Deciding what to say before saying it goes with just about any type of public speaking event. Sometimes speaking before thinking causes an announcer to trip over words or to stutter. Saying something inappropriate may cause an embarrassing moment, especially if the announcer must apologize. In many cases public address announcers do their job from a booth or out of the eye of listeners, so using a script helps the message and the messenger. Writing down as much information as possible allows the announcer to read from a script rather than speaking on an impromptu basis or off the cuff.
Public address announcers want people to hear them speak, so announcers should make speaking clearly an objective. Announcers should make sure their throat is clear and free of chewing gum, food or liquid. Using good diction and enunciating also means using the correct pronunciation of places and names. For instance, in some cases, someone hearing her name said in public carries a lot of pride; therefore, announcers should make every effort to say it correctly.
Announcers should use a tone appropriate with a message. To tell people to get out of a burning building, announcers should yell -- however, that same tone at a solemn church event won't work. Announcers who read names from a list of those killed in the Vietnam War use a somber tone rather than sounding happy or joyful. Nobody wants to hear a monotone voice, so using variety in the voice shows diversity and keeps it interesting for the ear. Listening to a good radio disc jockey, sports announcer or news reader can help announcers understand tone and when to apply different techniques.
Repeating important information for those listening gives them a chance to hear it twice for clarification, especially in the case of instructions. Depending on the place, people may not always hear what a public address announcer says the first time, so repeating the information (especially important information) helps people take notice. Always repeat phone numbers, addresses or other contact information several times because when people hear this information they typically grab a pen and paper to write it down. The announcer can also tell the crowd he will repeat the information at the end of the broadcast.