Speech Tips

Crafting a Speech to a Global Audience
Sheila Allee

Now that we live in a global economy and a global community, speakers are called upon more than ever to address international audiences. It can be a daunting task, given the opportunities for misunderstandings that can arise between different cultures.

Language barriers and cultural differences are fertile ground for offending audiences from foreign nations. So the speaker's primary objective must be to do no harm.

Here are seven tips for staying on message and out of harm's way:

Keep it simple.
Make your sentences short and direct. Subject, predicate, period. Use one-syllable words -- go, eat, work. And stay away from jargon, sports metaphors and complex words.

Tell them about you.
Describe where you're from, what it looks like and how it's different from where you are.

Use a written script.
This will make it easier for you to stick to simple phrasing. Plus, it will make it easier for translators. Be sure to go over any difficult words ahead of time with translators.

Connect with your audience.
As in any other speaking opportunity, the speaker must connect with the international audience. If the speaker has been to the country before, an experience or memory from the trip would make an excellent opener. If you can't come up with a personal connection, consider a recent hit movie that is set in the country, or a new local museum or building. Check with a travel agent or read English language newspapers from the locale to get ideas.

Recognize dignitaries.
Protocol is often more important to foreign audiences than it is to American audiences. Find out who the leaders are in the audience and be sure to recognize them in your opening remarks.

Don't speak a language if you don't know it -- ever.
Talk about a minefield. Remember John Kennedy's famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" statement in West Berlin in 1961? While he got a cheer from the crowd, some chuckled because ein Berliner is a doughnut.

Use humor sparingly and with great care.
The safest route is to stay away from humor completely. What's funny in one country is not in another. If you must wax humorous, poke fun at yourself -- gently, of course. Never tell a joke about your audience.

Follow these basic guidelines and you'll be on the road to success in giving your international speech.

BONUS TIP OF THE MONTH: When speaking to an international audience, speak slowly. It will help the translators and your audience. And limit your message to one key point. The usual standard of making three key points doesn't apply here. Use repetition to drive home that all-important single message.

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