People may come up with the most stunning content for their argument, but the fact is that in most cases, nearly one-third of the marking criteria goes to your delivery of the material. While speaking passionately about poorly researched work probably won't win you a debate, marrying factual evidence with emotional conviction will. No matter how analytical and academic a debate is, your presentation will have a definite effect on your adjudicator, as well as your audience. In a tight match, your win may rest on the drama of your performance.
Consolidate your movement. Using gesture can be extremely helpful in elaborating on your points. All public speaking is, after all, just an attempt to seem natural and accessible in front of a larger crowd. Remember the basic NODS rule of physical gesture, which dictate that all your movement should Neutral, Open, Defined, and Strong.
* You generally have a large stage to inhabit while debating. Occupy this space fully. You don't want to be pacing nervously, but you do want to ensure that you look comfortable speaking in front of others.
* Don't rely on gesture as a nervous tick. If you're releasing anxiety through gesture, then your gestures will not be strong. Instead, they'll add unnecessary motion, distracting from your speech.
Establish eye contact. It's unlikely that you'll win your debate if you aren't making eye contact with both your audience and your adjudicator. In speaking in any public setting, the crowd will feel a trust in you if you can connect directly to them using the eyes. Even brief moments of connection will serve you well, as for that instance, one person will feel that you are speaking directly to them.
* After you make eye contact with one person in the audience, deliver your next line or phrase to the next person. This way, you'll connect with a larger number of people in a one-on-one way.
* You can also use eye contact to silence a distracting presence in your audience. If someone isn't paying attention to you, then a prolonged stare will make them feel uncomfortable. The hope, then, is that they'll quiet down, or at least attempt to be less distracting.
Diversify your tone. No one wants to listen to a monotonous speaker, especially if you're being judged on your ability to craft a compelling argument. Changing your tone throughout will also highlight the breadth of your argument, as you should adapt for each section of your speech.
* If you're speaking about grisly, violent details, you'll want to adapt a tone of disgust. When slipping in a mild joke or self-aware remark, a humorous or light-hearted tone can be very effective.
*Above all, your tone should always have some level of urgency. This proves that you aren't avoiding the importance of the topic at hand. Diversifying your tone is very important, but you never want to forget the core of your speech.
Master the dramatic pause. Any moment of stillness, in a debate, should feel important. Because so much of debate revolves around the power of oration, any break in the action will feel heavy. The dramatic and power pauses are the longest, and often the most successful. They come directly after and before large moments in a speech, respectively.
* When done poorly, these major pauses can really tank an argument.
Make sure that you've built up to this pause with a great deal of momentum. That way, your silence will be earned.
* Pauses can range in their use, from dividing major points in a paragraph to allowing you to get a drink of water. Make sure that you're losing your pauses appropriately, as you don't want to break your focus with too much regularity.
Close your debate with passion. You always want to maintain immediacy while debating, but you want to make sure that you aren't letting your argument get away from you. If there's a time to relinquish some control, however, it's in your closing statements.
* Often referred to as a "final blast," your closing remark takes familiar points from your speech and amplifies them with a final appeal to your audience.
* You can achieve this with a heightened tone of voice, or you can allow your speech to move a bit quicker than it normally would. Poking small holes in your composure will amplify your power as an orator, and this last effort may be crucial in solidifying a win.