Lesson Three:The Three Key Elements of Every Great Speech.

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If you missed lesson two, read it up here.

I hope you are learning as much as you can.

I look forward to meeting you someday, perhaps at the airport on your way to a United Nations event  to make a presentation or at a conference where we’d be speaking.

It would be such a delight for me and the thousands of people you will empower if you will apply the simple secrets that I’m sharing with you today.

That’s why I consider it a privilege to make this investment in your speaking career.

Today, I want to tell you about the three key elements of every great speech.

Now this is different from the three parts of your speech.

These three elements are powerful ingredients that must use in every speech if you want your audience to keep listening long after you have finished speaking.

They take their roots in ancient Greece.

The ancient Greek orators studied the most effective speeches ever made in all of history and reached the conclusion that all those speeches had these three elements.

You can be sure that they will go a long way in making your speeches impactful and unforgettable.

1.ETHOS

This is the root word for “ethics”.

It refers to the your integrity as the speaker as well as the character of your message.In essence, it refers to your credibility, sincerity and believability.

The more credible you are as a speaker, the more receptive your listeners will be.

For instance, people would rather listen to a medical doctor deliver a speech on HIV/AIDS than they would a motor mechanic.Similarly, the average audience would rather listen to a motor mechanic deliver a speech on automobile repairs than a medical doctor.

“Ethos” is also demonstrated in your mannerisms, accent and intonation.

Your message will be better received if you are natural and authentic.

It is necessary to learn from others but you must always stay true to yourself.

2.LOGOS

This is the root word for “logic”.

Every speech must be logical.

Remember that in lesson one, I mentioned that public speaking is “…deliberate and structured…”You cannot affored to ramble or take your audience for granted.

Whenever you are privileged to speak in public, ensure that your presentation is logical, systematic, intelligent.

This boils down to two things-research and reflection.

Research will provide you with facts and figures.

Reflection will help you organize those facts and figures in a way that will reinforce your message.

Your arguments should be reasonable.

This can only happen if you reason.

3.PATHOS

This is the root word for “passion”

This refers to emotions, sympathy and imagination.

PATHOS deals with the emotional appeal of your presentation.

Every effective speech has an emotional component.

People buy things for emotional reasons not for logical reasons.

Think about the several women who have as many as 50 pairs of shoes in their closets.More often than not, they keep those shoes because of how they “feel” when they wear them.

If you watch the adverts on CNN or BBC and other global TV networks, you’d see how much emphasis advertisers place on the emotional component of their products.

In essence, people are emotional.

It’s important to take note of this because every speech is like a sales pitch.

You want your audience to buy into your message or mindset so you must have the right emotional appeal to match your objective.

You don’t smile when you ought to be sober neither do you frown when you are making an exciting point.

Moreso, avoid speaking in a monotone.

Infuse emotions-anger, joy, sobriety, fear, desperation, confidence, displeasure, satisfaction, serenity and other emotions when necessary.

Let’s go over the three key elements again:

1.Ethos-your integrity and the character of  your message.

2:Logos-reasoning, facts and figures.

3.Pathos-emotional appeal and imagination.

Watch out for lesson three.