ADVICE OF A POLITICAL SPEAKER

Waikato Times, Volume 126, Issue 21038, 14 February 1940, Page 3

ADVICE OF A POLITICAL SPEAKER

“Unaccustomed as I am to public speaking . . .” There comes a time in the life of us all when we are called upon to make a speech. The occasion may be big, it may be small, but the memory of the moment will linger long—that moment when we were first called upon to rise to our feet and stand alone before a crowd of people. It is a nightmarish feeling, but there is no need to stammer and blush and utter the over-worked words at the beginning of this article. There are a hundred and one opportunities today for women to speak. At meetings, charity appeals, bazaars, to mention just a few of the most frequent. To be able to say a few words at short notice should really be part of our equipment whether we are housewives, business or professional women or whether we are already in public affairs through the interests of our menfolk. The prepared speech and the impromptu speech are very different. One is a detailed effort with a certain amount of pre-knowledge of the type of audience and what is expected from the speaker. The other must be gloriously spontaneous, entirely topical and with allusions to little incidents of the moment. The Bogey of Nerves The very idea of standing on a platform gives many of us the “jitters,” and sheer terror prevents us from imagining what we should say should the occasion arise. Here we face the first and worst obstacle, but one which can be overcome—nerves. There are three kind of nerves: 1. The nerves caused by lack of knowledge of one’s subject, which an audience is quick to sense and where the remedy is in our own hands and means more careful preparation. 2. High-tension nerves which every speaker since the days of oratory in ancient Greece has suffered from. Every artist knows this tension, too, and until the first few sentences are over she is on tenterhooks. 3. The nervousness of inexperience, and here again this bogey can soon be overcome. Not one of us drove a car or ran a house perfectly at the first shot. The first agonies of public speaking soon wear off. Self-consciousness is at the bottom of most speakers’ troubles and these few hints may be helpful to future speakers. Sincerity and simplicity are golden rules for all occasions. An audience is sensitive and it is quick to

resent affectation and mannerisms. Many a brilliant speaker has been a failure because she could not be heard or wriggled continuously or talked down to her audience. These are three deadly sins which must never be committed. Stand firmly on both feet when you are speaking and try not to “fiddle.” Do not twist a pencil round and round, or move a hand-bag from east to west of the table and do not make meaningless gestures with your hands. If you have notes make them , on cards carefully numbered and either leave them on the corner of the . table under your eye, or hold them ,in one hand for reference. Do not ; be afraid to pause to look at them as sometimes an audience gets a little breathless and likes a moment’s rest. Pitch your voice low, I mean a low i tone, not inaudibility. Nothing tires | your listeners so quickly as a shrill S voice that cannot go any higher. Rei member that the low deeper notes j penetrate to all corners. Just speak . j naturally and watch the faces at the back of the room to see if they are • | straining to hear. Do Not Memorise Your Speech Do not learn your speech by heart. This will be fatal to your reputation as a weaver of words. An audience guesses your guilty secret at once. Have your main points in your mind |or in your notes. Speak off these 1 | points, like a train travelling from i station to station and linked up all : , the way along the line. ; I Common sense helps enormously, i Do not keep your eyes fixed on one I spot. The head should be up and the 1 eye never on the ground. A rehearsal . before a long mirror will get this ■ right. I j Clothes . . last, but very important. ! Never wear a hat that shades the L ; face and hides your expression. Platform chic is essential. A wisp ■ of hair, an untidy frock, soiled gloves, ; ; wrinkled stockings are all too awful ;to look at in these days of wellr ■ j groomed women and pleasant colour [ schemes. Plain neat clothes with a , touch of colour are always right. At i I an evening function it is as well to i : find out if evening dress is being : worn, but if the speaker finds herself •! in a tailored suit and the chairman j in full evening dress, she need not l | worry, as the speaker, like the cus- ? ' tomer. is always right! ; ! Look as though you are enjoying | every minute of the function and - • show interest in everything that is ■ | going on. These things help us to > i forget our own nerves and anxiety.