UNIT – V :

Conducting Meetings: Procedure – Preparing agenda, Minutes and

Resolutions Conducting Seminars & Conferences: Procedure of
Regulating Speech Evaluating Oral Presentation – Group Discussion:
Drafting Speech.
MEETINGS:
A meeting is a coming together of (generally) three or more people to
exchange information in a planned manner and discuss issues set out before
them to arrive at decisions, solve problems, etc.

PURPOSE FOR SUCH MEETINGS

a. To give and get new ideas
b. To overcome a labour problem
c. To discuss the state of business
d. To suggest improvements
e. To instruct something new to a group
f. To inform members policy change
g. To resolve quarrels, misunder-standings
h. Power sharing

TYPES OF MEETING
1. Status Update Meetings
Almost every company is familiar with those recurring team meetings that
were initially intended to share updates on the latest projects and make sure
everyone on the team is on the same page about the process of the project.
These meetings are meant to remedy any communication hiccups that may

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end up wasting significant amounts of time doing the same thing or facing the
same challenges over and over.
2. Decision-Making Meetings
Although managers generally have the final say, the discussions around
important business decisions often occur in larger groups. Smaller decisions
may be made in status update meetings, but important ones will command
their own dedicated meeting times.
The process of making a decision could be spread out over several different
meetings so that all parties have a chance to gather information, come up with
solutions and vote on how best to move forward. This can result in a lot of
time tied up in meetings and communicating back and forth.
3. Problem-Solving Meetings
Similar to decision-making meetings, problem-solving meetings have a
specific goal in mind. There’s no standard problem-solving meeting since
issues vary depending on your team and your organization, but these types of
meetings are crucial nonetheless.
These meetings may be based on emergencies that need to be resolved
quickly. For example, the source of the problem may not be identified yet or
there could be several different priorities to manage in finding a solution to an
identified problem. Either way, these meetings give colleagues the chance to
brainstorm, evaluate solutions and solve the problem at hand.
4. Team-Building Meetings
Although every meeting is a chance for a team to become a little closer by
engaging in banter at the beginning and gaining a stronger understanding of
their counterparts, sometimes it is necessary to have a planned team-building
meeting.

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These meetings can be corporate events or outings for the team, department
or entire company and can serve to generate some employee loyalty and
engagement. They are the perfect opportunity to encourage employees to
mingle and create more personal relationships that can aid the progress and
growth of the organization.
5. Idea-Sharing Meetings
Sometimes it’s better to have the whole group get together and share new
ideas rather than distributing them in a meaty email or chaotic chat thread.
Not only do these meetings allow the speaker or presenter to go more in-
depth on a topic, conversations can happen in real time and team members
can ask questions. These meetings also make idea sharing interactive, giving
colleagues the chance to bounce ideas off of one another, ultimately resulting
in more teamwork, stronger relationship building and an engaging meeting
experience. While this type of meeting can take up a great deal of time, it often
results in new product ideas, expansion to new markets and ways to get ahead
of the competition.
6. Innovation Meetings
Every organization needs new ideas from time to time, and innovation
meetings are the standard answer to that need. It is difficult to force creativity,
but you can solicit as many ideas as possible and then filter through them to
find the most suitable ones.
Innovation meetings can sound obscure to attendees, but they are essential to
making sure your company continues to move forward rather than retaining
the same operating protocols year after year because they provide the
organization a chance to try something new.

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ADVANTAGES OF MEETINGS:
(i) Save time:
Since one can meet a number of people at a time interactively, a meeting can
save time.
(ii) Addressing groups:
One can divide the audiences according to their background and need, and
address them group by group.
(iii) Cope with information explosion:
New technology and new regulations are coming thick and fast. Meetings
enable us to cope with this situation.
(iv) Social and emotional support:
Members get personal support from each other when they meet and exchange
ideas.
(v) Feeling of being consulted:
Members get the feeling that they have been consulted and this is useful in
getting their intelligent and willing cooperation.
(vi) Democratic functioning:
Democracy aims at achieving all people’s welfare by all people’s involvement.
This is possible through meetings.
(vii) Idea development:
Ideas are systematically cross-fertilized, analyzed and improved by a group.
(viii) Defusing troublemakers:
By the collectivity of constructive forces, troublemakers can be isolated in a
meeting and positive action got going. The opponents of a plan get a forum to
voice their opposition, which can be overcome before a group of supportive
people.

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(ix) Bolder decisions:
Collectively we can take more adventurous decisions because of united
strength.
(x) Various interest groups represented:
In a meeting many interest groups can be represented and minorities can also
be given due attention.
(xi) Preventing mistakes:
A meeting helps to avoid mistakes by a collective and many-angled focus on
issues.

DISADVANTAGES OF MEETINGS
1. Time-consuming:
Meetings require a number of people to come together at the same time and
place. This costs time because other work has to be set aside for the sake of
the meeting.
2. Inability to arrive at a decision:
Just as “two heads are better than one,” it is also true that “too many cooks
spoil the soup.” Multiplicity of views and personal stubbornness of members
may prevent a meeting from taking a decision which a chief executive may
take alone.
3. Lack of seriousness:
Many meetings suffer from the drawback that members come unprepared and
feel that the others will do the thinking and talking. They feel they can take a
free ride. “Everybody’s job is nobody’s job.”

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4. Inexpert chairing:
Just as an airplane is steered by a pilot, a meeting is piloted by the
chairperson. His lack of skill and personal failings/biases may fail a meeting.
5. Expensive:
Meetings are expensive to arrange – they require a place, paperwork, prior
communication, and travelling by the attendees.
6. Open to disruption:
A meeting is prone to being disrupted by an element that is opposed to its
objective. There are times when one passenger’s refusal to adjust himself
delays the entire flight. The same for meetings. The spirit of give-and-take
may be missing in some participants.

PROCEDURE OF MEETINGS
1. Clarify Aim/Purpose – It is very important, at the beginning of the
meeting, to clarify and agree the purpose of the meeting. This promotes focus
and clarity in the event of conversation drift, or if members feel lost in the
process. There is also an opportunity here for introductions (new
members/guest presenters) and for group members to highlight their reason
for attendance.
2. Assign Roles – There are 4 roles to be assigned:
a. Leader – The team leader role is not intended to be a power position, but
rather a functional one. The leader can be the person who called the meeting,
or can ask for a volunteer to lead the meeting. It is also appropriate to rotate
this role to support development of group members. The leader’s role is to
start the meeting, ensure that the agenda is followed with smooth transitions
between agenda items and to conclude the meeting.

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b. Recorder – The recorder role is crucial to ensure that key ideas, themes
and actions are recorded for all to see. Recording on flip charts around the
meeting room is encouraged. This means the notes are there for people to see
and review before they add their thoughts. This minimises duplication that
often occurs because people are busy thinking and may miss a contribution
someone has already made. It is also extremely useful for late arrivals: they
can catch up via the notes, thereby avoiding the need for any recap.
c. Timekeeeper – The timekeeper keeps everyone on track with agreed
timings for each agenda item, whilst also making appropriate contributions to
any discussion. Once timings have been agreed for each agenda item, the time
keeper should follow a rule of 50%. If an agenda item has been allocated 10
minutes:
-the timekeeper will call out “5 minutes left” at the halfway point,
-then “two and a half minutes left”,
-then “one-minute left”,
-then “time!”
It is then the leader’s role to check-in with the group to ensure the agenda
item is concluded, or to determine if more time needs to be allocated. Extra
time can be borrowed from another item or tabled and discussed at a future
meeting. It is important for group members to understand that management
of time is not the timekeeper’s responsibility. It is the responsibility of the
entire group.
d. Facilitator – As much as possible the group should identify someone with
accomplished facilitation skills for this role. The role of facilitator can be
challenging and may not be required for every group situation. The facilitator
will observe the meeting progress ensuring that all participants have an

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opportunity to contribute and that the group remains focussed on the agenda
and the process.
3. Review Agenda and Times – This should be a quick review of proposed
agenda items and clarification of late agenda submissions. Best practice
would be to ensure that all group members have an opportunity to contribute
and agree agenda items beforehand. Once the agenda items are agreed, a
short time should be spent agreeing approximate time slots; this should take
no more than a few minutes. The group should avoid over analysis of time
slots – these can be renegotiated throughout the meeting depending on
progress. You may also wish to agree timings prior to the meeting to save
time in the meeting
4. Work through Agenda – The majority of the meeting should be devoted to
working through agenda items. Steps 1 -3 and 5 -7 should take no longer than
5 minutes each, enabling an efficient, productive discussion focussed on the
agenda items.
5. Review meeting record – When the agenda items have been discussed, the
leader should take the opportunity to quickly review what has been
accomplished, the key actions and responsibility for follow-up.
6. Plan Next Steps and Next Agenda – Based on what has been
accomplished, the leader should ask the group to determine what the agenda
items should be for the next meeting. Consequently, the group should leave
the meeting with a clear understanding of the purpose and focus of the next
meeting.
7. Evaluate – This final step supports the group to stay on track and improve
future meetings. There are 3 steps to evaluation. Each group member should
allocate a score ranging from 0 (worst meeting ever) to 10 (effective and

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efficient meeting where expectations were surpassed and progress was
made). People should write these down without conferring. The purpose of
the scoring is to demonstrate the variation. The next step is to ask each
participant for “one thing they liked” about the meeting and “one thing that
we could improve”. This last question is extremely useful to suport
continuous improvement of the meeting process.

AGENDA
Agenda means things to be done. It is usually sent along with the notice of the
meeting. It is a plan of action to be followed and entails list of topics to be
discussed in a meeting.
According to Rajendra pal and Korlahalli, “Agenda is document that outlines
the contents of a forth coming meeting.”
PREPARING AGENDA
1. Ditch the pen and paper (or word processor, or note-taking tool, or…)
An actual pen-and-paper agenda?! Not only is it bad for the environment, it’s
just plain inefficient. You can’t share a paper agenda ahead of time. You can’t
invite collaboration from your team members. You can’t make last-minute
changes. And really, a Word doc or Google sheet isn’t that much better.
OK, we’re a bit biased because we built a meeting agenda app. But seriously:
having a dedicated tool makes agenda prep so much easier. No more copy-
and-paste dance. No more sharing over email. Just a simple hub for all your
meeting agendas (and notes!) that everyone can access and contribute to.
That’s how you set yourself up for success. You don’t have to spend your time.

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2. Set a goal for your meeting – and write it down
This one is harder than it seems: every single meeting should have a goal, and
it should be clearly stated on the agenda. Even it’s a recurring team meeting,
there should be a goal. Here are a few examples of meeting goals:
 Review our status updates and key roadblocks for the upcoming sprint
 Plan holiday party
 Finalize marketing campaign for upcoming product launch
 UX review of our latest Android app update
 Nail down a hiring strategy for the product team
Be sure to include this goal on the agenda. If it’s a simpler goal, you might be
able to include it in the name of the meeting. If it’s more complex, add it in as
the first agenda item.
3. Share the agenda at least 48 hours before the meeting (and encourage
people to add to it!)
First thing’s first: no one benefits from a meeting agenda shared five minutes
before the meeting is due to start. Or worse – in the meeting. Without seeing
the agenda beforehand, your team will spend the whole meeting getting up to
speed, not making decisions.
To make a meeting as effective as possible, share the agenda 48 hours in
advance – and give your team the chance to add to it. This is how you can
ensure your team feels a sense of ownership over the meeting. That way,
they’ll show up prepared and engaged – and ready to make decisions.
Shameless plug: Hyperontext makes shared agendas easy! Once you create
and share the agenda, all your team members can add their own items. You
can even set up a SlackBot integration to gently remind them to add to the
agenda a day before the meeting.

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4. Allow for team members to provide context and share thoughts
beforehand
You’ve given your team the chance to add their own items to the agenda –
great!
But another crucial part of agenda preparation is allowing everyone to talk
about the agenda beforehand.
This could mean a dedicated Slack channel. This could mean an app like
Hypercontext that lets team members comment on items right in the agenda.
However you facilitate it, encouraging conversation before the meeting helps
to provide context beforehand, and ensures that everyone has all the
information they need to make decisions in the meeting (you might even
resolve a few agenda items before the meeting even takes place!).
5. Assign time for each agenda item
Meetings can go off the rails, quickly. All of a sudden, 40 minutes have gone by
and you haven’t gotten through the first item on the agenda �.
That’s why it’s so important to assign a time limit to each agenda item. It will
keep you on track, and keep the conversation focused on decisions and next
steps.
A great way to follow through on time limits is to assign a task-master to keep
an eye on the time. They will be the one to (gently) cut off conversations when
they veer too off-track, and remind everyone when it’s time to wind up an
agenda item and move on.
6. Prioritize agenda items as needed
That said, sometimes conversations do run long, and decisions take time. With
that in mind, it’s worth prioritizing your agenda with the most important
items at the top. That way, if you don’t make it to the end of the agenda within

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your specified time, you can hold off on the last remaining items until your
next meeting.
One word of warning: try not to make it a habit not to get through everything
on your agenda. If you find that you’re not getting through it every single time,
that might be a sign that you need to break out into smaller meetings, or add
in a weekly scrum.
7. Make sure the agenda visible to everyone (remote included!)
When you’re preparing your agenda, take into consideration how you will go
through it during the meeting. Avoid printouts at all cost – not only are they
bad for the environment and hard to collaborate on (see step #1), they’re not
inclusive to remote team members who aren’t in the room.
That said, you don’t want everyone pulling up the agenda on their own device
– that just encourages distraction. Our solution? Put the agenda up on a
shared screen, so that everyone can follow along in real-time. This is
especially important if you’re using a tool that allows you to take meeting
minutes right in the agenda (like ours!) – everyone will be able to see the
meeting notes as they’re written, and sign off on the decisions being made.
MINUTES
Minutes are the live written record of a meeting. They include the list of
attendees, issues raised, related responses, and final decisions taken to
address the issues. Their purpose is to record what actions have been
assigned to whom, along with the achievements and the deadlines.

According to Rajendra Pal and Korlahalli, “Minutes are the official records of
the proceedings of meeting.”

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TYPES OF MINUTE
1. Minutes of narration: These minutes will be a concise summary of all
discussions which took place, reports received, actions to be taken and
decisions made. It includes:
 Names of the participating members.
 Name of the proposer and supporter.
 Discussion summary. Resolutions
2. Minutes of resolution: Minutes of resolution means the written statement
of the decisions that have been taken and approved by the participating
members of the meeting. Only the main conclusions which are reached at the
meeting are recorded in minutes of resolution. These are usually used for
minutes of AGMs and other statutory meetings.

FACTORS CONSIDERED IN DRAFTING MINUTE

 Name and address of the organization
 Name of the meeting
 Date, time and venue of the meeting
 Name of the chair person
 Name and signature of the participating members
 Serial number
 Following of the rules and structure of minutes
 Name of the prosper and supplier of resolutions
 Number of regret letters
 Easy and understandable language
 Divisions
 Proper data
 Signature of the president

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IMPORTANCE OR OBJECTIVES OF A MINUTE:
1. It provides accurate summary of the proceeding of a meeting
2. Acts as documentary evidence
3. Opinions of the members can be reviewed
4. Guidelines for future meetings
5. Acts as a means of accountability to the shareholders Writing

THE MAIN PARTS OF MEETING MINUTES

1.Heading
The name of the committee (or other unit) and the date, location, and starting
time of the meeting.
2.Participants
The name of the person conducting the meeting along with the names of all
those who attended the meeting (including guests) and those who were
excused from attending.
3. Approval of previous minutes
A note on whether the minutes of the previous meeting were approved and
whether any corrections were made.
4. Action items (including unfinished business from the previous
meeting)
5. A report on each topic discussed at the meeting. (For each item, note the
subject of the discussion, the name of the person who led the discussion, and
any decisions that may have been reached.)
6. Announcements
A report on any announcements made by participants, including proposed
agenda items for the next meeting.

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7. Next Meeting
A note on where and when the next meeting will be held.
8. Adjournment
A note on the time the meeting ended.
9. Signature line
The name of the person who prepared the minutes and the date they were
submitted.

SEMINARS
A seminar may be defined as “a discussion in a small group in which the result
of research or advance study is presented through oral or written reports”.

CONFERENCES
Conference is a gathering of many people to meet and discuss a particular
subject. While this may seem like a pretty straightforward concept, a business
conference can be many different things depending on the context. There are
various types of conferences and reasons for hosting.

CONDUCTING SEMINARS & CONFERENCES

1. Choosing the best topic
The first and foremost requisite is to identify and finalize a topic for the
seminar. This is the basic point from where the other points of the seminar
can be taken forward. Choosing a topic has to be done taking into account the
target audience. Once the topic is chosen, the preparations for the
presentation can be done.

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The topic of the seminar must be relevant and useful in order to be able to
engage the listeners. The seminar can have topics that would make the
listeners feel that it is worth their time.
2. Analyze what your target points are
Seminars are not restricted with the topic alone. They need to have a set of
sub topics that are covered over the course of the seminar. Introducing the
important or basic points of the topic is what the presenter needs to convey to
get the seminar on track. From there the concepts to be covered can be
decided and the seminar can be built around the information.
3. Understanding the target audience
Seminars are usually conducted for a particular target audience. For example,
a seminar on the latest developments in computer science is not fit for a group
of chemistry experts. Knowing the age and demographics of the target
audience helps in the presentation of the chosen topic in a much better
manner. The seminar could be structured around the chosen topic and the
presentation matter can be chosen based on the best way to engage the target
audience. This helps in getting the audience to connect with the topic.
4. Planning the time slots of the seminar
Choosing a topic and content for conducting the seminar must also contain
this step. It is important to allot the time slots for each of the concepts that
must be covered. Doing this helps in organizing the seminar more effectively
and making sure that no points are missed. The concepts that are more
important can be given more importance while the lesser topics can be
covered with shorter time slots.

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5. Timing the seminar
The seminar has to be timed based on the current events and the current
requirement of the market you belong to. Noting the trends and choosing
topics based on that will help in bringing in more audience to the seminar. The
seminars must also be conducted on the days that more people can actually
make it to the event. In order to be more effective, seminars need to be able to
engage more audience.
6. Choosing the location
The location where the seminar is to be conducted must be accessible more to
the attendees than the organisers. The location of the seminar must also be
able to seat a large number of audience comfortably. The days of conducting
seminars and conferences in stuffy office rooms are passe. Now seminars are
conducted in specially organized auditoriums or hotel conference rooms.
There are also special centers for conferences and seminars which are well
equipped for such events.
7. Effective interaction with the audience
The main aim of a seminar is to engage the audience and interact with them.
The presenter must be proficient in the topic and must be able to deal with the
topic with confidence and ease. There might be questions and counter
arguments to the presenter and they must not be floundering when the
audience challenge or ask questions. Being prepared means being able to
answer the questions effectively. This will give a better impression about the
presenter and the organization they represent.

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PROCEDURE OF REGULATING SPEECH
1. Voice:
A good voice arising out of the vibration of vocal chords is an asset to every
speaker. The voice, amplified by the voice box, is sonorous, attractive and
alluring. Voices are of various types, clear, sonorous, musical, soft and
mellifluous, pleasant and smooth, raucous, artificial etc. In many matters, a
good and clear voice clinches the issue. In many interviews, a good and clear
voice is the major factor that clinches a job.
2. Pitch:
Technically, the rate of vibration, is called the pitch. The right pitch is
necessary to draw the attention of the listener. A monotonous tone will create
disinterest in the listener and the point will be lost. It is our experience that a
high pitch is the mark of high authority and a low pitch is the mark of
subordination. When we get excited or surprised, we change our tone to a
high pitch. When there is heated argument, different high pitch sounds are
heard.
3. Speed:
Fluency is not speed. Sometimes they are easily misunderstood one for the
other. The speed of speech counts a lot in understanding the language. Speech,
too fast or too slow, will not deliver the goods. Even in a hurry, we should
speak slow and steady. Too much of speed is never good for any speaker. In a
state of anxiety, we tend to speak fast.
4. Pause
The short span of silence between expressions is called a pause. It is very brief
and sometimes very meaningful. A right pause at the right moment, in the
right degree is very powerful and meaningful. The classic example of Mark

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Anthony’s funeral oration proves that the right pause is very useful to turn the
tide among the audience.
5. Non fluencies
Speech contains sounds and voices which are more meaningful than words.
Sometimes these pauses are filled with certain non-standard sounds. Sounds
like am, ah, oh, yea, hai, ok etc., fill these gaps and add to the meaning.
Sometimes we add these to our laughter chugging or yawning. There are a few
advantages in using such expressions. They add to the meaning of utterances.
6. Volume
Speaking loud is necessary for others to hear. Speaking too loud will spoil the
show. Loudness is adjusted according to the audience. Sometimes some
speakers develop the habit of speaking too loud.
7. Word stress:
Stress means the emphasis given to certain words in an utterance. Syllable
stress is different from word stress. By changing the word stress we can
convey different meanings with the same sentence

WHAT IS AN ORAL PRESENTATION?

Oral presentations, also known as public speaking or simply presentations,
consist of an individual or group verbally addressing an audience on a
particular topic. The aim of this is to educate, inform, entertain or present an
argument.

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STEPS FOR PLANNING ORAL PRESENTATION (OR) EVALUATING ORAL
PRESENTATION
1. Determine your reasoning for this presentation
Is your purpose to inform, educate, entertain or convince? Once you know
this, you can structure how you want the delivery to look, as well as the topics
you want to address.
2. Keep only the most important information
Determine what your topic will be and the areas that you plan to touch upon.
3. Know your Audience
This is one of the most important steps when planning and delivering a
presentation. It is essential that you know who will be listening to your
presentation and remembering to adjust your words, your visuals and your
expectations, however, your goal should be the same, making sure the
audience understands what you have presented to them.
4. Create an Outline
Layout your basic talking points. Like that of an essay, you have the opening
statement, your body paragraphs, and your closing statement. Try not to
overload your outline, or note cards with too many words. Your purpose as a
presenter is to have knowledge of your topic, therefore too many words will
give the audience the impression that you are not knowledgeable of the
information you are presenting.
5. Practice
This is the most important step of all those outlined. Practicing what you are
going to say, how you are going to say it is the essential to giving a
presentation. Practice with friends or family, or with yourself in the mirror.

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This practice will take away some of the anxieties we get when talking in front
of others as well as increase your confidence.

GROUP DISCUSSION
Group discussion refers to a communicative situation that allows its
participants to share their views and opinions with other participants. It is a
systematic exchange of information, views and opinions about a topic,
problem, issue or situation among the members of a group who share some
common objectives.

TYPES OF GROUP DISCUSSIONS

1. Factual Group Discussions
2. Opinion-Based Group Discussion
3. Group conversations based on case studies
4. Abstract Group Discussion

1. Factual group discussions: These discussions focus on the real world and
test a candidate’s ability to digest information and analyse socioeconomic or
everyday concerns.
2. Opinion-Based Group Discussion: Test how well candidates can
articulate their beliefs and viewpoints. These group talks tend to focus more
on views than facts.
3. Group conversations based on case studies: These discussions mimic
real-world circumstances. The group is given the specifics of a fictitious
scenario by the panelists, and then the group must work together to address
it.

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4. Abstract Group Discussion: These are abstract group discussions. In
these, the interviewers check to see if a candidate can approach the subject at
hand with originality and lateral thinking.

EVALUATE IN GROUP DISCUSSION

1. Subject Expertise: Your knowledge of the subject matter for the position is
the first thing that employers assess. Employers, for instance, want you to
have in-depth knowledge of their products and sales process if you seek a
sales position.
2. Creativity/Originality: Innovative solutions and unconventional thinking
are required for some jobs. The panellists may use group activities in these
situations to evaluate your creativity and originality of ideas when working in
a group.
3. Voice: Controlling your voice’s pitch, volume, and tone are all examples of
communication abilities. In a typical group discussion, employers listen for a
forceful approach, an authoritative voice, clarity in speech, and an audible
tone.
4. Bodily language: Your body language conveys a lot about your behaviours
and attitude at work.
5. Fluency: Speaking clearly is a necessary ability for positions in sales or
customer service.
6. Initiative: Self-starting is a sign of good leadership abilities. The panellists
will initially assess your attempts to initiate and establish the flow of the
conversation.

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7. Active hearing: For managerial or customer service roles, active listening
is a crucial skill. In a typical group, everyone tries to emphasise their points to
gain attention.

GROUP DISCUSSION PROCESS

1. Topic Announcement: The subject announcement is the initial step in any
GD. The panellist will introduce the subject.
2. Preparation Time: This is a preparation period during which all applicants
will be allowed 2 to 5 minutes to prepare their content.
3. Discussion Starts: At this point, one applicant, who may be any of the other
participants, starts the conversation.
4. Discussion among participants: After the panellist asked participants to
recap the entire discussion, they continued to speak.
5. Results: This is the last step in this process, where the discussion ratings
for each candidate are announced depending on their performance.

GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDELINES

1. Do your homework on the subject: The easy fix is to make a list of all the
crucial information while getting ready.
2. Prepare your content: Have faith in your content Having faith in your
content would be beneficial. If you lack confidence, you can fumble through a
sentence, which will give the wrong impression.
3. Do not start if unsure: If you are unsure of your topic, don’t start the
conversation.
4. Avoid conflict: Certain candidates frequently become combative during
group discussions. Don’t argue during the conversation.

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DRAFTING SPEECH
Write down the purpose or goal of the speech before you start drafting it and
understand whether you're trying to inspire, educate or entertain your
audience. Your speech should be tailored to your audience so read the room
before you include informal words or slangs

HOW TO MAKE A GOOD SPEECH

1. Choose an important topic.
2. Consider your audience.
3. Prepare a structure.
4. Begin with a strong point.
5. Use concrete details and visual aids.
6. Include a personal element.
7. Consider rhetorical devices.
8. End memorably.
1. Choose an important topic
The first step of speech writing is deciding what your speech will be about.
You may already have a general topic or idea of what you want to discuss, but
narrowing your topic to a few specific points or one clear purpose will help
ensure that your speech stays engaging.

First, brainstorm a list of all the possible items you could include. Then, go
over your list and cross out any nonessential items. Continue doing this until
you have narrowed your topic to a few salient points.
2. Consider your audience
The biggest factor when deciding how to approach a topic is the audience you
will be addressing. Take a few moments to research the following
considerations:

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  What does the audience already know about the subject?
 What do they need to know about the subject?
 How do they feel about the subject?
 How does the subject relate to or affect the lives of those in the
audience?
3. Prepare a structure
An especially important approach to effective speech writing is to have a clear
structure for your ideas. Outline a logical sequence for each point you will use
to discuss your topic, and have notes with you during your speech so you can
keep to this structure. Having a clear flow of ideas will help you to be
persuasive, inform your audience and keep you on topic.
4. Begin with a strong point
An audience is usually most attentive when a speaker first begins talking, so
try to use this time effectively. Condense the main idea or purpose of your
speech into one sentence that you can use to open your presentation. Starting
with a strong, clear purpose will show your audience where you intend to lead
them and should help capture their interest.
5. Use concrete details and visual aids
Use concrete details to support your points. Brief stories, interesting examples
or factual data will help to engage your audience and illustrate the truth of
your purpose.
Consider using visual aids to further support your speech. Images can be
powerful and engaging. You could create a digital presentation to accompany
your speech or bring in some related props, such as a sample of the product
you’re discussing.

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6. Include a personal element
Your audience is more likely to be interested in the topic of your speech when
they are also interested in you. Consider using a personal story or example in
your speech. If you can present yourself to the audience as someone
knowledgeable and trustworthy, they will be more likely to listen attentively
and consider what you say.
7. Consider rhetorical devices
A rhetorical device is a method of using words to make them especially
memorable. Consider some of the most memorable lines from famous
speeches. These lines are usually enduring because they influence the
audience’s emotions by repeating key words or phrases, inverting the
structure of a repeated phrase, reversing the order of words or using an
unexpected turn of phrase. Stylistic devices such as alliteration and repetition
can help catch your audience’s attention.
8. End memorably
The final moment of a speech is usually what an audience remembers most
vividly. At the end of your speech, return to the strong purpose you began
with and try to end in a meaningful way, such as creating a vision of the
future, sharing a true story of success or using a clear call to action.

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