'CONNECT' 25: Tips on Public Speaking...Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel'

'Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel'

Ralph Waldo Emerson

The purpose of communication is to bring about a change in the mental state of the person or the group of persons with whom we communicate. It is said that only 7% of the communication takes place through words and the 'soft aspects' of communication decide the quality of communication much more than the words.

One of the tools to make public speaking effective is 'emphasis'.

When we read a written document some words are in italics, some words are bold, some words are underlined and some words carry a '.....' mark to draw our attention to those words. Some people also use highlighters to draw our attention. These are the key words which convey the meaning and the context of the message. These words convey the intent of the communicator.

When it comes to oral communication, especially in public speaking, we use 'emphasis' by stressing some words, by using different tonality and pitch when we pronounce those words.

Correct emphasis may change the meaning. For example, ‘Thank you very much’  can be stated in a flat voice. The same be said ‘Thank you very much’, with proper emphasis on the word 'very' to make it more personal.

More about emphasis in the next newsletter.

NC Sridharan

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