Here are four model soapbox speeches. There is no such thing as a perfect speech. We can join the throngs of speakers who hone in on the one or two misspoken words and overlook the brilliance of the rest of the speech, but that is not fair and counterproductive. These speeches were chosen for several reasons, which I will highlight. However, I will also indicate spots for improvement. Please read through my comments before watching the speeches.
Sample Soapbox Speech #1 - Bob
Bob gave a speech with solid content and strong evidence of practice. Something you may encounter a couple times on this website is the idea that a speech is only 50% content. The other half is the delivery, and it was with this that Bob struggled a bit. Overall, I would give this speech a B-.
Room for improvement- Include more passion in the delivery. Be mad or outraged by the topic and in disbelief such a thing is happening. More consistent eye contact and fluctuating the volume of his voice would have helped Bob. It helps to pause between points to indicate transition and keep the audience with you. It is important to finish strong. To see the speaker step off the soapbox with head hung and shaking is not the image a speaker wants to leave in the audience's mind.
Positives- Bob had a strong use of hands to help capture the audience. He posed a number of hypothetical questions to get people thinking and help them relate to the topic. Clearly, he had command of the content, including ample statistics. Formal dress helps send a message that this person should be taken seriously.
Sample Soapbox Speech #2 - Gloria
This is one of the better soapbox speeches you are going to see. Clearly there is a command of the content, but what makes this speech great is the delivery. I ask students to "get sassy", which basically means work some emotion into the speech. Be outraged by the situation and appalled that such things have happened. It is just this kind of emotion that lures the audience in for more, which is the objective of a soapbox speech. Overall, I would give this speech an A.
Room for improvement- There was some repetition of a word or two (Ridiculous, Again). When I get nervous my ability to find the right word shuts down and I tend to reuse the same word several times. This is not a big deal, but can be address. The biggest spot for improvement is the way Gloria walked off the soapbox, as if she just blew it. Regardless of what happened, walk off with confidence as that last portion of the speech will be remembered. Body language speaks pretty loudly as well.
Positives- Gloria did a great job of working through pauses or spots she forgot something. A speaker should pause for a moment to think and then just move on. Gloria did this several times and then circled back once she remembered the info. The audience did not even notice because she did such a great job pausing between her points, they thought the pause to remember was just another transition. Finally, Gloria did well in fluctuating the tone and volume of her voice. This exudes emotion and captures the audience.
Sample Soapbox Speech #3- Sandy
This was a great soapbox speech. The content was clearly there, but the focus was on engaging the audience. You can see this with the eye contact, pointing at students and rhetorical questions. Again, the delivering is a huge part of the speech and capturing the audience is one of the main objective of a soapbox speech. Overall, I would give this speech an A.
Room for improvement- It is easy to get caught up with getting through the content and remembering what is next and inadvertently talking fast. The quick pace can also be a side effect of nerves, although I do not think that was the case here. I would suggest pausing between the main chunks of the speech. It shows composure, gives the audience a chance to process what has been said, and indicates transitions (like a new paragraph in writing).
Positives- Sandy definitely gets sassy and shows emotion, which attracted the kind of attention she wanted from the audience. She also had good volume. A strong voice commands attention. I am not posting examples of those who just lifelessly stood on the box and spoke without animation, in a monotone voice, but you can imagine how that looks compared to this speech.
Sample Soapbox Speech #4 - Ellen
This was a solid speech from a student who put a lot of work into getting prepared and building the courage to step on the box. The preparation is clear with her command of the content and her ability to produce so many statistics. These are just the kind of details (along with quotes and examples), that help to persuade an audience. Soapbox speeches area all about capturing the attention of people walking by and selling them on joining your cause. This speech gave a strong sales pitch. Overall, I would give this speech a B-.
Room for improvement- Ellen could have had a more commanding presence on the soapbox. Her volume was too low, which sometimes give the impression of uncertainty from the speaker. Whether that is the case or not, a speaker wants to hide those feelings, especially if they are trying to convince others of something. Eye contact can capture people, even if the speaker is really just looking at their hair. Ellen did a good job of using her hands, but that movement seemed forced, or not natural as her hands continued with the same motion. It is possible to "talk with your hands" too much, but in general getting the hands out to animate the speaker is better to have more of than less.
Positives- Ellen did a great job of speaking in the first person. She was there as the reformer to tell you all about this issue that was currently affecting us all. She also did well working through pauses. This is not something that just comes natural. Speakers have to work through pauses in their practice speeches as if it is the real deal. Too often students, when practicing speeches, will just stop and look at notes when they get stuck. This is okay in the early stages of practice, but can be detrimental is held on to for too long. Ellen was convincing and had the best conclusion of the sample soapbox speeches posted here. It is like gymnastics, you have to stick the landing. Too often, not enough focus in placed on the conclusion. Ellen nailed it.
Sample Soapbox Speech #5 - Susana
Overall, this is one of the best speech deliveries of the samples. There is clear passion and anger which is something that captures people's attention. There are two parts of a speech, however, and this student struggled a bit with the content. because of this I would give her an A-, with some points deducted for not reaching the required time limit.
Room for Improvement- The speech was short by almost a minute. I know Susana practiced this several times, but I get the feeling that she did not run through it form beginning to end, often times stopping when she got stuck and then starting the speech over after looking at the outline. This means she really had the start of the speech down, but struggled with the end because she simply had gone through it less. There were some issues with organization as well.
Positives- Susana has great passion. The rhetorical questions (How would you feel if...) were effective in capturing people along with the other sassy statement, "And don't get me started on..". This student worked over the crowd with eye contact and pointing at people. She was very persuasive.
Sample Soapbox Speech #6 - William
This speech was given with a good amount of confidence. This student know they had the material down and spoke with authority. There were some speed bumps along the way, as there always is, but overall, William delivered a strong speech with even better content. I would give this student a solid A.
Room for Improvement- I believe this student could have benefited from video taping himself giving the speech beforehand. The moments where he got stuck, he inadvertently looked down and did an odd movement, which was a bit of a tip off to the audience that he was stuck. That could have been filtered out by watching himself give the speech. The content at the end of the speech was good, but he did not finish strong with his delivery.
Positives- William had good pauses between his points which helps compose the speaker and keep the audience attentive. His content was strong throughout the speech and he kept himself in character as he talked about "we" and join "us".
Sample Soapbox Speech #7 - Louise
I thought Louise did a great job with her speech. She was confident and had a solid command of the information. Overall, I would give her a A- for this speech.
Room for Improvement- Louise could benefit from speaking up more and having a commanding voice. Even if that is not a tone she is born with or comes natural, she can produce more volume to capture the student's attention. I tend to sweat when I get nervous and I always get nervous when I give speeches, so I would advise against wearing warm clothing. Louise was wearing a large scarf that looked very professional, but she set herself up to be sweating by the end of the speech. The biggest spot for improvement was that Louise needs to nail the ending. She gave a great speech, but kind of walked off stage instead of nailing the end with authority.
Positives- Louise was articulate and clear. She delivered strong body language throughout the speech including her use of hands, facial expressions, and rotating her body. I also really liked her consistent theme of "Join Us" and "we" are doing this, which sticks to the format of the speech.
