Campaign Corner: Making better speeches

The Campaign Corner series looks to give three tips about commonly asked campaign issues. Do get in touch if you have any questions you would like to suggest.

Today’s Campaign Corner question: I often get very nervous when speaking in public. Speeches at the Civic Centre may not matter much but I do want to make a good impression at local groups – and at party conference! What do you advise?

1. Practice makes perfect: People who are nervous about making speeches (or not very good at it – not always the same thing!) understandably often try to avoid making them. However, the best way both to get your nerves under control and also to get better is regular practice, turning good techniques into subconscious habits as you work on them a little each time. Pluck up your courage and seek out opportunities to speak – more verbal questions at council, talking at local party events and so on.
2. Work hardest on your first and last sentences: A good start and a good finish to a speech can cover a multitude of verbal sins in between. Even if you are ad-libbing in-between, plan out in advance the exact words you will use at each end of the speech.
3. Find someone to give you good feedback: Being told you are brilliant all the time is almost as useless as being told you are awful all the time. It might be nicer but it’s still pretty useless because even the most brilliant of speakers can always learn lessons from a speech and strive to improve further. In fact, that’s often why they have ended up being brilliant speakers. Hunt out one or more people who can give you feedback that is both supportive and helps you learn.

Further advice is now available in my set of tips for speaking at Liberal Democrat party conference, which are also more widely applicable.

Previous Campaign Corners have included:

• Should you still target during a PR election?
• What to do on the doorstep
• How to make Focus leaflets looks better

You can read them all here.