Project 2 - Organize Your Speech
Summary:
Organize - put ideas together in an orderly manner.
. Opening should catch the audience's attention.
. Body must support the idea we want to convey.
. Conclusion should reinforce our ideas and be memorable.
. Transitions between thoughts should be smooth.
Well-organized speech - benefits:
. Easier to understand.
. Easier to remember.
. More credible.
. More enjoyabl.
Select Topic
Decide what to talk about.
Example:
. Discussions we've had recently with friends or coworkers
. Magazine or newspaper articles that attracted your interest
. Our expertise on certain topics - real estate, writing, personal computers, etc.
. Everyday experiences - shopping, commuting, family relationships.
Be sure your topic is timely and relevant for your audience.
Make an Outline
Preparing our speech is to logically assemble our ideas into a sequence.
There are several different ways to organize,
and the method we choose often depends on the topic we select and our objective.
.Chronological
The topic is arranged by time.
.Spatial
This type of speech follows a direction.
.Causal
This type of speech shows cause/effect relationships.
.Comparative
Compare and contrast different proposals or plans, and persuade the audience that one plan or proposal is better.
.Topical
This speech splits the main topic into subtopics.
.Problem-solution
Present a problem that needs to be solved and a solution to that problem.
Develop the Opening
The opening should immediately catch the audience's attention
and tell the audience what we will be talking about.
-Examples of a good opening:
. A startling question or a challenging statement
. An appropriate quotation, illustration or story
. A display of some object or picture
. An attention-getting generalization that ties in with your subject
-Avoid these weak openings:
. An apologetic statement
. A story or joke that does not relate to your topic
. A commonplace observation delivered in a commonplace manner
. A long or slow-moving statement or story
. A trite question, such as "Did you ever stop to think...?"
Draft the Body
The body is the main part of your speech
and consists of the facts or ideas we want to present.
Then select the three best or most important facts or ideas.
Elaborate on each main point with subpoints.
A subpoint clarifies, emphasizes or proves the idea or fact it supports.
Subpoints make the speech more interesting and help listeners remember the main point or idea.
Supporting material can include:
. Statistics
. Testimony
. Examples
. Visual aids
. Facts
The Conclusion
The conclusion is our final opportunity to convey our message and main points in a manner that will help the audience remember them.
It should reinforce our ideas and leave listeners with a lasting impression.
Sample Speech Outline
Following is an outline for a speech containing three main points:
A. Opening
1. Captures audience attention 2. Leads into speech topic
B. Body
1. Main point
a. Subpoint
b. Support material
2. Main point
a. Subpoint
b. Support material
3. Main point
a. Subpoint
b. Support material
C. Conclusion
1. Review or summary
2. Call to action or memorable statement
Pay Attention to Transitions
Audiences need help in moving smoothly from one topic to another.
Transitions usually are used as we move:
. from the speech introduction to the body
. from a main point to a subpoint
. from a subpoint to support material
. from support material to another main point
. from the last support material to the conclusion
Transitions can be words, phrases, statements or questions
