I wanted to give my first speech in public , I started contemplating on the hows and more hows of speaking, broke my head regarding skills of speaking, but it was nothing like those ‘skills of speaking’ what I had taught in the class. I knew a speech should include an introduction, body and conclusion, this is what I have been taught right from my school days and, I have taught right from my teaching days…. But somehow I wanted to include the components which the successful keynote speakers use, I have always asked myself how these key note speakers have been globally successful? With this query started my research, as I started browsing, loads and loads of information surfaced to help me to be a successful speaker, which I would also like to share it with you guys.

All these while I had thought only the introduction, body and conclusion constitutes of a good speech, but I realised that there are three more components of effective speaking, they being:

Content Component: The Content component is very important as it is the crux of the delivery to the audience. It should build around Why, What and How? This has to have a logical structure and should be logically sequenced with appealing flow of ideas. Instead of developing one’s speech over three sequences the below given strata will be more helpful to logically structure it.
· Prologue: A grabber at the start of a speech that will get the audience's attention immediately.
· Introduction: This is where I tell the audience what I plan on covering during the speech.
· Body: Discuss the points in this section, using a logical approach. This portion makes up most of the speech.
· Conclusion: Briefly review the content .
· Epilogue: This is the real ending of the speech where I tell the audience to act on the message.

Mechanical Component: This looks into the mechanics of speaking, like;

Where should one stand? -Don't stand behind a lectern for the entire speech. The fewer obstacles exist between the audience and us, the better would be the contact with them. Move around!
Where should one look? Anywhere but the notes! One can use notes if necessary, but leave them on the lectern. Take a look at them once in a while if must, but don't read them! If one wants to establish a good rapport with the audience, one must look them in the eye and make them feel that we are with them.
What do one do with our hands? Let them do what they do most naturally. Don’t aimlessly play with them as it distracts the audience.

But the most important aspect of this component is to appeal all the five senses and bring in liveliness into the atmosphere. Hence this component emphasises on the importance of body language.

Mechanical Component: We shouldn’t forget the speech is meant for human beings who are reigned overwhelmingly by emotions. When we speak, our goal is to bring a change in our audience. It can be a change in behaviour, a change in their thinking, or a change of attitude. However, no change will occur if our audience members are not emotionally engaged when we speak. Unless we strongly believe in what we are expressing the audience will not be with us and will fail to react as expected. Hence this component is very important for a speaker. The following things can be done by the speaker to involve the audience emotionally;
Install emotion immediately
Tell a story
Use the pause
Ask questions
Thus, a successful keynote speaker includes all off these above components to make him understand effectively and believing in what is being spoken adds on a volume to it!

In a nutshell, there are three things to aim at in public speaking : first, to get into your subject, then to get your subject into yourself, and lastly, to get your subject into the heart of your audience- as said by Gregg.

AND the tagline is……
"Make sure you have finished speaking before your audience has finished listening."
— Dorothy Sarnoff