HOW TO TALK WITH SELF-CONFIDENT

 

                      

                             THE WAY DOCTOR CONWELL 

                                PLANNED HIS SPEECHES

                   THERE ARE NOT, AS I HAVE ALREADY SAID, ANY INFALLIBLE RULES THAT WILL SOLVE THE QUESTION OF THE BEST ARRAGEMENT. THERE ARE NO DESIGNS OR SCHEMES OR CHARTS THAT WILL FIT ALL OR EVEN A MAJORITY OF SPEECHES. YET HERE ARE A FEW SPEECH PLANS THAT WILL PROVE USUABLE IN SOME INSTANCES. THE LATE DR.RUSSELL H. CONWELL, THE AUTHOR OF THE FAMOUS ACRES OF DIAMONDS - ONCE INFORMED ME THAT HE HAD BUILD MANY OF HIS INNUMERABLE SPEECHES OF THIS OUTLINE:

                     1. STATE YOUR FACTS.

                     2. ARGUE FROM THEM.

                     3. APPEAL FOR ACTION.

                                                                    👀 

                       MANY STUDENTS OF THIS COURSE HAVE FOUND THIS PLAN VERY HELPFUL AND STIMULATING.

                     1. SLOW SOMETHING THAT IS WRONG.

                     2. SHOW HOW TO REMEDY IT.

                     3. ASK FOR COOPERATION.

                       OR TO PUT IT IN ANOTHER WAY:

                   1. HERE IS A SITUATION THAT OUGHT TO BE REMEDIED.

                   2. WE OUGHT TO DO SO ABOUT THE MATTER.

                   3. YOU OUGHT TO HELP FOR THESE REASONS. 

                                                                 👀

                 YET ANOTHER SPEECH PLAN COULD BE :

                  1. SECURE INTERESTED ATTENTION.

                  2. WIN CONFIDENCE.

                  3. STATE YOUR FACTS, EDUCATE PEOPLE REGARDING THE MERITS OF YOUR PROPOSITION.

                  4.  APPEAL TO THE MOTIVES THAT MAKE MEN ACT.

                    SECRETS OF GREAT SPEAKERS

                  WOODROW WILSON

                     "I BEGIN", SAID WOODROW WILSON WHEN ASKED TO EXPLAIN HIS METHODS, "WITH A LIST OF THE TOPICS I WANT TO COVER,  ARRANGING THEM IN MY MIND IN THEIR NATURAL RELATIONS - THAT IS, I FIT THE BONES OF THE THING TOGHETER, THEN I WRITE IT OUR IN SHORTHAND. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ACCUSTOMED TO WRITING IN SHORTHAND, FINDING IT A GREAT SAVER OF TIME. THIS DONE. I COPY IT ON MY OWN TYPEWRITER, CHANGING PHRASES, CORRECTING SENTENCE,  AND ADDING MATERIAL AS I GO ALONG".

                              THEODORE ROOSEVELT

                       THEODORE ROOSEVELT PREPARED HIS TALKS IN THE CHARACTERISTIC ROOSEVELTIAN MANNER: HE DUG ALL THE FACTS, REVIEWED THEM, APPRAISED THEM, DETERMINED THEIR FINDINGS, ARRIVED AT HIS CONCLUSONS, ARRIVED WITH A FEELING OF CERTAINLY THAT WAS UNSHAKABLE.

                    THEN, WITH A PAD OF NOTES BEFORE HIM, HE STARTED DICTATING AND HE DICTATE HIS SPEECH VERY RAPIDLY SO THAT IT WOULD HAVE RUSH SPONTANEITY AND THE SPIRIT OF LIFE. THEN HE OVER THIS TYPEWRTTEN COPY, REVISED IT, DICTATED IT ALL OVER AGAIN. "I NEVER WON ANYTHING ". SAID HE, "WITHOUT HARD LABOUT AND THE EXERCISE OF MY BEST JUDGMENT AND CAREFUL PLANNING AND WORKING LONG IN ADVANCE."

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                  OFTEN HE CALLED IN CRITICS TO LISTEN TO HIM AS HE DICTATED OR READ HIS SPEECH TO THEM. HE REFUSED TO DEBATE WITH THEM THE WISDOM OF WHAT HE HAD SAID. HIS MIND WAS ALREADY MADE UP ON THAT POINT, AND MADE UP IRREVOCABLY. HE WANTED TO BE TOLD, NOT WHAT TO SAY, BUT HOW TO SAY IT. AGAIN AND AGAIN HE WENT OVER HIS TYPEWRITTEN COPIES, CUTTING, CORRECTING, IMPROVING. THAT WAS THE SPEECH THAT THE NEWSPAPERS PRINTED. OF COURSE, HE DID NOT MEMORIZE IT. HE SPOKE EXTEMPORANEOUSLY. SO THE TALK HE ACTUALLY DELIVERED OFTEN DIFFERED SOMEWHAT FROM THE PUBLISHED AND POLISHED ONE. BUT THE TASK OF DICTATING AND REVISING WAS EXCELLENT PREPARATION. IT MADE HIM FAMILIAR WITH HIS MATERIAL, WITH THE ORDER OF HIS POINTS. IT GAVE HIM A SMOOTHNESS AND SURENESS AND POLISH THAT HE COULD HARDLY HAVE OBTAINED IN ANY OTHER FASHION.