A VERY UNIQUE WAY TO BE A BETTER SPEAKER . {REHEARSING YOUR SPEECH WHILE WRITING IT} chapter 2

Why would you need to rehearse a speech before delivering it? Surely it's just a collection of sentences which, once written and memorised, can simply be spoken out loud? Write it first, then speak it. Right?

If that were the case, all speakers would be roughly equal in ability. And clearly this is not the case. There are some who are orators and others so painful to listen to what we make an excuse to leave the room.
Rehearsing makes the biggest difference. A speech may look fine on paper, but it's delivery in front of a live audience is what really counts. Both Adolf Hitler and Winston Churchill, each known for their great oratorical powers, would practice their speeches for hours on end. If these masters orators believe in extensive rehearsal, then so should we.

These are some of the problems caused by not rehearsing a speech:

• Your thoughts will not be as clear or structured as they could be.

• Because you've never spoken it out loud, your language sounds like'written' rather than'spoken' English. If you've done no rehearsing, you will only discover this in front of your audience - when it's too late.

• Because you haven't practiced telling your stories, you May stumble over them and leave out important details. It's embarrassing to get two-thirds of the way through a story and then say something like, 'oh, but what I forgot to tell you was...'

• Humour requires more rehearsing than anything else. You must know your punch line, and be able to deliver it with confidence and timing.
  Ideally, begin to rehearse your speech while you're busy writing it.other words, read it aloud as you complete this writing of each paragraph. Your ear will quickly pick up whether you have written sounds 'natural' or not. We tend to write longer sentences than are necessary in a speech, with the result that we either run out of breath in the delivery or sound stilted.

Shorter, 'chattier' sentences and informal languages work much better than their antitheses.
Once the speech is written, do a dry run in a quiet room. Don't practice in front of your PC - you need to become familiar in delivering your words standing up, the way you actually do live. If you are able to use a mirror, so much the better. A full length mirror is ideal, but any large mirror will do. begin by delivering sections of your speech without looking at your notes. Your goal is to become familiar with 'how' your words will come out. Once you've done that, deliver the complete speech from the beginning to the end.

Don't worry too much if you have to look at your notes occasionally while rehearsing. But aim to deliver progressively longer sections without notes. This will help you grow accustomed to'telling' each story and explaining each though.
For truly important presentation, don't hesitate to get a friend or trusted mentor to listen as you rehearse your speech. Speaking in front of another person for the first time causes you to focus properly, to clarify your thoughts and to express yourself exactly. It quickly exposes flaws too.

Another prime time for speech rehearsal is when you find yourself sitting in traffic. Turn down your radio, and deliver your presentation aloud. It's very important to do it out loud, so that you can hear your own voice delivering the speech.
True, other motorists might take you for a nutter, but don't worry about them. Speaking aloud helps you to fix the content of the speech in your mind.

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