Pre-Rehearsals
At this stage, you are ready to try the speech as a whole. Ask your friends to lend you their ears. They can help you analyze the structure and delivery of your speech.
If you have a tape recorder, deliver your talk into it. Listen objectively to the playback. Make notes, editing and deleting as necessary. Do this over and over until you are satisfied.
When you are satisfied with the organization of your talk, sit down and write it out once more. In rehearsing, practice exclusively from the final script or duplicate.
Rehearsals
Rehearse the speech as many times as is required to be able to use it naturally. Practice aloud as though you were in an actual speech situation - - on your feet. Don't be satisfied until the speech seems almost to come by itself. The purpose of your rehearsals is not memorize what you are going to say, out to become thoroughly familiar with the key expressions and the flow of ideas. If you memorize, your eyes become lack-luster, trying to remember words. Once you are thoroughly familiar with the text of your speech, you will be able to speak more freely, almost conversationally. You will also be free to look at your audience.
Effective speech delivery depends upon adequate rehearsal. Unless you practice your speech at least ten times, you may not be able to speak with maximum effectiveness. By rehearsing you can fix unforgetably in your mind the sequence of your ideas and can polish the vocal and physical aspects of delivery.
Practice and check for flaws in your speech. Practice and check until you feel that you are the kind of speaker you would like to hear if you were in the audience.
COMBATING NERVOUSNESS
However thoroughly you have prepared yourself, you will experience a slight case of nerves. Below are prescription to overcome this,
Never anticipate failure
- To anticipate failure is to encourage defeat. Think positive. If negative thoughts persist, repeat to yourself several times any of the following energizers:
"I am prepared, confident convincing and impressive."
"God is with me. If He is with me, who can be against me!"
Memorize your opening lines.
- Keep them running through your mind. You should be able to deliver the first five sentences smack into the eyes of your listeners without looking at your written speech at all. This should also be true of the five sentences of your conclusion.
If the nerves persist, go physical.
- The following relaxation procedures were developed specially for students who had no place and no time to relax except while walking to class or sitting in class waiting for their turns to speak.
a. Breathe deeply.
Inhale in along show draught of air. Exhale through the mouth at the same rate. Expel all of the old air at the same rate.Continue to breathe deeply as you practice the remaining relaxation procedures.
b. Loosen tongue and jaw.
Let your tongue lie loosely on the floor of your mouth. Let your jaw drop. Continue to breathe deeply.
c. Maintain good posture
Maintaining good posture (head up, shoulders back, abdomen muscles firm is the best way to maintain proper position of all organs involved in speech. Continue breathing deeply and relaxing your jaw. Proceed to relax your hands and wrists.
d. Relax hands and wrists.
Clench your fists. Hold this position for a few minutes and then release. Let your hands dangle for a moment. Continue breathing deeply, loosen your tongue and jaw, and keep your hands and wrists free from tension. Now direct attention to your shoulders.
e. Settle shoulders in proper position
Your shoulder should be back and straight. Now let your shoulders settle under imaginary weights. You will become aware that your elbows are now less rigid. Now direct attention to your neck and head.
f. Relax head and neck
Turn your head slowly from side to side. Let your head drop forward. Now raise your head slowly into normal position.
g. Yawn
The combination of the first six procedures invariably procedures of a yawn. If these procedures do not effect a yawn, then force one great wide yawn. No procedure can relax the muscles involved in speech so quickly as a yawn.
