be mentioned when talking about those who are called “the greatest orators.”
Cicero Marcus Tullius
An outstanding speaker from Ancient Rome, whose skill reached such heights that his name became a household name in this type of activity. Unfortunately, out of more than one hundred different judicial and political speeches of Cicero, only fifty-eight have survived to this day. His achievements also include the development of the theory of rhetoric.
Abraham Lincoln
The trend is that many of the greatest speakers have achieved success by practicing on their own. They turned art into their life’s work, without stopping their development and continuing to improve. The same applies to Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the United States of America, whose family's financial situation allowed him to sit in school for only a year. Nevertheless, the boy took on his own education and eventually became one of the most outstanding speakers the world remembers.
Winston Churchill
The great orators of the 20th century cannot be mentioned without the name of whose merits were sufficient both in the political sphere of activity and in the literary sphere (for the latter he was awarded the Nobel Prize). The path of the British Prime Minister in oratory is somewhat similar to the road to the skill and glory of the aforementioned Demosthenes: after all, just like his ancient Greek colleague, Churchill had speech impediments, but, having pulled himself together and calling on remarkable willpower to help, managed to overcome this obstacle, which earned him a place on this list.
Thomas Woodrow Wilson
The twenty-eighth president of the United States of America was a highly educated head of the country. He was fluent in English and had a doctorate. One of his most outstanding speeches contained the president's talking points about the war and became the draft peace treaty that ended the First World War.
Adolf Gitler
A significant person who influenced her in a significant way is usually remembered as the greatest tyrant. But it is difficult to argue with the fact that Adolf Hitler had numerous talents, otherwise he would not have reached such heights. Eloquence, the ability to speak beautifully and convincingly, was also fully inherent in him. Hitler is called the most hated and at the same time the most adored man of the 20th century. Even his most ardent opponents recognized this figure’s ability to deliver speeches.
Vladimir Putin
The second and fourth presidents of Russia are rightfully included in the list of the greatest speakers. Thus, Vladimir Putin has more than fifteen years of experience. His rhetoric has several features: often the art of oratory is emphasized by brightness and shockingness, but the speech of the President of Russia is always balanced, constructive, calm and reasonable. And this has its impact: after all, Vladimir Putin is a significant player in the political arena of the world.
Steve Jobs
A speaker of our time, whose skills will be assessed by future generations through YouTube videos, he reflects the spirit of the twenty-first, digital, century. Seeing the pace at which this man has promoted the company with his Apple products, it is difficult to doubt his mastery of oratory. Unlike the above examples, Steve Jobs, however, directed his eloquence not into the political sphere of activity, but into marketing. This brought its well-deserved results. Mr. Steven Jobs' magnetic, charismatic and memorable way of speaking deserves to be mentioned in this list.
The history of eloquence begins in Ancient Greece. Oratory was known in Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon, but in the form in which we know it, eloquence appeared in Hellas. The success and career of a Hellene depended on his ability to speak beautifully: public speaking was the main weapon of a politician and lawyer; they were used to judge a person’s education. Therefore, already in the first half of the 5th century BC. sophists appeared - paid teachers of eloquence who conducted public discussions. The sophists were the first to begin recording oratory, which until then had existed only in oral form.