Often, the key to a good speech is not the topic itself, but how it is developed and supported. You can easily see this in speeches on the same theme prepared by different speakers. One speaker’s presentation on wind power, for example, consists of little beyond dry facts, while another speaker offers a stream of colorful examples and fascinating stories. Good speeches contain relevant, motivating, and audience-centered supporting material in the form of examples, narratives, testimony, facts, and statistics (see Table 8.1). These are the essential building blocks of any speech.

Supporting material, such as you might discover in a magazine article, academic journal, or book, serves several key purposes: (1) it arouses the audience’s interest in your topic, (2) it illustrates and elaborates upon your ideas, and (3) it provides the audience with evidence or proof for your arguments. To stay on track as you review material and decide upon what to include in your speech, consider whether it fulfills these functions.