Persuasive Speech Guidelines
June 8, 2005
Tips for picking a topic:
Don't pick a topic that is too big of broad. You have a limited amount of time for each speech so you need to pick a topic that can be completed or covered in the allotted time.
Don't pick a topic that is too technical or obscure.
Places to find topics:
Newspaper o School Newspaper
Television
Magazines o Discover magazine o Scientific American o National geographic o Martha Stewart Living o Newsweek o Time
The general purpose is always 2 words
Ex. To demonstrate, to inform, to persuade
GPS- GENERAL PURPOSE STATEMENT
SPS SPECIFIC PURPOSE STATEMTENT
SPS= GPS + "my audience" + your specific topic
Guidelines for writing the specific purpose statement:
 The …show more content…
SPS should be a full sentence, not a fragment.
The SPS should be a statement, not a question.
Avoid figurative language in the SPS. (Ex. "best," "greatest")
Limit the SPS to one distinct idea.
The SPS should not be too vague or too general.
The SPS should be very specific.
Central Idea Statement:
CIS= SPS+ main points
In the spoken speech, the CIS appears two times.
1. At the end of the introduction to preview the speech
2. At the beginning of the conclusion to review the speech.
To inform my audience about ------ by first discussing------, second, -----, and finally ----.
As you add in the main point, simply put in the words "first," "second," "third" etc. as needed. (This will help your audience follow along with your speech organization)
Example CIS:
SPS= to inform my audience of the three major uses of pyramids in ancient Egypt.
I. Pyramids were used as tombs for the burial of monarchs.
II. Pyramids were used as temples for worshiping the gods.
III. Pyramids were used as observatories for studying the stars.
CIS:
To inform my audience of the three major uses of pyramids in ancient Egypt by first discussing how pyramids were used as tombs for the burial of monarchs, second by talking about how pyramids were used as temples for worshiping gods, and finally by explaining how pyramids were used as observatories for studying the stars.
Words to use: explain, discuss, show, talk, about, elucidate, clarify, reveal.
Transitions:
They transition from one part of the speech to another part.
To write a transition, you just take the main point of the previous section of the speech and combine it with the main point of the next section.
Main point + main point.
Ex.
I. The supplies needed to make a piñata.
II. How to construct the main frame of the piñata.
III. How to decorate a piñata.
The transition would be .
Now that I have discussed the supplies needed to make a piñata, I will show you how to construct the main frame of the piñata
Internal Previews
Internal previews combine with transitions - so they go in the same spots as transitions within the speech.
Formula for an internal review and transition is:
Main point + sub points + Next main Point
Formula for a transition and an internal preview is:
Main point + next main point + sub point
Info given to do example:
I. The origins of Valentine's Day
a. Valentine's day has its roots in both roman and Christian tradition
b. Valentines, a roman prisoner sent the first "Valentine" to a guard's daughter.
c. Pagans honored the Goddess Juno, on Feb 14.
II. The symbols associated with Valentine's …show more content…
day
Make an internal review:
Now that I have discussed the origins of Valentine's Day by first telling you about Valentine's Day having roots in both roman and Christian tradition, second by explaining how Valentine, a roman prisoner sent the first Valentine to a guard's daughter.
And finally by showing how Pagans honored the Goddess Juno on Feb 14, next I will discuss the symbols associated with Valentine's Day.
Chapter 5 - - Analyzing the Audience
June 13, 2005
We need to understand our audience so that we can construct our speech to be of maximum interest to our audience.
Audience Analysis
Steps to audience analysis:
1. Audience centered
There are three questions to ask yourself to make sure that you are audience centered:
a. To whom am I speaking?
b. What do I want my audience to know, believe or d as a result of my speech?
c. What is the most effective way of composing and presenting my speech to accomplish that aim?
As a public speaker, we also need to understand that our audience will always be: EGOCENTRIC Egocentric focused upon self, own values
Audience will always want to know .
1. Why should I listen?
2. What is in it for me?
As a speaker you also want to understand the demographic make up of your audience.
There are several factors:
1. The age of your audience.
2. The gender of your
audience.
3. The racial, ethnic, or cultural background of your audience.
4. The religious background of your audience
5. The group membership of your audience
As a speaker you also want to understand the situation in which you are speaking.
There are several factors: 1.The size of the audience. 2. The physical setting of the room in which you will speak.
Will my audience be able to see clearly, be comfortable, have room to take notes, have equipment? 3. The audience's disposition toward the topic.
How much do they know about the topic
Are they receptive to the topic
Are they hostile towards the topic
Does my audience know more than I do about the topic?
4. The audience's disposition toward you the speaker.
Does my audience know me r am I a stranger or a new face to them?
Are they receptive to me?
Are they hostile toward me?
5. The audience's disposition toward you the occasion.
Is my audience paying to hear me speak?
Is my audience being forced to be here?
Is my audience here by choice?
Could this situation impact my audience's job?
Is this a presentation my audience has requested?
Chapter 12 Delivery
What makes a good speaker? ----------------------Enthusiasm!
An audience will always follow your lead as the speaker.
There are 4 basic styles of delivery.
1. Reading from manuscript.
A newscaster
Actors on a soap
President
Clergy
Benefits of Manuscript Delivery:
a. you can deliver the speech almost as soon as it is written
b. No chance you will forget the speech
c. You can deliver the speech exactly as written
Drawbacks:
a. Tends to make for a boring monotone delivery since you are just reading.
b. Little if any eye contact
c. Little if any movement - you are pretty tied up to the manuscript.
d. It ties your hands up so hard to deal with visual aids.
2. Reciting from memory. Memorized delivery is just what it sounds like - memorizing the speech to present it.
Teachers
Stage actor
Salepeople
Benefits:
a. it allows you to move around as much as you want
b. It makes using visual aids much easier.
c. You appear very conversational
d. Allows for lots of eye contact.
e. Allows for lots of vocal variety.
Drawbacks:
a. Start to sound robotic.
b. It's possible to forget the speech
c. If you are interrupted you might not be able to continue with the speech.
d. Maybe hard to make on the spot changes or adaptations.
3. Impromtu Delivery is giving a speech off the top of your head with little if any warning or preparation.
Actor accepting an award
Giving a toast
Interviewed
Benefits:
a. Tends to sound very conversational because you are speaking off the top of your head as you would in a conversation
b. it makes using visual aid much easier
Drawbacks:
a. You may say something wrong or inappropriate
b. You may blank out during the speech
c. You may not be able to think of anything to say.
4. Extemporaneous Extemporaneous delivery is when you have time to prepare and do so and deliver the speech from limited notes.
Business people
Teachers
Public figures
Benefits:
Almost the perfect form of delivery
The Speaker's Voice
Because giving a speech is different in delivery than having a conversation, usually using your regular' voice won't serve you best.
Volume how loudly or softly you speak ~ Important because if your audience cannot hear what you are saying, you are defeating the purpose of giving a speech.
Improving your volume is mostly just a matter of being conscious of it.
Pitch how high or low you speak
The human ear tends to like a lower pitch we find it more soothing and credible.
A smaller instrument usually means a higher pitch.
Another element that affects pitch is NERVES. Rate - how fast or slow you speak; The tempo at which you speak.
While it is less of a problem, a rate that is too slow can also be a problem. Pauses least utilized aspect of voice.
We tend to think that if we are the one speaking, we need to fill up all the vocal spaces constantly.
Pauses can be a powerful way to add emphasis to something we want our audience to understand is important. Vocal Variety how dynamic your voice is, combining a good range of highs and lows. Vocal variety employs good voice modulation. Pronunciation is saying the word correctly. Articulation how clearly you say it. Articulation and pronunciation are not the same thing. You can have the right pronunciation and still mumble what you say and vice versa.
Lack of good articulation makes it difficult for people to understand what is trying to be said.
Dialect almost every language has its own special regional or ethnic speech patterns.
The only concern with dialects is if they get in the way of your audience understanding what you are trying to communicate.
Nonverbal aspects of delivery - because we are doing public speaking, often nonverbal are overlooked or forgotten when it comes to giving a speech.
The aspects of nonverbal:
1. Personal Appearance we often like to think that appearance doesn't matter and good people will really judge us n who we are inside.
Studies have shown that people make decisions about you in the first 20 seconds of meeting you.
2. Body Action people are often nervous and unsure what to do with their body.
3. Gestures people are often nervous and unasure what to do with their hands. a. gestures should not draw attention to themselves and distract from your message. b. Gesturing should appear natural and spontaneous, helping to clarify or reinforce your ideas. c. They should be suited to your audience and situation.
Gestures to avoid: a. Don't put your hands in your pockets. b. Don't put your hands behind your back; it projects the image that you are hiding something. c. Don't fidget with clothing, hair, watches, or jewelry. It makes you look nervous even if you are not.
4. Eye contact good eye contact makes your audience feel connected to you. While people sometimes shy away from eye contact, looking at your audience lets you gage how your speech is going and if your audience understands your presentation.
Chapter 3 - Listening
What is hearing? Hearing is the biological process of vibrations of sound waves on the eardrums and the firing of electrochemical impulses in the brain.
What is listening? Listening is the psychological process of attaching meaning to information we take in.
There are 4 basic types of listening:
1. Appreciative listening this is listening for the pure enjoyment of it.
Beach
Music
2. Empathic Listening This is listening to provide emotional support for the speaker.
Therapist
Councilor
3. Comprehensive listening This is listening to understand the message of the speaker.
Classroom
Parents/children
Psychologist
4. Critical Listening this is listening to evaluate a message for purpose of accepting or rejecting it.
Lawyer/jury
Teacher
Speeches
~Regardless of the type of listening most of us do not have good listening skills.
Causes of poor listening:
1. Not concentrating.
This is due to a phenomenon known as "spare brain time."
The average rate at which people speak is 120-150 words per minute
The brain can process 400-800 words per minute.
2. Listening too hard. This is when we focus on one part of a message or a particular detail and miss the overall message.
3. Jumping to conclusions this is when we think we know what someone will say so we don't give them a chance to actually say it.
4. Filing in the gaps- unfortunately we most often do this with people we know because we believe we know them so well we know what they will say
5. Focusing on delivery and/or appearance it is easy to let our attention go to how someone is talking, especially if they have an accent or a unique dialect.
How do we become a better listener?
1. Take listening Seriously we need to see listening as a skill, not just an automatic ability.
2. Resist distractions because of spare brain time it is easy to be lazy and let our mind wander. We really can't watch TV and listen to someone at the same time. At best, we are flipping back and forth.
3. Don't be diverted by delivery or appearance the goal isn't to totally ignore what we notice about other people.
4. Suspend Judgment we may think we know what the person is going to say.
5. Focus your Listening most speakers even in everyday conversations give us lots of cues about their main points.
Three ways we can focus our listening:
1. Listen for main points: make sure you are getting the main points and not just whatever catches your attention
2. Listen for Evidence: listen for how the person is backing up their claims.
3. Listen for techniques: most speakers have their own patterns that let you know what is key in the communication.
Tips for picking a topic:
Don't pick a topic that is too big of broad. You have a limited amount of time for each speech so you need to pick a topic that can be completed or covered in the allotted time.
Don't pick a topic that is too technical or obscure.
Places to find topics:
Newspaper o School Newspaper
Television
Magazines o Discover magazine o Scientific American o National geographic o Martha Stewart Living o Newsweek o Time
The general purpose is always 2 words
Ex. To demonstrate, to inform, to persuade
GPS- GENERAL PURPOSE STATEMENT
SPS SPECIFIC PURPOSE STATEMTENT
SPS= GPS + "my audience" + your specific topic
Guidelines for writing the specific purpose statement:
 The …show more content…
SPS should be a full sentence, not a fragment.
The SPS should be a statement, not a question.
Avoid figurative language in the SPS. (Ex. "best," "greatest")
Limit the SPS to one distinct idea.
The SPS should not be too vague or too general.
The SPS should be very specific.
Central Idea Statement:
CIS= SPS+ main points
In the spoken speech, the CIS appears two times.
1. At the end of the introduction to preview the speech
2. At the beginning of the conclusion to review the speech.
To inform my audience about ------ by first discussing------, second, -----, and finally ----.
As you add in the main point, simply put in the words "first," "second," "third" etc. as needed. (This will help your audience follow along with your speech organization)
Example CIS:
SPS= to inform my audience of the three major uses of pyramids in ancient Egypt.
I. Pyramids were used as tombs for the burial of monarchs.
II. Pyramids were used as temples for worshiping the gods.
III. Pyramids were used as observatories for studying the stars.
CIS:
To inform my audience of the three major uses of pyramids in ancient Egypt by first discussing how pyramids were used as tombs for the burial of monarchs, second by talking about how pyramids were used as temples for worshiping gods, and finally by explaining how pyramids were used as observatories for studying the stars.
Words to use: explain, discuss, show, talk, about, elucidate, clarify, reveal.
Transitions:
They transition from one part of the speech to another part.
To write a transition, you just take the main point of the previous section of the speech and combine it with the main point of the next section.
Main point + main point.
Ex.
I. The supplies needed to make a piñata.
II. How to construct the main frame of the piñata.
III. How to decorate a piñata.
The transition would be .
Now that I have discussed the supplies needed to make a piñata, I will show you how to construct the main frame of the piñata
Internal Previews
Internal previews combine with transitions - so they go in the same spots as transitions within the speech.
Formula for an internal review and transition is:
Main point + sub points + Next main Point
Formula for a transition and an internal preview is:
Main point + next main point + sub point
Info given to do example:
I. The origins of Valentine's Day
a. Valentine's day has its roots in both roman and Christian tradition
b. Valentines, a roman prisoner sent the first "Valentine" to a guard's daughter.
c. Pagans honored the Goddess Juno, on Feb 14.
II. The symbols associated with Valentine's …show more content…
day
Make an internal review:
Now that I have discussed the origins of Valentine's Day by first telling you about Valentine's Day having roots in both roman and Christian tradition, second by explaining how Valentine, a roman prisoner sent the first Valentine to a guard's daughter.
And finally by showing how Pagans honored the Goddess Juno on Feb 14, next I will discuss the symbols associated with Valentine's Day.
Chapter 5 - - Analyzing the Audience
June 13, 2005
We need to understand our audience so that we can construct our speech to be of maximum interest to our audience.
Audience Analysis
Steps to audience analysis:
1. Audience centered
There are three questions to ask yourself to make sure that you are audience centered:
a. To whom am I speaking?
b. What do I want my audience to know, believe or d as a result of my speech?
c. What is the most effective way of composing and presenting my speech to accomplish that aim?
As a public speaker, we also need to understand that our audience will always be: EGOCENTRIC Egocentric focused upon self, own values
Audience will always want to know .
1. Why should I listen?
2. What is in it for me?
As a speaker you also want to understand the demographic make up of your audience.
There are several factors:
1. The age of your audience.
2. The gender of your
audience.
3. The racial, ethnic, or cultural background of your audience.
4. The religious background of your audience
5. The group membership of your audience
As a speaker you also want to understand the situation in which you are speaking.
There are several factors: 1.The size of the audience. 2. The physical setting of the room in which you will speak.
Will my audience be able to see clearly, be comfortable, have room to take notes, have equipment? 3. The audience's disposition toward the topic.
How much do they know about the topic
Are they receptive to the topic
Are they hostile towards the topic
Does my audience know more than I do about the topic?
4. The audience's disposition toward you the speaker.
Does my audience know me r am I a stranger or a new face to them?
Are they receptive to me?
Are they hostile toward me?
5. The audience's disposition toward you the occasion.
Is my audience paying to hear me speak?
Is my audience being forced to be here?
Is my audience here by choice?
Could this situation impact my audience's job?
Is this a presentation my audience has requested?
Chapter 12 Delivery
What makes a good speaker? ----------------------Enthusiasm!
An audience will always follow your lead as the speaker.
There are 4 basic styles of delivery.
1. Reading from manuscript.
A newscaster
Actors on a soap
President
Clergy
Benefits of Manuscript Delivery:
a. you can deliver the speech almost as soon as it is written
b. No chance you will forget the speech
c. You can deliver the speech exactly as written
Drawbacks:
a. Tends to make for a boring monotone delivery since you are just reading.
b. Little if any eye contact
c. Little if any movement - you are pretty tied up to the manuscript.
d. It ties your hands up so hard to deal with visual aids.
2. Reciting from memory. Memorized delivery is just what it sounds like - memorizing the speech to present it.
Teachers
Stage actor
Salepeople
Benefits:
a. it allows you to move around as much as you want
b. It makes using visual aids much easier.
c. You appear very conversational
d. Allows for lots of eye contact.
e. Allows for lots of vocal variety.
Drawbacks:
a. Start to sound robotic.
b. It's possible to forget the speech
c. If you are interrupted you might not be able to continue with the speech.
d. Maybe hard to make on the spot changes or adaptations.
3. Impromtu Delivery is giving a speech off the top of your head with little if any warning or preparation.
Actor accepting an award
Giving a toast
Interviewed
Benefits:
a. Tends to sound very conversational because you are speaking off the top of your head as you would in a conversation
b. it makes using visual aid much easier
Drawbacks:
a. You may say something wrong or inappropriate
b. You may blank out during the speech
c. You may not be able to think of anything to say.
4. Extemporaneous Extemporaneous delivery is when you have time to prepare and do so and deliver the speech from limited notes.
Business people
Teachers
Public figures
Benefits:
Almost the perfect form of delivery
The Speaker's Voice
Because giving a speech is different in delivery than having a conversation, usually using your regular' voice won't serve you best.
Volume how loudly or softly you speak ~ Important because if your audience cannot hear what you are saying, you are defeating the purpose of giving a speech.
Improving your volume is mostly just a matter of being conscious of it.
Pitch how high or low you speak
The human ear tends to like a lower pitch we find it more soothing and credible.
A smaller instrument usually means a higher pitch.
Another element that affects pitch is NERVES. Rate - how fast or slow you speak; The tempo at which you speak.
While it is less of a problem, a rate that is too slow can also be a problem. Pauses least utilized aspect of voice.
We tend to think that if we are the one speaking, we need to fill up all the vocal spaces constantly.
Pauses can be a powerful way to add emphasis to something we want our audience to understand is important. Vocal Variety how dynamic your voice is, combining a good range of highs and lows. Vocal variety employs good voice modulation. Pronunciation is saying the word correctly. Articulation how clearly you say it. Articulation and pronunciation are not the same thing. You can have the right pronunciation and still mumble what you say and vice versa.
Lack of good articulation makes it difficult for people to understand what is trying to be said.
Dialect almost every language has its own special regional or ethnic speech patterns.
The only concern with dialects is if they get in the way of your audience understanding what you are trying to communicate.
Nonverbal aspects of delivery - because we are doing public speaking, often nonverbal are overlooked or forgotten when it comes to giving a speech.
The aspects of nonverbal:
1. Personal Appearance we often like to think that appearance doesn't matter and good people will really judge us n who we are inside.
Studies have shown that people make decisions about you in the first 20 seconds of meeting you.
2. Body Action people are often nervous and unsure what to do with their body.
3. Gestures people are often nervous and unasure what to do with their hands. a. gestures should not draw attention to themselves and distract from your message. b. Gesturing should appear natural and spontaneous, helping to clarify or reinforce your ideas. c. They should be suited to your audience and situation.
Gestures to avoid: a. Don't put your hands in your pockets. b. Don't put your hands behind your back; it projects the image that you are hiding something. c. Don't fidget with clothing, hair, watches, or jewelry. It makes you look nervous even if you are not.
4. Eye contact good eye contact makes your audience feel connected to you. While people sometimes shy away from eye contact, looking at your audience lets you gage how your speech is going and if your audience understands your presentation.
Chapter 3 - Listening
What is hearing? Hearing is the biological process of vibrations of sound waves on the eardrums and the firing of electrochemical impulses in the brain.
What is listening? Listening is the psychological process of attaching meaning to information we take in.
There are 4 basic types of listening:
1. Appreciative listening this is listening for the pure enjoyment of it.
Beach
Music
2. Empathic Listening This is listening to provide emotional support for the speaker.
Therapist
Councilor
3. Comprehensive listening This is listening to understand the message of the speaker.
Classroom
Parents/children
Psychologist
4. Critical Listening this is listening to evaluate a message for purpose of accepting or rejecting it.
Lawyer/jury
Teacher
Speeches
~Regardless of the type of listening most of us do not have good listening skills.
Causes of poor listening:
1. Not concentrating.
This is due to a phenomenon known as "spare brain time."
The average rate at which people speak is 120-150 words per minute
The brain can process 400-800 words per minute.
2. Listening too hard. This is when we focus on one part of a message or a particular detail and miss the overall message.
3. Jumping to conclusions this is when we think we know what someone will say so we don't give them a chance to actually say it.
4. Filing in the gaps- unfortunately we most often do this with people we know because we believe we know them so well we know what they will say
5. Focusing on delivery and/or appearance it is easy to let our attention go to how someone is talking, especially if they have an accent or a unique dialect.
How do we become a better listener?
1. Take listening Seriously we need to see listening as a skill, not just an automatic ability.
2. Resist distractions because of spare brain time it is easy to be lazy and let our mind wander. We really can't watch TV and listen to someone at the same time. At best, we are flipping back and forth.
3. Don't be diverted by delivery or appearance the goal isn't to totally ignore what we notice about other people.
4. Suspend Judgment we may think we know what the person is going to say.
5. Focus your Listening most speakers even in everyday conversations give us lots of cues about their main points.
Three ways we can focus our listening:
1. Listen for main points: make sure you are getting the main points and not just whatever catches your attention
2. Listen for Evidence: listen for how the person is backing up their claims.
3. Listen for techniques: most speakers have their own patterns that let you know what is key in the communication.