Seven Essential Steps to…

PREPARING A SPEEECH

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?

Step Two:Determine Your Purpose

There are Five Basic Speech Purposes:

To Inform To Persuade

To Convince To Impress To Actuate

To Entertain

Often, a speech has MORE THAN ONE purpose. For instance, you may want to both inform and entertain your audience.

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

To Convince 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

To Impress The goal of a speech to convince is that

your AUDIENCE STRENGTHENS AN ALREADY HELD BELIEF.

Examples: Pep rallies, sermons Additional Keys will be:

Passionate delivery Emotional appeals Style strategies

To Actuate The goal of a speech to convince is that

your AUDIENCE TAKES ACTION. Examples: political rallies, fundraising

appeals, infommercials Additional Keys will be:

Persuasive appeals Adaptation strategies

To Entertain The goal of a speech to convince is that

your AUDIENCE ENJOYS your speech. Examples: toasts, roasts, “after-dinner

speaking” Additional Keys will be:

Conversational delivery Audience adaptation

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?

Step Three:Select and Narrow your TOPIC

Is the topic suitable formy 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?

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?

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?

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.

Step Five:Organize Your Message

Chronologically First, second, third…

By subtopics Point A, point B, etc

Spatially Area by area

Cause-Effect Step A lead to Step B, etc.

Step Six:Put It On Paper

Make an Outline.

Transfer it to note cards (or to your final script).

Step Seven:PRACTICE OUT LOUD

Practice in a mirror.

Practice for a willing “trial audience”

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