Chapter 78 Chapter 10 How to Make the Intent of Your Speech Clear

During the First World War, a famous English bishop gave a speech at Appleton's military quarters.The audience for this speech was a group of illiterate soldiers about to go to the front line.When I asked why they fought, few could answer to his own satisfaction.However, it was this bishop who, facing such a special audience, talked about "international friendship" and "Serbia should have the right to be independent."As everyone knows, most of the audience are not even clear about what Serbia is referring to, so how can they talk about the effect of this speech?However, none of the soldiers left the lecture hall during the speech: the surrounding hall was already full of military police with live ammunition.

Here, I do not intend to belittle the bishop.Perhaps, if his audience had been college students, his speech would have been a great success.All I want to say is that, to a crowd of soldiers, his speech was a complete failure: he had no idea of ​​his audience, of exactly what he was trying to achieve and how to achieve it. So what do we mean here by the purpose of speech? Every speech, whether the speaker realizes it or not, has a purpose, and that purpose falls into four categories: (1) explain something to people; (2) What people remember and believe; (3) call for relevant action; (4) For people to entertain and relax.

In this regard, we can demonstrate through a series of specific examples. Lincoln has always had a soft spot for mechanical manufacturing. Once, he invented and patented a device that could move stranded ships on the beach away from obstacles.He then began producing prototypes of the device at a machine shop near his law firm.Although this work was not successful in the end, Lincoln had an enduring enthusiasm for the exploration he made.Whenever friends came to his office to see the device, he would take the trouble to explain it in detail.The purpose of these explanations is, of course, to explain something to people.

When Lincoln made his immortal address at Gettysburg, when Lincoln delivered his two inaugural addresses, when Lincoln delivered his eulogy after the death of Henry Koehler, his purpose in speaking was primarily to impress what.Of course, in order for others to remember something, they should first make people understand something clearly, but at these times, it is not Lincoln's main intention to make something clear. When Lincoln talked before a jury, he was trying to win a favorable verdict; when he gave a political speech, he was trying to win votes.At these times, his purpose is to get people to behave in a relevant way.

Just two years before Lincoln was elected president, he gave a speech on invention.At that time, his intention was mainly to entertain people, but he didn't succeed.When he spoke in a small town, no one even came to join him.For such a famous speaker as he is, this is definitely a blow. However, in another speech, Lincoln really did hit it big.Why is this?Because he has a clear goal of the speech and knows how to achieve it.Many, many speakers have failed lamentably by failing to do just that. I have come across a case like this: The speaker was a member of Congress, and in the middle of his speech he was chased off the stage of an old New York theater by the audience whooping and booing.Why?Because he has unconsciously misidentified the target of his speech—the audience needs entertainment from him, but he has made explanation the purpose of his speech.At that time, a war broke out, so he told everyone present how the United States prepared for the war.In order to show politeness, the audience listened patiently. 10 minutes passed, and 15 minutes passed, and the audience gradually felt unbearable. They hoped that the speech would end immediately, but the speaker was unhurried and rambling on.Finally, the audience could stand it no longer, some began to boo, and immediately others joined in, and in a moment hundreds of people were shouting and whistling.

The blunt speaker felt a little embarrassed and irritated, and he struggled to continue, which undoubtedly added fuel to the fire. The audience's anger was aroused, and their protests grew louder and merged. There was a fury which engulfed the speaker so that he could hardly hear what he was saying.In the end, the speaker accepted his failure in humiliation and stepped down from the stage. In view of the enlightenment brought by the above example, you must wisely determine the goal of the speech and the method to achieve this goal before the speech.Then, implement them subtly and scientifically into your speech.