Chapter 13 Outline

• Organizing Your Speech Points
• Using Language That Works
• Writing a Strong Introduction
• Writing a Strong Conclusion
• Outlining Your Speech

1. Before writing a presentation, you must determine the points you want to make, the examples you plan to use to support them, and the basic order in which you want to present them.
   1. Identify your main points, the central claims that support the specific speech purpose and your thesis statement.
      1. Main points are your key ideas.
      2. Audiences generally have a hard time remembering more than three or four main points.
   2. Use subpoints to support your main points.
      1. Subpoints back up the main points in the same way that main points back up the thesis statement and specific speech purpose.
      2. Well-chosen subpoints should fall under main points in a clear hierarchy that forms an outline of the presentation.
   3. Choose how you will arrange your points.
      1. The chronological pattern presents the main points of a message forward (or backward) in a systematic, time-related fashion.
      2. The topical pattern (or categorical pattern) organizes ideas into categories, such as persons, places, things, or processes. Sequencing of events can follow relative importance, familiarity, or complexity.
         1. The primacy-recency effect notes that audiences are most likely to remember points raised at the very beginning or at the very end of a message.
      3. The spatial pattern (or geographical pattern) arranges main points in terms of their physical proximity to or position in relation to each other (north to south, left to right, outside to inside, and so on). This is most useful when describing objects, places, or scenes in terms of their component parts.
      4. The problem-solution pattern involves dramatizing an obstacle and then narrowing alternative remedies down to the one being recommended.
      5. The cause-effect pattern moves from a discussion of the origins of a phenomenon to the eventual results or effects, or vice versa.
      6. The narrative pattern presents a vivid story to tie points together and is likely to incorporate elements of other organizational arrangements.
      7. The motivated sequence pattern uses five phases (attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, and action) to motivate listeners.
   4. Moving smoothly from one point to another within your presentation is important.
      1. Transitions are sentences that connect different points, thoughts, and details in a way that allows them to flow naturally from one to the next.
      2. Signposts are key words or phrases within sentences that signify transitions between points.
      3. Internal previews prime the audience for the content immediately ahead and internal summaries allow the speaker to crystallize the points made in one section of a speech before moving to the next section.

   Ask Yourself:

   • Can you think about a speech you saw or heard that didn’t seem to have a logical flow?
   • What needed improvement? Why?
2. Making competent language choices will help bring your ideas to life right before your audience’s eyes.
   1. Respect the audience by using unbiased and appropriate language.
   2. Keep the content simple and concise.
   3. Use vivid language to engage your listeners’ imagination and senses.
   4. Use specific strategies to make a lasting impression.
      1. Repetition increases the likelihood that audience members will remember what matters most in the speech.
      2. Allusions make reference to people, historical events, or concepts to give deeper meaning to the message.
      3. Comparisons make concepts more familiar.
         1. Similes use like or as to compare two things (for example, “His speaking style is as dry as toast”).
         2. Metaphors liken one thing to another in a literal way (for example, “The fog was a heavy blanket over the city”).

   Ask Yourself:

   • Can you think of a speech that included vivid language based on some of the techniques mentioned here?
   • How did you feel after hearing, watching, or reading the speech?
   • How will that influence you in writing your own speech?
3. Your introduction is the first thing the audience will hear, so it sets the tone and the stage for the rest of your speech.
   1. Capture the audience’s attention right from the start in any of a variety of ways.
      1. Use surprise
      2. Tell a story
      3. Start with a quote
      4. Ask a question
      5. Make them laugh
   2. Introduce the purpose and thesis.
   3. Preview the main points by outlining the plan you intend to follow.
   4. Establish tone by connecting with the audience, giving a sense of who you are and why they should listen to you or be interested in your topic.

   Ask Yourself:

   • If you skip any of the preceding steps, how might it lessen the impact of your speech?
4. A conclusion should be strong and address a number of functions.
   1. It should signal that the speech is ending, possibly by using transitional phrases.
   2. It should reinforce the topic, purpose, and main points of the speech.
   3. It should be memorable and make an impact.
      1. Consider using a quote to strengthen your ending.
      2. Consider using a simple statement or question that drives home your main point and leaves the audience feeling connected with your ideas.
      3. A final story might help the audience practically apply the information you gave them.
      4. A powerful conclusion might reference the introduction, referring back to a story or question in that section.
   4. It should challenge the audience to respond.
      1. In most persuasive speeches, the challenge will come through a call to action that challenges listeners to act in response to the speech, see the problem in a new way, or change their beliefs, actions, and behavior.

   Ask Yourself:

   • Have you listened to a speech that ended with a call to action? How effective is this technique?
   • If your speech topic was American football, how would you create a good conclusion using the preceding tips?
5. Outlines are quite useful when planning your speech and may be required by your professor.
   1. An outline is a structured form of your speech content. An effective outline helps you confirm that your points are arranged clearly and properly, ensures that you’ve cited your all-important research, and assists you in your speech delivery.
      1. Use standard symbols.
      2. Use subdivisions properly.
      3. Separate the parts of your speech.
      4. Call out your specific purpose and thesis.
      5. Cite your sources.
      6. Give your speech a title.
   2. There are three styles of outlines that are appropriate in different speech situations.
      1. A sentence outline contains the full text of a speech, often word for word.
      2. A phrase outline uses parts of sentences as reminders of the points and subpoints.
      3. A key-word outline uses specific words to jog the speaker’s memory.
   3. There are two general types of outlines.
      1. A preparation outline (or working outline) is a rough draft that is edited repeatedly throughout the preparation process.
      2. A speaking outline (or delivery outline) is a final speech plan, complete with details, delivery tips, and notes about presentational aids.
         1. Speaking outlines should consist of phrases or key words, or a combination of the two.
         2. Include delivery cues, brief reminders about important information related to the delivery of the speech that are for your eyes only.
         3. Make specific oral citations, references to source material that are worked into the narrative of your speech, so as not to be guilty of plagiarism.
         4. Choose a comfortable format for your speaking outline, such as note cards, virtual note cards, or a standard sheet of paper.

   Ask Yourself:

   • Once you have a specific purpose and topic, what are the next steps in preparing for your presentation?
   • What type of arrangement, organization, language, and outline is most useful for your specific purpose and topic?