A holistic approach

If you're like most people, you've probably taken a course in public speaking at one time or another. Most courses I'm familiar with concentrate on the techniques of speaking. They're strong on such topics as posture, voice control, and overcoming fear. These are important topics, and as we continue there'll be plenty of suggestions for improving your speaking techniques.

This book, however, takes what might be called a holistic approach. By that I mean we consider the whole area of public speaking—from researching and writing your speech and preparing your manuscript to delivering the speech and handling questions from the audience. In addition, we'll be discussing some things you're not likely to find in any speech course.

You cannot separate the speech from the speaker or the delivery from the message. No matter how skillful you are at speaking, you will not be a good speaker if you have nothing important to say or if the words and phrases you choose are inappropriate for the occasion. Nor can you be an effective speaker if you do not master the fundamentals of good delivery. Even the unforgettable words of Churchill would have fallen flat if they had come from an orator of less skill.