SERIES 3: GET TO THE POINT

Well I hope you have gone through my two series. I wish you got an idea of what is & how to prepare for an effective public speaking?
To make you dive deep into this vast ocean of public speaking, I came up with series 3.

Objectives:

1. Select a speech topic & determine its general & specific purposes.

2. Organize the speech in a manner that best achieves those purposes.

3. Ensure the beginning, body and conclusion reinforce the purposes.

4. Project sincerity and conviction and control any nervousness you may feel.

5. Strive not to use notes.

Time: 5-7 min.

As you plan a speech, you must be absolutely clear about what you want the audience to do or know at the end of your talk. When the speech has a purpose, then all other decisions like-information to include, organization & delivery will be easy to make.

There are 2 types of purposes: general & specific.

General purpose:

It is the broad intent of your speech. Most speeches fall into one of 4 general purposes.

To inform: The speech designed for audience’s when they want to learn new subject, develop a skill etc. Lectures, briefings & demonstrations are all informative talks.

To persuade: This is the speech which intends to change the audience’s attitude or behaviors, convince audience to accept or approve your point of view. Sales & campaign speeches are few examples.

To entertain: These speeches strive to amuse & entertain audience.

To inspire: These speeches drive audience towards a noble goal &ideas. They draw on emotions.

Specific purpose:

It is a one sentence statement about what you hope to accomplish in the speech. It should meet three criteria. The statement should be:

1. Worded from the audiences viewpoint: what do you want the audience to be able to do after listening to your speech?

2. Specific: the wording is precise.

3. Attainable: the purpose should be realistic & possible to achieve.

Write the statement from the audience’s point of you. Be sure to keep the specific purpose reasonable. “After hearing my speech, the audience will be able to repair their bikes” is not a realistic statement. This is better: “after hearing my speech, the audience would do 4 simple maintenance tasks that will keep their bikes in condition.”

Keep the specific purpose clear & concise. Pay careful attention towards verbs. If the speech is informative, then the specific purpose statement can include verbs like- compare, identify, name, prepare, analyze & list. Specific purpose statement for a persuasive speech can include verbs like- buy, contribute, join, offer & vote. Always avoid certain words like- know, understand, recognize, & be aware- they are vague & not readily measurable.

After writing the speech purpose, decide the main points, ideas to support & outline. By the time you conclude the speech, the audience should be able to state in one simple sentence the specific purpose of the talk.

Speak with confidence:

In project 2 you have learned the importance of speech organization. When you are clear about the speech and method by which you will accomplish it, you feel better and more confident.

When you are interested in your topic and have strong feelings about it, it is easier to prepare and present the speech. The more confident & involved you are on the speech, the more interesting & smooth the talk will be. This kind of involvement would make you forget about the nervousness.