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Life has been described as the thing that really happens to us as we’re making other plans. I had just changed the name of my speech business and was making plans to expand into other cities when writer-publisher Merle Dowd suggested that I write a book about speeches. I initially dismissed his suggestion since there had already been several thousand books written on the subject. But Merle had known me for several years, was familiar with my methods of teaching speakers, and figured my approach to public speaking could help a few people become better speakers without going through the agony of memory courses that don’t work^[1] and speech courses that make you work forever.

Most courses on how to be a good speaker require learning memorization and other techniques, months of study, and continual practice. Each new speech means starting over almost from scratch. My method, simply put, calls for learning a few techniques for eye contact and for conversational reading which can make the words from a script come out sounding as extemporaneous as an ad-libbed speech. There’s no need to memorize anything, and the only practice needed is for those who don’t know how to read out loud to begin with, or one or two runthroughs with a new speech before giving it. With few exceptions, speeches, sermons, and opening remarks for seminars and panel discussion should be read and not ad-libbed. Reading scripts effectively is easier and less expensive to learn than speaking from memory, safer, and more comfortable for both the speaker and the audience.

Public speaking, however, should mean more than filling a hole in some program chair’s schedule. The opportunity to express your views and opinions before a captive audience is an opportunity lost if you merely fill time. Speeches given to audiences as small as 15 or 20 people can still reach out to thousands with your message. As a matter of fact, this book has its roots in a speech I gave to an audience of 25 people at a Rotary luncheon. That talk, “All About Speeches,” was published in the prestigious publication Vital Speeches of the Day. In that speech I described the benefits of public speaking and why scripts should be used. It prompted Merle to make his offer to me. Only 25 people heard that speech the first time I gave it (I have given it many times since), yet, it resulted in national visibility and set the stage for a book. Like a seed for a tree, giving a speech before one audience, large or small, can and should be, in many cases, only the first step before the harvest. A single speech promoting your cause, your company, or your association can be given again and again to different audiences. Printed copies can be distributed. It could be quoted in the news media and by other speakers. If your speech doesn’t achieve at least one of those goals, it probably should not have been given. Thus, to gain the maximum clout from public speaking, you should know more than how to give a speech; you should also know how to get speaking engagements and how to reach greater audiences than those present at the time a speech is given.

In spite of the many elaborate and costly programs designed to teach others how to speak in public, the part-time, nonprofessional speaker needs to learn only a few necessities. Egalitarianism aside, some people have an unmistakable talent for public speaking; others simply don’t have the innate flair necessary to be a great orator, and all the studying in the world will not convert them to a Winston Churchill or William Jennings Bryan. The nonprofessional can learn, however, to get his or her message across clearly, concisely, and effectively — and enjoy the process. This can be done with a couple of hours of reading (not hard studying) and a few hours of practice. Almost anyone can do it, and the proof lies in the classes I have taught to airline pilots, politicians, police officers, and management staff. For example, Pacific Northwest Bell hired me in 1976 to assist in setting up a speakers bureau and to teach their potential speakers. The course was three days long, but more than half of that time was used for videotaping students’ presentations, playing the tapes back, and critiquing. The remaining few hours were used for basic instruction, questions, and answers. Without exception, when the three-day course ended, the improvement of the poor speakers between their first and third day had been phenomenal; the good speakers also improved their ability. All this was accomplished with only a few hours of actual “teaching.”

If this book is to be more than a quick, easy course on how you can improve your public speaking, as it should be for a more complete picture on communication, then understanding the news media must be included. Learning about the news media is a natural and important adjunct to learning about speeches since, presumably, we would all like to see our words quoted in the press. Hence, the section on the news media is based on my own experience as a member of that profession dating back to 1952. Again, there is nothing mysterious or difficult about this area of communication. Certain people, corporations, and organizations, no matter what they do, consistently seem to get bad press while certain other groups appear to get good press. Learning how to write a news release or how to hold a news conference won’t make that much difference. But the cold shoulder of the news media can be moderately warmed up by knowing more about the use of those tools and by developing a better understanding of local reporters.

I am positive that by spending a few hours reading this book and only a few more hours on practice, your public speaking ability will improve immediately. You will also know a great deal more about reporters, which should help improve your relationship with the news media.

Unless the subject is absolutely grim, speeches should include light moments and provide audiences with occasional chances to chuckle and a few minutes of enjoyment.

This book has been around for over 30 years, and with this edition, it is my hope that this book will continue to bring enjoyment to those who read it and useful information to anyone who needs to speak before an audience, whether it’s 1,500 people at a convention or 15 people at a Parent-Teacher Association meeting.

Charles A. Boyle, Bellevue, Washington

1. A student of mine became a firm believer in scripts after taking a memory course from a prominent teacher. A week after taking the three-day course he bumped into the teacher on the street and they carried on a short conversation. The student said the teacher obviously recognized him but just as obviously had forgotten his name.