Review the general requirements for speeches found in this module before reading the specific requirements for Speech #3 listed below.
Your third and final speech may be informative, persuasive, or entertaining (special occasion, ceremonial, inspirational speech). As with every speech you present, you will need to first secure and analyze your audience. It is necessary to do this before you choose a topic so your speech is relevant to your audience, interesting, and engaging.
If you choose to present another informative speech, please visit the Informative Speech page to review the tips for preparation.
If you choose to present another persuasive speech, review the tips listed on the Monroe’s Motivated Speech page.
If you choose to give a special occasion speech, you will find helpful tips for preparing your speech in this section.
These speeches are meant to entertain and inspire others. They might include:
Purposes of a special occasion speech can include:
If you choose to present a special occasion speech, see the tips below:
Many times students have the opportunity during the semester to give a special occasion speech. Some students have been part of a wedding and given the maid of honor speech, while others had the opportunity to honor relatives during family celebrations. However, even if you do not find yourself to be in these situations during the semester, you still have the option of presenting a special occasion speech. Perhaps your audience is your family. You may want to give a speech of tribute to your parents who have been married for 25 years. That is just one example. With all speeches, be sure your topic is appropriate for the audience you have gathered.
Once you gather and analyze your audience, you will now have a better idea regarding topic choices. Again, if you find yourself in a scenario where you are already presenting a particular special occasion speech (e.g. Best Man at your friend’s wedding) you will already have a topic in mind. But, if you are presenting an entertaining speech to a group of your friends, you will need to know what kind of topic best fits your target audience. For example, if you are giving a speech to your sorority sisters, maybe you will give a presentation on your year as friends and celebrate your sisterhood.
After choosing a topic, you will want to have a clear purpose and thesis. Maybe you want to give a special occasion speech that pays tribute to your parents who have been married for 20 years. You will need to create a specific purpose statement and thesis statement that reflects this. The thesis should be a one-sentence statement about the topic. Many times, students write theses that are more than one sentence, and end with a question mark. This is incorrect. Do not move forward with preparing for your speech until you have figured out your purpose and thesis. Otherwise, you will lack focus.
After completing the above steps, you are now ready to gather information. Remember to focus on your particular purpose. For informative or persuasive speeches you will be doing a lot of research to gather materials and find statistics, examples, testimony, and other evidence that will help you to gain credibility. However, special occasion speeches are more emotional than intellectual. When is the last time you heard a wedding speech that begins with “According to an article in the NY Times...”? While you will still gather information for your speech, such as inspiring quotes, or appropriate visuals, much of your support may come from personal stories, depending on the type of special occasion speech you are giving. For instance, if you are honoring your sister who is getting married, you will need to think of appropriate stories you can share with your audience. Think about including the following in a special occasion speech:
What to include:
Try to avoid clichés. Tailor your speech, wording, and examples around the unique occasion and audience you have.
As with your previous two speeches, for your final speech you will need an outline detailing how your information will be presented. Here is one sample that you may follow:
Title
General Purpose:
Specific Purpose:
I. Introduction
A. Attention Getter (Opening statement to gain audience’s interest)
B. Credibility Statement (Who you are/why you are the one chosen to speak)
C. Relevancy to Audience (Remember, the aim is to unite the audience – how do you share this goal?)
D. Preview (Briefly, what will you be talking about?)
E. Transition
II. Main Point Summary Statement (Many speeches of tribute use a chronological pattern and begin with how you met the person; stories, etc.)
A. Subpoint
1. Supporting Evidence
2. Supporting Evidence
B. Subpoint
1. Supporting Evidence
2. Supporting Evidence
C. Transition
III. Main Point Summary Statement (If giving a special occasion tribute speech, next you would introduce how the couple met, and some stories about both of them together and stories you share)
A. Subpoint
1. Supporting Evidence
2. Supporting Evidence
B. Subpoint
1. Supporting Evidence
2. Supporting Evidence
C. Transition
IV. Main Point Summary Statement (Discuss the couple today and for the future; your wishes; words of wisdom, etc.)
A. Subpoint
1. Supporting Evidence
2. Supporting Evidence
B. Subpoint
1. Supporting Evidence
2. Supporting Evidence
C. Transition
V. Conclusion
A. Review/Wrap Up
B. Concluding Statement (What do you want to leave the audience with? A quote? Final inspirational words? Advice?)
Include any References used
The above outline was centered on a special occasion speech of tribute. Your specific points will differ for an after-dinner speech, acceptance speech, etc. For example, during an after-dinner speech you will want to talk about why you are all united, what the special occasion is, and what inspirational message you want them to take away from your talk. For an acceptance speech, you would talk about the award and its significance, thank the people who helped you to get where you are today, and express gratitude for receiving such an award.
It may take several tries to finalize your outline, but once you do, you should review your outline and make some speaking notes. You will not want to use your full sentence outline while you're speaking because you may get nervous and want to read off of it. Create a short set of notes with only the most important key words and phrases. Remember, this speech and all of your speeches for this class are extemporaneous, and should not be read. You should sustain eye contact with the audience for at least 90% of your presentation.
Special occasion speeches are all about connecting with the audience and inspiring and/or entertaining them. Being comfortable delivering your speech is essential. You will need to sustain eye contact with them to keep their interest and attention. Use gestures to emphasize a point or help them to visualize the story you are telling. Use volume appropriately. Be excited, enthusiastic, and passionate.
When you are practicing, you may notice you need to add or delete information because your speech is too long or too short. Edit and finalize your speech in enough time to record it and upload it before the deadline.
When the time comes to present your speech, review the full instructions for giving a speech (do not record sideways, show your audience beforehand, leave room at the end for questions and comments, etc.). Give yourself enough time to go through this process without rushing. The purpose of this class is to learn how to prepare, organize, and present effective speeches, so be sure you are not rushing through this process.