Public Speaking:
An Audience-Centered Approach – 7th edition
Chapter 6
Developing
Your
Speech
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Steven A. Beebe & Susan J. Beebe
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009
“In all
matters,
before
beginning,
a diligent
preparation
should
be made”
- Cicero
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009
Steps in Preparing a Speech
1. Select and narrow topic
2. Determine purpose
3. Develop central idea
4. Generate main ideas
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009
Select and Narrow Your Topic
Guidelines
•
•
•
•
•
Should be relevant to listeners’
interests and expectations.
Should consider knowledge
levels of listeners.
Should be important.
Should be appropriate to
audience and occasion.
Should interest you.
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009
Select and Narrow Your Topic
Strategies for selecting a topic
•
Brainstorming: creative
•
problem-solving technique
used to generate many
ideas.
Listening and reading for
topic ideas.
Scanning web directories.
•
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Select and Narrow Your Topic
Narrowing the topic
Topic should fit time constraints:
“Music”
Too broad
“Folk Music”
Less broad
“Irish folk music”
More specific
“The popularity
of Irish folk music
in the U.S.”
Appropriately
narrowed for the
time constraints
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Determine Your Purpose
Guidelines
• Ask:
“What is really important for
audience to hear?”
• Ask: “How do I want
audience to
respond?”
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009
Determine Your Purpose
General Purpose
• Speaking to Inform:
 educates people.
• Speaking to Persuade:
 changes or reinforces
audience’s convictions;
 urges action.
•Speaking to Entertain:
 promotes relaxation and enjoyment.
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009
Determine Your Purpose
Specific Purpose
• What you want audience to do at end of speech.
• “At the end of my speech,
the audience will be able to…”
• Focuses on observed and
measured behavior.
• Focuses on one idea.
• Considers audience
needs and knowledge.
• Guides your choice of supporting material.
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009
Develop Your Central Idea
Guidelines
• Complete declarative sentence
(not a phrase or question).
• Direct and specific
(not qualified or vague).
• Single idea.
• Reflects how topic affects
audience
(audience-centered).
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009
Generate and Preview
Your Main Ideas
Generating Main Ideas
• How ideas support central
idea (logical divisions).
• Types of examples.
• Causes and effects.
• Reasons why
central idea is true.
• Can be sequential steps
showing a progression.
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009
Generate and Preview
Your Main Ideas
Previewing Main Ideas
•
•
Make sure ideas previewed
match how you plan to
discuss them.
Main ideas will make up
blueprint of speech.
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009