How to Build Momentum in a Speech
Great speeches have the power to change the world. Whether it is President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation or Dr. Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream speech, great oratory can inspire and stir people to action. Though you may not have such lofty goals when giving a speech, you can still employ the same tactics memorable speakers use to build momentum through the rising action of your words and effective hand gestures.
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Instructions
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Use eye contact. Though this is a truism for any effective speech, it is especially important as your speech nears its climax because it personalizes the content of your speech and creates a bond with your audience members.
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Use present-tense active verbs to enhance the urgency of your words. For example, past-tense sentences such as "Those of us who stood in the shadows at times that were important" should be changed to "Let none of us stand in the shadows at this critical juncture."
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Craft your words in such a way that they create a picture in the audience's mind. A good speech moves from the general to the specific, so you must use language that evokes an image as your speech nears its high point. For example, President Lincoln's first inaugural address in 1861 built momentum using words that included, "You have no oath registered in heaven to destroy the government."
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Use your body to convey the emotion or importance of your words. In a political speech, pumped fists can express solidarity or a closed fist banging on a lectern can express anger about an issue. Walking away from the lectern and closer to the audience is an effective way to signal that your speech is building to its crescendo, because it physically brings you closer to those who are listening.
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