An introductory speech typically takes about 10-15% of the time from the entire speech. The introductory speech is vital as it can make the audience either tune out or be engaged during the entire speech ( Aveline-Dubach, 2015 ). Different strategies can be used to prepare while delivering a speech to an online audience. The online audience is easily distracted and has a small concentration span; therefore, asking for friends and family to listen and provide constructive criticism is important to capture their attention and retain it during the entire speech.
Practicing the delivery of a speech is very important, to record and see how fast or slow one is speaking, watch body language, and observe the hands' use when addressing the audience. Such information is quite important to give personality to the speech aside from knowing the subject matter (Baldassarre, 2016). Having gained such insight, it is now important to practice on friends and family to see if the introductory speech captures and retains their attention during the entire speech. Seeking their honest opinions is crucial to good speech delivery and even develop a hook.
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Hello, [Student name],
I completely concur with you on picking friends and family to listen to the speech and offer constructive criticism. Having a present audience will help gauge how interested they are, their body language, and their attention span as I deliver the speech. Having my analysis plus their input will offer more insight into what can be improved (added) and removed. Furthermore, this exercise will help me gauge my anxiety levels as I present the speech to manage my body language. The appropriate body language and hand movement are a great tool that can be harnessed to keep the group focused on the speech ( (Thompson, 2017 ). However, the other two strategies are still key but might not fit the context since the presentation will be online since there is no one-on-one interaction with the audience.
References
Aveline-Dubach, N. (2015, July). Introductory speech. In «Land and real estate dynamics: multidisciplinary perspectives on China and India’s urbanization” .
Baldassarre, R. (2016, September 26). 10 Strategies to Prepare for Speaking Engagements . Entrepreneur. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/282524
Thompson, S. (2017, August 10). 8 Elements of Confident Body Language . Virtualspeech.com; VirtualSpeech. https://virtualspeech.com/blog/8-elements-of-confident-body-language#:~:text=Hand%20gestures%20are%20one%20of,them%20out%20with%20your%20hands.
