Seven Essential Steps to…

1. Seven Essential Steps to… PREPARING A SPEEECH

2. Step One:Analyze Audience and Occasion • To WHOM are you speaking? • Number? • Age? • Interests? • Previous knowledge on your topic? • WHERE/WHEN are you speaking? • Room size and arrangement? • Time of day? • Reason for gathering?

3. Step Two:Determine Your Purpose There are Five Basic Speech Purposes: • To Inform • To Persuade • To Demonstrate • To Entertain Often, a speech has MORE THAN ONE purpose. For instance, you may want to both inform and entertain your audience.

4. To Inform • The goal of a speech to inform is that your AUDIENCE UNDERSTANDS THE INFORMATION. • Examples: lectures, seminars • Keys will be: • Structure and organization • Supporting information • Clear preview and review

5. To Persuade • The goal of a speech to convince is that your AUDIENCE ADOPTS YOUR POINT OF VIEW. • Examples: sales presentations, political speeches • Additional Keys will be: • Audience adaptation • Persuasive appeals

6. To Demonstrate • The goal of a speech to demonstrate is to SHOW the audience how to do something while explaining HOW to do it. • Examples: how to play an instrument, how to putt a ball, how to dance the waltz, etc. • Additional keys will be: • Audience adaptation • Environmental / Space adaptation • Ability to demonstrate and speak simultaneously

7. To Entertain (special occasion speeches) • The goal of a speech to entertain is that your AUDIENCE ENJOYS your speech. • Examples: toasts, roasts, “after-dinner speaking” • Additional Keys will be: • Conversational delivery • Audience adaptation

8. Step Three:Select and Narrow your TOPIC Is the topic suitable for ME as a speaker? • Am I interested enough in the topic? • Can I get my audience interested? • Do I know enough about this topic? • Do I know where to find more information?

9. Step Three:Select and Narrow your TOPIC Is the topic suitable for my AUDIENCE? • Will my audience be interested in this topic? • Is my audience capable of understanding this topic? • How much background information will they need? • Do I have enough time to give them the necessary background info?

10. Step Three:Select and Narrow your TOPIC Is the topic suitable for this OCCASION or ASSIGNMENT? • Does the occasion demand a serious or light topic? • What is my audience expecting of me? • Will this topic allow me to demonstrate the goals of this assignment?

11. Step Three:Select and Narrow your TOPIC Is the topic suitable for the amount of TIME available? • How much time have you been given? • Can you cover this topic in that amount of time? • Can you limit the topic to fit?

12. Step Four:Gather Supporting Material Sources: • Yourself--what do you already know about this topic? • Other people--do you know any “experts” on this topic? • Research--library, databases, websites, etc.

13. Step Five:Organize Your Message • Chronological • First, second, third… • Topical • Point A, point B, etc • Spatial • Area by area • Cause-Effect • Step A lead to Step B, etc.

14. Step Six:Put It On Paper • Make an Outline with details, facts and sources recorded. • Introduction – hook and preview • Body – bang, bing, boom; transitions • Conclusion – review and tag line or final punch

15. Step Six:Put It On Paper • Transfer outline to note cards • 1 sided • Pen, not pencil • Double spaced • Numbered • Outlined with Key points • Full sentences only for quotes or statistics

16. Step Seven:PRACTICE OUT LOUD • Practice in a mirror. • Practice for a willing “trial audience”

17. Types of DELIVERY • Impromptu • With little or no planning • Extemporaneous • Planned out, but not written out • Speaking from an outline • Manuscript • Read from a script • Memorized