Your Reference
Now that you have finished reading this chapter, you can
Organize and support your main points:
- Identify your main points, the central claims that support your specific speech purpose and your thesis statement (p. 260).
- Subpoints support your main points using all the statistics, stories, and other forms of research you discovered on your topic (p. 261).
Choose an appropriate organizational pattern for your speech:
- A chronological pattern presents main points in a systematic, time-related fashion (p. 262).
- A topical pattern is based on categories, such as person, place, thing, or process (p. 262). The primacy-recency effect argues that audiences are most likely to remember what comes at the beginning and end of messages (pp. 262–263).
- A spatial pattern arranges points according to physical proximity or direction from one to the next (p. 263).
- The problem-solution pattern presents an obstacle and then suggestions for overcoming it (p. 263).
- The cause-effect pattern moves from the cause of a phenomenon to the results or vice versa (p. 263).
- The narrative pattern uses a story line to tie points together (p. 263).
- The motivated sequence pattern uses a five-step plan to motivate listeners: attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, and action (pp. 263–264).
Move smoothly from point to point:
- Build strong transitions , sentences that connect the points so that topics flow naturally (p. 264).
- Use signposts, key words or phrases that signify transitions (pp. 264–265).
- Internal previews prime the audience for the content immediately ahead (p. 265).
- Internal summaries crystallize points in one section before moving on (p. 265).
Choose appropriate and powerful language:
- Consider your audience when you choose your words (p. 266).
- Use simple, unambiguous words (p. 266).
- Be concise (p. 266).
- Use vivid language (p. 266).
- Use repetition, allusion, similes, and metaphors to make a lasting impression (p. 267).
Develop a strong introduction, a crucial part of all speeches:
- Grab listeners’ attention with surprise, a good story, a quote, a question, or humor (pp. 269–270).
- Introduce your purpose and topic (p. 271).
- Preview your main points to provide a mental outline for your audience (p. 271).
- Establish a relationship with the audience (pp. 271–272).
Conclude with as much strength as you had in the introduction:
- Signal the end to ask for listeners’ full attention, and wrap up quickly (p. 272).
- Reiterate your topic, purpose, and main points (p. 272).
- Make a final impact with a memorable closing quote, statement, question, or story (pp. 272–273).
- Challenge the audience to respond with a call to action—what you hope they will do in response to the speech (p. 273).
Prepare an effective outline:
- The outline puts the hierarchy of points into a text format (pp. 273–274).
- The hierarchy of points for a strong outline will show each point supported by two or more subpoints (p. 274).
- There are three essential styles of outlines (from most detailed to most spare): sentence outline, phrase outline, and key-word outline (pp. 275–276).
- Write a preparation outline (or working outline) to organize and develop your speech (p. 276).
- The speaking outline (or delivery outline) is your final speech plan (p. 276).
- Add delivery cues, brief reminders about important information, to your speaking outline (p. 276).
- Oral citations, references to source materials to be included in your narrative, should also be in your speaking outline (pp. 276–277).