Famous Speeches Create Famous Speakers

Those of us who watch those confident speakers give their eloquent speeches up on the dais are thoroughly impressed by how truly at ease they must be. For having the ability to stand up in front of a large crowd of people and give an oration, be it a motivational message, a story, or a sales spiel must be a "gift" that only a few are blessed with. The average person is simply not comfortable relating to a large group of their peers at one time. Well as a matter of fact, of those who are famous for their speeches and motivating of others, many have been shy even to the point of feeling "tongue tied" when they first started to stand up and speak. It takes some training and building of self confidence to become at ease up there before a crowd and once that is accomplished that speakers comfort level goes up substantially.

Good orators lead their audience along by communicating ideas

Standing before a group of people while telling a story, conducting a debate, or giving a speech, is similar to taking them along for a ride. But this is not a physical ride down a mythical road but rather more along the line of relating, by use of words, how one gets on ones way down that road, all the while describing the many sites along the way. There is a cause and an effect that are related to the listening audience. A politician will tell the listeners what they represent and how they plan on going about accomplishing what they promise to do. A good orator will capture the emotions of listeners as they tell a tale that audience can appreciate and relate to. Use of gestures as well as inflection or control of their voice help effective speakers relate effectively with their audience, keeping them interested and retaining what they've heard. A certain amount of humour thrown into the story or rhetoric will also keep them listening and appreciating what it is they are hearing longer than simply trying to follow along with a dry boring speech. This develops a pleasant relationship with the speaker's audience and holds their attention.

Famous orators found power in the telling of the tale

Those who have built a reputation around their speeches have gone down in history as being among the great orators and the list is long. A few well known speakers of modern time include:

Franklin D. Roosevelt Ronald Reagan Richard Nixon Harry S. Truman Martin Luther King, Jr. John F. Kennedy Robert Kennedy Nelson Mandela Winston Churchill
Many speakers have actually feared getting up before an audience of any size but did feel it was their duty to do so. Once that initial fear is overcome they realize it is not as difficult if they just look at one person, focus on one person, instead of observing the sea of faces gazing up at them. There are many effective methods of learning to overcome that "stage fright", relax, and feel comfortable while speaking. A bit of training will help attain that level of comfort that makes good speakers become excellent communicators.

If you've ever experienced nervousness at the prospect of speaking in public, you are not alone! Positive public speaking courses are based on the Speaking Circles technique, and offer public speaking classes in Bristol and Lonson.

By Rob W. Colbourn