Delivery is Important

What is the difference between a good speech and a speech that is good? Often the terms seem interchangeable. While I agree, on the surface, they seem to mean the same thing, there is a difference that speaks to how effectively or how well such public remarks come across. To say something is a "good speech" refers to the actual text, the words themselves. Are they coherent? Are they of substance or do they have weight? But a "speech that is good" refers more to how well it is delivered. There are words or bottom-line message versus how well they are communicated. In other words, a good speech is not necessarily a speech that is good.

Why is this important? Should not a good speech stand on its own? If a speech is good, then should not that fact come across even if it is delivered poorly? That is possible, of course, but not necessarily  guaranteed. "Over the Rainbow" is a great song but as I do not have a good voice and have never sung in public, if I were to sing it before an audience, then the chances are quite good the power of the tune would not nearly be as strong if delivered by a person with vocal talent and stage presence. This reality, then, does speak to the importance of delivery. In the context of communication, it speaks to the value of packaging.

A good speech needs proper delivery. Perhaps the most famous speech of all, "The Gettysburg Address" by Lincoln, was not really acclaimed for what it was at the time it was given. Lincoln's remarks did not really pick up steam until months after they were introduced. If we want words to have "pow," then often they must be showcased. This is why marriage proposals are often made in the context of, say, a moonlite night or candlelight dinner; a good speech packaged in a special way. "It's all in the delivery" is not necessarily a trivial statement. Proper showcasing is important. At the same time, however, it helps a great deal if what is being showcased also has substance.