Speeches Can Touch Hearts Or Send Listeners To Sleep

By Author: Fred Crowe
Total Articles: 44
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Speeches can make or break an occasion. A speaker can entertain, exhort or inform. Alternatively he can bore or raise the hackles of his audience. Obviously speeches have to be suited to the particular audience. There is no point in using technical terms to a lay audience. It’s not wise either for a best man to tell blue stories at a family wedding.

Speeches give you an opportunity to sell a product, convert the disbelieving or motivate the troops. The audience may be a captive one such as schoolchildren listening to the Head teacher or those interested enough to attend a lecture on how to deal with depression. Other audiences would include those relieved to be attending functions such as graduates at their conferring.

Speeches can be given in all the different languages of the world and in all the countries of the world. In church they are called sermons and they can involve political point scoring or winning arguments in a debate. They are weapons in the hands of speakers who can use them to inflame passions and start wars.

Speeches ...
... can be a source of misery to fathers of the bride unaccustomed to public speaking. On the other hand they can be very useful to someone who is fundraising for a special charity. Executives often find they have to give speeches to the staff as they are promoted or as they resign.

Commanding officers in the forces speak about duty and patriotism. They mention the camaraderie that comes with being a member of the army, navy or air force. They address troops that are embarking on a tour of duty or are re-enlisting. They make change of command speeches in which they thank their troops for their loyalty and service.

Obviously eulogies are in a category of their own. It may be a eulogy expressing love for a devoted mother or fond father. More difficult perhaps would be one for a colleague. Military funerals are full of pomp and ceremony and the eulogies will reflect a lifetime of service and flying the flag.

The subject matter of speeches depends on the audience. A speaker can speak of leadership, dieting or of the environmental challenges facing us. He may speak of famous people, historical events or on his favourite hobby horse. Speeches can be persuasive or inspirational in tone. In fact there are words for every event. It’s just a matter of choosing the right ones to get your particular message across.