People

Page 313

If there’s one subject that fascinates most people, it’s other people: think of the interest generated by biographies of historical figures, celebrity news, or family gossip.

If there’s one subject that fascinates most people, it’s other people: think of the interest generated by biographies of historical figures, celebrity news, or family gossip. The life of another person certainly makes for an interesting informative speech topic. You might lean toward giving a speech about someone who is famous (or infamous)—indeed, audiences are usually receptive to learning about someone famous simply because they revere or worship celebrity (Atkinson & Dougherty, 2006). An obscure but interesting person can also be a great speech topic.

The key to giving a successful speech about another person is to focus on the person’s human qualities as well as his or her achievements, to show not merely what the person did but why and how that person did it. You need to give your audience a real sense of who the person is. To meet this goal, your speech should include anecdotes, quotes, and stories that show the motivations behind his or her actions. chapter 11 offers help in adding these speech supports.