As you plan your presentation, be sure to strategize a bit: Identify your purpose (reason) for speaking, your audience (listeners), and the context (situation) in which you will speak.
| purpose | Begin by asking: “Why am I speaking? What is my goal?” Your goal might be to inform, to persuade, to evaluate, to recommend, or to call to action. |
| audience | Effective speakers identify the needs and expectations of their audience and shape their material to meet those needs and expectations. Assess what your audience may already know and believe, what objections you might need to anticipate, and how you might engage your listeners. Ask yourself: “Who is my audience? Why have they assembled? How should I interact with them?” |
| context | Ask yourself: “What is the situation for my speech? Is it an assignment for a course? The presentation of a group project? A community meeting? And how much time do I have to speak?” The answers to these questions will help you shape your presentation for your particular speaking situation. |