Recipe for successful speech

On my first day as an intern, I was asked to review a speech and check grammatical errors. Sadly, that was one of the most horrifyingly boring speeches I had read in my life. For almost more than a minute, the speaker thanks and acknowledges every single person present in the room. For the next two minutes, he talks about the history of how this organisation was created. By the time, he makes it to the main part, which is persuading people to deposit their funds by the deadline, no one paid any attention to his speech.
In order to effectively prevail on your audience, it is crucial to keep them engrossed and engaged in your speech. Unfortunately, there has been a culture of addressing important presences in the beginning of every speech, especially in our country. But this wastes time and distracts your audience. If we listen to the Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, we will find that he had not spared a second in the formalities but gone straight to the point. Neither did Mahatma Gandhi nor Martin Luther king Jr in their historical speeches.
Speeches should be concise, to the point and straight. Successful speakers focus less on formality and more on engaging the audience. They prioritise connecting with the audience in an emotional level so that every word of the speech leaves an impact. A successful speech should not be rigid rather it should have spontaneity. In that way, time is saved, energy is conserved, and your words finally reach your desired destination.

Shamayla Durrin
Mirpur, Dhaka
shamayla.islam@mail.utoronto.ca