Public Speaking
Chapter Eighteen
Speaking for Special Occasions and
Purposes
Public Speaking in the
Workplace
O nearly every job requires some public-
speaking skills
O in many careers, public speaking is a daily
part of the job
O these can take the form of:
O management meetings
O reports to company executives
O training seminars within the company
O public-relations speeches to people outside the
company
Group Presentations
O after a group has reached a decision, solved
a problem, or uncovered new information,
group members often present their findings
to others
O make sure you have a clear purpose and
central idea, divided into logical main ideas
Group Presentations
O there are three primary formats for group
presentations:
O symposium – a public discussion in which a
series of short speeches is presented to an
audience
O each speaker should know what the others will
present to avoid presenting the same material
twice
O at the end, the audience may participate in a
question-and-answer session
Group Presentations
O forum – a question-and-answer session that usually
follows a public discussion or symposium
O often follows a more structured presentation
O forums work best when all group members know the
issues and are prepared to respond
O panel discussion – a group discussion designed to
inform an audience about issues or a problem or to
make recommendations
O individuals on the panel may use notes on key facts or
statistics, but they do not present formal speeches
O panel discussions are often followed by a questionand-answer period – or forum
Group Presentations
O Suggestions when planning a group presentation:
O make sure group members understand the task or
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assignment and work together
if your assignment is to solve a problem or to inform
the audience, try brainstorming to develop a topic or
question
give group members individual assignments
develop a group outline and decide on an approach
rehearse
incorporate principles and skills of effective
audience-centered public speaking when giving the
group presentation
Group Presentations
O keep these tips in mind when you are
offering conclusions or recommendations:
O clarify your purpose
O use presentation aids effectively
O choose someone to serve as moderator or
coordinator
O can provide needed structure and keep the
group on time
O be ready to answer questions
Public-Relations Speeches
O public-relations speeches are designed to
inform the public, to strengthen alliances
with them, and in some cases, to
recommend policy
O first, discuss the need or problem that has
prompted the speech
O then, explain the how the company or
organization is working to meet the need or
solve the problem (or why it believes that
there is no problem)
Public-Relations Speeches
O it is important to anticipate criticism
O emphasize the positive aspects of the policy
or program
O do not become defensive
O leave the impression that the company or
organization has carefully worked through
potential pitfalls and drawbacks
Ceremonial Speaking
O kairos is the circumstances surrounding the
occasion for a speech
O a ceremonial or epideictic speech is
delivered on special occasions for
celebration, thanksgiving, praise, or
mourning
Introductions
O a speech of introduction is a speech that provides
information about another speaker
O like an informative speech, the speaker is delivering
the information to the audience about the main
speaker
O be brief – the audience is there to hear the speaker,
not you
O be accurate – know how to pronounce the speaker’s
names and other terms you will need to know
O keep the needs of your audience in mind – if the
speaker needs no introduction, don’t give one – just
offer a warm welcome
Toasts
O a toast is a brief salute to a momentous
occasion
O the modern toast is short – only a few
sentences
O sincerity is more important than wit
Award Presentations
O a presentation speech is a speech that
accompanies the presentation of an award
O first, refer to the occasion of the presentation
O second, talk about the history and significance of
the award
O lastly, give the award
O if the person knows they are getting the award, you
can refer to them in their speech
O if it is a surprise, save the drama of the actual
announcement until the last moment
Nominations
O nomination speeches officially recommend
someone as a candidate for an office or
position
O the person making the nomination should
explain clearly why the nominee’s skills,
talents, and past achievements serve as
qualifications for the position
Acceptances
O an acceptance speech gives thanks for an
award, nomination, or other honor
O usually have a bad reputation because of lengthy,
boring, and rambling examples seen on television
award shows
O formula
O first, thank the person making the presentation
and the organization he or she represents
O second, comment on the meaning or significance
of the award to you
O lastly, try to find some meaning the award may
have for your audience
Keynote Addresses
O a keynote address is a speech that sets the
theme and tone for a meeting or conference
O emphasizes the importance of the topic or
the purpose of the meeting, motivates the
audience, and sets the theme for other
speakers or events
Commencement Addresses
O a commencement address is delivered at a
graduation or commencement ceremony
O praise the graduating class
O turn graduates toward the future
O this is not the proper forum to discuss the
problems in the world, instead focus on the
bright and inspiring futures ahead of the
graduates
Commemorative Addresses
and Tributes
O commemorative addresses are speeches
delivered during ceremonies held in memory
of some past event and / or the person or
persons involved
O present some facts about the event and / or
the people being celebrated
O build on those facts, urging the audience to
let past accomplishments inspire them to
achieve new goals
Eulogies
O a eulogy is a speech of tribute delivered
when someone has died
O you should mention – and linger – on the
unique achievements of the person to whom
you are paying tribute
O express a sense of loss
O turn to the living, and encourage them to
transcend their sorrow and feel instead
gratitude that the dead person was once
alive and among them
After-Dinner Speaking: Using
Humor Effectively
O an after-dinner speech is an entertaining
speech, usually delivered in conjunction with a
mealtime meeting or banquet
O they can persuade or inform, but their primary
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purpose is to entertain
think about what audiences find funny
be careful of potentially sensitive or inappropriate
topics
humorous stories should be simple
know your anecdotes very well (forgetting things
always ruins the joke)
Humorous Verbal Strategies
O a pun is the use of double meanings to
create humor
O a spoonerism is a phrase in which the initial
sounds of words are switched (“sublic
peaking” instead of “public speaking”)
O used to avoid libel charges or copyright
infringement
O a malapropism is the mistaken use of a
word that sounds very much like the
intended word
Humorous Verbal Strategies
O an hyperbole is an exaggeration
O an understatement is downplaying a fact or
event
O verbal irony is saying the opposite of what
one means
O wit is relating an incident that takes an
unexpected turn at the end
Humorous Nonverbal
Strategies
O posture
O gesture
O voice
O well-timed pauses