There is a lot of effort and preparation that goes into writing a speech. If you are writing a speech about yourself, you will need to consider a variety of factors, including who the audience is, what the purpose of the speech is, and how long it will last. With good preparation, planning, and editing time, you can craft a speech that introduces yourself in an effective and entertaining way.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Before Writing
Step 1. Clarify the purpose of your speech
Is the purpose to explain why you joined the blacksmith class? Is the goal to introduce your position and history to your company in an employment seminar? Before writing anything down, you should have a clear idea of the purpose of the speech. Write the purpose of your speech at the top of the text page.
Step 2. Think about what important things you want to include
If the speech is a general introduction to yourself, include things like where you came from, how you came to be in this group, what your interests are, and what you'd like to get out of this group event or forum. If this is a work-related speech, it would be wise to include things about your professional qualifications and other important skills, as well as anything else that supports your credibility and your reasons for being there. In the end, it is you who decides what topics and ideas will be included in the text of the speech.
- One method of brainstorming is making mind mappings. You can do this with a piece of paper and pencil, and then start by writing the main idea or theme in the center of the page. Then, draw lines to connect the ideas and intentions that branch out from the core of the idea in the middle. For a speech about yourself, you can start with the circle in the middle labeled "I". You can make three to four circles that are connected to the middle circle, such as "interests", "aspirations", and so on. Then you can continue to create more and more specific subsequent circles.
- Another method for brainstorming that you can use is the alphabet method, which is to make a list of things related to the topic of the speech on each letter, starting with the letter A and going on.
- Another brainstorming method is the three-perspective method. Think about the topic of the speech from three perspectives. First, explain the topic, which is yourself. Then, do a search. Trace your history, where you came from and where you moved, and how you changed from the whole journey. Finally, map all those things out. Think about who and what influenced you and how the process went. All of this is a process of getting into the bigger picture.
Step 3. Put your speech together according to your target audience and purpose
First, determine who your audience is. Think about how broad/many your audience is, how old they are, and why they gather. Then, think about what your listeners are interested in. What do you think people want to know? What kind of information do they expect? Ask yourself these questions, then decide on the answers. The answer is the content of your speech.
- You should also think about various aspects of the audience as these will determine your speech, such as length, style, and so on.
- For example, if your listeners are guests at a wedding reception, and this is a speech from the groom's man, your listeners will be more interested in your relationship with the groom and the history of your relationship with him. Speeches like this also shouldn't be too long because the center of attention of this wedding reception is not on the groom's companion.
Part 2 of 3: Writing Speech Text
Step 1. Understand the instructions
Before writing anything, you need to fully understand the instructions given. Pay attention to the guidelines and objectives of the writing assignment. That way, you'll know the length of the speech, what things need to be included in it, and so on. For example, a two-minute speech will be written differently than a ten-minute speech. Knowing these writing instructions will have an impact on the writing process you do.
- The most important difference between a short and a long speech is the amount of detail in it. A two-minute speech to introduce yourself to a class should be made with a few opening words of a paragraph or two in the body of the speech, and perhaps a concluding sentence or two at the end.
- The content of the 10-15 minute speech will be opened with an introductory section, which includes the opening, middle, and end of the opening words, an introduction to the core of the speech, and a conclusion of the main theme. The body section can consist of four to six paragraphs, and each paragraph consists of an explanation of the main purpose as well as examples. The conclusion section may be longer than a summary, and may consist of one to two sentences that tie the theme of the speech to a broader context.
Step 2. Write the outline
Before you start writing the body of the speech, you need to outline it. Using word processing software, or pencil and paper, write down “Introduction”, “Body”, and “Conclusion”. Then add the core intent of each section in the form of a bullet list. You don't even have to use full sentences here. Just write a brief summary of each part of the speech.
- Depending on how long the speech is, you may need to divide the body into sections, such as "Paragraph 1," "Paragraph 2," and so on.
- Speeches of two minutes or shorter should have one or two core purposes, which may be included in the body of only one paragraph.
- Speeches of two to five minutes should have two to three core points, with paragraphs in each body section.
- Speeches that are longer than five minutes should have up to five main points, with paragraphs in each body.
- At this stage, you should also start thinking about how to structure the content. To write a speech about yourself, the most reasonable way to structure it is chronologically, with each point describing a different period in your life history; or by topic, with each core intent containing a different topic related to you.
Step 3. Design your opening words
Depending on the purpose of the speech and who the audience is, you can start your speech in the following ways:
- If the speech is simple and short, and the goal is to introduce yourself to the class or group, you can start with a basic introduction consisting of a brief greeting, your name, and the purpose of the speech. For example, “Good morning everyone! My name is _ and I would like to take the opportunity to introduce myself to all of you.”
- If this speech about yourself serves a more specific purpose than just introducing yourself, you may want to make the opening a little more entertaining and engaging. You can start with a question that provokes the listener's response, a surprising fact, a joke, or a moving image. For example, if your speech is about an interesting aspect of your life, such as your unique profession, you might start with, "Imagine waking up every morning to hear the sounds of the animals at the safari park from all around you."
Step 4. End this opening section
The opening should describe the content of the speech. You must conclude what will be included in the body of your speech and the purpose of your speech.
For example, if you are giving a short speech about yourself in front of the class, you might say, “First I will tell you a little about my past, then I will share some of my interests and aspirations. I will close with my career plans."
Step 5. Continue with the body of your speech
Depending on the purpose of your speech, the body may consist of one or more paragraphs. If you are using multiple paragraphs, make sure that each paragraph has its own opening, body, and conclusion. Each core intent should be written in a separate paragraph. The paragraph in the body of this speech must begin with an opening sentence regarding the purpose of the paragraph, then continue with the content and conclusion of the paragraph and its relationship to the speech as a whole.
For example, if you are writing an opening speech for a college organization, such as a photography club, you might start the body with a paragraph about how you became interested in photography. An opening sentence might go something like, “Photography has always fascinated me, especially with its ability to capture and save precious moments.” The closing sentence could be something like, “Since then, I have been eager to learn more about the ins and outs of photography in order to become more proficient.”
Step 6. End with a strong conclusion
Don't think too much. The conclusion is just one paragraph that concludes your entire speech. Summarize the gist of your speech, and include answers to any questions from the opening section. Conclusions should tie all the pieces together and make your speech more universal.
- For example, if the speech is about your interests and experiences in the film industry, you can include your experience in cinema on a large scale. The conclusion should focus on the overall importance of the topic of your speech.
- If the speech is simply introducing yourself, you can end it with an unnecessarily grand conclusion. The conclusion of a speech aimed at introducing yourself should repeat and conclude the most important part of your speech, namely the main details of yourself that you have revealed.
Part 3 of 3: Correcting Speech Text
Step 1. Look for inspiration from other speeches
The best way that many people have done is to learn from other examples. Looking at other speech samples can help you get started on your own. Do some personal research on “self-introduction speech examples” to learn some examples of self-introduction speeches.
Step 2. Edit your speech
Since speech is something that is heard, not read, spelling and formatting are unimportant, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't edit it. Reread your speech in its entirety after you have written it. Mark the sentences and words that you think can be improved. Don't think of the first draft as the final result, but just a rough draft.
- Read your speech aloud. This will help you hear the rhythm of the content and make improvements to the flow of the speech. Snippets of sentences may be used, as long as they are not excessive. Prioritize the use of active verbs over passive ones.
- As you read the speech aloud, take note of any sentences that sound too long to take in one breath. Break these sentences into shorter ones as you edit them.
Step 3. Enter the marker words
Markers in speech make it easy for listeners to follow the ideas and flow of the speech. These markers serve to signal when you move to a new idea, to which part of the speech you are speaking, whether at the beginning, middle, or end, and how the two ideas are related.
- When discussing a particular set (list) of ideas, the order markers that can be used are words such as “first” (or “first of all”), “second”, and “third”.
- Significant words that show the relationship between two ideas for example are "more than that", "other than that", "but", "then", and "for example".
- Larger marker words tell listeners where you are at the moment. For example, the first paragraph often begins with something like, "I want to start with…" and the last paragraph often begins with "In conclusion…"
Step 4. Avoid clichés
For example, don't say "then…" or "thank you" at the end of your speech, but just sum it up. Don't start with something like "Today I'm going to tell you about…" Find a more interesting way to introduce your topic. Overused phrases like these don't add any value to your speech.
- What do you replace cliches with? First, you have to reduce the meaning of the sentence, then think of a more interesting way to say the same thing, or, in most cases, just throw it away.
- For example, the word “in conclusion” is a sign that you will sum up all the ideas that you have said before. This word can be replaced with, “Then what does all this mean?” or “I've said a lot about myself. The bottom line is just one thing: _.”
- Oftentimes, cliches are just fillers that don't add anything important to your speech. Instead of saying, "Today I'm going to tell you about…" you better just get started with the topic.
Step 5. Talk about yourself confidently, but stay humble
Talking about yourself can feel awkward at times. To be both receptive and appealing to the listener, be sure to deliver it confidently, but stay humble. Read your speech carefully, spot signs of arrogance or condescension, and adjust it to sound both confident and humble.
- Don't praise yourself too much. For example, saying "everyone knows I'm the best soccer player on the team…" while accepting the captaincy award in front of your entire team may not be well received.
- If, for example, you're the best player on the team, you could share your accomplishments by saying something like "I broke my personal record this season and scored 12 goals. While I'm happy to have broken this record, I know it wouldn't be possible without it. hard work and the help of the entire team."
- If you're uncomfortable, you can slip in a little joke or admit that you feel weird talking about yourself. This will allow listeners to better understand your feelings.
Step 6. Find a friend or teacher who can help
In addition to reading your own speech, find someone to read it to you. Having someone else listen to your speech and notice which areas need improvement will help. It's possible that a friend, colleague, teacher, or peer may notice things you don't.
Tips
- When you're done writing your speech, be sure to practice it until you're comfortable.
- Don't get off topic when writing your speech.
- Make a hint card. Hint cards come in handy because if you practice well, you can be reminded of what to say by looking at some of the words written on these cards. The flow of your speech will come naturally and you can also do it without getting too nervous about it (if this is allowed). Avoid reading directly from the card.
- Always remember the first and last sentences of your speech.
