Speaking with Purpose

In order for your speech to be effective you must have a clear purpose and goal for the change you want to make in your audience.

There are many changes you may want to see in the world.

Things you complain about, pet peeves, things you believe people should do, know or believe all indicate areas where changes could be made and your speech may be a way to make those changes happen.

The first step is to choose a topic that you believe is important. You could begin by identifying a problem that your audience shares that you want to help correct.

For example, if you believe that eating healthy is important then you may start with this topic and see what the audience is doing regarding their diet. If they already eat healthy you will be able to reinforce this behavior, celebrate their achievements or even introduce some new information regarding healthy diets. On the other hand, if you know that your audience is prone to get into the car and drive off to fast food venues whenever they are hungry, you may want to try to persuade them to try eating fruit for a health snack each day.

I think it is really important that you believe that you can make a change in the audience. It is amazing that in just a 10-minute speech you can change people, but it is true. The only thing I can say to convince you is that I have heard many speeches in my life both as a student and as a professor as well as in my "real life." There are many of the speeches that I have forgotten and that did not impact me at all. But there are also many speeches that have made a huge difference in my life and that I still remember.

Here are just a few examples:

I remember a student speech about massage therapy back in 1977. A few years after I heard that speech, I took an adult education class on massage because I wanted to know more about it from the speech.
Last semester one of my students did a speech on taking care of yourself. After that speech I went to the doctor about something that had been bothering me but was not a huge problem because the speech convinced me that it was better to take care of a problem early rather than wait till it got bad.
My students who have made speeches of tribute about people in their lives have touched me in many ways.
One student a few years ago did a speech about a nurse who worked with Make a Wish Foundation and I have always remembered her with admiration.
Students have done demonstration speeches on their favorite sports hero or musician and even though I am not a fan of that sport or that music genre the speeches made me open my mind and not be so judgmental about them.

What made these speeches memorable is that the speaker was enthusiastic about their topic and wanted the audience to get their point across and even to change their behavior! It is all about attitude!

Stating your Purpose Correctly

You need to be clear about the purpose of your speech.

Your goal is to solve the problem for the audience and your specific purpose states clearly and concisely how you will accomplish that goal.

You are the one who decides what approach you will take to the topic and there are a million different ways to reach your goal.

Sometimes, you will not be able to solve the problem completely in one speech.

In fact, I think that in most cases the best we can hope for is just to move the audience a little closer to the position we are advocating.

You will be able to determine from your audience analysis just how far the audience is from your goal and decide if you need to take baby steps or can tackle it head on.

The question you must ask is what do you want the audience to know, believe, or do after they have listened to your speech.

The answer to that question is your specific purpose.

You must always state your specific purpose in terms of your audience and your topic. That is because your specific purpose is a statement of what you want the audience to know, understand, believe or do after they listen to your speech.
Your purpose should never be to talk to the audience about something. That is stating the purpose in terms of the speaker.
If you state your purpose in terms of telling the audience something you would measure your success just by getting the words out.

It would not depend on making a change in the audience but the purpose of public speaking is to make changes in the world.

I heard of a professor years ago who had his lectures all written out and he would come to class and begin the lecture and when he was finished he would leave. It didn't make any difference if there were students in the class or not. He would still read the lecture. Obviously, if the students were not there then no one was learning anything. This seems to me to be a very sad situation. It is a waste. This professor knew a lot about his topic and students could have learned a great deal from him if he had wanted to make sure they were learning.

Therefore, if you don't change your audience in some way, then you don't accomplish your goal even if you do talk to them (or an empty room) about your topic.

If they are not listening, not understanding, or are not persuaded then you have not accomplished your goal.

Examples of good goal statements:

After my speech my audience will know the history of video games.
After my speech my audience members will know how to prepare effectively for college tests.
After my speech my audience will be informed about the role of hospice in the care of terminally ill patients.
After my speech my audience will understand the benefits of choosing healthier snacks and having more physical activity.
After my speech my audience will purchase term life insurance.
After my speech will understand the factors that contribute to violence in hospital emergency rooms.

Examples of poor goal statements and explanations of what is wrong with them:

After my speech, my audience will understand what Graphic Design consists of.
- This goal is too general and does not identify what aspects of graphic design the speaker will discuss or even what GD is.
The students will learn how to read a military map and successfully learn how to navigate with a map and compass.
- Will the students learn this AFTER the speech or during the speech? This goal needs to be stated by specifying exactly what the students will learn during this speech. Is must be achievable in 10 minutes. In this case, I would restate the goal: "After my speech my audience will understand the process for navigating using a compass and a military map." The speaker is introducing the concepts and not ensuring that they learn how to do it themselves yet.
After my speech, my audience will have knowledge on macronutrients.
- What knowledge? This is too general.
After my speech, my audience will know the pros and cons of the flu vaccine and will be able to make a decision on whether or not they want to receive one.
- This is confusing. Is the speaker trying to persuade the audience to get a flu vaccine or are they informing them about the pros and cons? The first half of the statement would be sufficient if the goal is for the audience to know the pros and cons. If the goal is for the audience to get a flu shot then the goal should be stated: "After my speech the audience will get their flu shots."
After my speech my audience will hopefully walk away with a sense of uplifted spirits and inspired to get in touch with their own parent(s) if they are still living.
- This goal is vague and too general. I think the speaker was trying to achieve something like this: "After my speech my audience will be inspired by the story of my mother.
After my speech, my audience will understand the process of common childhood viruses. The audience will understand how to treat these illnesses at home and when to seek medical treatment.
- This contains two goals. The first is too general and the 2nd is okay but needs to be more specific. "After my speech my audience will know when and how to treat common childhood illnesses such as ear infection, colds, minor injuries at home and when to seek medical treatment.
After my speech my audience will be able to perform CPR and give the Heimlich maneuver.
- This might be possible but after a 10-minute demonstration the audience probably won't be confident in doing the procedure unless they already have some knowledge or experience. A more achievable goal would be: "After my speech my audience will understand how CPR and the Heimlich maneuver are performed."
In my speech, I will show you how to reload ammunition.
- This is not stated in terms of the audience and does not identify what change the speaker wants to make in the audience. Does he want them to know the process? Does he want them to understand how difficult it is? Does he want them to be able to do it themselves after the demonstration?

Thesis Statements

Once you have determined your specific purpose then you are able to write a clear and concise thesis statement that will help you to achieve your goal.

The most important sentence in your speech is your thesis statement. A good thesis statement will make the main idea of the speech clear to you and your audience.

The thesis statement is the main idea of the speech and helps you to structure your speech.
This is what provides the foundation for the logos for your speech.
The thesis statement needs to be a simple sentence which states specifically what you plan to speak about.

It is challenging to write a good thesis but a good thesis statement is worth the effort it takes to write. A good thesis statement will provide your speech with structure by providing the shape of the argument or claim you plan to make about your topic.

You will use your thesis statement to organize and develop your main idea or argument and provide both you and your audience with a guide to what you will be discussing in your speech. A good thesis statement will express only one main idea and will clearly state the claim you are making about your topic.

One problem students often have with thesis statements is a tendency to be too general and vague. When your speech is limited to less than 10 minutes, it is impossible to include vast amounts of information in your speech.

When students do not have a clear and focused thesis statement they tend to have difficulty meeting the time requirements of 5-10 minutes for their speeches. Sometimes they try to talk about too much and the speech goes on and on but usually, they don’t have enough information to reach the minimum of 5 minutes. When you have a clear thesis statement that can be developed into a complete outline, the speech will usually be the right length.

Examples of a good thesis statement:

High school graduates should be required to take a year off to pursue community service projects before entering college in order to increase their maturity and global awareness.
Nutrition is a critical factor both before and after a workout in order to gain the benefits of the workout.
Implementing the positioning model will help you get closer to you dream job by knowing your skills, bridging, and networking.
Physical therapy can change the way you feel by decreasing pain and increasing your overall well being.
You need to start maintaining a healthy lifestyle today in order to take the first step towards living a longer, happier life.
Student-athletes should get paid to play in intercollegiate athletics.

Examples of poor thesis statements:

Eating fast food is bad and should be avoided.
- The problem with this thesis statement is that it is too general and does not provide structure for the speaker to organize the speech. Depending on the goal of the speaker a more specific thesis that would work for a 5-10-minute speech would be: "By being conscious of the food pyramid and making good choices it is possible to eat more healthily at a fast-food restaurant."
Ear protection is important for keeping your senses keen.
- What senses is the speaker referring to? Is there only one reason for using hearing protection? When and who needs it? A better example would be: "Musicians are frequently are exposed to potentially damaging levels of noise when practicing and performing and they need to use appropriate measures to protect their hearing."
Even though football is just a sport, the Pittsburgh Steelers and their rich history of winning help bring people and families together.
- Why is the speaker minimizing the sport of football in the first part of this statement? This thesis statement is too general and does not provide structure for the speech. Is the speaker going to talk about the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers (which he did by the way) or about how the Steelers bring people together? What does he want the audience to take away from this speech? I would think that a speech about how the Steelers contribute to the community by involvement in fundraising, community support programs, volunteering, camps for kids etc. would be interesting and put a positive spin on the team.
All drugs have harmful effects on humans but tobacco products are a legal drug that is capable of causing a wide range of problems and diseases.
- The problem with this thesis statement is it is untrue. All drugs are not harmful. We use drugs every day to extend life, cure diseases and treat medical conditions. When you delete the first half of the sentence and are left with the statement about tobacco it is still too general to be a good thesis statement. What are the problems associated with tobacco use? The speaker needs to identify which problems she wants to focus on for this speech and state them clearly.
Smoking is terrible for you and the people around you. It is the leading cause of preventable death in the US.
- Neither of these statements is a thesis statement. Again, the speaker needs to identify the specific aspects of the problem that she will discuss in the speech and state them clearly in the thesis statement. The thesis should be one sentence.
I'm going to point out some people and events in queer history that you may not have heard of before and draw parallels to show how they're relevant to us now.
- This may be a preview of the main points of the speech but it does not summarize the main idea that the speaker wants the audience to take from the speech. The topic is too broad and general to be covered in 10 minutes. Here is a more specific alternative on the same theme: "The Pittsburgh Queer History Project has three main objectives: to create an oral history archive documenting the after-dark GBT community from 1960 to 1990; host exhibitions and public events in which stories are told; and raise awareness about the role of the GBT community in the greater history of Pittsburgh."
Graphic Design is a very broad subject that can be broken down into different specialties, and it is seen in our every day lives.
- The entire topic of Graphic Design is too broad to cover in a 10-miute speech and this speaker does not identify what the breakdown will be. A more interesting focus for this speech might be: "Graphic design is used in political campaigns in the production of slogan, buttons, posters, and yard signs, as well as digital images to brand candidates and create an image, increase name recognition and support."
For college to be enjoyable there are some things that you need to be able to do.
- This doesn't identify what the main point of the speech will be. For me, as a college professor, it does not make sense. Does the speaker mean that the audience will need to be able to drive a car, drink beer, make friends, play sports, use their cell phone? The thesis statement needs to reflect the main idea of the speech.

Putting it all together

As you can see in the following chart there are many ways to present your topic to the audience.

You find what works best for you, the particular audience, and the situation in which you will be speaking.

Topic Diversity: Adapting Topics

There are multiple ways of presenting and discussing any topic.

It is important to consider a variety of ways of looking at your topic, particularly when your topic is broad because you cannot cover every aspect of your topic in a single speech.

When you think about diverse approaches to the topic and the needs of a particular audience you will be more likely to find a perspective that will allow you to engage the audience and leave them thinking about your message.

The following tables demonstrate how different speeches can be developed from a single topic and for different audiences.

The approach that you take for your topic will be determined by the knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of your audience regarding your topic.

The approach to your topic will also be influenced by your own attitudes towards the topic and the situation in which you will be speaking.

Below you will find examples of how three different topics have been adapted to a variety of audiences and purposes. Note the difference between a correctly worded purpose statement and thesis statement!

*Note that the topic for the speech to members of the family listed above sounds very general but if there are members of their family who have the symptoms of sleep apea the speaker is taking the opportunity to inform them of the risks of going undiagnosed or of not using the therapy device when they are sleeping along with informing the rest of the family of their seriousness of the condition. The speaker does not need to single out a family member but can speak in general terms to achieve the goal of informing their family. If the speaker wanted to persuade their family to take action such as having a sleep study for those members of the family who snore loudly when they sleep then they would need to be more specific in the actions they are persuading the family to take.

Note how this topic can be adapted for different audiences by focusing on what issues that particular audience needs to address.

*This informative speech could be developed as a problem/solution, categorical, or even a demonstration speech. Demonstration speeches are usually informative but could be persuasive as well.

The thesis statement of a demonstration speech that would be a speech to persuade could be: After I demonstrate how to prepare a few healthy snacks you will be able to do this at home!

It is persuasive because you are focusing on changing the behavior of the audience not just on showing them how something is done.

**In the case of a speech to family members the speaker is trying to persuade them to give up the snacks they currently eat for healthier snacks that will meet the health goals of the individual family members.

This approach to the topic can help build commitment in the family and a sense of community.

*Note how this topic is adapted specifically for a speech to members of the family to inspire rather than inform them which will help build positive feelings in the family.

It is important when you are speaking to your family and friends that you do not present information that they already know pretending that they do not know it.

For example, you would not need to introduce yourself to people who already know your name. That would be silly.

Also, look for ways to make the topic meaningful for your audience. For example, if their kids have already grown up then it would not make sense to tell you audience how to throw a kid's birthday party.

Bloom's Taxonomy

Bloom's Taxonomy provides a helpful way to determine what kind of changes you can make in the audience.

In 1956, Benjamin Bloom headed a group of educational psychologists who developed a classification of levels of intellectual behavior important in learning.

During the 1990's a new group of cognitive psychologists, lead by Lorin Anderson (a former student of Bloom), updated the taxonomy to reflect relevance to 21st century work.

The taxonomy was used to describe the levels associated with learning and when they are applied to public speaking they help the speaker formulate his or her goals.

There are different types of learning and your goal for your speech can be in any of these areas. That means that you can get the audience to learn, grow, and change in their knowledge of your topic, their skills, or their attitudes towards your topic.

Even though the following video focuses on teachers, the information can be helpful to any person as they engage in the Invention process to prepare a speech.

The speaker can use this taxonomy as a tool when determining their specific purpose to help them determine whether, at the end of the speech, they want the audience to know something such as to be able to recite a policy or whether they want the audience to use the information from the speech to make judgements or draw conclusions such as determine the best policy for their own community.

Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning chart identifies the different levels of learning which involve remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating and creating. Visit the website below for more information.

Whitman School of Management: Bloom's Taxonomy