how to be an expert dm speaker ‍

You can be a great speaker and influence others! Give short speakers “class raps” in classes or longer presentations to clubs, in dorms, or lobbying elected officials.

Tips for Success

  • Your goal is to get people excited about being involved to solve big problems and change the political system. Don’t give them a lecture! Instead, be passionate and ethusiastic!

  • Be confident and energetic. If you’re boring, if you drone on and on, why should your audience get excited about it? Be passionate about what you care about and why!

  • Give them hope! Never leave them feeling powerless. Give examples of how change can happen and what DM does.

  • Don’t read your speech.You can’t be convincing if your eyes are glued to a piece of paper or phone. Speak from some basic notes, but memorize your examples and main arguments.

  •  Speak loudly and slowly. If you speak at regular volume or a mile a minute, no one will understand a word you say. Everyone thinks they are speaking more slowly and loudly than they are! Remind yourself loudly and slowly, loudly and slowly, loudly and slowly….

  •  Make eye contact. Constant eye contact with the audience along with loud, slow and energetic speaking will completely engage your audience.

  • Make only a few points. Don’t overwhelm people with too much information or with your brilliance on the subject. Too much means they won’t remember anything! Keep it simple and clear and uncomplicated! Assume they don’t know much about it.

  • Engage your audience. Ask them questions, solicit their opinions, use examples from their experiences. Encourage them to ask you questions too (if you don’t know, say so!)

  • Practice! Practice your speech in front of a few friends and/or DM members. It will help you get over your nerves to hear constructive criticism. Practice. practice, practice!

The Basic DM Speech

  • Get ‘em pissed off.  Tell them about problems like climate change, injustice, high prices, inequality etc . and why they should be upset. Pick just a few current issues that affect them.

  • Give ‘em a solution. Give them hope that these problems can be solved or have been solved by ordinary people getting together in social movements to make change.

  • Get ‘em involved – Give them specifics about what they can do to get involved,. Taklk about what DM has done and will be doing and invite them to help. Pass around a sign up sheet you can follow up with them! Give them one thing they can do e.g. call or write a representative, help DM table, talk to their friends about these issues, etc.

    ‍ PRACTICE PRACTiCE PRACTICE !