Firstly, the most important part of any speech is movement. Movement is essential to any part of a speech. There are various things you can do such as keeping a close or far proximity. Move closer to someone in order to emphasize a point or to get attention. When you move while speaking it shows that you are at ease and in control, but do not pace because it makes you look nervous. Hand gestures are also a key piece to a well-developed speech.
Use these to reinforce a point or emphasize it. Don't overly use hand gestures because it can distract the audience. While giving a speech, do not lean, for it conveys a sense that you don't care, you should stand up straight in order to be proper. Most importantly do not put hands in your pocket for they make you seem careless.
Secondly, voice is important as well. The volume of your voice can be used to emphasize a part of your speech. A small voice can be stronger than a loud voice. The tone must also be appropriate for a speech in order to establish credibility. Your best friend in a speech is silence for it is a powerful attention grabber. Whatever you do, do not speak in a monotone because that bores the audience.
Thirdly, props can be a powerful tool in your arsenal, but can also be a distraction. Use these lightly to reinforce a point such as a graph or statistics. An image can also be a powerful because the audience will be able to visualize what you are talking about. These props can also lend credibility, which is essentially in any speech.
Lastly, the structure and format of your speech must contain a topic sentence with supporting details and concrete evidence. Repetition as well as parallelism is a powerful tool for persuasion and emphasis. Appeal to Pathos, Logos, and Ethos in your speech by judging the audience and exigency to see how much of each you need. Diction is crucial to build credibility and to create emotionally provoking connections.
The syntax of your speech also lends to the credibility as well as emphasis. Evidence is key in any speech, but do not list them because one powerful piece of evidence can be better than 100 pieces of evidence. Learn to combine and embed the evidence into your speech. Also don't forget to practice and if possible create note cards with movement cues.
