The opening of a speech is your chance to engage the audience's attention. Your body language as you approach the podium, the pause before you begin to speak and the first words you say can all affect how attentive your listeners will be to the rest of the speech. The most effective openings start with either an interesting question or a provocative statement.
The body of the speech is your chance to address the points you wish to communicate to your audience. A speech should not contain too many main points: three is about right for a five-to-seven-minute speech. Each point should support the main theme of the speech. Dramatic or memorable points will hold a crowd's attention, while repeating the speech title or a previous line throughout the body of the speech will help tie everything together.
The speech's conclusion should help your audience understand the outcome you desire to bring about with your speech. This may include a call to action, whether that action is the purchase of an item, political support, or joining an organization. Repetition again comes into play as you restate words or phrases that sum up the speech. Deliver your conclusion with high energy and conviction.
Humor is an important element for most speeches. Audiences expect to be entertained as well as informed, and a few well-placed jokes are a good way to do that. Jokes can be either scripted or ad-libbed. Examples of ad-lib humor might be saying "Oops, sounds like they finally found me" in response to sirens going past outside, or quipping, "I must have forgotten to take my pill" if your beeper goes off. Stick to neutral or self-effacing humor; never risk offending members of the audience.