. . . only dull ways of talking. Botany, math, accounting and podiatry are boring only to the uninformed. If you give a speech based upon information you find interesting, you're likely to spark curiosity by your own enthusiasm.

But the basic point and purpose of your talk must be clear. Such subjects as personnel, pollution and contracts are broad areas and. for practical purposes, useless in the context of a speech. Ask yourself: "What about them?" Most people answer by coining a phrase: "mismanagement of personnel," "air pollution" or "winning a contract." However, while phrases make provocative titles, they do not help focus your thinking. - 'Mismanagement of personnel," for example. doesn't tell whether you are going to talk about poor distribution of workloads. the need for more training of managers or money wasted.

Ask a question again: "What about 'mismanagement of personnel'?" Now you are forcing yourself to use the phrases as subjects in sentences: "Mismanagement of personnel wastes $10 million a year"; "Even the air at mountain tops is polluted"; "Time, tact and a clear list of particulars win contracts." Those simple, declarative sentences are topics. It's a good idea to write them down to see that each sentence is complete--with a verb. Note also that you can be ignorant about a topic and still coin a phrase, or even ask a question. The declarative sentence makes you assert something and, therefore, requires information. If you can't find a sentence to express the topic, perhaps you need more information.

Once you are clear as to what you are going to say, you must find the best ways to communicate your ideas to your listeners. Avoid clichés and platitudes by not indulging in generalizations --especially at the beginning of your speech. If you come out with clever lines that are being recycled throughout the lecture circuit, you will witness an astounding phenomenon: people sleeping with their eyes open: If you think you have a unique delivery and the savoir faire that would allow you to get away with repeating standard lines, your guard is down and you are even more susceptible to being dull.

First impressions are indelible. The way you start is the way your audience will expect you to finish. A humdrum beginning is an obstacle you yourself create -- and must then overcome. 'Why not avoid the problem by resisting the natural instinct to save the best for last. Start with your humdinger. Pull your best idea out of the body of your speech and use it at the very start. You can develop it later in its normal setting. Strong ideas can always be repeated as a means of emphasis.

If you wish to begin with a relevant story, an apt quote from an authority, or a report of new data--fine. But jokes are tricky. Don't tell one unless you know that it hasn't been making the rounds (surprise is an essential ingredient of humor), that you can tell it and get a laugh, and that it is related to your topic.

Above all, avoid being coy. If you confess how "unaccustomed" or "uneasy" you are as a speaker, you divert attention from your topic to yourself. The audience should always be confident of you as the speaker because, whether you wish it or not, you are for that moment in charge.

Maintain the momentum of your speech by keeping abstractions to a minimum. Talk in stories and illustrations, not statements of principle. Make your words paint pictures of people and places. Transform numbers and percentages. For example, change 20% to one of every five of you. The generalization "Great minds seek profound ideas in simplicity" seems tine at first glance--not a wasted word. But compare it with the following anecdote, which makes the idea more vivid and, therefore, more interesting: 'A north and a south train were parked next to each other. When Einstein heard the rolling of wheels, he noted his windows were moving past the train opposite. On impulse he looked down at the tracks and was shocked. His train was still. Without the tracks he couldn't have known which train was moving. Such simple clues led Einstein to the theory of relativity--because he knew there are no visible tracks in space or in the molecule."

Although we all respond well to imagery, we tend to sift it out of our own speaking. Perhaps generalizations help us feel less open to criticism when we are under pressure as speakers. But It's more likely that we don' t take time to find the apt imagery. Without it, good research, organization and logic cannot save you from falling flat on your face. It takes three times longer to prepare the walls than to roll on the paint. I estimate it takes 100 times longer to prepare a good speech than to give it: that's almost nine hours for every five minutes of talking.

Furthermore, if you want your audience to go away humming with discussion about what they learned from you, don't overload your speech. Offer a few choice nuggets. New information is retained in small quantities. So be selective.

And what do you do about your conclusion? Review quickly what you wish to be remembered at breakfast. Don't be like the dinner guest who spends an hour at the door saying good night. Since endings are usually obvious, it's a good idea to stop sooner than expected. The best compliment you can receive about your speech is that it was too short. So begin strong and end quick. Learn to stop.

Mr. Proodian is a New York-based speech consultant and coach.

Wall Street Journal, January, 1985