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This guy is definitely prepped for something. What that something is, we have no idea. (Source)
Doomsday preppers go to extremes preparing for catastrophic scenarios that—let's face it—probably aren't going to happen by doing things that—let's face it again—probably won't help. Will an alien invasion necessitate stocking a thousand cases of creamed corn in your basement? Will the rise of hyper-intelligent sewer rats be thwarted by camouflaging your entire house with fake shrubbery?
Unlikely.
But what about when it comes to the only thing scarier than a society dominated by sewer rat overlords? What about…speech-making?
Some people fear public speaking so much that it can feel like their own version of doomsday. Whether or not you're one of those people, it's important to know effective preparation strategies that can guarantee your speech goes well—as long as no catastrophic scenarios get in the way.
Prepping for speech day doesn't involve digging a bunker in your backyard, hoarding canned food, or dressing in astronaut-style spacesuits. Okay: for most people it doesn't. If you find any of those things relaxing, feel free to add them to your list.
Here's a quick rundown of what should be on any speaker's checklist (because checklists are excellent preparation tools):
Primary purpose
Main idea
Evidence
Outline
This unit is all about how to check each of those off your list in an intelligent and complete way.
What's the point of all this preparation? What makes it better than trying for an "authentic" approach, a.k.a winging it? To answer that, we'd like to invoke the British Army's "7 Ps:"
"Proper planning and preparation prevent piss-poor performance."
We think it's pretty hard to argue with that.
Summary
Summary
Speakers who primarily want to persuade should figure out whether they're dealing with questions of fact, values, or policy, and prepare accordingly.
Speakers who primarily want to inform should determine whether their aim is to define, describe, explain, or demonstrate and prepare accordingly.
Speakers who primarily want to entertain or commemorate should think of ways to magnify the subject of their speech and identify with their audience.
When analyzing an audience, speakers should make sure they understand the size of their audience, the demographic makeup, what they'll expect of them, how much they know about the topic, what they already think about the topic, and how much they want to be there.
Speakers should craft a main idea that can be expressed in a short, easy-to-understand, clear, and definite sentence.
When searching for outside sources to support claims, speakers should test for credibility by looking at authority, currency, objectivity, and support.
Speakers must test arguable claims by seeking out reasons and evidence, and only include solid, evidence-backed claims in their speeches.
Speakers must know how to arrange their claims and support in an effective way—and that means knowing some of the common ways to arrange a speech.
Objectives
Objectives
recognize the importance of preparing for a speech.
identify the most effective preparation strategies.
identify the most common speech types and the primary goals of each.
recognize how to conduct an audience analysis.
identify the steps to creating an effective main idea.
recognize how to gather credible information from variety of sources.
consider speech-related critical thinking skills, including identifying common fallacies.
identify several ways to outline a speech.
Study Questions
Study Questions
Why is it important to prepare thoroughly for a speech?
What are the best ways to prepare for a speech?
How should the type of speech influence its content?
What should you know about your audience before you face them?
What makes for an effective main idea, and how can having one help you craft your speech?
What kinds of research can provide you with evidence and support for your claims?
How can critical thinking help improve a speech?
What are some effective ways to organize a speech?
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