Effective Speaking-1
Effective Speaking*
Gaining Confidence through Effective Speech Planning
Whether you are a marketing accountant presenting an advertising campaign idea to your corporate clients, a coach trying to motivate your team in its game with your arch rival, or a student giving a speech in class, you will have more confidence in yout likelihood of success when you have developed an effective speech plan – a strategy for achieving your goal.
An effective speech plan is the result of a six-step process:
1. Selecting a specific speaking goal that is appropriate for the audience and occasion.
2. Understanding your audience and adapting to it.
3. Gathering and evaluating information to use in the speech.
4. Organizing and developing ideas into a well-structured speech outline.
5. Choosing visual and other presentational aids that are appropriate for the audience.
6. Practicing the speech wording and delivery.
1. Selecting a specific speaking goal that is appropriate for the audience and occasion.
Your speech goal (or speech purpose) is a statement of what you want your audience to know, believe, or do. To arrive at such a goal, you begin by selecting a topic. Regardless of whether yo are a renowned speaker or are preparing your very first speech, the advice is the same: Choose a topic that you know something about and that interests you or is important to you. Although there could be times in your life when you must speak on a topic that is unfamiliar to you, in the great majority of real-life speaking experiences, you will be speaking on topics that meet these tests.
Because your speech will be given to a particular audience, before you get very far you need to think about your specific audience: Who are they? What do they need to know about your topic? What do they already know? To answer these questions, you need to make a preliminary audience analysis base don their gender, culture, average age, education level, occupation, income level, and group affiliation. As you study these factors, you can access the kinds of material the audience is likely to know and the information they are likely to respond to.
Likewise, you need to consider the speaking context: What is the size of the audience? When will the speech be given? Where will the speech be given? What is the time limit for the speech? What is the specific assignment?**
Once you have a topic and have analyzed the audience and setting, you can phrase your speech goal. Every speech has a general and a specific goal. For most of your speeches, your general goal is likely to be assigned. You will probably be giving either an informative speech, in which you want your audience to understand information, or a persuasive speech, in which you want your audience to believe something or act in a particular way. Your general goal is based on what is appropriate for your particular audience on the particular occasion.
Your specific speech goal articulates exactly what you want your audience to understand, believe or do. For instance, fora n informative speech, a member of the baseball team, might phrase his goal. “I want my audience to understand how to shoot a jump shot.” An art history major, might phrase his goal, “I want the audience to have an appreciation of Ming porcelain.”
*R. Verderber, K. Verderber, D. D. Sellnow. Effective Speaking. ISBN: 0-495-503348-7
**Beniers, C.J.M. http://web.me.com/beniers/Effective_Speaking-1/Film.html
Prof. C.J.M. Beniers
NL Zoetermeer
21-09-2010
© Copyright 2010
About Professor C.J.M. Beniers
Prof. C.J.M. Beniers is a well known authority in the field of modern and international communication techniques. He developed the Six-Component-Model. This model enables companies, institutions and politicians to communicate and negotiate with counterparts from all over the world successfully. His career began as international manager at Philips and later he earned his doctorate as professor in communication. He has more than 35 years experience as manager and management trainer. Thus he knows both sides – theory and praxis – very well. As scientist, Prof. Beniers conducts frequently research in the field of intercultural communication. The results of his interesting research can be found in news articles, free pod casts, audio books and his E-books such as “Bridging The Cultural Gap.” Here, modern managers learn how to prepare for business meetings with people from different cultures; they acquire the techniques and tools to handle situations in times of crises successfully, master intercultural barriers, country-specific communication patterns, looking into personal cultural values & systems. Knowing all this, men can prevent cultural misunderstandings and misinterpretations – not only in business but also in private life.
Contact:
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