speech structure in

Speechwriting

9 Structure and Organization

Writing a Speech That Audiences Can Grasp

In this chapter . . .

For a speech to be effective, the material must be presented in a way that makes it not only engaging but easy for the audience to follow. Having a clear structure and a well-organized speech makes this possible. In this chapter we cover the elements of a well-structured speech, using transitions to connect each element, and patterns for organizing the order of your main points.

Have you had this experience? You have an instructor who is easy to take notes from because they help you see the main ideas and give you cues as to what is most important to write down and study for the test. On the other hand, you might have an instructor who tells interesting stories, says provocative things, and leads engaging discussions, but you have a tough time following where the instruction is going. If you’ve experienced either of these, you already know that structure and the organized presentation of material makes a big difference for listening and learning. The structure is like a house, which has essential parts like a roof, walls, windows, and doors. Organization is like the placement of rooms within the house, arranged for a logical and easy flow.

This chapter will teach you about creating a speech through an outlining process that involves structure and organization. In the earlier chapter Ways of Delivering Speeches , you learned about several different modes of speech delivery: impromptu, extemporaneous, and manuscript. Each of these suggests a different kind of speech document. An impromptu speech will have a very minimal document or none at all. An extemporaneous delivery requires a very thorough outline, and a manuscript delivery requires a fully written speech text. Here’s a crucial point to understand: Whether you plan to deliver extemporaneously or from a fully written text. The process of outlining is crucial. A manuscript is simply a thorough outline into which all the words have been written.

Four Elements of a Structured Speech

A well-structured speech has four distinct elements: introduction, body, connective statements, and conclusion. While this sounds simple, each of these elements has sub-elements and nuances that are important to understand. Introductions and conclusions are complex enough to warrant their own chapter and will be discussed in depth further on.

Introduction and Conclusion

The importance of a good introduction cannot be overstated. The clearer and more thorough the introduction, the more likely your audience will listen to the rest of the speech and not “turn off.” An introduction, which typically occupies 10-15% of your entire speech, serves many functions including getting the audience’s attention, establishing your credibility, stating your thesis, and previewing your main points.

Like an introduction, speech conclusions are essential. They serve the function of reiterating the key points of your speech and leave the audience with something to remember.

The elements of introductions and conclusions will be discussed in the following chapter. The remainder of this chapter is devoted to the body of the speech and its connectors.

The Body of a Speech

The body of a speech is comprised of several distinct groups of related information or arguments. A proper group is one where a) the group can be described in a single clear sentence, and b) there’s a logical relationship between everything within it. We call that describing sentence a main point . Speeches typically have several main points, all logically related to the thesis/central idea of the speech. Main points are followed by explanation, elaboration, and supporting evidence that are called  sub-points .

Main Points

A main point in a speech is a complete sentence that states the topic for information that is logically grouped together. In a writing course, you may have learned about writing a paragraph topic sentence. This is typically the first sentence of a paragraph and states the topic of the paragraph. Speechwriting is similar. Whether you’re composing an essay with a paragraph topic sentences or a drafting a speech with main points, everything in the section attached to the main point should logically pertain to it. If not, then the information belongs under a different main point. Let’s look at an example of three main points:

General Purpose: To persuade

Specific Purpose: To motivate my classmates in English 101 to participate in a study abroad program.

Thesis: A semester-long study abroad experience produces lifelong benefits by teaching you about another culture, developing your language skills, and enhancing your future career prospects.

Main point #1: A study abroad experience allows you to acquire firsthand experience of another culture through classes, extra-curricular activities, and social connections.

Main point #2: You’ll turbocharge your acquisition of second language skills through an immersive experience living with a family.

Main point #3: A study abroad experience on your resume shows that you have acquired the kind of language and cultural skills that appeal to employers in many sectors.

Notice that each main point is expressed in a complete sentence, not merely #1 Culture; #2 Language; #3 Career. One-word signals are useless as a cue for speaking. Additionally, students are often tempted to write main points as directions to themselves, “Talk about the health department” or “Mention the solution.” This isn’t helpful for you, either. Better: “The health department provides many services for low-income residents” says something we can all understand.

Finally, the important thing to understand about speechwriting is that listeners have limits as to how many categories of information they can keep in mind. The number of main points that can be addressed in any speech is determined by the time allotted for a speech but is also affected by the fact that speeches are limited in their ability to convey substantial amounts of information. For a speech of five to seven minutes, three or four main points are usually enough. More than that would be difficult to manage—for both speaker and audience.

Obviously, creating your main points isn’t the end of the story. Each main point requires additional information or reinforcement. We call these sub-points. Sub-points provide explanation, detail, elaboration, and/or supporting evidence. Consider main point #1 in the previous example, now with sub-points:

Sub-point A: How a country thinks about education is a window into the life of that culture. While on a study abroad program, you’ll typically take 3-5 classes at foreign universities, usually with local professors. This not only provides new learning, but it opens your eyes to different modes of education.

Sub-point B: Learning about a culture isn’t limited to the classroom. Study abroad programs include many extra-curricular activities that introduce you to art, food, music, sports, and other everyday elements of a country’s culture. These vary depending on the program and there’s something for everyone! The website gooverseas.com provides information on hundreds of programs.

Sub-point C: The opportunity to socialize with peers in other countries is one of most attractive elements of studying abroad. You may form friendships that will last a lifetime. “I have made valuable connections in a country I hope to return to someday” according to a blog post by Rachel Smith, a student at the University of Kansas. [1]

Notice that each of these sub-points pertains to the main point. The sub-points contribute to the main point by providing explanation, detail, elaboration, and/or supporting evidence. Now imagine you had a fourth sub-point:

Sub-point D: And while doing all that socializing, you’ll really improve your language skills.

Does that sub-point belong to main point #1? Or should it be grouped with main point#2 or main point #3?

Connective Statements

Connectives or “connective statements” are broad terms that encompass several types of statements or phrases. They are designed to help “connect” parts of your speech to make it easier for audience members to follow. Connectives are tools that add to the planned redundancy, and they are methods for helping the audience listen, retain information, and follow your structure. In fact, it’s one thing to have a well-organized speech. It’s another for the audience to be able to “consume” or understand that organization.

Connectives in general perform several functions:

• Remind the audience of what has come before
• Remind the audience of the central focus or purpose of the speech
• Forecast what is coming next
• Help the audience have a sense of context in the speech—where are we?
• Explain the logical connection between the previous main idea(s) and next one or previous sub-points and the next one
• Explain your own mental processes in arranging the material as you have
• Keep the audience’s attention through repetition and a sense of movement

Connective statement can include “internal summaries,” “internal previews” “signposts” and “bridging or transition statements.” Each of these helps connect the main ideas of your speech for the audience, but they have different emphases and are useful for different types of speeches.

Types of connectives and examples

Internal summaries emphasize what has come before and remind the audience of what has been covered.

“So far I have shown how the designers of King Tut’s burial tomb used the antechamber to scare away intruders and the second chamber to prepare royal visitors for the experience of seeing the sarcophagus.”

Internal previews let your audience know what is coming up next in the speech and what to expect regarding the content of your speech.

“In this next part of the presentation I will share with you what the truly secret and valuable part of the King Tut’s pyramid: his burial chamber and the treasury.”

Signposts emphasize physical movement through the speech content and let the audience know exactly where they are. Signposting can be as simple as “First,” “Next,” “Lastly” or numbers such as “First,” “Second,” Third,” and “Fourth.” Signposting is meant to be a brief way to let your audience know where they are in the speech. It may help to think of these like the mile markers you see along interstates that tell you where you’re and how many more miles you will travel until you reach your destination.

“The second aspect of baking chocolate chip cookies is to combine your ingredients in the recommended way.”

Bridging or transition statements emphasize moving the audience psychologically to the next step.

“I have mentioned two huge disadvantages to students who don’t have extracurricular music programs. Let me ask: Is that what we want for our students? If not, what can we do about it?”

They can also serve to connect seemingly disconnected (but related) material, most commonly between your main points.

“After looking at how the Cherokee Indians of the North Georgia mountain region were politically important until the 1840s and the Trail of Tears, we can compare their experience with that of the Indians of Central Georgia who did not assimilate in the same way as the Cherokee.”

At a minimum, a bridge or transition statement is saying, “Now that we have looked at (talked about, etc.) X, let’s look at Y.”

There’s no standard format for connectives. However, there are a few pieces of advice to keep in mind about them:

First, connectives are for connecting main points. They are not for providing evidence, statistics, stories, examples, or new factual information for the supporting points of the main ideas of the speech.

Second, while connectives in essay writing can be relatively short—a word or phrase, in public speaking, connectives need to be a sentence or two. When you first start preparing and practicing connectives, you may feel that you’re being too obvious with them, and they are “clunky.” Some connectives may seem to be hitting the audience over the head with them like a hammer. While it’s possible to overdo connectives, it’s less likely than you would think. The audience will appreciate them, and as you listen to your classmates’ speeches, you’ll become aware of when they are present and when they are absent.

Lack of connectives results in hard-to-follow speeches where the information seems to come up unexpectedly or the speaker seems to jump to something new without warning or clarification.

Finally, you’ll also want to vary your connectives and not use the same one all the time. Remember that there are several types of connectives.

Patterns of Organization

At the beginning of this chapter, you read the analogy that a speech structure is like a house and organization is like the arrangement of the rooms. So far, we have talked about structure. The introduction, body, main point, sub-point, connectives—these are the house. But what about the arrangement of the rooms? How will you put your main points in a logical order?

There are some standard ways of organizing the body of a speech. These are called “patterns of organization.” In each of the examples below, you’ll see how the specific purpose gives shape to the organization of the speech and how each one exemplifies one of the six main organizational patterns.

Please note that these are simple, basic outlines for example purposes. The actual content of the speech outline or manuscript will be much further developed.

Chronological Pattern

Specific Purpose: To describe to my classmates the four stages of rehabilitation in addiction recovery.

Main Points:

• The first stage is acknowledging the problem and entering treatment.
• The second stage is early abstinence, a difficult period in the rehabilitation facility.
• The third stage is maintaining abstinence after release from the rehab facility.
• The fourth stage is advanced recovery after a period of several years.

The example above uses what is termed the chronological pattern of organization . Chronological always refers to time order. Organizing your main points chronologically is usually appropriate for process speeches (how-to speeches) or for informational speeches that emphasize how something developed from beginning to end. Since the specific purpose in the example above is about stages, it’s necessary to put the four stages in the right order. It would make no sense to put the fourth stage second and the third stage first.

Chronological time can be long or short. If you were giving a speech about the history of the Civil Rights Movement, that period would cover several decades; if you were giving a speech about the process of changing the oil in a car, that process takes less than an hour. Whether the time is long or short, it’s best to avoid a simple, chronological list of steps or facts. A better strategy is to put the information into three to five groups so that the audience has a framework. It would be easy in the case of the Civil Rights Movement to list the many events that happened over more than two decades, but that could be overwhelming for the audience. Instead, your chronological “grouping” might be:

• The movement saw African Americans struggling for legal recognition before the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision.
• The movement was galvanized and motivated by the 1955-1956 Montgomery Bus Boycott.
• The movement saw its goals met in the Civil Rights Act of 1965.

In this way, the chronological organization isn’t an overwhelming list of events. It focuses the audience on three events that pushed the Civil Rights movement forward.

Spatial Pattern

You can see that chronological is a highly-used organizational structure, since one of the ways our minds work is through time-orientation—past, present, future. Another common thought process is movement in space or direction, which is called the spatial pattern . For example:

Specific Purpose: To explain to my classmates the three regional cooking styles of Italy.

• In the mountainous region of the North, the food emphasizes cheese and meat.
• In the middle region of Tuscany, the cuisine emphasizes grains and olives.
• In the southern region and Sicily, the diet is based on fish and seafood.

In this example, the content is moving from northern to southern Italy, as the word “regional” would indicate. For a more localized example:

Specific Purpose: To explain to my classmates the layout of the White House.

• The East Wing includes the entrance ways and offices for the First Lady.
• The most well-known part of the White House is the West Wing.
• The residential part of the White House is on the second floor. (The emphasis here is the movement a tour would go through.)

For an even more localized example:

Specific Purpose: To describe to my Anatomy and Physiology class the three layers of the human skin.

• The outer layer is the epidermis, which is the outermost barrier of protection.
• The second layer beneath is the dermis.
• The third layer closest to the bone is the hypodermis, made of fat and connective tissue.

Topical / Parts of the Whole Pattern

The topical organizational pattern is probably the most all-purpose, in that many speech topics could use it. Many subjects will have main points that naturally divide into “types of,” “kinds of,” “sorts of,” or “categories of.” Other subjects naturally divide into “parts of the whole.” However, as mentioned previously, you want to keep your categories simple, clear, distinct, and at five or fewer.

Specific Purpose: To explain to my first-year students the concept of SMART goals.

• SMART goals are specific and clear.
• SMART goals are measurable.
• SMART goals are attainable or achievable.
• SMART goals are relevant and worth doing.
• SMART goals are time-bound and doable within a time period.

Specific Purpose: To explain the four characteristics of quality diamonds.

• Valuable diamonds have the characteristic of cut.
• Valuable diamonds have the characteristic of carat.
• Valuable diamonds have the characteristic of color.
• Valuable diamonds have the characteristic of clarity.

Specific Purpose: To describe to my audience the four main chambers of a human heart.

• The first chamber in the blood flow is the right atrium.
• The second chamber in the blood flow is the right ventricle.
• The third chamber in the blood flow is the left atrium.
• The fourth chamber in the blood flow and then out to the body is the left ventricle.

At this point in discussing organizational patterns and looking at these examples, two points should be made about them and about speech organization in general:

First, you might look at the example about the chambers of the heart and say, “But couldn’t that be chronological, too, since that’s the order of the blood flow procedure?” Yes, it could. There will be times when a specific purpose could work with two different organizational patterns. In this case, it’s just a matter of emphasis. This speech emphasizes the anatomy of the heart, and the organization is “parts of the whole.” If the speech’s specific purpose were “To explain to my classmates the flow of blood through the chambers of the heart,” the organizational pattern would emphasize chronological, altering the pattern.

Another principle of organization to think about when using topical organization is “climax” organization. That means putting your strongest argument or most important point last when applicable. For example:

Specific purpose: To defend before my classmates the proposition that capital punishment should be abolished in the United States.

• Capital punishment does not save money for the justice system.
• Capital punishment does not deter crime in the United States historically.
• Capital punishment has resulted in many unjust executions.

In most people’s minds, “unjust executions” is a bigger reason to end a practice than the cost, since an unjust execution means the loss of an innocent life and a violation of our principles. If you believe Main Point III is the strongest argument of the three, putting it last builds up to a climax.

Cause & Effect Pattern

If the specific purpose mentions words such as “causes,” “origins,” “roots of,” “foundations,” “basis,” “grounds,” or “source,” it’s a causal order; if it mentions words such as “effects,” “results,” “outcomes,” “consequences,” or “products,” it’s effect order. If it mentions both, it would of course be cause/effect order. This example shows a cause/effect pattern:

Specific Purpose: To explain to my classmates the causes and effects of schizophrenia.

• Schizophrenia has genetic, social, and environmental causes.
• Schizophrenia has educational, relational, and medical effects.

Problem-Solution Pattern

The principle behind the problem-solution pattern is that if you explain a problem to an audience, you shouldn’t leave them hanging without solutions. Problems are discussed for understanding and to do something about them. This is why the problem-solution pattern is often used for speeches that have the objective of persuading an audience to take action.

When you want to persuade someone to act, the first reason is usually that something needs fixing. Let’s say you want the members of the school board to provide more funds for music at the three local high schools in your county. What is missing because music or arts are not funded? What is the problem ?

Specific Purpose: To persuade the members of the school board to take action to support the music program at the school.

• Students who don’t have extracurricular music in their lives have lower SAT scores.
• Schools that don’t have extracurricular music programs have more gang violence and juvenile delinquency.
• $120,000 would go to bands.
• $80,000 would go to choral programs.

Of course, this is a simple outline, and you would need to provide evidence to support the arguments, but it shows how the problem-solution pattern works.

Psychologically, it makes more sense to use problem-solution rather than solution-problem. The audience will be more motivated to listen if you address needs, deficiencies, or problems in their lives rather than giving them solutions first.

Problem-Cause-Solution Pattern

A variation of the problem-solution pattern, and one that sometimes requires more in-depth exploration of an issue, is the “problem-cause-solution” pattern. If you were giving a speech on the future extinction of certain animal species, it would be insufficient to just explain that numbers of species are about to become extinct. Your second point would logically have to explain the cause behind this happening. Is it due to climate change, some type of pollution, encroachment on habitats, disease, or some other reason? In many cases, you can’t really solve a problem without first identifying what caused the problem.

Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that the age to obtain a driver’s license in the state of Georgia should be raised to 18.

• There’s a problem in this country with young drivers getting into serious automobile accidents leading to many preventable deaths.
• One of the primary causes of this is younger drivers’ inability to remain focused and make good decisions due to incomplete brain development.
• One solution that will help reduce the number of young drivers involved in accidents would be to raise the age for obtaining a driver’s license to 18.

Some Additional Principles of Speech Organization

It’s possible that you may use more than one of these organizational patterns within a single speech. You should also note that in all the examples to this point (which have been kept simple for the purpose of explanation), each main point is relatively equal in emphasis; therefore, the time spent on each should be equal as well. You would not want your first main point to be 30 seconds long, the second one to be 90 seconds, and the third 3 minutes. For example:

Specific Purpose: To explain to my classmates the rules of baseball.

• Baseball has rules about equipment.
• Baseball has rules about the numbers of players.
• Baseball has rules about play.

Main Point #2 isn’t really equal in size to the other two. There’s a great deal you could say about equipment and even more about the rules of playing baseball, but the number of players would take you about ten seconds to say. If Main Point #2 were “Baseball has rules about the positions on the field,” that would make more sense and be closer in level of importance to the other two.

The organization of your speech may not be the most interesting part to think about, but without it, great ideas will seem jumbled and confusing to your audience. Even more, good connectives will ensure your audience can follow you and understand the logical connections you’re making with your main ideas. Finally, because your audience will understand you better and perceive you as organized, you’ll gain more credibility as a speaker if you’re organized. A side benefit to learning to be an organized public speaker is that your writing skills will improve, specifically your organization and sentence structure.

Roberto is thinking about giving an informative speech on the status of HIV-AIDS currently in the U.S. He has different ideas about how to approach the speech. Here are his four main thoughts:

• pharmaceutical companies making drugs available in the developing world
• changes in attitudes toward HIV-AIDS and HIV-AIDS patients over the last three decades
• how HIV affects the body of a patient
• major breakthroughs in HIV-AIDS treatment

Assuming all these subjects would be researchable and appropriate for the audience, write specific purpose statements for each. What organizational patterns would he probably use for each specific purpose?

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Speech Structure: The Complete OBC Guide

What makes a great speech? The content, of course, but also the structure. All great speakers overlay their content on a well-known structure. 

Your speech structure is the glue that binds your points together. Without it, you cannot really have the impact you desire to have on the audience.

The beauty of this is that a good structure is so subtle it is almost invisible. Its effectiveness is only evident in its impact.

Speech writing can be intimidating for some, however, we have incorporated plenty of speech examples to get a complete understanding. We aim to explain a proper structure that can be applied to any of your speeches.

There are four things you need to keep in mind about this:

Table of Contents

What is the purpose of your speech?

Can too much content be harmful, who is the audience, informative speech, persuasive speech, argumentative speech, demonstration speech, humorous speech, strong statement, visual prop or demonstration, personal anecdote, problem or strong statement, summary on writing your introduction:, credibility, cause and effect:, problems and solutions:, lucky number three, summary on writing your body:, call to action, inspirational, key takeaway, summary of writing your conclusion:, meta description:, picking the right topic.

The content of a speech can largely determine how the audience receives it. For this, you will need to accurately assess who is going to be listening to your speech. There are some questions you need to ask before sitting down to write this speech.

Do you intend to introduce a concept or argue on a controversial topic? Is your purpose of imparting knowledge or guiding the audience through a demonstration? It is essential to have your intentions cleared; otherwise, you can risk creating a speech with no direction.

We understand that as daunting as speaking can be, it is, at the same time, fascinating. When you pick a topic that you are passionate about, it is easy to find yourself packing the speech with all kinds of information. However, in doing so, you can overwhelm your audience.

There is such a thing as too much information. You need to make sure that whatever information you do include is impactful and influential. Aim for something short but memorable. Pick one takeaway message and gear your speech towards that objective.

While it is vital to pick a topic that interests you, it is equally important to make sure that it can grab the audience’s attention. What is the target demographic for your speech? What is the setting for this speech? Is it a particularly controversial topic?

This is important because as humans, most people are likely to be more interested in your presentation if it benefits them somehow. At the same time, you have to consider the setting.

For instance: an office setting would not be the right setting for a controversial social speech. If your speech includes demonstration and requires volunteers, you need to ensure that this is an audience willing to participate.  

Do you understand the various types of speeches?

Before you pen down your presentation, stop to wonder whether you understand the different types of speeches. Understanding what kind of speech you are going for can help you better structure it for maximum efficiency:

An informative speech intends to explain complex topics to your audience by providing engaging information. This can include objects, events, procedures, and more. It is better if you pick a topic that you are interested in so that your enthusiasm shines through.

When you give an informative speech, you are merely trying to educate your audiences about a particular topic. You refrain from becoming too argumentative as it might come across too strong for your listeners. If this is the type of speech you intend to give, you can check out 100 Informative Speech Topics and Ideas to make your job easier. 

A persuasive speech intends to convince the audiences of your viewpoint. It uses compelling points to sway the listener’s opinions. The primary purpose of this type of speech is to affect the audiences’ thought process and persuade them to think about changing how they feel about a topic.

Some examples of a persuasive speech can be a politician’s speech, an animal activist’s speech, and so on. As you can see, the goal here is to persuade and obtain something ultimately. A politician might want to sway your vote in their favor, whereas ani activist has a cause that they’d like to advocate for.

If this is the type of speech you intend to give, you can check out 237 Easy Persuasive Speech Topics and Guide to better plan your speech.

An argumentative speech is more or less a persuasive speech. However, a persuasive speech does not always have to be argumentative. The purpose of an argumentative is to alter how the audience views a subject. 

Changing the audience’s opinion is not an easy job. This is why you need to not only pick a persuasive topic but also believe in it. You need a strong claim along with irrefutable points to support it. 

The best argumentative speeches utilize issues relating to current events. You can see this in the media in the form of mostly social, ethical, political, or religious arguments. Your arguments should make use of logic and realistic examples. Some examples of this type of speech can be: Dress codes shouldn’t be mandatory, Space exploration is a waste of money, etc.

If you’d like to see more topic ideas for an argumentative speech, you can browse the 200 Argumentative Speech Topics and ideas: A Complete Guide . 

A demonstration speech, true to its name, demonstrates to the audience how something works. This type of presentation is more common for high school or college students. It makes use of props and useful body language to properly guide the audience through an activity.

This type of speech can fall under informative speech as you are informing the listeners on a task. While this type of speech is considered a basic speech, it is an excellent way to practice your expository speaking.

If this is the type of speech you’d like to give, here’s a list of 279 Demonstration Speech Topics and Ideas: A Complete Guide , so that you can better perfect your speech.

A humorous speech is the perfect light-hearted solution for adding a fun twist to your speech. This type of presentation aims to entertain the audience. A humorous speech can incorporate any of the above examples. It is, thus, very versatile. And what’s more? You get to have just as much fun delivering it!  

The thing to keep in mind with this kind of speech is that you need to pick a proper topic. You intend to garner a joyful response to its best not to pick a sensitive topic. To help you out, you can browse the 300 Funny Speech Topics to Tickle Some Funny Bones! to structure your humorous speech.

Writing the Introduction (Opening)

The introduction of your speech is vital to the success of your speech. It is what sets the tone of your entire speech. It determines whether or not you grab the attention of the listeners. You will get only one chance to charm your audience and make sure they follow the rest of your speech.

So, how can you make this happen? There are a few different ways you can approach this:

Asking a question is an excellent way to grab your audience’s attention. It piques their curiosity and ensures that they will listen to get an answer to said question. The question can be either rhetorical or literal. For instance, “Have you ever wondered what it’d be like to live in a world without technology?” or “Have you ever felt broken-hearted?”.

Either the audience resonates with your question, or it generates curiosity. This is also a great way to get some audience participation. If you say, “With a show of hands, how many of us here have tried to change our habits and failed?” you can not only garner interest but also physically get the audience invested in your speech.

A question is a great way to get your listeners thinking about your topic while introducing your topic, all in a matter of seconds!

A strong statement is also an excellent way to create a compelling introduction. You must know Martin Luther King’s iconic, “I have a dream.” The intensity that radiates from that sentence immediately captures an audiences’ attention and creates a commanding presence.

Similarly, an excellent example of this type of opening is from Larry Smith’s speech. “I want to discuss with you this afternoon why you’re going to fail to have a great career.” This immediately generates intrigue and curiosity. That’s what you’re going for.

This statement does not have to just be cold facts. It can be a part of a personal story as well. For instance, the statement “Last week, I found out that my childhood friend got in a car accident” is bound to create a powerful silence. If your speech has such a strong emotive statement, you can use it in your introduction to engage your audience better.

Another helpful tip that goes with a strong statement in silence. Give your listener’s a chance to absorb the statement that you have put in front of them with a couple of seconds of silence before diving in further.

A prop can be a fantastic addition to your speech. Not only does it help emphasize your point, but it also helps the audience stay focused on your speech. Props are especially good for a demonstrative speech. Or you can simply incorporate demonstrations as part of your speech.

Body language speaks much louder than words can for us humans. This is why using colorful bags, a deck of cards, colored papers, etc. can be so effective as an opener for your speech. Once, I attended a speech where the speaker brought a heavy bag and simply set it on the table, talking about the bag. The audience was hooked, waiting eagerly till the end to find out what was in the bag.

A quotation can be the perfect way to capture your audience’s attention. It also helps set a tone for the speech that is to come. The quote you pick can be a well-known saying such as “They say all that glitters is not gold, well I beg to differ.” Doing so, you can ignite curiosity.

Similarly, you can also quote a person or a publication and tie it to your speech. For instance, for a motivational speech, you can take the example of someone like Bill Gates- “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” When you use a quote from a big name, you will definitely get people wanting to hear and learn more.

Humor is always a great tool to have in your arsenal. A good icebreaker can warm the listeners up to you and make them more receptive to the rest of your speech. Humor is a very endearing trait for a skilled speaker. Some ideas for your opening can be:

“It’s the funniest thing. As I was coming up to the stage, I began thinking we actually have quite a lot in common. None of us have a clue about what I’m going to say!”

“I know we are all busy, and I want to honor your time. So I will make sure to be accurate and brief, no matter long it takes me.”

The great thing about using humor is that it works on your audience subconsciously. You seem at ease with yourself and radiate confidence. You have to remember that for humor to be effective; it has to be effortless. If you seem unsure about your lines, the audience is sure to pick up on it.

A strong statistic will always add validity to your speeches. Presenting the audience with irrefutable facts backed up by a strong source is a surefire way to gain credibility. It can also add gravity to the scale of the issue that you want to draw attention to. 

However, it is easy to overdo things when it comes to numbers. It can be tempting to add strong statistics to the rest of your speech as well. But remember, the strongest points are ones that linger in an audience’s mind. If you give them too many numbers, none of them will stick out in their heads, and they are bound to feel lost.

Some examples can be: “Look to your right. Now, look to your left. One in three women and one in four women are known to have suffered physical violence. A statement like this not only ignites awareness but also physically makes your listener feel involved in your speech.

An anecdote is a short story taken from your life itself. The story usually adds to the theme of your story. Short and light-hearted anecdotes can add a lot of enthusiasm and charm to your speech. However, you don’t have to make them humorous. Even more, touching stories can be equally, if not more engaging.

When used correctly, a personal anecdote makes for the perfect introduction that draws your listeners towards your central message. Not only does it create empathy, but it also sparks interest. If you don’t have a personal anecdote itself, you can go for a third-person anecdote that speaks to you as well.

Opening with a problem can make for a strong opening. This method generates interest and keeps the audience listening with the promise of an upcoming solution. Try to aim for a problem that caters to a wider demographic for a higher relatability.

Problems that relate to current events can have a better draw. For instance: “Why should remote working be implemented even after quarantine?”

In a similar vein, a powerful statement can be an excellent way to capture your audience’s attention. A statement, when paired with silence, can make for an effective tool. Example: “The top 20% of our society makes 80% of all the money. Would you like to be part of this 20%? If so, I’m going to give you some pointers on how you can align yourself in that direction. Does that sound like something you might be interested in?”

• Your opening plays a big role in whether or not you can grab your listener’s attention straight off the bat.
• Give your audience a reason to pay attention by clearly stating the purpose of your speech.
• If you are giving a speech regarding a field you have some experience with, remember to establish credibility early on.
• Give a short highlight reel of your main points.
• Quotations or powerful statements are a great way to catch the audience’s attention.
• Including current events or statistics will make your speech seem more relevant to a wider range of listeners.
• Asking a question will get your audience more involved and add intrigue to the rest of your presentation.

Structuring your content (Body)

The body of your speech will hold all of your main points. Since this is the longest section of your speech, you need to ensure that it is interesting enough to keep everyone’s attention. Depending on the objective of your speech, you will need to add examples, opinions, and facts to back up your points. What helps during this time is proper organization.

Here are some things you want to keep in mind while drafting the body of your speech:

No matter how much you believe in your point, you still need to give your audience a credible reason to take your word for it. This can be done by adding examples, detailed descriptions, statistics, and so on. Always remember to credit the source when using a statistic. You can also add a strong testimonial to add a touch of personalized support if that applies to your objective.

Transitions

When you have a lot of content packed into your speech, transitions become vital to the effectiveness of your speech. You can consider these as points of a refresh in your speech. Here, the audience can reengage and follow along more attentively. 

The best transitions are always invisible. They can seamlessly add flow to your speech without giving any indication of such to your audience. There are many ways to incorporate this into your speech. 

Some examples can be:

A connective transition is where you reiterate a previous point and introduce a connecting point. The way this method works is that it rehashes an important aspect while relating it to what’s next.

The most effective way to use this is in a problem/solution module. This is where you begin by stating a problem and transition towards a solution.

Example: Now that we’ve understood the various negative effects of junk food, let me tell you how we can plan a better diet to combat obesity.

When you do this, you are providing a summary of the problem and swiftly leading them towards a solution. If you jump straight to the next section, it can feel rushed. Besides, pauses are another important element of speech delivery.

Keywords, as the name suggests, have a certain draw to them. These are words that are central to the theme of your speech. Repetition is a very effective tool in conveying your message. 

For instance: If your speech is about the scarcity of running water in rural communities, you can draw attention by repeating the factors that cause this issue. Doing so will also let you explain in better detail these factors while keeping your audience hooked to the main theme.

Content Approach

Depending on your speech, there are various ways to approach how you frame your content. We all know that content is king; however, without the right approach, it’s easy for your message to get lost along the way. This is why it’s so important to keep your subject matter relevant and interesting. Make sure the content is as compact and concise as you can make it. Some of the methods by which you can ensure this is as follows:

Cause and effect is a great way to present your ideas. This method works best for explaining events and consequences or results. Make sure to include all the appropriate details to add emphasis. The element of ‘what’s next’ is what keeps the audience hooked to your speech. As you unfold a cause and follow it with the effects, it will feel both interesting as well as rewarding to your audience.  

Problem and solution is a speech method as old as time. But it is so because of its reliability. This approach works best for a motivational speech. This type of speech intends to address a problem and offer a systematic solution that benefits the listeners. It is also a common approach for pushing an audience to buy into a service or product. You pose a problem and then offer a solution, including a whole package. Make sure the solution you offer is versatile so that it applies to a wider range of people, thereby increasing appeal.

A narrative approach is excellent for anybody who wants to sharpen their storytelling skills. The important ingredients for a narrative speech are chronology and a simple organization pattern. Typically, any story will have a beginning, middle, and end. Going in order, with smooth transitions will make your story easy to follow. 

This type of speech is most effective for presenting events, life lessons, experiences, rituals, and personal beliefs. Try to stick to the core of the story without too many unnecessary details. Just because a narrative includes storytelling does not mean it can’t have an end goal. For instance: a personal experience of failure might be a great story of caution for the listeners.

The most important thing for a successful narrative speech is build-up. You want your audience to be invested, to care about what comes next, to raise the stakes so that when you provide the conclusion, it is that much more effective. You must always ask yourself, “What do I want the audience to remember after this speech?”.

The best way to write this would be to outline a sketch of events that are relevant to your narrative. After that, you can think about the best way to escalate the stakes. Remember that eye contact is an important visual medium in a narrative speech. It will help your audience connect better to your story.

The number three is impactful. Even the general structure of a speech is divided into three parts: Opening, Body, and Conclusion. When you want to make a point that people remember, you should consider splitting it into three, where the first two act as a build-up while your final point brings the unexpected impact.

The best thing about this method is that you can apply it to just about any kind of speech. This, in fact, adds more structure to your speech and makes it more easily digestible. The key ingredient here becomes balance and transition. Make sure you focus on all three elements of your story equally, so it does not feel rushed. Add in a seamless transition to make your story structure seem effortless.  

• Make sure you have designed your content to suit your audience.
• Divide your body into easily digestible sections so that your main points come across clearly.
• Stress on keywords and clever repetitions to drive your point home.
• Work on your transitions to establish clear sections but a seamless switch to keep your listeners hooked.
• When using facts or statistics, always back it up with a credible source.

Closing your speech (Conclusion)

The conclusion is vital to the success of your speech. This is the parting thought that you will be leaving your audience with, so you have to make sure that it’s a good one. The conclusion is where you reiterate your key point. This is why there is so much importance put on a conclusion to be powerful enough to stay in your memory.

Here are some possible ways you can approach your conclusion:

A call-to-action refers to a statement or material that intends to encourage the listener or viewer to take the initiative. It can also be considered as instruction as it usually directs the audience towards something. 

The most effective way to approach this is to manage both your energy as well as your tempo. While it is essential to maintain a clear and well-enunciated speech throughout, when you reach a conclusion, you are going to want to speed up just a little bit. 

What this does is add a sense of urgency to the message that you are giving. Similarly, higher energy makes the audience resonate and respond equally. They will associate this high energy with your message and remember your speech for longer.

Some examples of this can be: “As we can see, the effects of depression can be life-threatening. So I encourage each and every one of you to go home today and reach out to your friends, talk to them and open up a platform where they know they can come to talk to you for anything. Because you’d rather hear their problems than hear about their death.”

For speeches that are over 5-6 minutes long, the audience can sometimes lose track of the earlier points. This is why it is necessary to summarize your main points before you leave the stage. You don’t have to take them through the entire story, but make sure you include the keywords that trigger in them the memory of that portion. 

You can do this by saying something along the lines of “Let me briefly run you through what we discussed” or “So, we talked about three main things today.” This not only does a great job of reiterating and reconfirming your main points but also signals to the audience that you are drawing towards the end of your presentation.

Repetition. Repetition. Repetition.

Even though you might be well familiarized with your speech, it is safe to assume that most of the audience is hearing it for the first time. For this reason, you need to drive your point home by essentially drilling it into their minds. Now, you can’t simply repeat the central theme over and over as that isn’t an effective strategy. But there can be an art to repetition as well.

You should aim to rephrase and reinforce your central idea as you conclude your speech. Don’t go for a word-for-word repetition, but aim to reframe your key themes and arguments. Paraphrasing, in this way, makes sure that you capture the essence of your speech without running the risk of boring your listeners with identical sentences.

We don’t even need to look too far for examples of this method. In Martin Luther King’s famous “I have a dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial, he used this method of repetition paired with a rising momentum to create impact. Repetition works best when it is subtle and works on the listeners subconsciously.

Ending your speech on a light note is a great way to brighten moods and make sure the audience remembers your message. Your joke can also be a good way to repeat your central message. If you do decide to end with a humorous story, remember to carve out more time for it. Make sure your conclusion doesn’t distract from your main message.

Some people tend to get too excited and give away the upcoming punchline. Remember that the most effective humor approach is one you don’t see coming. How you can add the subtlety to your conclusion is by following this formula:

Set up – pause – Build up – pause – Punchline

Motivational conclusions are always an upbeat way to close your speech. You will be leaving the stage on high energy that is sure to be contagious. This also ensures that your audience will be taking a piece of your conclusion with them, making sure that it is not only memorable but also useful.

There are many ways to approach an inspirational closing. You can go with an anecdote, a quote, a poem, and so on. The purpose is to give a push, to add strength, to ignite a can-do attitude. 

The trick to a powerful inspirational speech is emotion. Humans are excellent at empathizing. If you can adequately emote throughout your story, adding drama into your storytelling, then it is bound to have a more substantial effect. Vocal variety can also be an excellent element for this. Alter your tempo to weave excitement into your story. You can also use smart pauses to add more intrigue. 

Your facial expressions play a significant role in how the audience receives your speech. Whether it is a sad or happy story, make sure that your face conveys it. It can be addictive to have the audience’s attention like this, but don’t get too greedy. Remember to end on your highest note, leaving a lasting impression. 

There are many types of speeches out there. For instance: you might think that a humorous speech is just that: humorous. But think again. All the best speeches have at least one key takeaway.

A takeaway message is quite similar to an inspirational conclusion. The question you have to ask yourself is this: What is the purpose of my speech? Even if you’ve got a fantastic anecdotal story to share, you have to remember that the audience will always wonder what they are getting from the speech. That will be your takeaway.

For an effective conclusion, you have to step back and overview your speech. From your introduction to the body, what is the message you are trying to convey? Make sure your conclusion reflects it. For example: if your speech is about a drowning story, you can probably try to include what you could’ve done and how the audience can avoid being in a similar situation.

A call-back is a fun twist to add to your conclusion. There is a reason why a circle is one of the most pleasing shapes; it gives you a sense of completion. Even if you aren’t aware of it, it works on your mind subliminally. An effective way to conduct this method is to find a way to tie your ending to your introduction.

You can understand a call-back as a reference. It doesn’t have to be limited to just the introduction; you can reference the body of your speech as well. This not only makes for a great repetition tool but also adds a feeling of completion into your presentation.

However, you should pick something that the audience can connect to. This helps create a special and unique bond as if it were an inside joke just between you two. 

• Signal your audience when you’re drawing to your conclusion.
• Add trigger transitions like “In conclusion,” “In summary,” “That brings us towards the end,” and so on.
• Try to end on a high note with something memorable.
• Write your conclusion last so that it complements your introduction.
• Try to paraphrase your words without repeating the same words over and over.
• Your audience is more likely to remember your speech if you end with something useful to them or with a call to action.
• Leave on an attention-grabbing note. 

Wrapping Up:

A speech typically has one of four purposes: to inform, to entertain, to instruct, or to persuade. To deliver an effective speech, you need to first make sure you understand what your objective is. Then, you can follow our guidelines to construct a solid structure and deliver a well-rounded and impactful presentation. Now that you know how to create an effective speech structure, you are ready to dominate the stage!  

The best speech structures are invisible and effective. Learn the tips and tricks to deliver the perfect opening, body, and conclusion and wow the stage.

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How to Build a Speech

Structure, stories, and word choice are all key to crafting a compelling presentation..

By Ruth Nasrullah

There was a time when flowery, dense language was the standard for public speaking—18th-century North America, for instance. Here is the beginning of George Washington’s 1796 farewell speech:

The period for a new election of a citizen to administer the executive government of the United States being not far distant, and the time actually arrived when your thoughts must be employed in designating the person who is to be clothed with that important trust, it appears to me proper, especially as it may conduce to a more distinct expression ...

And that excerpt is far from the conclusion of just that first sentence. Imagine using language like that in a Toastmasters meeting!

Analyze why the opening of this august speech wouldn’t work today and two major problems quickly become apparent. First, it could have been cut down at least by half; and second, even after 20 seconds, the audience still doesn’t know much about the speaker’s purpose.

Fortunately for modern-day speakers, the Toastmasters educational program emphasizes the skill of speechwriting. Here are a few guidelines to mastering the art and technique of writing speeches.

My Kingdom for a Subject!

Need a speech topic? First identify your purpose. What do you want to do? Inform? Persuade? Inspire? Educate? Next, home in on a subject. You can select something most people can relate to—or most people in your audience can relate to—or something arcane that will require a little bit of research.

Step three: Start brainstorming.

What about your Ultimate Frisbee team? Your cat’s finicky ways? Your child’s piano recital? Your childhood dream of becoming president and what became of it? Holiday traditions in your country or region? Vanilla or chocolate? Cake or pie?

A word of caution: It may go without saying, but when it comes to controversial topics such as religion or politics, make sure you know the club policies governing such subjects—and the audience’s sensibilities.

Elena Paweta, DTM, is a member of Poland’s First Toastmasters club, based in Warsaw. She is also an organizer of TEDx events , programs in local communities that feature a diversity of speakers across several disciplines who address a variety of subjects. This gives her particular insight into crafting and refining speech topics.

“As we advance and become more experienced and confident, we can cover topics that may influence others,” Paweta says. “We can use this amazing tool [public speaking] to change people’s lives for the better.”

Deceptively Simple: The Structure

Ramona J. Smith is the 2018 World Champion of Public Speaking. Watch her winning speech and you’ll get a clue to what helps make it great: a solid, simple outline. She enters the stage and crouches down in a boxer’s stance, throwing punches in the air. She explains that we may get knocked down in life, but if we persevere we will be “still standing,” a phrase she repeats throughout, for emphasis. She then goes on to describe three events in her life that she had to fight through (extending the metaphor) and expands on each.

And how does she conclude the speech? With the phrase she offered in the beginning: “still standing.” It’s simple, yet so powerful.

To supplement that structure, Smith makes the speech come alive with vocal variety, exuberant body language (shadowboxing), and even a prop (a towel thrown to the ground).

Smith, President of the Cy-Fair Super Speakers Club in Cypress, Texas, says the key to writing a great speech is to keep it simple. “I start with the skeleton, then start to throw meat on the bones,” she says.

World Champion Ramona J. Smith says the key to writing a great speech is to keep it simple. "I start with the skeleton, then start to throw meat on the bones."

She writes speeches in three parts—introduction, body, and conclusion. In the body she identifies three points, just as in her championship speech. “Then I flesh out those three points, add transitions between each and then a call to action between the third point and the conclusion.”

Smith has another key piece of advice: Call on fellow Toastmasters for help. “Look in your club for writers,” she says. “There’s an English teacher or writer in every club—see if they can help you.”

Act Out—But in a Good Way

Toastmaster Wayne Lebowitz, a retired jeweler from Somerville, Massachusetts, always knew he wanted to be an actor. Although he ultimately found his career in the family business, he brings theatrical sensibilities to public speaking.

Writing a speech is like writing a script, he says. Start with an attention-grabbing device. For instance:

“How many of you have hunted a bear? Okay, I see by the lack of hands raised that none of you have. Let me tell you about bear hunting.” Using the bear motif, he demonstrates another approach: “I just found out that there are only three bears left in Somerville, Massachusetts. That’s three more than I thought we had.”

Lebowitz emphasizes that people remember stories. “I realize when I give a speech, I’ve got to entertain them. Otherwise, whatever my message is, it’s lost.”

He suggests the same format that Ramona J. Smith uses. “The body of your speech should consist of three bullet points,” he says. “And have a story to back up each point.” Lebowitz recommends closing the speech by reiterating those bullet points and tying together the closing and opening.

At a recent meeting of his club, Somerville Toastmasters, the first speaker gave a speech about a work situation by providing three points in the beginning, then elaborating on them, and returning to them again at the end. Because she used vocal variety and good details, the simple structure worked.

“Show, don’t tell” is advice often offered to writers whose work needs a little spark. The concept can also apply to speechwriting. Paint a picture for your audience with the language you use.

Jing Humphreys, DTM, a member of the Earlybirds Club in Butler, Pennsylvania, is a believer in the power of word choice.

“I like vivid word descriptions,” she says. “Like you can feel it happening in front of you because of the choice of words the speaker uses.”

Need a speech topic? First identify your purpose. What do you want to do? Inform? Persuade? Inspire? Educate?

Despite working in a highly technical field where there isn’t as much room for creativity with language, outside of work she is a proponent of conjuring up dramatic images to move the audience. (Example: “a big, vast ocean so clear you can almost see the bottom of it.”) This is also the message she imparts as a mentor and an evaluator: To tell a story, use powerful imagery, and don’t be afraid to provoke strong feelings in your audience.

“I just evaluated one of my club members,” she says. “I told him ‘Scare me and then save me.’ The audience needs to know why am I listening to you—why is this important to me?”

Don’t forget that you need to know your audience. If the venue is in a country with a nuanced culture and/or a culture that has significant differences from your own, make sure you’ve done your homework so you avoid potentially offensive gaffes. If you want to add jokes, try them out on others first to be sure your humor isn’t tone-deaf .

Include the Visual

Visual aids can be a powerful addition, and in some cases a necessary one, to a presentation. Technical presentations generally require the speaker to provide graphics, charts, schematics, etc., in order to fully explain the topic. Non-technical presentations, too, can gain a boost from props or visual aids.

Check that all your references are correct. Did Queen Elizabeth really give the Gettysburg Address or was your mind wandering when you wrote that?

A word about PowerPoint: Don’t read from the slides. The slides should supplement your words. In most cases, you can use words for the narrative, and the projector screen for ideas that are best conveyed graphically. The words you speak and the images you show should complement each other.

I am not a fan of PowerPoint, so when I did the “Get Comfortable With Visual Aids” project in Toastmasters’ old Competent Communication manual, I opted for a wig mannequin and demonstrated different ways Muslim women wear head scarves. It gave me the opportunity to personalize my speech and present something tangible, and it supported my discussion of why Muslim women wear head scarves.

Not So Fast!

Transitional statements help the audience easily follow you from one section of your speech to the next, or from one idea to another.

There is a wide range of transitions that serve different functions. Some keep the audience focused on the topic or time frame you are discussing; some provide examples of a particular subject area, reinforcing a point and introducing examples seamlessly. Here are just a few common transitions:

1. To tie your introduction to your first point in the body of the speech:

• Let me give you an example ...

• To get started, let’s examine ...

• First, I’m going to discuss ...

2. To move from one point within the body to the next:

• In the same way, this item tends to melt in the heat ...

• Let me show you something equally troubling ...

• This is similar to the kind of speech we’re studying ...

3. To begin the conclusion to your speech:

• All in all, this educational journey was …

• Looking back, I’m glad that I …

• To sum up, these three reasons are why …

If your speech feels or sounds awkward as you move through the main points, lead the listener with transitions, like those listed above. When in doubt, try reading that section aloud to someone else; if they are unclear about the connection between two ideas or two statements, look for a proper transition.

The Final Steps

Always do a final review of your writing before turning your attention to rehearsing. A few essential areas to look over:

• Double-check your grammar and pronunciation. This may seem like a no-brainer, but don’t assume you have it right. A great classic reference book to aid with this is The Elements of Grammar by Margaret Shertzer. Many other useful books—and grammar-related websites—exist as well, including The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White, Write Right! by Jan Venolia, grammarbook.com , and www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl .
• Examine your writing for continuity of theme; make sure you aren’t wandering from your main point. Remove or revise anything that takes your speech off track.
• Make sure everything makes logical sense. Sometimes you get so deep into your subject that you mention ideas only you can understand.
• Check that all your references are correct . Did Queen Elizabeth really give the Gettysburg Address or was your mind wandering when you wrote that?
• Don’t go overboard with quotes. They can be used to enhance a speech, but make sure the quote you use is pithy, brief, and very relevant. Be sure you’re citing the correct author of the quote (pro tip: Look somewhere besides social media to verify the source).

When you’ve done all you can do to polish the writing of your speech, you will feel confident and ready. The Toastmasters guidelines for speechwriting will prepare you well.

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Listen for Lessons on Crafting a Speech

In this ToastCaster podcast , Greg Gazin speaks with Toastmaster Freddi Dogterom, DTM, AS, from Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. Dogterom, a professional speaker with more than 20 years of experience, offers up lessons on crafting your speech or presentation. Click the play button below to listen to this episode.

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• Speech Crafting →

The Definitive Guide on Structuring a Speech and Presentation

So, you have an important presentation coming up which requires you to not only write up a speech but also present it.

You’re probably nervous, as most people are when it comes to public speaking, which is natural.

A good way to feel confident before and during your presentation is to ensure that you are well-prepared on the content you will be presenting.

To help you prepare , you can research and learn more about your subject, practice your presentation in front of friends or family or even in front of a mirror.

While practicing , factor in the time you’ve been allocated to give your presentation, which will allow you to keep time without rushing through your presentation . This will help you avoid leaving key points out.

Additionally, you should ensure that you are audible and well understood . So, if you are a fast speaker like me, you should try slowing down .

Nerves aside, you probably are a good speaker who writes good content. However, not having your speech structured properly may make it hard for your audience to not only understand each point you are trying to put across but also the gist of your whole speech.

A well-structured speech not only prevents your audience from getting lost but also assists your audience in understanding your message.

Without a proper structure, your speech will have no sense of direction, which will leave your audience scattered on the main points you would like to put across.

Note: Research has shown that audiences tend to retain structured information 40% more precisely than unstructured information.

To begin with, you first need to draw up a speech outline .

How to Structure a Speech to Get Your Message Across Clearly

Presentation outline.

A speech outline is a general description of what your speech will be about.

The General Speech Outline is most commonly used.

This is made up of the introduction, the main body and the conclusion.

• The Introduction

This tells your audience who you are and what you are to talk about. This is where you grab your audience’s attention.

• The Main Body

This is where you begin making your arguments. To make it easier for your audience to follow what you’re talking about, you should divide your arguments into easy-to-understand and short points.

To help the audience understand your point, think up a good analogy or give a real story that they can use to relate to the points you’ve put across.

If your speech relies on data that helps emphasize your key points, then include the data to add more weight.

Pro-Tip: Ensure your data has been sourced from credible source s.

• The Conclusion

Your conclusion should summarize everything that you’ve talked about in your speech and ties it up in a bow that is easy to recall. So ensure it’s memorable!

Now that your outline is drawn up, next, you should focus on the type of structure you will be using to write up your speech.

The Common Characteristics of a Good Speech Structure

Choosing the structure that you will use for your presentation may present a challenge, as you may be conflicted on the right structure for you. To help with this, you need to ask yourself:

• What is the objective of your presentation?
• Who is your audience?
• What is your audience most interested in?  
• What are the key points your audience should recall after your presentation?

Taking these factors into consideration will allow you to structure your speech in a way that puts your main points across, helps the audience follow along throughout your presentation and also helps them remember the most important bits. 

There are various types of speech structures, which include:

• Problem-Solution Structure

This type of structure is good for presentations that require you to influence the audiences’ thoughts on an issue.

This approach may need you to appeal to your audience both emotionally and logically.

• Demonstration Structure

This structure is particularly useful when your presentation requires a lot of demonstrations .

For instance, if your speech focuses on a specific product, this particular structure allows you to explain why the commodity is not only valuable but also necessary.

This may be followed up by how the product can solve various issues which can be better explained through a demonstration .

Now, we do a deep dive into a typical speech structure, highlighting its flow, which should incorporate the speech outline you’d already drawn up.   

1. First things first, say hi.

Ever heard of a speaker who came up to the stage and without a greeting or an introduction began with their presentation? Well, me neither.

(Unless you are in a speech contest where time is very limited. But even then, the contest Toastmaster would have introduced you.)

Before you begin your presentation, introduce yourself to your audience, highlighting your relevant expertise. Your introduction need not be very detailed or long but it helps establish rapport (a connection) between you and the audience.

This is where you show exactly why you are worth listening to, through your words.

2. Introduction

Under the introduction, you will be talking about the purpose and subject of your presentation. There will be no point to this if the audience is uninterested in your subject matter.

Therefore, your objective is to not only talk about the aforementioned points but also gain your audience’s confidence, attention and interest, while also connecting with them.

To help filter down your presentation, you should:

• Introduce your topic and explain the topic area
• Mention the challenges or issues that you will be exploring in this area
• Talk about the purpose of your presentation; this is the basis of your presentation.
• Give a statement of what you hope the outcome of your presentation will be
• Demonstrate using a preview how your presentation has been organized .

Additionally, you should also;

• Specify or give a general estimate of how long your presentation will take.
• Communicate whether you’d prefer to answer any questions the audience may have in an allotted time frame or throughout your presentation.
• Let the audience know whether handouts on your presentation will be provided or whether they should take notes (if applicable).

It should be noted though that how you structure your introduction may sometimes be dependent on the amount of time you’ve been allotted for your presentation.

Related: How to Start Your Speech to Engage the Audience

3. The Main Body 

Here, you will be delving into details, talking about the topics you’d introduced in your introduction.

To ensure your audience doesn’t get lost as you discuss your presentation in detail, you should divide what you will be talking about into different topics.

This will allow you to talk about each topic in its entirety before moving onto the next, thus making it easier for your audience to not only understand your key points but keep up with the presentation.

Pro-Tip: Providing a mini-summary of what you have discussed under each topic before moving on to the next helps the audience distinguish the main points from the details and understand the key points better.

4. The Conclusion

Some speakers often make the mistake of not concluding their presentations with purpose, which leaves their messages unreinforced.

Presentations usually have a specific objective in mind that they plan to attain. While your presentation may have gone well, you need to reinforce your message in your conclusion.

To do this, you need to:

• Indicate that you are nearing the end of your presentation
• Rehash your topic and aim of your presentation
• Summarize your main points
• Give an enlightening call-to-action
• Proceed to the final section of your presentation

Pro-Tip: Always make sure that you make the closing statement for your presentation after the Q&A session. This is because audiences are likely to remember the last thing they hear.

Related:  How to End a Speech With a Bang (And be Remembered)

5. Question and Answer Time

This depends on whether you had allotted a time frame where the audience would be allowed to ask questions concerning your presentation. If you had not, then this is a perfect time to invite questions from the audience.

To do so, you should begin by thanking your audience for their time and for participating (if there was a Q&A session throughout the presentation).

While it’s totally fine to make the Q&A session a part of your presentation, focusing on your topics of discussion and letting the session come at the end of your talk allows the audience time to fully grasp your content, is recommended.

Conclusion: On Building a Speech Structure

We’ve discussed the various types of structures you can use to make your presentation as good as you would like it to be. While presentation structures may be different, there are a few factors that may affect the structure of your presentation.

These include:

• If your talk is restricted by time constraints
• How much interaction you’d like from your audience
• If the audience is knowledgeable on the subject of your discussion.
• Whether you need visual assistance or need to give demonstrations
• The setting in which you will give your presentation

In summary, structuring your presentation in a simple and logical way that allows your audience to keep up with your talk is not only important but beneficial. As they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, so go out and put into practice the suggestions above!

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Structuring the Speech

Organizing speeches serves two important functions. First, organization helps improve clarity of thought in a systematic way. Second, organization increases the likelihood that the speech will be effective

Audiences are unlikely to understand disorganized speeches and even less likely to think that disorganized speakers are reliable or credible. Speeches are organized into three main parts: introduction, body, and conclusion.

Introduction

The introduction of the speech establishes the first, crucial contact between the speaker and the audience. For most classroom speeches, the introduction should last less than a minute. The introduction needs to accomplish three things:

Focus your audience's attention. Speakers must have an “attention grabber” to interest the audience—a joke, astonishing fact, or anecdote. (Rhetorical questions like “Haven’t you ever wondered how…” are notoriously ineffective.) The introduction is the place where the main claim or idea should be stated very clearly to give the audience a sense of the purpose of the speech. Speakers need to orient the audience and make connections between what they know or are already interested in and the speech topic.

Establish goodwill and credibility. Many people believe the most important part of persuasion was ethos, or the character the speaker exhibited to the audience. The audience needs to see the speaker as someone to listen to attentively and sympathetically. Ethos is generated by both delivery style and content of the speech. Making eye contact with the audience and displaying confidence in voice and body are two important ways to establish ethos. In addition, if you express ideas that are original and intelligent, you will show what “intellectual character.” Audiences pay attention to habits of thought that are interesting and worth listening to.

Give a preview. Mentioning the main points to be covered in the body prepares the audience to listen for them. Repetition is an important aspect of public speaking, for listening is an imperfect art, and audience members nearly always tune out in parts--sometimes to think about previous parts of the speech, sometimes for other reasons. The preview should end with a transition, a brief phrase or a pause to signal to the audience that the speech is moving out of the introduction and into the body.

The body follows and is itself structured by a mode of organization, a logical or culturally specific pattern of thinking about ideas, events, objects, and processes. Having a mode of organization means grouping similar material together and linking the component parts together with transitions. Good transitions show the relation between parts of a speech. They display the logic of the speech. Common transition phrases include: in addition to, furthermore, even more, next, after that, then, as a result, beyond that, in contrast, however, and on the other hand. One special type of transition is called the internal summary, a brief restatement of the main point being completed.

In the body, the fewer the main points the better. For short classroom speeches, under 10 minutes, speeches should not have more than three main points. For longer speeches, more than five main points ensures that audiences will have trouble following and remembering the speech. In the speech, main points should be clearly stated and "signposted," marked off as distinct and important to the audience. Transitions often serve to signpost new points, as do pauses before an important idea. Additionally, speakers might number main points—first, second, third or first, next, finally. Always make it easy for the audience to recognize and follow key ideas.

There are several common modes of organizing the information in the body of your speech:

Temporal organization groups information according to when it happened or will happen. Types of temporal patterns include chronological (in the sequence it occurred) and reverse chronological (from ending back to start). Inquiry order is one special mode of temporal organization useful in presenting some kinds of research: here you organize the body in accord with the unfolding processes of thinking and gathering data, taking the audience from the initial curiosity and questions to final results.

Cause-effect is a related mode of organization, showing how one event brings about another. Cause-effect, like other temporal modes, may be used for past, present, or future events and processes. Cause-effect can also be reversed, from effect back to cause.

Spatial patterns group and organize your speech based on physical arrangement of its parts. If a speech is describing a place, a physical object, or a process of movement--downtown Mercer, a plant cell, or the Battle of Shiloh--spatial patterns can be useful.

Topical designs are appropriate when the subject matter has clear categories of division. Government in the United States, for instance, falls into federal, state, and local categories; or into executive, legislative, and judicial branches; into elected and appointed officials. Categories like these can help divide the subject matter to organize the main points.

Compare/contrast takes two or more entities and draws attention to their differences and/or similarities. Sometimes speakers explain a difficult subject by comparing it with an easier, more accessible one--to explain nuclear fusion with the stages of high school romance, for instance. The use of analogies often assists in audience understanding.

Following a transition from the body of the speech, the conclusion follows. The conclusion should be somewhat shorter than the introduction and accomplishes two purposes: summarize main ideas and give the speech a sense of closure and completion. Good conclusions might refer back to the introduction, offer an analogy or metaphor that captures the main idea, or leave the audience with a question or a challenge of some type. Brief quotations can also make effective conclusions (just as they can make effective openings for introductions).

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7 Building and Organizing Your Speech

Learning objectives.

• Understand how to make the transition from a specific purpose to a series of main points.
• Explain how to prepare meaningful main points.
• Understand how to choose the best organizational pattern, or combination of patterns, for a specific speech.
• Understand how to use a variety of strategies to help audience members keep up with a speech’s content: internal previews, internal summaries, and signposts.

Siddie Nam – Thinking – CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

In a series of ground-breaking studies conducted during the 1950s and 1960s, researchers started investigating how a speech’s organization was related to audience perceptions of those speeches. The first study, conducted by Raymond Smith in 1951, randomly organized the parts of a speech to see how audiences would react. Not surprisingly, when speeches were randomly organized, the audience perceived the speech more negatively than when audiences were presented with a speech with a clear, intentional organization. Smith also found that audiences who listened to unorganized speeches were less interested in those speeches than audiences who listened to organized speeches (Smith, 1951). Thompson furthered this investigation and found that it was harder for audiences to recall information after an unorganized speech. Basically, people remember information from speeches that are clearly organized, and they forget information from speeches that are poorly organized (Thompson, 1960). A third study by Baker found that when audiences were presented with a disorganized speaker, they were less likely to be persuaded, and saw the disorganized speaker as lacking credibility (Baker, 1965).

These three critical studies make the importance of organization very clear. When speakers are organized they are perceived as credible. When speakers are not organized, their audiences view the speeches negatively, are less likely to be persuaded, and don’t remember specific information from the speeches after the fact.

We start this chapter by discussing these studies because we want you to understand the importance of speech organization to real audiences. This chapter will help you learn organization so that your speech with have its intended effect. In this chapter, we are going to discuss the basics of organizing the body of your speech.

Determining Your Main Ideas

While speeches take many different forms, they are often discussed as having an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The introduction establishes the topic and wets your audience’s appetite, and the conclusion wraps everything up at the end of your speech. The real “meat” of your speech happens in the body. In this section, we’re going to discuss how to think strategically about structuring the body of your speech.

We like the word strategic because it refers to determining what is essential to the overall plan or purpose of your speech. Too often, new speakers throw information together and stand up and start speaking. When that happens, audience members are left confused, and the reason for the speech may get lost. To avoid being seen as disorganized, we want you to start thinking critically about the organization of your speech. In this section, we will discuss how to take your speech from a specific purpose to creating the main points of your speech.

What Is Your Specific Purpose?

Before we discuss how to determine the main points of your speech, we want to revisit your speech’s specific purpose, which we discussed in detail in Chapter 4 “Topic, Purpose, and Thesis”. Recall that a speech can have one of three general purposes: to inform, to persuade, or to entertain. The general purpose refers to the broad goal for creating and delivering the speech. The specific purpose, on the other hand, starts with one of those broad goals (inform, persuade, or entertain) and then further informs the listener about the who , what , when , where , why , and how of the speech.

The specific purpose is stated as a sentence incorporating the general purpose, the specific audience for the speech, and a prepositional phrase that summarizes the topic. Suppose you are going to give a speech about using open-source software. Here are three examples (each with a different general purpose and a different audience):

In each of these three examples, you’ll notice that the general topic is the same, open-source software, but the specific purpose is different because the speech has a different general purpose and a different audience. Before you can think strategically about organizing the body of your speech, you need to know what your specific purpose is. If you have not yet written a specific purpose for your current speech, please go ahead and write one now.

From Specific Purpose to Main Points

Once you’ve written down your specific purpose, you can start thinking about the best way to turn that specific purpose into a series of main points. Main points are the key ideas you present to enable your speech to accomplish its specific purpose. In this section, we’re going to discuss how to determine your main points and how to organize those main points into a coherent, strategic speech.

Main Points are the key ideas you present to enable your speech to accomplish its specific purpose.

How Many Main Points Do I Need?

While there is no magic number for how many main points a speech should have, speech experts generally agree that the fewer the number of main points the better. First and foremost, experts on the subject of memory have consistently shown that people don’t tend to remember very much after they listen to a message or leave a conversation (Bostrom & Waldhart, 1988). While many different factors can affect a listener’s ability to retain information after a speech, how the speech is organized is an important part of that process (Dunham, 1964; Smith, 1951; Thompson, 1960). For the speeches you will be delivering in a typical public speaking class, you will usually have just two or three main points. If your speech is less than three minutes long, then two main points will probably work best. If your speech is between three and ten minutes in length, then it makes more sense to use three main points.

You may be wondering why we are recommending only two or three main points. The reason comes straight out of the research on listening. According to LeFrancois, people are more likely to remember information that is meaningful, useful, and of interest to them; different or unique; organized; visual; and simple (LeFrancois, 1999). Two or three main points are much easier for listeners to remember than ten or even five. In addition, if you have two or three main points, you’ll be able to develop each one with examples, statistics, or other forms of support. Including support for each point will make your speech more interesting and more memorable for your audience.

Narrowing Down Your Main Points

When you write your specific purpose and review the research you have done on your topic, you will probably find yourself thinking of quite a few points that you’d like to make in your speech. Whether that’s the case or not, we recommend taking a few minutes to brainstorm and develop a list of points. In brainstorming, your goal is simply to think of as many different points as you can, not to judge how valuable or vital they are. What information does your audience need to know to understand your topic? What information does your speech need to convey to accomplish its specific purpose? Consider the following example:

Now that you have brainstormed and developed a list of possible points, how do you go about narrowing them down to just two or three main ones? Remember, your main points are the key ideas that help build your speech. When you look over the preceding list, you can then start to see that many of the points are related to one another. Your goal in narrowing down your main points is to identify which individual, potentially minor points can be combined to make main points. This process is called chunking because it involves taking smaller chunks of information and putting them together with like chunks to create more fully developed chunks of information. Before reading our chunking of the preceding list, see if you can determine three large chunks out of the list (note that not all chunks are equal).

Chunking involves taking smaller chunks of information and putting them together with like chunks to create more fully developed chunks of information.

You may notice that in the preceding list, the number of subpoints under each of the three main points is a little disjointed or the topics don’t go together clearly. That’s all right. Remember that these are just general ideas at this point. It’s also important to remember that there is often more than one way to organize a speech. Some of these points could be left out and others developed more fully, depending on the purpose and audience. We’ll develop the preceding main points more fully in a moment.

Helpful Hints for Preparing Your Main Points

Now that we’ve discussed how to take a specific purpose and turn it into a series of main points, here are some helpful hints for creating your main points.

Uniting Your Main Points

Once you’ve generated a possible list of main points, you want to ask yourself this question: “When you look at your main points, do they fit together?” For example, if you look at the three preceding main points (school districts use software in their operations; what is open-source software; name some specific open-source software packages that may be appropriate for these school administrators to consider), ask yourself, “Do these main points help my audience understand my specific purpose?”

Suppose you added a fourth main point about open-source software for musicians—would this fourth main point go with the other three? Probably not. While you may have a strong passion for open-source music software, that main point is extraneous information for the speech you are giving. It does not help accomplish your specific purpose, so you’d need to toss it out.

Keeping Your Main Points Separate

The next question to ask yourself about your main points is whether they overlap too much. While some overlap may happen naturally because of the singular nature of a specific topic, the information covered within each main point should be clearly distinct from the other main points. Imagine you’re giving a speech with the specific purpose “to inform my audience about the health reasons for eating apples and oranges.” You could then have three main points: that eating fruits is healthy, that eating apples is healthy, and that eating oranges is healthy. While the two points related to apples and oranges are clearly distinct, both of those main points would probably overlap too much with the first point “that eating fruits is healthy,” so you would probably decide to eliminate the first point and focus on the second and third. On the other hand, you could keep the first point and then develop two new points giving additional support to why people should eat fruit.

Balancing Main Points

One of the biggest mistakes some speakers make is to spend most of their time talking about one of their main points, completely neglecting their other main points. To avoid this mistake, organize your speech to spend roughly the same amount of time on each main point. If you find that one of your main points is simply too large, you may need to divide that main point into two main points and consolidate your other main points into a single main point.

Let’s see if our preceding example is balanced (school districts use software in their operations; what is open-source software; name some specific open-source software packages that may be appropriate for these school administrators to consider). What do you think? The answer depends on how much time a speaker will have to talk about each of these main points. If you have an hour to speak, then you may find that these three main points are balanced. However, you may also find them wildly unbalanced if you only have five minutes to speak because five minutes is not enough time to even explain what open-source software is. If that’s the case, then you probably need to rethink your specific purpose to ensure that you can cover the material in the allotted time.

Creating Parallel Structure for Main Points

Another major question to ask yourself about your main points is whether or not they have a parallel structure. By parallel structure , we mean that you should structure your main points so that they all sound similar. When all your main points sound similar, it’s easier for your audiences to remember your main points and retain them for later. Let’s look at our sample (school districts use software in their operations; what is open-source software; name some specific open-source software packages that may be appropriate for these school administrators to consider). Notice that the first and third main points are statements, but the second one is a question. We have an example here of main points that are not parallel in structure. You could fix this in one of two ways. You could make them all questions: what are some common school district software programs; what is open-source software; and what are some specific open-source software packages that may be appropriate for these school administrators to consider. Or you could turn them all into statements: school districts use software in their operations; define and describe open-source software; name some specific open-source software packages that may be appropriate for these school administrators to consider. Either of these changes will make the grammatical structure of the main points parallel.

Parallel structure means structuring your main points so that they all sound similar.

Maintaining Logical Flow of Main Points

The last question you want to ask yourself about your main points is whether the main points make sense in the order you’ve placed them. The next section goes into more detail of common organizational patterns for speeches, but for now, we want you to think logically about the flow of your main points. When you look at your main points, can you see them as progressive, or does it make sense to talk about one first, another one second, and the final one last? If you look at your order, and it doesn’t make sense to you, you probably need to think about the flow of your main points. Often, this process is an art and not a science. But let’s look at a couple of examples.

When you look at these two examples, what are your immediate impressions of the two examples? In the first example, does it make sense to talk about history, and then the problems, and finally how to eliminate school dress codes? Would it make sense to put history as your last main point? Probably not. In this case, the main points are in a logical sequential order. What about the second example? Does it make sense to talk about your solution, then your problem, and then define the solution? Not really! What order do you think these main points should be placed in for a logical flow? Maybe you should explain the problem (lack of rider laws), then define your solution (what is rider law legislation), and then argue for your solution (why states should have rider laws). Notice that in this example you don’t even need to know what “rider laws” are to see that the flow didn’t make sense.

Using Common Organizing Patterns

Twentyfour Students – Organization makes you flow – CC BY-SA 2.0.

Previously in this chapter, we discussed how to make your main points flow logically. This section is going to provide you with organization patterns to help you create a logically organized speech. The first organization pattern we’ll discuss is categorical/topical.

Categorical/Topical

By far the most common pattern for organizing a speech is by categories or topics. The categories function as a way to help the speaker organize the message in a consistent fashion. The goal of a categorical/topical speech pattern is to create categories (or chunks) of information that go together to help support your original specific purpose. Let’s look at an example:

In this case, we have a speaker trying to persuade a group of high school juniors to apply to attend Generic University. To persuade this group, the speaker has divided the information into three basic categories: what it’s like to live in the dorms, what classes are like, and what life is like on campus. Almost anyone could take this basic speech and specifically tailor the speech to fit their own university or college. The main points in this example could be rearranged and the organizational pattern would still be effective because there is no inherent logic to the sequence of points. Let’s look at a second example:

In this speech, the speaker is talking about how to find others online and date them. Specifically, the speaker starts by explaining what Internet dating is; then the speaker talks about how to make Internet dating better for her or his audience members; and finally, the speaker ends by discussing some negative aspects of Internet dating. Again, notice that the information is chunked into three categories or topics and that the second and third could be reversed and still provide a logical structure for your speech.

Comparison/Contrast

Another method for organizing your main points is the comparison/contrast speech pattern . While this pattern lends itself easily to two main points, you can also create a third point by giving basic information about what is being compared and what is being contrasted. Let’s look at two examples; the first one will be a two-point example and the second a three-point example:

If you were using the comparison/contrast pattern for persuasive purposes, in the preceding examples, you’d want to make sure that when you show how Drug X and Drug Y differ, you clearly state why Drug X is the better choice for physicians to adopt. In essence, you’d want to make sure that when you compare the two drugs, you show that Drug X has all the benefits of Drug Y, but when you contrast the two drugs, you show how Drug X is superior to Drug Y in some way.

The spatial speech pattern organizes information according to how things fit together in physical space. This pattern is best used when your main points are oriented to different locations that can exist independently. The primary reason to choose this format is to show that the main points have specific locations. We’ll look at two examples here, one involving physical geography and one involving a different spatial order.

If you look at a basic map of the United States, you’ll notice that these groupings of states were created because of their geographic location to one another. In essence, the states create three spatial territories to explain.

Now let’s look at a spatial speech unrelated to geography.

In this example, we still have three spatial areas. If you look at a model of the urinary system, the first step is the kidney, which then takes waste through the ureters to the bladder, which then relies on the sphincter muscle to excrete waste through the urethra. All we’ve done in this example is create a spatial speech order for discussing how waste is removed from the human body through the urinary system. It is spatial because the organization pattern is determined by the physical location of each body part in relation to the others discussed.

Chronological

The chronological speech pattern places the main idea in the time order in which items appear—whether backward or forward. Here’s a simple example.

In this example, we’re looking at the writings of Winston Churchill in relation to World War II (before, during, and after). By placing his writings into these three categories, we develop a system for understanding this material based on Churchill’s own life. Note that you could also use reverse chronological order and start with Churchill’s writings after World War II, progressing backward to his earliest writings.

Cause/Effect

The causal speech pattern is used to explain cause-and-effect relationships. When you use a causal speech pattern, your speech will have two basic main points: cause and effect. In the first main point, typically you will talk about the causes of a phenomenon, and in the second main point, you will then show how the causes lead to either a specific effect or a small set of effects. Let’s look at an example.

In this case, the first main point is about the history and prevalence of drinking alcohol among Native Americans (the cause). The second point then examines the effects of Native American alcohol consumption and how it differs from other population groups.

However, a causal organizational pattern can also begin with an effect and then explore one or more causes. In the following example, the effect is the number of arrests for domestic violence.

In this example, the possible causes for the difference might include stricter law enforcement, greater likelihood of neighbors reporting an incident, and police training that emphasizes arrests as opposed to other outcomes. Examining these possible causes may suggest that despite the arrest statistic, the actual number of domestic violence incidents in your city may not be greater than in other cities of similar size.

Problem-Cause-Solution

Another format for organizing distinct main points in a clear manner is the problem-cause-solution speech pattern . In this format, you describe a problem, identify what you believe is causing the problem, and then recommend a solution to correct the problem.

In this speech, the speaker wants to persuade people to pass a new curfew for people under eighteen. To help persuade the civic group members, the speaker first shows that vandalism and violence are problems in the community. Once the speaker has demonstrated the problem, the speaker then explains to the audience that the cause of this problem is youth outside after 10:00 p.m. Lastly, the speaker provides the mandatory 10:00 p.m. curfew as a solution to the vandalism and violence problem within the community. The problem-cause-solution format for speeches generally lends itself to persuasive topics because the speaker is asking an audience to believe in and adopt a specific solution.

Speech Pattern Overview

The  categorical/topical speech pattern  creates categories (or chunks) of information that go together to help support your original specific purpose.

The comparison/contrast speech pattern uses main points to compare an contrast two similar objects, topics, or ideas.

The spatial speech pattern organizes information according to how things fit together in physical space.

The chronological speech pattern places the main idea in the time order in which items appear—whether backward or forward.

The causal speech pattern is used to explain cause-and-effect relationships. When you use a causal speech pattern, your speech will have two basic main points: cause and effect.

The problem-cause-solution speech pattern  describes a problem, identifies what is causing the problem, and then recommends a solution to correct the problem.

Selecting an Organizational Pattern

Each of the preceding organizational patterns is potentially useful for organizing the main points of your speech. However, not all organizational patterns work for all speeches. For example, as we mentioned earlier, the biographical pattern is useful when you are telling the story of someone’s life. Some other patterns, particularly comparison/contrast, problem-cause-solution, and psychological, are well suited for persuasive speaking. Your challenge is to choose the best pattern for the particular speech you are giving.

You will want to be aware that it is also possible to combine two or more organizational patterns to meet the goals of a specific speech. For example, you might wish to discuss a problem and then compare/contrast several different possible solutions for the audience. Such a speech would thus be combining elements of the comparison/contrast and problem-cause-solution patterns. When considering which organizational pattern to use, you need to keep in mind your specific purpose as well as your audience and the actual speech material itself to decide which pattern you think will work best.

Keeping Your Speech Moving

Chris Marquardt – REWIND – CC BY-SA 2.0.

Have you ever been listening to a speech or a lecture and found yourself thinking, “I am so lost!” or “Where the heck is this speaker going?” Chances are one of the reasons you weren’t sure what the speaker was talking about was that the speaker didn’t effectively keep the speech moving. When we are reading and encounter something we don’t understand, we can reread the paragraph and try to make sense of what we’re trying to read. Unfortunately, we are not that lucky when it comes to listening to a speaker. We cannot pick up our universal remote and rewind the person. For this reason, speakers need to think about how they keep a speech moving so that audience members are easily able to keep up with the speech. In this section, we’re going to look at four specific techniques speakers can use that make following a speech much easier for an audience: transitions, internal previews, internal summaries, and signposts.

Transitions between Main Points

A transition is a phrase or sentence that indicates that a speaker is moving from one main point to another main point in a speech. Basically, a transition is a sentence where the speaker summarizes what was said in one point and previews what is going to be discussed in the next point. Let’s look at some examples:

• Now that we’ve seen the problems caused by lack of adolescent curfew laws, let’s examine how curfew laws could benefit our community.
• Thus far we’ve examined the history and prevalence of alcohol abuse among Native Americans, but it is the impact that this abuse has on the health of Native Americans that is of the greatest concern.
• Now that we’ve thoroughly examined how these two medications are similar to one another, we can consider the many clear differences between the two medications.
• Although he was one of the most prolific writers in Great Britain prior to World War II, Winston Churchill continued to publish during the war years as well.

You’ll notice that in each of these transition examples, the beginning phrase of the sentence indicates the conclusion of a period of time (now that, thus far) or main point. Table 2: Transition Words contains a variety of transition words that will be useful when keeping your speech moving.

Table 2:  Transition Words

Beyond transitions, there are several other techniques that you can use to clarify your speech organization for your audience. The next sections address several of these techniques, including internal previews, internal summaries, and signposts.

Internal Previews

An internal preview is a phrase or sentence that gives an audience an idea of what is to come within a section of a speech. An internal preview works similarly to the preview that a speaker gives at the end of a speech introduction, quickly outlining what he or she is going to talk about (i.e. the speech’s three main body points). In an internal preview, the speaker highlights what he or she is going to discuss within a specific main point during a speech.

Ausubel was the first person to examine the effect that internal previews had on retention of oral information (Ausubel, 1968). When a speaker clearly informs an audience what they are going to be talking about in a clear and organized manner, the audience listens for those main points, which leads to higher retention of the speaker’s message. Let’s look at a sample internal preview:

To help us further understand why recycling is important, we will first explain the positive benefits of recycling and then explore how recycling can help our community.

When an audience hears that you will be exploring two different ideas within this main point, they are ready to listen for those main points as you talk about them. In essence, you’re helping your audience keep up with your speech.

Rather than being given alone, internal previews often come after a speaker has transitioned to that main topic area. Using the previous internal preview, let’s see it along with the transition to that main point.

Now that we’ve explored the effect that a lack of consistent recycling has on our community, let’s explore the importance of recycling for our community (transition). To help us further understand why recycling is important, we will first explain the positive benefits of recycling and then explore how recycling can help our community (internal preview).

While internal previews are definitely helpful, you do not need to include one for every main point of your speech. In fact, we recommend that you use internal previews sparingly to highlight only the main points containing relatively complex information.

Internal Summaries

Whereas an internal preview helps an audience know what you are going to talk about within a main point at the beginning, an internal summary is delivered to remind an audience of what they just heard within the speech. In general, internal summaries are best used when the information within a specific main point of a speech was complicated. To write your own internal summaries, look at the summarizing transition words in Table 2: Transition Words Let’s look at an example.

To sum up, school bullying is a definite problem. Bullying in schools has been shown to be detrimental to the victim’s grades, the victim’s scores on standardized tests, and the victim’s future educational outlook.

In this example, the speaker was probably talking about the impact that bullying has on an individual victim educationally. Of course, an internal summary can also be a great way to lead into a transition to the next point of a speech.

In this section, we have explored how bullying in schools has been shown to be detrimental to the victim’s grades, the victim’s scores on standardized tests, and the victim’s future educational outlook (internal summary). Therefore, schools need to implement campus-wide, comprehensive anti-bullying programs (transition).

While not sounding like the more traditional transition, this internal summary helps readers summarize the content of that main point. The sentence that follows than leads to the next major part of the speech, which is going to discuss the importance of anti-bullying programs.

Have you ever been on a road trip and watched the green rectangular mile signs pass you by? Fifty miles to go. Twenty-five miles to go. One mile to go. Signposts within a speech function the same way. A signpost is a guide a speaker gives their audience to help the audience keep up with the content of a speech. If you look at Table 2: Transition Words and look at the “common sequence patterns,” you’ll see a series of possible signpost options. In essence, we use these short phrases at the beginning of a piece of information to help our audience members keep up with what we’re discussing. For example, if you were giving a speech whose main point was about the three functions of credibility, you could use internal signposts like this:

• The first function of credibility is competence.
• The second function of credibility is trustworthiness.
• The final function of credibility is caring/goodwill.

Signposts are meant to help your audience keep up with your speech, so the more simplistic your signposts are, the easier it is for your audience to follow.

In addition to helping audience members keep up with a speech, signposts can also be used to highlight specific information the speaker thinks is important. Where the other signposts were designed to show the way (like highway markers), signposts that call attention to specific pieces of information are more like billboards. Words and phrases that are useful for highlighting information can be found in Table 2: Transition Words under the category “emphasis.” All these words are designed to help you call attention to what you are saying so that the audience will also recognize the importance of the information.

A transition is a phrase or sentence that indicates that a speaker is moving from one main point to another main point in a speech.

An internal preview is a phrase or sentence that gives an audience an idea of what is to come within a section of a speech.

An internal summary is delivered to remind an audience of what they just heard within the speech.

A signpost is a guide a speaker gives their audience to help the audience keep up with the content of a speech.

Ausubel, D. P. (1968). Educational psychology . New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston.

Baker, E. E. (1965). The immediate effects of perceived speaker disorganization on speaker credibility and audience attitude change in persuasive speaking. Western Speech, 29 , 148–161.

Bostrom, R. N., & Waldhart, E. S. (1988). Memory models and the measurement of listening.  Communication Education, 37 , 1–13.

Dunham, J. R. (1964).  Voice contrast and repetition in speech retention  (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from:  http://etd.lib.ttu.edu/theses .

LeFrancois, G. R. (1999).  Psychology for teaching  (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Smith, R. G. (1951). An experimental study of the effects of speech organization upon attitudes of college students. Speech Monographs, 18 , 292–301.

Thompson, E. C. (1960). An experimental investigation of the relative effectiveness of organizational structure in oral communication. Southern Speech Journal, 26 , 59–69.

Stand up, Speak out Copyright © 2017 by Josh Miller; Marnie Lawler-Mcdonough; Megan Orcholski; Kristin Woodward; Lisa Roth; and Emily Mueller is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Crafting an Impactful Speech: A Guide to Effective Speech Structure

Delivering a well-structured speech is the key to engaging your audience and effectively conveying your message. Whether you're speaking in front of a small group or a large audience, understanding the fundamentals of speech structure will help you organize your thoughts, maintain coherence, and leave a lasting impact. In this article, we will explore the essential elements of speech structure and provide practical tips to help you craft a compelling and memorable speech.

Understand Your Purpose:

Before diving into the structure of your speech, clarify your purpose. Determine what you aim to achieve through your speech—whether it's to inform, persuade, entertain, or inspire. Having a clear purpose in mind will guide your content selection and help you stay focused throughout the speechwriting process.

Introduction:

Begin your speech with a strong and attention-grabbing introduction. Hook your audience with a compelling opening, such as a captivating story, a surprising fact, a relevant quote, or a thought-provoking question. Clearly state the topic and establish its significance to capture the audience's interest and set the tone for the rest of your speech. End the introduction by previewing the main points you will cover in the body of your speech.

The body of your speech contains the main content and supporting details. Organize your speech into coherent sections or main points, each with its own supporting information. Here's a recommended structure for the body:

a. Main Point 1: Present your first main point, providing a clear and concise statement that supports your overall message. Support this main point with relevant evidence, examples, and statistics. Use storytelling techniques, analogies, or visuals to enhance understanding and engagement.

b. Transition: Use a smooth transition to guide your audience from one main point to the next. This can be a phrase or sentence that links the ideas together, creating a seamless flow.

c. Main Point 2: Introduce your second main point, ensuring its relevance and coherence with the overall theme. Provide supporting details and evidence to strengthen your argument or message. Make connections to the previous point, showing how they relate and build upon each other.

d. Transition: Repeat the transition technique to smoothly transition to your next main point.

e. Main Point 3 (if applicable): If needed, introduce a third main point following the same structure as before. Be mindful of the overall time constraints and ensure each point is given adequate attention.

Conclusion:

In the conclusion, summarize the main points covered in the body of your speech. Restate your central message and provide a sense of closure. End with a memorable and impactful closing statement that reinforces your key message or call-to-action. Leave the audience with a lasting impression and inspire them to reflect or take action based on your speech.

Transitions:

Transitions play a vital role in maintaining the flow and coherence of your speech. Use transitional phrases or sentences to smoothly connect ideas and guide the audience through different sections or main points. Effective transitions help your speech progress logically and keep your audience engaged.

Timing and Pace:

Consider the timing and pace of your speech. Allocate appropriate time to each section, ensuring that you have enough time to cover your main points without rushing. Practice your speech to get a sense of timing and adjust accordingly. Vary your pace to add emphasis, pause for effect, or allow the audience to absorb important information.

Audience Engagement Techniques:

Incorporate audience engagement techniques throughout your speech. Use rhetorical questions, interactive activities, humor, or personal anecdotes to connect with your audience and maintain their interest. Engaging the audience actively involves them in the speech and enhances their overall experience.

Practice and Rehearsal:

Practice your speech multiple times to become familiar with the content, timing, and delivery. Rehearse in front of a mirror, record yourself, or seek feedback from trusted individuals. Pay attention to your body language, voice modulation, and gestures to enhance your overall delivery and confidence.

Mastering the art of structuring a speech is essential for effectively delivering your message and capturing your audience's attention. By understanding your purpose, organizing your content, using smooth transitions, and engaging your audience, you can create a compelling and impactful speech. Remember, practice makes perfect, so hone your skills through preparation, rehearsal, and seeking feedback. With time and experience, you'll develop your own unique style and become a confident and persuasive speaker.

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How Should You Structure A Speech?

A speech usually has an introduction, body, and conclusion. Depending on the topic and purpose of our speech, you might set it up with a cause-effect structure, problem-solution structure, comparison-contrast structure, or sequential structure. No matter how you structure it, it should be concise, clean, enhanced with visual aids, and well-practiced.

Table of Contents

What Should Be The First Thing You Do When Writing A Speech?

In public speaking or speech writing,  the first thing to tick off your checklist is to identify your topic and define the purpose of the speech.  The core message you’ll discuss will serve as the anchor point that will tie your main points and supporting facts, stories, and statements.

To choose a good topic, you must know your audience well.  What are their interests? What do they know about the topic? What could pique their interest? Do you have the credibility to show them you’re fit to discuss the topic?

Only after you’ve determined a topic can you proceed with the research, outlining, drafting (and revising), and rehearsals.

How Are Speeches Generally Organized?

For any speech writing or speaking engagement to be effective, the thoughts must be coherent.  To help you organize your piece, always remember the three main parts of the speech: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. 

The intro serves as your speech opening, and it’s your opportunity to capture your audience’s attention and establish a connection with them.  In your introduction, you must also state your purpose, topic, and thesis statement. 

The body is the longest part of your speech because it’s where you’ll discuss your main points  (having two to three main points will be enough to craft a solid speech. For each point, you must present supporting evidence and examples (including statistics, anecdotes, and expert opinions). 

In your conclusion, you’ll have the chance to leave a lasting impression on your audience.  It’s a time to summarize key points, restate your core message, and deliver a memorable closing statement, which can also be in the form of a story, quote, challenge, or a call to action (especially if you’re making a persuasive speecIt’s it’s important to use transitions and signposts (also called connective statement throughout your speech) to ensure a smooth flow of thoughts.

What Is A Good Structure For A Speech?

If you’ve been invited to be a keynote speaker, talk as a subject matter expert, or write a speech for another person,  you must have a logical and compelling structure to create a good speech. 

Common patterns for speech structure include:

• Biographical – describes a person’s life chronologically or categorically
• Categorical/topical  – organizing like things together
• Causes and effect  – notes causes and results
• Chronological  – how things unfolded in time
• Comparison/contrast  – how concepts differ
• Problem-Cause-Solution —lists the problem, its cause, and a possible solution
• Psychological  – poses that one factor leads to another
• Sequential  – the order of events
• Spatial   – how things fit together in a physical space

Using the three main parts of a speech, there are other creative ways to structure your narrative so you can convey your main points as impactful as possible.

One of the most common speech narratives is the melodrama structure : You present a character and explain their circumstances. You tell their journey, a tragedy that occurs, and how they’re able to overcome it.

Another method is the tower structure , where you lay down your key message and add multiple layers of information to fortify it.  If you want to tickle your audience’s curiosity, you can follow the so-called mystery structure . In this technique, you will first present a question and problem before you deliver your proposed solution or message.

Alternatively, you can follow the ping-pong structure , where you can present two sides of an argument. This will help you entice the audience to stay with you so they can learn who wins.

What Are The 5 Structural Elements Of Speech?

Creating a speech outline first is a tried-and-tested way to help you create a well-structured speech. When outlining your speech, you must note  five structural elements : attention statement, introduction, body, conclusion, and residual message.   

The attention statement refers to how you capture the attention of your audience.  It can be a rhetorical question, a bold point of view, a surprising statistic, or a relevant yet unique personal story. On the other hand,  the introduction is the element that introduces your speech topic.  Why are you discussing it? What is its relevance to your audience?

In the body of the speech, you will explain your main points.  It’s the main content area and structural element of your narrative.  The conclusion will give your audience a sense of finality , and it’s where you can summarize what you’ve discussed, state the main takeaway, and relate it to your topic. 

Lastly,  your residual message is the thought or idea you want to linger in your audience’s minds  — well after you’ve delivered the speech.

What Is The Proper Way To Write A Speech?

While there are different approaches to writing different types of speeches, you must always consider the purpose of the piece. T he proper way to write any kind of speech is to have a clear objective that will guide you in developing a structure and composing the main parts of your speech. 

Is your goal to sway your audience to your side and convince them to adopt your point of view? If so, you must gather enough proof and structure your speech in a way that supports and assists your thesis statement. 

What Are The 5 Steps To Structure A Speech?

Want to make a great speech? Once you’ve identified a topic to discuss, this is the step-by-step guide to follow.

• Put yourself in the shoes of your audience members.  To captivate your audience’s interest, you must consider their demographics and preferences. Additionally, you must understand their knowledge level of a certain topic and tailor your speech in a way that will be easy to comprehend for them. 
• Research, organize your thoughts, and outline.  Always look back at the purpose of your speech (do you want to inform, persuade, or entertain?), and gather all relevant facts, data, examples, and stories that will help you build up your key message and hit your goals. You must craft an outline to organize your thoughts and guarantee a great flow. 
• Create your draft.  Once your outline and research materials are ready, you can write your first draft. When registering, picture your audience and assemble words that will help you convey your core message and main points. While this step can be intimidating, just let your thoughts and ideas flow — you can also cut down, add, or modify in the editing process. 
• Edit, edit, edit.  After writing a speech draft, remember that you still have to edit and revise it. Look at the overall flow, coherence, sentence structures, grammar, spelling, accuracy of facts, tone, approach, and style. This is a painstaking process where you will evaluate your speech at the micro and macro levels. 
• Practice and do further tweaks as necessary.  An effective speech isn’t just about putting together all the right words and ensuring they’re error-free. You must rehearse, read the speech out loud, and observe yourself in front of a mirror to help you assess what needs to be improved in your delivery — and the speech itself. Rehearsing will help you identify words you might not be comfortable pronouncing or sentences that are too long. 

What Is The Difference Between A Speech And A Presentation?

In speech writing and public speaking, you’ll hear the words “speech” and “presentation” often. While they’re both meant to be delivered before an audience,  the main difference is that the latter generally uses illustrative materials, and the former tends to be more formal in tone and approach. 

For instance, you’re having a presentation if you’re showing a new product, idea, or piece of work, and you use visual aids to help you out. You’re delivering a speech if you are to talk at a graduation ceremony, for example. 

However,  this distinction is not a rigid one.  There are cases when speeches use visual aids, and there are also instances when presentations can be formal. 

If you’re making a speech and you’re using visual aids, you must utilize them well for them to support your message — not negatively impact it.  You must understand the purpose of these visuals and incorporate them strategically. For example, if you want to depict the impact of violent video games on mental health, you can state studies and illustrate statistics in the form of graphs and charts. 

As with your tone and voice in speech writing and delivery,  your visuals must also be consistent in design, font style, and colors.  When rehearsing your speech, make sure to practice with visuals as well.

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Structuring a Speech Right: 7 Simple Tips

Hrideep barot.

• Public Speaking , Speech Writing

We’re not all Obamas and Martin Luther Kings. Even though we’d like to think we would kill it on stage, let’s not kid ourselves; coming up with a line like “Give me liberty, or give me death!” was not made up on the spot. 

A good speech has to have the right structure. A speech structure encompasses 3 main components: the introduction, body, and conclusion. Following a structure allows you to integrate multiple elements into your speech while still keeping the purpose intact.

Of course, speeches take time to write. They’re not done in a spur of the moment. Even improv speeches aren’t actually improv speeches. Up until the time leading up to a speech, thoughts about how to start, how to grab attention, and how to end will constantly float through your mind.

The best way to avoid becoming a jumbling mess on stage is to take the time to sit down and come up with a structure to your speech. 

It may be evident depending on what type of topic you want to approach, or it can take weeks to decide what structure best suits your statement. So how exactly do you decide what structure is best for your case?

Here are 7 simple tips on structuring a speech right.

1. Create an Outline for your Speech

Just like a letter or a report, a speech has a basic outline. You may have learned this in your English class but just in case were here to refresh your memory.

Every address contains 3 parts: the introduction, body, and conclusion. 

To better understand how to form each section let us break down this speech delivered by Julian Treasure on “How to speak so that people want to listen.”

Introduction 

The introduction in the example: “The human voice. It’s the instrument we all play. It’s the most powerful sound in the world, probably the only one that can start a war or say, “I love you.” And yet many people have the experience that when they speak, people don’t listen to them. Why is that? How can we speak powerfully to make a change in the world? “

Analysis : Julian Treasure immediately introduces the focus of his speech: How to speak powerfully. He highlights the significance of talking, a common problem regarding speaking, and poses a question that his speech will address.

This introduction is concise and to the point. Using a problem-solution strategy he effectively introduces the audience to his topic.

Your opening line is your chance to grab the attention of your audience and will determine how impactful your speech will be. Here are some ideas you could use to write your opening line:

• Ask a provoking question
• Open with a shocking fact or statistic
• Start with a personal story that is connected to your topic
• Make your audience do a simple short activity with you

If you have a hard time coming up with a good opening line, here is an article on 50 Speech Opening Lines (& How to Create Your Own) l The Ultimate Guide that will help you come up with a memorable and influential introduction.

Thesis Statement 

The thesis statement in the example: If you speak powerfully, people will want to listen consciously.

Analysis: The speaker bases his whole speech on this one sentence and effectively weaves his speech around it.

Your thesis statement will decide what you’re gonna focus on and what your talk will revolve around. Your entire speech structure will be woven around your thesis statement. 

4 Questions to Help you Form your Thesis Statement

Before deciding your thesis statement ask yourself these questions:

• Why have you chosen the topic?
• What is your take-home message? What have you learned, and why do you feel it is relevant? 
• Is the purpose of your topic to inform, convince or entertain your audience?
• What do you want the audience to take away from this speech?

The body is like the main course of a speech. This part is where you deliver all the information you’ve learned. This is where you need to incorporate 3 things:

Primary Idea

The primary idea in the example: To give the audience tips on how to improve their speaking.

Decide the main idea of your speech. Once you have formed your thesis statement writing about the main idea of your speech becomes a piece of cake.

The sub-topics in the example: The seven deadly sins of speaking, foundations of speech and the toolbox of speech.

Breaking down your speech will make it easier for the audience to follow.

Under your central idea, what are some specific areas you want to highlight? If you are delivering an informative speech then it might be better to divide your main category into sub-categories to avoid overwhelming your audience.

Supporting Evidence

The supporting evidence in the example: The speaker demonstrates the importance of tone in speaking by enacting the different types of inflections on stage, proving his point effectively.

Similarly, to add credibility to your subtopics, you need to use examples to prove why your topic is essential.

Depending upon the context, you could enact a scene either by yourself, using a prop or with the help of a volunteer, talk about a personal experience, or use statistics to support your statement.

Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The closing line in the example: “What would the world be like if we were creating sound consciously, and consuming sound consciously, and designing all our environment consciously for sound? That would be a world that does sound beautiful, and one where understanding would be the norm, and that is an idea worth spreading.”

Analysis: The speaker summarises the goal of his speech and provokes the audience to think about the power of speaking and listening using rhetorical questions.

Tie your speech and make it concise. If your purpose was to inspire the audience to change, you could ask the audience to do something on the spot. 

For example, before concluding his speech, Julain Treasure asks his audience to perform some vocal exercises with him, giving the audience a chance to learn something new.

Here’s a small tip: If the address is followed by a question-and-answer session or a small activity like filling a form, then deliver a small summary before it. 

In our example, Julian Treasure first asks the audience to perform the exercise with him and then delivers his closing line reinforcing his main statement one last time.

The proper closing line will succeed in making your audience feel inspired and motivated. To get some ideas on what type of closing lines might best suit your speech, here is an article you can read on  50 Speech Closing Lines (& How to Create Your Own) | The Ultimate Guide

2. Know your Audience

Your speech is for the audience, so having prior knowledge of what kind of audience you are speaking to, be it in terms of demography, age, gender, or occupation, all influence how you will structure your speech.

Suppose your address is for the purpose of entertainment, to inform, or to commemorate an important event. In that case, your audience’s demographics will be diverse, so your content must be relatable and appeal to these diverse groups.

In addition to using search engines, here are some sites you can make use of to gather information on your topic that will help refine and make your content more relatable:

However, if your speech is for the purpose of persuasion or to promote, then there are specific steps you can take to curate and refine your content to suit your audience.

In addition to using the previously mentioned sites, you can carry out the following:

• Conduct surveys
• Use Google Analytics to analyze customer base and traffic to your website
• Research competition and their marketing strategies
• Observe trends

3. Choose a Speech Pattern to Structure your Speech

Now that you have a basic outline of your speech, you have an idea of what you want to say and what message you wish to impart. 

Now you have to build your topic into something comprehensible and logical. You have to make it appealing to the audience and engaging.

Your speech should be focused on your case, easy to follow and understand, and should align with your audience’s interests. 

There are multiple styles you can use to structure your speech. Following a tone will help organize your speech and make it transition smoothly while sticking to a theme. Adopting the right pattern is a crucial step to structuring your speech.

Chronological 

As the name suggests, a chronological pattern follows a specific sequence of events organized by the time or date they occurred. 

Indeed, using this pattern will make it easier for you to deliver your speech and more accessible for the audience to follow. 

A perfect example of a chronological speech pattern is the speech delivered by Martin Luther King Jr., titled “I have a dream”

Summary: He highlights an event of the past (the Emancipation Proclamation), talks about the present scenario (racial discrimination), and finally sends off the audience with his ambitions and dreams for the future. 

If every person would gain this perspective, it would change us [all]. Dror Benshetrit

Spatial means something that occupies or is related to space.  A spatial speech pattern quite literally incorporates the spatial aspects of what you are going to talk about.

For example, talking about the layout of a building you would start by saying, “ The building has one entrance and one exit, on the ground floor there are 3 rooms and on the second floor… “

Spatial patterns are used when your central idea is derived from an object or specific location. They will enable you to delve into the properties and relations of objects and form connections between them.

For instance, Damaris Hollingsworth, an architect, highlights her growth that has been influenced by buildings.  

Summary: Here, she describes a building, its layout, and how it influenced her growth. Her main point, which is “architecture can influence social behavior and connections,” is derived from different styles of architecture that she has encountered.

A topical speech pattern is suitable when the topic you have chosen contains several subtopics that you might want to talk about.

A topical design organizes your speech into several categories allowing you to delve deeper into your topic while still providing a sense of flow. 

Most suitable for speeches that are informative in nature, you can choose a general statement, then make subcategories that go into the specifics of your account and provide support for your general idea. 

Although not necessary, usually organizing your speech by topics and delivering them in chronological order makes your address become more organized and makes it easier to smoothly transition from one case to the next.

Take this speech by Louise Evans as an example.

Summary: Her main topic is on how to master communication. However, she further divides her subject into 5 subcategories allowing her to explain the barriers that prevent effective communication, talks about her personal experiences, and makes it easy for the audience to follow. 

Compare and contrast

Using the compare and contrast pattern gives you a segue to support your claims while showcasing the advantages it has over another object(s).

To use a compare and contrast pattern, in-depth research needs to be conducted on what two objects you will compare, like their properties, how similar they are, and what differences they have.

An easy way to form your speech using this pattern is to first draw up a Venn diagram of the two topics you want to compare. This will help you track what similarities you want to draw up and what differences you want to highlight. 

To effectively use this pattern, you could take the two objects in question and compare and contrast them in different aspects, such as how they appear or behave in a specific environment related to the main topic. 

Example: Comparing the real-time responses of Siri and Alexa.

Aspects you could cover: 

• Rate of response time
• Accuracy of the responses
• Suitability of the responses

This is a common pattern seen in speeches targeted to introduce or market products, and in debate speeches. Compare and contrast patterns allow speakers to highlight their idea while providing the audience with the whole perspective. 

Cause and Effect

The cause and effect pattern simply talks about an event or a series of events and the effect it has produced as a result.

This pattern is effective as you focus on various aspects of your speech, allowing you to analyze events responsible for the cause and dissect the implications that the reason has produced. 

In simple words, you explain the action and analyze the reaction. 

In this informative speech delivered by Ruairi Robertson, he cleverly incorporates cause and effect to elucidate the mechanisms of the body.

Summary: He talks about the events that led to an increase in antibiotics. Because of this, there was an increase in gastrointestinal disorders and brain health, which led us to understand the importance of food in health.

Keep in mind, You don’t need to follow only one pattern. You could use a combination of patterns depending on your preference.

Without a pattern, your speech will not have logic and structure and makes it difficult for anyone to follow. An unstructured talk is like trying to align a circle to a triangle. No one sees the point, and it becomes exhausting to listen to. 

4. Don’t Shy Away from Repetition 

It goes without saying that your audience is bound to lose parts or zone out from time to time. Holding the attention of a room is tough, and it becomes more daunting when your audience is more extensive.

Statistics show that the average attention span for an audience is 5 to 10 minutes, so it is almost impossible to expect your audience to remember everything from a speech. 

However, the main aim of your address is to highlight the importance of your central idea, so  try to repeat your thesis statement from time to time by paraphrasing it. 

For example, take the commencement speech delivered by Mary Schmich , famously known for its opening line, “Wear sunscreen.”

The idea of her speech is to push the youth to embrace their present, and she drives in this point using simple lines like “enjoy the power and beauty of your youth” and “don’t worry about the future.” 

5. Work on your Transitions 

Transition helps make your address attain fluency. To keep your audience hooked, you have to master the journey from point A to B to C and so forth. 

Take this speech delivered by Shashi Tharoor as an example where he talks about the importance of a well-formed mind.

Summary: He explains the problems of the education system using 4 E’s: Expansion, Equity, Excellence and Employability. These are excerpts taken from the speech showing how he transitions from one E to the next:

“… So expansion has taken place. We’ve also had to fight for the second E of Equity. ..”

“.. .in getting those two things more or less right, I dont know how well we did on the third E, which is the E of Excellence. “

“… and that ties into the fourth E that I’ve added to this catechism: Employability .”

Speech patterns contribute significantly to the smooth transitions of a speech. If you’re looking for ways to transition from one part to the next, there are a list of transitional devices you can make use of. 

6. Revise and Edit

Now that you know what will essentially go into your speech and have decided a pattern to follow, the final step is to revise. 

Revision involves reading through your speech and editing it, correcting any mistakes, be it grammatical or spelling.

These are some questions that need to be ticked off:

• Have you focused on your central idea?
• Do you have enough supporting ideas and evidence?
• Have you established credibility?
• Have you offered enough for the audience to take away?

7. Identify the gaps

In-depth research will always pull up shortcomings of your particular topic.

There will more often than not be something that has not been considered, and this will help you provide a unique spin on your perspective.

Make a note of the flaws and gaps of your topic. This will help you write a speech that has clarity and logically convey your ideas. It also adds to your credibility as a speaker who is objective and willing to accept all aspects of your speech.

Writing a speech takes time and effort. Right from choosing the topic up till deciding your closing line can take weeks to write.

Followed by rounds of editing and revision, structuring a speech is no easy feat. However, just following these 7 simple tips will ease your workload and certainly make sure you nail structuring your speech the right way.

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How to Write a Speech to Engage your Audience

February 19, 2021 - Dom Barnard

In order to write a speech, you need to think about your audience, the required length, and the purpose or topic. This is true whether you are writing a wedding speech, conference presentation, investor pitch, or any other type of speech.

Being a great speech writer can help you get a promotion, motivate people, sell a business idea, persuade others and much more – it’s an essential skill in the modern world. In this article, we cover key tips for writing a speech.

Initial planning – Why? Who? What?

You should invest time strategically considering the speech. This will help you decide on the key message and content about your topic. Here are some points to consider.

• What do I want to achieve?
• When I achieve this, what will that do for me?
• Why am I speaking?
• What is the purpose of this speech?
• Who are the audience and who do they represent?
• Who do I represent?
• What do I know about them? (culture, language, level of expertise)
• How much influence do they have?
• What is the main message and key points?
• What specific action is implied?
• What level of information should I include?
• What is important to them?

Popular speech structure

You need to catch the audience attention early, very early (see section below). Deliver a memorable beginning, a clear middle and structured ending.

Popular speech structure:

• Explanation 1
• Explanation 2
• Explanation 3

Secondary Point (Optional: supports main)

Tertiary Point (Optional: supports secondary and main)

Attention span of your audience

Research shows that attention span is greatest at the beginning of a speech, reduces considerably during the middle of your speech and picks up again towards the end when your audience know you about to finish.

Don’t try to put too many ideas into your speech. Research shows that people remember very little from speeches, so just give them one or two ideas to hang onto.

These two articles explain audience attention span in more detail, and how to write a speech to extend it:

• How many minutes is the audience’s attention span?
• What to do when you’re losing your audience

Speech introduction

Make sure your opening few seconds are memorable as this is when your audience will make up their minds about you. Use a bold sentence to grab their attention, works best with numbers reinforcing your point.

An example sentence might be – “After this speech, I’m confident 50% of you will go out and buy a VR headset.” Follow these tips on how to write a speech intro:

Remember the INTRO model

This is more focused on presentations but sections can be applied broadly to other general speeches.

1. Interest

You: Introduce yourself confidently and clearly Audience: Why should I listen to you?

You: Remind the audience the reasons for this speech Audience: What’s in it for me?

You: State length of speech at beginning, “Over the next 15 minutes” Audience: How long until I can get a coffee?

4. Routemap

You: State the main points, “Today I’m going to cover 4 main points” Audience: Which sections of the speech are important to me?

5. Objectives

You: Clearly state the objective, “By the end of this speech, I would like to…” Audience: So that’s what you want from me today…

Example: Great speech opening

This speech opening is by Jamie Oliver, giving a TED talk on teaching every child about food.

Sadly, in the next 18 minutes when I do our chat, four Americans that are alive will be dead through the food that they eat. My name’s Jamie Oliver. I’m 34 years old. I’m from Essex in England and for the last seven years I’ve worked fairly tirelessly to save lives in my own way. I’m not a doctor; I’m a chef, I don’t have expensive equipment or medicine. I use information, education. I profoundly believe that the power of food has a primal place in our homes that binds us to the best bits of life. We have an awful, awful reality right now. America, you’re at the top of your game. This is one of the most unhealthy countries in the world.

How not to open your speech

Avoid the following opening comments:

• “ Apologies, I’m a little nervous about speaking ” – no need to make the audience aware of this, it will make them focus on how nervous you are instead of what you are saying
• “ I’ve got the graveyard shift ” – you are telling people not to expect much
• “ I’m what stands between you and lunch ” – even if people weren’t thinking it, after this comment, all they are thinking of is when will you finish so they can eat
• “ We are running late, so I’ll do my best to explain… ” – instead of this, state how long your speech will take so that people know when they will be leaving

Middle of the speech

The body of your speech is where the majority of the information is. The audience has been introduced to the subject and reasons for the speech. Now you need to present your arguments and examples, data, illustrations backing up your key message.

How to write a speech body can be difficult, the best way to build this section is to write down three points you are trying to convey in your speech, your main, secondary and tertiary points. Then write down three descriptions clarifying each of these points. The descriptions should be simple, memorable and meaningful.

The middle of your speech is where the audience start losing attention. Keep this in mind and ensure your message is clear. Use images, jokes and rhetoric questions to keep the audience engaged.

Don’t overwhelm your audience with many points. It is much more valuable to make a small number of points well, than to have too many points which aren’t made satisfactorily.

Obama and his speeches

Obama’s speeches are well prepared with a focus on powerful words “A change is brought about because ordinary people do extraordinary things“. His speeches use simple language and quotes from famous speeches his listeners can relate to.

For additional trademark Obama techniques, check out  How Barack Obama prepares his speeches.

How to end a speech

Similar to the opening, your closing statements should be impactful, re-stating the key message of your speech. We advise learning your ending few lines word for word. The ending is an opportunity to:

• Leave the audience with a lasting impression of your speech
• Summarise the main points
• Provide further ideas and discussion points for the audience to take away with them
• Thank the audience for taking the time to listen

Methods to end your speech

Quotation Close  – use a famous quote to get the audience’s attention and create a link to your speech.

Bookend Close  – refer back to an opening statement and repeat it or add a few extra words to elaborate on it.

Open Question  – ask the audience a provocative question or a call to action to perform some task on the back of your speech.

For additional tips on how to write a speech, in particular how to close your speech, read:

• 5 great ways to end a speech
• 10 ways to end your speech with a bang
• Presentations: language expert – signposting

Ideas for ending a speech

• Key message
• Refer to opening impact statement
• Objectives met
• Call to action
• End on an Up

Step-by-step process for writing a speech

Here’s how to write your speech from concept to completion.

• Outline your speech’s structure. What are the main ideas for each section?
• Write out the main ideas in your outline. Don’t worry about making it perfect – just write as much of it down as you can
• Edit and polish what you’ve written until you have a good first draft of your speech
• Now you need to practice and  memorize your speech . The more you practice, the more you’ll figure out which sections need changing. You’ll also get an idea of length and if you need to extend / shorten it.
• Update your speech, practice some more, and revise your speech until it has a great flow and you feel comfortable with it.

Classic speech transcripts

One of the best ways for learning how to write a speech is reading other well written ones. Here are a list of famous speeches to read and learn from:

• Bill Gates TED Talk Transcript from 2015: Warns of Pandemics, Epidemics
• Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg Commencement Speech at Harvard 2014
• Ronald Reagan Memorial Day Speech Transcript 1984
• I Have Been to the Mountaintop Speech Transcript – Martin Luther King Jr.

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How to write a speech that your audience remembers

Whether in a work meeting or at an investor panel, you might give a speech at some point. And no matter how excited you are about the opportunity, the experience can be nerve-wracking . 

But feeling butterflies doesn’t mean you can’t give a great speech. With the proper preparation and a clear outline, apprehensive public speakers and natural wordsmiths alike can write and present a compelling message. Here’s how to write a good speech you’ll be proud to deliver.

What is good speech writing?

Good speech writing is the art of crafting words and ideas into a compelling, coherent, and memorable message that resonates with the audience. Here are some key elements of great speech writing:

• It begins with clearly understanding the speech's purpose and the audience it seeks to engage. 
• A well-written speech clearly conveys its central message, ensuring that the audience understands and retains the key points. 
• It is structured thoughtfully, with a captivating opening, a well-organized body, and a conclusion that reinforces the main message. 
• Good speech writing embraces the power of engaging content, weaving in stories, examples, and relatable anecdotes to connect with the audience on both intellectual and emotional levels. 

Ultimately, it is the combination of these elements, along with the authenticity and delivery of the speaker , that transforms words on a page into a powerful and impactful spoken narrative.

What makes a good speech?

A great speech includes several key qualities, but three fundamental elements make a speech truly effective:

Clarity and purpose

Remembering the audience, cohesive structure.

While other important factors make a speech a home run, these three elements are essential for writing an effective speech.

The main elements of a good speech

The main elements of a speech typically include:

• Introduction: The introduction sets the stage for your speech and grabs the audience's attention. It should include a hook or attention-grabbing opening, introduce the topic, and provide an overview of what will be covered.
• Opening/captivating statement: This is a strong statement that immediately engages the audience and creates curiosity about the speech topics.
• Thesis statement/central idea: The thesis statement or central idea is a concise statement that summarizes the main point or argument of your speech. It serves as a roadmap for the audience to understand what your speech is about.
• Body: The body of the speech is where you elaborate on your main points or arguments. Each point is typically supported by evidence, examples, statistics, or anecdotes. The body should be organized logically and coherently, with smooth transitions between the main points.
• Supporting evidence: This includes facts, data, research findings, expert opinions, or personal stories that support and strengthen your main points. Well-chosen and credible evidence enhances the persuasive power of your speech.
• Transitions: Transitions are phrases or statements that connect different parts of your speech, guiding the audience from one idea to the next. Effective transitions signal the shifts in topics or ideas and help maintain a smooth flow throughout the speech.
• Counterarguments and rebuttals (if applicable): If your speech involves addressing opposing viewpoints or counterarguments, you should acknowledge and address them. Presenting counterarguments makes your speech more persuasive and demonstrates critical thinking.
• Conclusion: The conclusion is the final part of your speech and should bring your message to a satisfying close. Summarize your main points, restate your thesis statement, and leave the audience with a memorable closing thought or call to action.
• Closing statement: This is the final statement that leaves a lasting impression and reinforces the main message of your speech. It can be a call to action, a thought-provoking question, a powerful quote, or a memorable anecdote.
• Delivery and presentation: How you deliver your speech is also an essential element to consider. Pay attention to your tone, body language, eye contact , voice modulation, and timing. Practice and rehearse your speech, and try using the 7-38-55 rule to ensure confident and effective delivery.

While the order and emphasis of these elements may vary depending on the type of speech and audience, these elements provide a framework for organizing and delivering a successful speech.

How to structure a good speech

You know what message you want to transmit, who you’re delivering it to, and even how you want to say it. But you need to know how to start, develop, and close a speech before writing it. 

Think of a speech like an essay. It should have an introduction, conclusion, and body sections in between. This places ideas in a logical order that the audience can better understand and follow them. Learning how to make a speech with an outline gives your storytelling the scaffolding it needs to get its point across.

Here’s a general speech structure to guide your writing process:

• Explanation 1
• Explanation 2
• Explanation 3

How to write a compelling speech opener

Some research shows that engaged audiences pay attention for only 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Other estimates are even lower, citing that people stop listening intently in fewer than 10 minutes . If you make a good first impression at the beginning of your speech, you have a better chance of interesting your audience through the middle when attention spans fade. 

Implementing the INTRO model can help grab and keep your audience’s attention as soon as you start speaking. This acronym stands for interest, need, timing, roadmap, and objectives, and it represents the key points you should hit in an opening. 

Here’s what to include for each of these points: 

• Interest : Introduce yourself or your topic concisely and speak with confidence . Write a compelling opening statement using relevant data or an anecdote that the audience can relate to.
• Needs : The audience is listening to you because they have something to learn. If you’re pitching a new app idea to a panel of investors, those potential partners want to discover more about your product and what they can earn from it. Read the room and gently remind them of the purpose of your speech. 
• Timing : When appropriate, let your audience know how long you’ll speak. This lets listeners set expectations and keep tabs on their own attention span. If a weary audience member knows you’ll talk for 40 minutes, they can better manage their energy as that time goes on. 
• Routemap : Give a brief overview of the three main points you’ll cover in your speech. If an audience member’s attention starts to drop off and they miss a few sentences, they can more easily get their bearings if they know the general outline of the presentation.
• Objectives : Tell the audience what you hope to achieve, encouraging them to listen to the end for the payout. 

Writing the middle of a speech

The body of your speech is the most information-dense section. Facts, visual aids, PowerPoints — all this information meets an audience with a waning attention span. Sticking to the speech structure gives your message focus and keeps you from going off track, making everything you say as useful as possible.

Limit the middle of your speech to three points, and support them with no more than three explanations. Following this model organizes your thoughts and prevents you from offering more information than the audience can retain. 

Using this section of the speech to make your presentation interactive can add interest and engage your audience. Try including a video or demonstration to break the monotony. A quick poll or survey also keeps the audience on their toes. 

Wrapping the speech up

To you, restating your points at the end can feel repetitive and dull. You’ve practiced countless times and heard it all before. But repetition aids memory and learning , helping your audience retain what you’ve told them. Use your speech’s conclusion to summarize the main points with a few short sentences.

Try to end on a memorable note, like posing a motivational quote or a thoughtful question the audience can contemplate once they leave. In proposal or pitch-style speeches, consider landing on a call to action (CTA) that invites your audience to take the next step.

How to write a good speech

If public speaking gives you the jitters, you’re not alone. Roughly 80% of the population feels nervous before giving a speech, and another 10% percent experiences intense anxiety and sometimes even panic. 

The fear of failure can cause procrastination and can cause you to put off your speechwriting process until the last minute. Finding the right words takes time and preparation, and if you’re already feeling nervous, starting from a blank page might seem even harder.

But putting in the effort despite your stress is worth it. Presenting a speech you worked hard on fosters authenticity and connects you to the subject matter, which can help your audience understand your points better. Human connection is all about honesty and vulnerability, and if you want to connect to the people you’re speaking to, they should see that in you.

1. Identify your objectives and target audience

Before diving into the writing process, find healthy coping strategies to help you stop worrying . Then you can define your speech’s purpose, think about your target audience, and start identifying your objectives. Here are some questions to ask yourself and ground your thinking : 

• What purpose do I want my speech to achieve? 
• What would it mean to me if I achieved the speech’s purpose?
• What audience am I writing for? 
• What do I know about my audience? 
• What values do I want to transmit? 
• If the audience remembers one take-home message, what should it be? 
• What do I want my audience to feel, think, or do after I finish speaking? 
• What parts of my message could be confusing and require further explanation?

2. Know your audience

Understanding your audience is crucial for tailoring your speech effectively. Consider the demographics of your audience, their interests, and their expectations. For instance, if you're addressing a group of healthcare professionals, you'll want to use medical terminology and data that resonate with them. Conversely, if your audience is a group of young students, you'd adjust your content to be more relatable to their experiences and interests. 

3. Choose a clear message

Your message should be the central idea that you want your audience to take away from your speech. Let's say you're giving a speech on climate change. Your clear message might be something like, "Individual actions can make a significant impact on mitigating climate change." Throughout your speech, all your points and examples should support this central message, reinforcing it for your audience.

4. Structure your speech

Organizing your speech properly keeps your audience engaged and helps them follow your ideas. The introduction should grab your audience's attention and introduce the topic. For example, if you're discussing space exploration, you could start with a fascinating fact about a recent space mission. In the body, you'd present your main points logically, such as the history of space exploration, its scientific significance, and future prospects. Finally, in the conclusion, you'd summarize your key points and reiterate the importance of space exploration in advancing human knowledge.

5. Use engaging content for clarity

Engaging content includes stories, anecdotes, statistics, and examples that illustrate your main points. For instance, if you're giving a speech about the importance of reading, you might share a personal story about how a particular book changed your perspective. You could also include statistics on the benefits of reading, such as improved cognitive abilities and empathy.

6. Maintain clarity and simplicity

It's essential to communicate your ideas clearly. Avoid using overly technical jargon or complex language that might confuse your audience. For example, if you're discussing a medical breakthrough with a non-medical audience, explain complex terms in simple, understandable language.

7. Practice and rehearse

Practice is key to delivering a great speech. Rehearse multiple times to refine your delivery, timing, and tone. Consider using a mirror or recording yourself to observe your body language and gestures. For instance, if you're giving a motivational speech, practice your gestures and expressions to convey enthusiasm and confidence.

8. Consider nonverbal communication

Your body language, tone of voice, and gestures should align with your message . If you're delivering a speech on leadership, maintain strong eye contact to convey authority and connection with your audience. A steady pace and varied tone can also enhance your speech's impact.

9. Engage your audience

Engaging your audience keeps them interested and attentive. Encourage interaction by asking thought-provoking questions or sharing relatable anecdotes. If you're giving a speech on teamwork, ask the audience to recall a time when teamwork led to a successful outcome, fostering engagement and connection.

10. Prepare for Q&A

Anticipate potential questions or objections your audience might have and prepare concise, well-informed responses. If you're delivering a speech on a controversial topic, such as healthcare reform, be ready to address common concerns, like the impact on healthcare costs or access to services, during the Q&A session.

By following these steps and incorporating examples that align with your specific speech topic and purpose, you can craft and deliver a compelling and impactful speech that resonates with your audience.

Tools for writing a great speech

There are several helpful tools available for speechwriting, both technological and communication-related. Here are a few examples:

• Word processing software: Tools like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or other word processors provide a user-friendly environment for writing and editing speeches. They offer features like spell-checking, grammar correction, formatting options, and easy revision tracking.
• Presentation software: Software such as Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Slides is useful when creating visual aids to accompany your speech. These tools allow you to create engaging slideshows with text, images, charts, and videos to enhance your presentation.
• Speechwriting Templates: Online platforms or software offer pre-designed templates specifically for speechwriting. These templates provide guidance on structuring your speech and may include prompts for different sections like introductions, main points, and conclusions.
• Rhetorical devices and figures of speech: Rhetorical tools such as metaphors, similes, alliteration, and parallelism can add impact and persuasion to your speech. Resources like books, websites, or academic papers detailing various rhetorical devices can help you incorporate them effectively.
• Speechwriting apps: Mobile apps designed specifically for speechwriting can be helpful in organizing your thoughts, creating outlines, and composing a speech. These apps often provide features like voice recording, note-taking, and virtual prompts to keep you on track.
• Grammar and style checkers: Online tools or plugins like Grammarly or Hemingway Editor help improve the clarity and readability of your speech by checking for grammar, spelling, and style errors. They provide suggestions for sentence structure, word choice, and overall tone.
• Thesaurus and dictionary: Online or offline resources such as thesauruses and dictionaries help expand your vocabulary and find alternative words or phrases to express your ideas more effectively. They can also clarify meanings or provide context for unfamiliar terms.
• Online speechwriting communities: Joining online forums or communities focused on speechwriting can be beneficial for getting feedback, sharing ideas, and learning from experienced speechwriters. It's an opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and improve your public speaking skills through collaboration.

Remember, while these tools can assist in the speechwriting process, it's essential to use them thoughtfully and adapt them to your specific needs and style. The most important aspect of speechwriting remains the creativity, authenticity, and connection with your audience that you bring to your speech.

5 tips for writing a speech

Behind every great speech is an excellent idea and a speaker who refined it. But a successful speech is about more than the initial words on the page, and there are a few more things you can do to help it land.

Here are five more tips for writing and practicing your speech:

1. Structure first, write second

If you start the writing process before organizing your thoughts, you may have to re-order, cut, and scrap the sentences you worked hard on. Save yourself some time by using a speech structure, like the one above, to order your talking points first. This can also help you identify unclear points or moments that disrupt your flow.

2. Do your homework

Data strengthens your argument with a scientific edge. Research your topic with an eye for attention-grabbing statistics, or look for findings you can use to support each point. If you’re pitching a product or service, pull information from company metrics that demonstrate past or potential successes. 

Audience members will likely have questions, so learn all talking points inside and out. If you tell investors that your product will provide 12% returns, for example, come prepared with projections that support that statement.

3. Sound like yourself

Memorable speakers have distinct voices. Think of Martin Luther King Jr’s urgent, inspiring timbre or Oprah’s empathetic, personal tone . Establish your voice — one that aligns with your personality and values — and stick with it. If you’re a motivational speaker, keep your tone upbeat to inspire your audience . If you’re the CEO of a startup, try sounding assured but approachable. 

4. Practice

As you practice a speech, you become more confident , gain a better handle on the material, and learn the outline so well that unexpected questions are less likely to trip you up. Practice in front of a colleague or friend for honest feedback about what you could change, and speak in front of the mirror to tweak your nonverbal communication and body language .

5. Remember to breathe

When you’re stressed, you breathe more rapidly . It can be challenging to talk normally when you can’t regulate your breath. Before your presentation, try some mindful breathing exercises so that when the day comes, you already have strategies that will calm you down and remain present . This can also help you control your voice and avoid speaking too quickly.

How to ghostwrite a great speech for someone else

Ghostwriting a speech requires a unique set of skills, as you're essentially writing a piece that will be delivered by someone else. Here are some tips on how to effectively ghostwrite a speech:

• Understand the speaker's voice and style : Begin by thoroughly understanding the speaker's personality, speaking style, and preferences. This includes their tone, humor, and any personal anecdotes they may want to include.
• Interview the speaker : Have a detailed conversation with the speaker to gather information about their speech's purpose, target audience, key messages, and any specific points they want to emphasize. Ask for personal stories or examples they may want to include.
• Research thoroughly : Research the topic to ensure you have a strong foundation of knowledge. This helps you craft a well-informed and credible speech.
• Create an outline : Develop a clear outline that includes the introduction, main points, supporting evidence, and a conclusion. Share this outline with the speaker for their input and approval.
• Write in the speaker's voice : While crafting the speech, maintain the speaker's voice and style. Use language and phrasing that feel natural to them. If they have a particular way of expressing ideas, incorporate that into the speech.
• Craft a captivating opening : Begin the speech with a compelling opening that grabs the audience's attention. This could be a relevant quote, an interesting fact, a personal anecdote, or a thought-provoking question.
• Organize content logically : Ensure the speech flows logically, with each point building on the previous one. Use transitions to guide the audience from one idea to the next smoothly.
• Incorporate engaging stories and examples : Include anecdotes, stories, and real-life examples that illustrate key points and make the speech relatable and memorable.
• Edit and revise : Edit the speech carefully for clarity, grammar, and coherence. Ensure the speech is the right length and aligns with the speaker's time constraints.
• Seek feedback : Share drafts of the speech with the speaker for their feedback and revisions. They may have specific changes or additions they'd like to make.
• Practice delivery : If possible, work with the speaker on their delivery. Practice the speech together, allowing the speaker to become familiar with the content and your writing style.
• Maintain confidentiality : As a ghostwriter, it's essential to respect the confidentiality and anonymity of the work. Do not disclose that you wrote the speech unless you have the speaker's permission to do so.
• Be flexible : Be open to making changes and revisions as per the speaker's preferences. Your goal is to make them look good and effectively convey their message.
• Meet deadlines : Stick to agreed-upon deadlines for drafts and revisions. Punctuality and reliability are essential in ghostwriting.
• Provide support : Support the speaker during their preparation and rehearsal process. This can include helping with cue cards, speech notes, or any other materials they need.

Remember that successful ghostwriting is about capturing the essence of the speaker while delivering a well-structured and engaging speech. Collaboration, communication, and adaptability are key to achieving this.

Give your best speech yet

Learn how to make a speech that’ll hold an audience’s attention by structuring your thoughts and practicing frequently. Put the effort into writing and preparing your content, and aim to improve your breathing, eye contact , and body language as you practice. The more you work on your speech, the more confident you’ll become.

The energy you invest in writing an effective speech will help your audience remember and connect to every concept. Remember: some life-changing philosophies have come from good speeches, so give your words a chance to resonate with others. You might even change their thinking.

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Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

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Writing Center Speech Structure

Section navigation, a guide to basic speech structure.

“A Speech is not an essay up on its hind legs!”

T he biggest difference between preparing a speech and preparing an essay is the audience. The essay’s audience—a reader—takes in the written ideas through the eyes. A public presentations’ audience, however, understands the speaker’s ideas by seeing, hearing and “feeling” the speaker by using their eyes, ears and heart. If an essay’s ideas aren’t clear, its audience can read the words over and over again. When speaking in front of a live audience, however, you only have one shot at getting your point across.

Good news! You can get your point across in one shot with structure.

I like to think of a speech as a journey that you and your audience take together. You don’t want to lose your audience, so plan for a clear beginning (introduction), middle (body) and end (conclusion).

FIRST: Decide where you’re going. Where are you taking your audience? We call this your PURPOSE, and speakers often begin their planning by writing a purpose statement .

Purpose statements are ambitious, active and audience focused.

Here are some examples:

• My purpose is to teach my audience three ways they can turn data into clear, useful charts.
• My purpose is to persuade my audience to vote for this new idea because it’s affordable, quick to implement and will have long-lasting positive impact.
• My purpose is to inspire my audience by sharing research that may predict sustainable life on Mars.

A purpose statement is critical in speech planning because:

• It keeps you “one sentence clear.” You know where you’re headed with the audience.
• It basically writes the body of your speech for you. (three ways to turn data into charts; vote because it’s affordable, quick and lasting; the two to three ways my research might predict sustainability on Mars...)
• It gives you a way to evaluate how successful you were after your presentation. Ask yourself: Did I achieve my purpose?

Now that you have your purpose statement, you can write your Introduction, right? WRONG!

Begin writing your speech by outlining the body of the speech first. Then write the introduction. You can’t introduce what you haven’t written yet, so begin with the body of the speech first.

Ultimately, the outline of your speech will have an introduction, a body and a conclusion.

Introduction

• Engage the audience. Start with a story, a startling statement, statistic, or a question that grabs your audience’s attention. The best presentations begin by answering “why...” In other words, why you are excited about your research or speech topic, and most important, why the audience should care. Watch Simon Sinek’s TED talk for inspiration. 
• Focus the presentation. Now that your audience knows why they should care, state your thesis or goal. Let your audience know what they’ll learn.
• Preview the presentation’s structure, content or approach to let the audience know how the presentation will unfold.

Organize your talk logically and clearly around 2-3 main points or arguments. For each major section of your presentation, follow the “4 S Structure” 1 :

• Signpost the point (“First, I’m going to point out the problem with...” My second argument is that...” “Now let me explain my methodology.”)
• State the point clearly and succinctly
• Support the point with data, cases, description, relevant studies, etc.
• Summarize the point

Then make a clear transition to the next major section.

Summarize and re-focus. Review key points or arguments. Restate the thesis.

• Close. Create a closing statement. Nodding back to the introduction can alert the audience that the speech has come to an end and provides a satisfying sense of final closure. Avoid using “Thank you” as your conclusion. Wait until the audience applauds. Then, thank them for that.

Audience Questions

1. Adapted from Joyce Ferguson, “Speaking Across the Curriculum at UNCG,” in Communication Across the UNCG Curriculum: A Guide for Faculty, ed. Karen Meyers, University of North Carolina—Greensboro, 2002.

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Chapter 33: Speech Structure

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

• Create a preparation outline and speaking outline for your extemporaneous speech
• Use keywords from your outline to develop a 3×5 cue card

Key Terms and Concepts

• preparation outline
• speaking outline
• connective statements

As you saw in the last chapter, we want you to use an extemporaneous style for your speech delivery. Many of you may feel a bit uncomfortable with this idea if you are used to using a manuscript or memorized style. However, we want to stress that you are not going to go into your presentation unprepared. This chapter will show you how to outline your speech and give you several different elements you can use while designing it.

Outlining Your Speech

An outline provides a visual structure where you can compile information into a well-organized document. The amount of information you include will depend on your needs. For our course, we want you to use a p reparation outline , which is a comprehensive form of outline that includes all of the information in your speech. If someone were to read your preparation outline , there should be enough depth to provide a general idea of what will be accomplished.

Generally, we recommend starting from this outline format:

This is just a start as you will need to make adjustments to fit your needs. For example, each main point may have more than one piece of evidence. In preparation for your extemporaneous speech, you will need to complete a preparation outline for your Speech Strategy Report assignment.

You should think of the outline as the blueprint for your speech. It is not the speech—that is what comes out of your mouth in front of the audience. The outline helps you prepare and, as such, they are a living document that you can adjust, add, and delete. We recommend beginning to add information right away. However, keep in mind that you will not have the whole document with you during your speech.  Instead, you’ll use a speaking outline that you write on your 3×5 index card.

A speaking outline is a keyword outline used to deliver an extemporaneous speech. The notes you use to speak can aid or hinder in an effective delivery. A keyword outline on your 3×5 card—which you’ll use to rehearse and deliver—will allow greater embodiment and engagement with the audience. As you practice, you will be able to summarize the full preparation outline down to more usable notes. In those notes, create a set of abbreviated notes for the actual delivery. The more materials you take up with you to speak, the more you will be tempted to look at them rather than have eye contact with the audience, reducing your overall engagement.

Your speaking notes should be in far fewer words than the preparation, arranged in key phrases, and readable for you. Your speaking outline should provide cues to yourself to “slow down,” “pause,” or “change slide.” Our biggest suggestion is to make the notes workable for you. More information on structuring your cue card is included in the next section.

Using Cue Cards

An extemporaneous speech is a presentation that is carefully planned and practiced ahead of time. A tool that can help you in your speech is to use a 3.5×5 card effectively.  Your card is meant to help prompt you as you give your speech, and to keep you on track.  It is NOT meant to be a transcript where you write out your speech.

Exercise: Evaluate Cue Cards

Below are images of three cue cards. Look at Image #1. Do you think this person’s speech was successful according to the constraints of an extemporaneous speech? Why or why not?

Obviously, Image #1 is an example of what  not  to do when using a cue card. Keep in mind that your card is a tool for you to consult while you speak. You do not need to write everything on it that you would like to say.

Now let’s look at two more cue cards (Images #2 and #3). What is it that makes these two cards better? How are they different from Image #1?

Your card is meant to be recognized by you (the speaker), and you alone—so you can use abbreviations (similar to the ‘SHR’ used in Image #2 above) or have shorthand notes that will help to jog your memory. Recognize that you probably will NOT need to write as much on your cue card as you may think you need to.

As you practice, make sure to practice using the same card.

Setting Up Your Speech

Introductions and conclusions serve to frame the speech and give it a clearly defined beginning and end. They help the audience see what is to come in the speech, and then let them mentally prepare for the end. In doing this, introductions and conclusions provide a “preview/review” of your speech as a means to reiterate to your audience what you are talking about. Because speeches are auditory and live, you need to make sure that audiences remember what you are saying.

The general rule is that the introduction and conclusion should each be about 10% of your total speech, leaving 80% for the body section. It can be tempting to have longer introductions, but that often leaves less time to introduce key research and warrant your ideas through the main points. Since your speech for this course is five minutes long, that means your introduction and conclusion should each be about 30 seconds. 

Structuring the Introduction

With that in mind, there are five basic elements that you will want to incorporate into your introduction and speech outline.

Element 1: Get the Audience’s Attention—the Hook

The first major purpose of an introduction is to gain your audience’s attention and make them interested in what you have to say. The first words of a speech should be something that will perk up the audience’s ears. Starting a speech with “Hey everybody. I’m going to talk to you today about soccer” has not tried to engage the individuals in the audience who don’t care about soccer.

To create interest, the key is selecting an option that’s appropriate and relevant to your specific audience. You will also want to choose an attention-getting device appropriate for your speech topic. Ideally, your attention-getting device should have a relevant connection to your speech. Below are a number of possibilities for crafting an attention getter.

Anecdotes and Narratives

An anecdote is a  brief  account or story of an interesting or humorous event. Notice the emphasis here is on the word “brief.” An example of an anecdote used in a speech about the pervasiveness of technology might look something like this:

Notice that the anecdote is short and has a clear point. From here the speaker can begin to make their point about how technology is controlling our lives.

A personal story is another option here. You may consider starting your speech with a story about yourself that is relevant to your topic. Some of the best speeches are ones that come from personal knowledge and experience. If you are an expert or have firsthand experience related to your topic, sharing this information with the audience is a great way to show that you are credible during your attention getter.

Startling Statement/Statistic/Fact

Another way to start your speech is to surprise your audience with startling information about your topic. Often, startling statements come in the form of statistics and strange facts. The goal of a good startling statistic is that it surprises the audience and gets them engaged in your topic. For example, if you’re giving a speech about oil conservation, you could start by saying:

You could start a speech on the psychology of dreams by noting:

A strange fact, on the other hand, is a statement that does not involve numbers but is equally surprising to most audiences. For example, you could start a speech on the gambling industry by saying:

Although startling statements are fun, it is important to use them ethically. First, make sure that your startling statement is factual. Second, make sure that your startling statement is relevant to your speech and not just thrown in for shock value.

A Rhetorical Question

A rhetorical question is a question to which no actual reply is expected. For example, a speaker talking about the history of Mother’s Day could start by asking the audience:

In this case, the speaker does not expect the audience to shout out an answer, but rather to think about the questions as the speech goes on.

Another way to capture your listeners’ attention is to use the words of another person that relate directly to your topic. Maybe you’ve found a really great quotation in one of the articles or books you read while researching your speech. If not, you can also use a number of Internet or library sources that compile useful quotations from noted individuals. Quotations are a great way to start a speech, so let’s look at an example that could be used during the opening of a commencement address:

Element 2: Establish or Enhance Your Credibility

Whether you are informing, persuading, or entertaining an audience, they will expect you to know what you’re talking about. The second element, then, is to let your audience know that you are a knowledgeable and credible source for this information, in other words, you must establish your ethos . To do this, you will need to explain how you know what you know about your topic.

For some people, this will be simple. If you are informing your audience about a topic that you’ve researched or experienced for years, that makes you a fairly credible source. You probably know what you are talking about. Let the audience know! For example:

However, you may be speaking on a subject with which you have no history of credibility. If you are just curious about when streetlights were installed at intersections and why they are red, yellow, and green, you can do that. But you will still need to give your audience some sort of reason to trust your knowledge. Since you were required to do research for this assignment, you are at least more knowledgeable on the subject that anyone else in the class.

Element 3: Establish Relevance through Rapport

Next, you must establish rapport with your audience. Rapport is basically a relationship or connection you make with your audience, similar to incorporating pathos appeals in your speech. In everyday life, we say that two people have a rapport when they get along really well and are good friends. In your introduction, you will want to explain to your audience why you are giving them this information and why it is important or relevant to them. You will be making a connection through this shared information and explaining to them how it will benefit them.

Element 4: State your Thesis

After you get the audience’s attention, you must reveal the purpose of your speech to your audience. Have you ever sat through a speech wondering what the basic point was? Have you ever come away after a speech and had no idea what the speaker was talking about? An introduction should make the topic, purpose, and central idea clear. Remember rhetorical exigence from previous chapters? This is essentially what your thesis is doing: you are addressing a problem that your audience has and showing them you have the answer.

When stating your topic in the introduction, be explicit with regard to exactly what your topic is. Spell it out for them if you have to. If an audience is unable to remember all your information, they should at least be able to walk away knowing that the purpose of your presentation was. Make sure your logos appeals are solid.

Element 5: Preview Your Main Points—the Survey

Just like previewing your topic, previewing your main points helps your audience know what to expect throughout the course of your speech. In RCM 200, we call this part of your speech the speech’s survey . Your preview of main points should be clear and easy to follow so that there is no question in your audience’s minds what they are. Long, complicated, or verbose main points can get confusing.

Be succinct and simple in your survey:

From that there is little question as to what specific aspects of Lincoln’s life the speech will cover. However, if you want to be extra sure they get it, you can always enumerate them:

What these five elements do is prepare your audience for the bulk of the speech (i.e. the body section) by letting them know what they can expect, why they should listen, and why they can trust you as a speaker. Having all five elements starts your speech off on much more solid ground that you would get without having them.

The Body: Connecting Your Points Using Signposts

At this point, you may be realizing that preparing for public speaking does not always follow a completely linear process. In writing your speech, you might begin outlining with one organizational pattern in mind, only to re-craft the main points into a new pattern after more research has been conducted. These are all okay options.

Wherever your process takes you, however, you will need to make sure that each section of your speech outline uses connective statements or signposts .  A Connective statement —also called “signpost”—is a broad term that encompass several types of statements or phrases. They are generally designed to help “connect” parts of your speech to make it easier for audience members to follow. Connectives are tools for helping the audience listen, retain information, and follow your structure.

Signposts perform a number of functions:

• Remind the audience of what has come before
• Remind the audience of the central focus or purpose of the speech
• Forecast what is coming next
• Help the audience have a sense of context in the speech—where are we? (this is especially useful in a longer speech of twenty minutes or so)
• Explain the logical connection between the previous main idea(s) and next one, or previous subpoints and the next one
• Explain your own mental processes in arranging the material as you have
• Keep the audience’s attention through repetition and a sense of movement

Signposts can include internal summaries, numbering or internal previews. Each of these terms all help connect the main ideas of your speech for the audience, but they have different emphases and are useful for different types of speeches.

Types of connectives and examples

Signposts  emphasize the physical movement through the speech content and let the audience know exactly where they are. Signposting can be as simple as “First,” “Next,” “Lastly” or using numbers such as “First,” “Second,” Third,” and “Fourth.” Signposts can also be lengthier, but in general signposting is meant to be a brief way to let your audience know where they are in the speech. It may help to think of these like the mile markers you see along interstates that tell you where you are or like signs letting you know how many more miles until you reach your destination.

Internal summaries  emphasize what has come before and remind the audience of what has been covered.

Internal previews  let your audience know what is coming up next in the speech and what to expect with regard to the content of your speech.

Transitions  serve as bridges between seemingly disconnected (but related) material, most commonly between your main points. At a bare minimum your transition is saying,

Connectives are an important way to assist the audience in understanding a) where you’re going, b) where you are, and c) where you’ve been. We recommend labeling them directly in your outline to make sure that they’re integrated and clear.

Wrapping up: The Summary

Similar to the introduction, the conclusion has three specific elements that you will want to incorporate in order to make it as strong as possible.

Given the nature of these elements and what they do, these should generally be incorporated into your conclusion in the order they are presented below.

Element 1: Review Main Points

Remember, introductions preview your main points; the conclusion provides a review. One of the biggest differences between written and oral communication is the necessity of repetition in oral communication. Your audience only has one opportunity to catch and remember the points you are trying to get across in your speech, so the review assists in repeating key ideas that support your thesis statement.

Because you are trying to remind the audience of your main points, you want to be sure not to bring up any new material or ideas. For example, if you said, “There are several other issues related to this topic, such as…but I don’t have time for them,” that would make the audience confused and perhaps wonder why you did not address those in the body section. The hardcore facts and content are in the body.

Element 2: Restate the Thesis

Make sure to restate your thesis because this is the main argument that you’re leaving the audience with. While this may come before or after the review of your main points, it’s important because it often directs the audience and reminds them why they’re present. Concluding without reiterating your thesis statement requires the audience to remember an idea from the introduction—which can feel like a long time ago.

Element 3: Clincher

The third element of your conclusion is the clincher, or something memorable with which to conclude your speech. The clincher is sometimes referred to as a concluding thought. These are the very last words you will say in your speech, so you need to make them count.

In many ways the clincher is the inverse of the attention-getter. You want to start the speech off with something strong, and you want to end the speech with something strong. To that end, similar to what we discussed above with attention getters, there are a number of ways you can make your clincher strong and memorable.

For the conclusion, make sure your purpose—informative, persuasive, entertaining—is honored.

Key Takeaways

• The organization and outlining of your speech may not be the most interesting part to think about, but without it, great ideas will seem jumbled and confusing to your audience. To help you prepare for your presentation, you will need to create a  preparation outline .
• Use keywords from your speaking outline to create a cue card. This piece of paper will help guide you through your speech; however, it should serve as more of a reminder of your points instead of a resource you keep going back to.
• Your introduction is what gets your audience interested in your topic. You can do this by getting their attention with a hook, establishing your credibility, establishing rapport, stating your thesis, and s urvey your main points.
• In your body, good signposts or connective statements  will ensure your audience can follow you and understand the logical connections you are making with your main ideas, introduction, and conclusion.
• The conclusion provides a review of what you just talked about. Ideally, the conclusion should remind your audience what you talked about and why it matters to them. You can do this in your summary by reviewing the main ideas, restating the thesis, and ending the speech in a memorable way with a clincher.

Attributions

This chapter is adapted from “ Speak Out, Call In: Public Speaking as Advocacy ” by Meggie Mapes (on Pressbooks ). It is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License .

a speech delivery method where the presentation is carefully planned and rehearsed, but spoken in a conversational manner using brief notes

a speech delivery method where a message is read word-for-word off a written page or autocue device

a speech delivery method where a message is presented after being committed to memory by the speaker

a visual structure where you can compile information into a well-organized document

a comprehensive form of outline that includes all of the information in your speech

a keyword outline used to deliver an extemporaneous speech

a type of speech delivery that is carefully planned and rehearsed, but uses minimal notes and is spoken in a conversational manner

something that makes it difficult for your message to be received, such as beliefs, facts, interests, and motives. These can from both the rhetor and the audience

a rhetorical appeal that addresses the values of an audience as well as establishes authorial credibility/character

a rhetorical appeal that tries to tap into the audience's emotions to get them to agree with a claim

a "problem" that can be affected by human activity

a rhetorical appeal that requires the use of logic, careful structure, and objective evidence to appeal to the audience

several types of statements or phrases that are designed to connect part of your speech to make it easier for audience members to follow

Effective Professional Communication: A Rhetorical Approach Copyright © 2021 by Rebekah Bennetch; Corey Owen; and Zachary Keesey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Public Speaking Helpline

How to Structure a Speech?

To structure a speech, start with a clear opening, support your main points with evidence, and conclude with a strong ending. By following this structure, you will engage your audience and deliver a compelling message that sticks in their minds.

Now, let’s dive into the details and explore how to structure a speech effectively. A well-structured speech is like a road map that guides both the speaker and the audience. It ensures that your ideas flow logically and your message resonates with your listeners.

Whether you’re presenting in a corporate setting, giving a TED talk, or speaking at a social event, a solid speech structure is crucial for success. We will discuss the essential elements of structuring a speech that captures attention, conveys your message effectively, and leaves a lasting impact. So, let’s get started with the opening of your speech.

Credit: www.researchgate.net

Table of Contents

In order to structure a speech effectively, it is essential to follow these six guidelines. By avoiding overused words, keeping sentences concise, utilizing a range of phrases, and maintaining a human-like tone, your speech will engage and captivate your audience.

Remember to adhere to these guidelines for an impactful and well-structured speech.

Understand Your Audience

Develop a clear structure, craft a strong opening, organize your main points, deliver a memorable conclusion.

Credit: m.youtube.com

Credit: www.tes.com

Frequently Asked Questions For How To Structure A Speech?

What are the 5 sections of a speech.

The 5 sections of a speech are introduction, body, main points, supporting details, and conclusion.

What Are The 7 Steps To Writing A Speech?

The 7 steps to writing a speech are as follows: 1. Determine your topic and purpose. 2. Conduct thorough research and gather relevant information. 3. Create an outline or structure for your speech. 4. Write a compelling introduction to grab your audience’s attention.

5. Develop clear main points and supporting arguments or evidence. 6. Craft a memorable conclusion that reinforces your main message. 7. Practice and revise your speech to ensure clarity and effective delivery.

What Are The 5 Major Steps In Speech Writing?

The 5 major steps in speech writing include: 1. Research the topic thoroughly to gather relevant information. 2. Organize the speech by creating an outline or structure. 3. Write a compelling introduction to grab the audience’s attention. 4. Develop the body of the speech with logical points and supporting evidence.

5. Conclude with a memorable closing statement that leaves a lasting impression.

What Are The 5 Ways To Organize A Speech?

The five ways to organize a speech include: chronological order, spatial order, topical order, problem-solution order, and cause-effect order.

How Do You Structure A Speech?

To structure a speech effectively, start with a strong introduction, followed by clear main points, and end with a memorable conclusion.

An effective speech structure is crucial for engaging and captivating your audience. By following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can create a well-organized and impactful speech. Remember to start with a strong introduction, use clear transitions between main points, and end with a powerful conclusion.

Practice and confident delivery will help you deliver a memorable speech that resonates with your audience.

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12.3 Building a Sample Speech

Learning objectives.

• Demonstrate how to build a sample speech by expanding on the main points you wish to convey.
• Demonstrate how to use the five structural parts of any speech.

As you begin to investigate your topic, make sure you consider several sides of an issue. Let’s say you are going to do a speech to inform on the history of the First Transcontinental Railroad. At first you may have looked at just two sides, railroaders versus local merchants. Railroad tycoons wanted to bring the country together—moving people, goods, and services in a more efficient way—and to make money. Local merchants wanted to keep out competition and retain control of their individual markets.

Take another look at this issue and you see that several other perspectives have bearing on this issue. Shipping was done primarily by boat prior to the railroad, so shippers would not want the competition. Recent Chinese immigrants were in need of work. Native Americans did not want to lose their culture or way of life, and a railroad that crossed the country would cut right through the buffalo’s migration patterns. We now have five perspectives to the central issue, which makes the topic all the more interesting.

The general purpose is to inform the audience on the First Transcontinental Railroad and its impact on a young but developing United States. The thesis statement focuses on shipping, communication, and cultures across America.

• Topic . First Transcontinental Railroad
• General purpose statement . I want the audience to be more informed about the impact of the First Transcontinental Railroad.
• Thesis statement . The First Transcontinental Railroad changed shipping, communication, and cultures across America.

With the information we have so far, we can now list three main points:

Change in shipping

Change in communication

Change in cultures

Think of each one of these main points as a separate but shorter speech. The point is to develop each of these main points like you have developed your overall speech. What do you want to focus on? The major types of shipping at the time of the First Transcontinental Railroad? One aspect you may want consider is to what degree is your audience familiar with this time in history. If they are not very familiar, a little background and context can help make your speech more meaningful and enhance its relevance to your thesis statement. By taking time to consider what you want to accomplish with each point, you will help yourself begin to address how you need to approach each point. Once you have thought about what you want to focus on for each point, list each subheading next to the main points. For example,

• Navigating the waterways via barges and boats
• Overland stagecoaches
• Timetables for modes of travel
• Letters in the days of the Pony Express
• How the Morse Code telegraph system followed railroad lines
• Bringing people together across distances
• Prerailroad immigration
• Impact on Native Americans
• Territories become States

By now you’ve identified your key points and are ready to start planning your speech in more detail. While your organizational structure will vary from speech to speech, there are nonetheless five main parts of any speech: attention statement, introduction, body, conclusion, and residual message. These are basic to the rhetorical process and you will see time and time again, regardless of audience or culture, these same elements in some form utilized to communicate in public. They will serve to guide you, and possibly even save you should you get a last minute request to do a speech or presentation.

Place your hand on the table or desk and you’ll more likely see a thumb and four fingers. Associate your hand with these five elements. Each digit is independently quite weak, but together they make a powerful fist. Your thumb is quite versatile and your most important digit. It’s a lot like your attention statement. If you don’t gain the audience’s attention, the rest of the speech will be ineffective.

Each successive digit can represent the remaining four parts of any speech. One day you will be asked to speak with little or no time for preparation. By focusing on this organizational model, and looking down at your hand, you can quickly and accurately prepare your speech. With the luxury of time for preparation, each step can even be further developed. Remember the five-finger model of public speaking , as summarized in Table 12.3 “Five-Finger Model of Public Speaking” , and you will always stand out as a more effective speaker.

Table 12.3 Five-Finger Model of Public Speaking

Key Takeaway

Speeches are built by identifying the main points to be communicated and by following five structural elements (attention statement, introduction, body, conclusion, and residual message).

• By visiting the library or doing an Internet search, find a speech given by someone you admire. The speech may be published in a book or newspaper, recorded in an audio file, or recorded on video. It may be a political speech, a business speech, or even a commercial sales pitch. Read or listen to the speech and identify the five structural elements as this speaker has used them. Post your results, discuss with classmates, and if a link to the speech is available, please be sure to include it.
• By visiting the library or doing an Internet search, find a speech that would benefit from significant improvement. The speech may be published in a book or newspaper, recorded in an audio file, or recorded on video. It may be a political speech, a business speech, or even a commercial sales pitch. Read or listen to the speech and identify the five structural elements as this speaker has used them, noting specifically where they could improve their performance. Post your results, discuss with classmates, and if a link to the speech is available, please be sure to include it.
• What functions does organization serve in a speech? Can organization influence or sway the audience? Explain your response and position.

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The balanced way to structure a speech, talk or presentation

Balance is one of the six qualities of an Inspiring Speaker that Ginger founder, Sarah Lloyd-Hughes, writes about in her book “ How to be Brilliant at Public Speaking “. But how does balance help you to structure a speech? And how do you write a speech structure which keeps the audience hooked from the opening line to the applause at the finish?

Without a strong and balanced structure, your speech will be like a gingerbread house with no icing to hold it together: just a collection of pieces that nobody can make sense of. Let’s investigate…

Writing a speech is easy.

We can all write  something  down on paper that might be spoken out as a speech, can’t we? It just might not be very good… But if you’re trying to be influential, or even inspiring with your speaking it’s getting the speech  structure  right that’s the tricky part.

One of the biggest speech writing mistakes speakers make is trying to pack in  too much information  into their structure. Like a gingerbread house that’s designed to be part castle, part luxury hotel, part mountain refuge, we will become confused about what your speech is built for.

Other speakers stay  focused on one tiny area of their speech structure  for too long and then rush the rest of the speech, like making a  really  beautiful door for your gingerbread house, but having nothing to attach it to.

To develop a powerful speech structure, think about the following four things –

1. Choose speech content that contains just the right amount of just the right type of information

• Relate everything you include in your speech structure to one single purpose.  That may mean you have to edit out some of the material you like the most, but if it doesn’t relate to your purpose it doesn’t belong in the speech structure.
• Make your speech structure clear to the audience.  Don’t insert unrelated anecdotes about your childhood and skip from point A to point Q.
• Use your speech structure to stress your most important points . If you focus on a minor point too long then the audience will get the wrong idea of what’s important. Don’t be afraid to repeat your key points.
• A classic way to structure a speech is that the introduction is 10% of your speech, content 80%, and conclusion 10%.  This allows for your audience to remember the meat of your speech versus an over-long introduction or conclusion.

2. Create a powerful flow of information

Even if you start your speech with power and confidence, you need to keep your audience’s attention.

• Seek a structure that turns up the intensity as you progress through your speech.
• Keep the audience’s attention throughout your speech by building to a climax, rather than peaking too soon. Your structure should always show them a reason why they should keep listening, but don’t  quite  satisfy that reason until just before the end of your speech.
• Use your structure to build that intensity over time to a crescendo then end quickly. This allows the audience to remember your peak and not a 10 minute droning ending that never ends. (Think “out with a whimper”)

3. Find your narrative

Think of a familiar or archetypical plot or  storyline  that you can structure your speech around. This will help your speech to be more memorable to your audience. Here are four of the most common speech narratives:

Melodrama Structure:

A story personal to the speaker with a similar structure to many movies. We meet the character and see their circumstances. Then a tragedy occurs. And finally tell how your character overcomes and triumphs over the tragedy. This speech structure creates a journey that will emotionally engage your audience and build credibility.

The Tower Structure:

This structure is all about using different layers of information that garners the audience’s attention by supporting your key message. When you (and your audience) finish building the structure together you can look at the power of the structure you’ve created.

Mystery Structure:

Structure your speech around asking a question or presenting a problem to the audience that they are desperate to know. Keep them on the edge of their seats by their desire to hear your crucial message.

Ping Pong Structure:

Another fun way to structure a speech is to present both sides of the argument in such a way that the audience wants to find out “Who wins?”.

4. Look for a speech structure that compels your audience to act on your words.

• Organise your thoughts so that you don’t have to make snap decisions while presenting.
• Structure your speech so that you send your audience home remembering your key messages rather than wondering “what was that all about”?
• Don’t be afraid to edit your speech down to the simplest possible structure. If your structure is simple (without being over simplistic) you will keep everyone on board.
• As you establish your structure and feel confident about it, you are more able to improvise and then come back to the plan. This helps you to be more  fresh  and  empathetic  with your audience.

What’s the impact of a balanced speech structure?

We’ve all sat through speeches which start well but fizzle out over time. Or ones that fail to get going until halfway through, by which time everyone has nodded off.   At the other end of the scale, you’ve probably experienced speeches which flow well from start to finish, that keep you hooked with engaging content and a mix of light and shade.   A well-balanced structure can be the difference between a good speech and a great speech. It can help support a speaker who lacks  confidence  or power of delivery. And it can transform all manner of speaking scenarios, from meetings to keynote talks.   We see this in action working with executives and senior leaders across all industries.

Like the sales director who used data and detailed models throughout his pitch, bamboozling his audience with complex information from the get-go. When he worked with Ginger, we helped him change his approach to structure his pitch around a compelling story, backed up by a few topline facts. He immediately won a huge piece of business for his company by changing the structure of his talk.   Or the female leader stepping into the spotlight in a male-dominated industry, who used her talk about real estate to ‘walk’ the audience through the floors of a building. She literally built her talk around a real-life structure, giving it substance, impact and clarity in a way that was relatable and engaging. And it opened the audience’s eyes to a different way of thinking.

Powerful stuff. 

Getting started on writing your speech 

OK, so there are loads of different ways to structure a speech. How do you choose the right one for your talk?

Before you think about  what  you want to tell your audience, consider: 

• Why is your audience there? What are they most interested in?
• What’s the purpose of your talk? What do you want to change?
• What’s the call to action – what do you want people to do as a result of your speech?
• What’s the one thing you want them to remember? 

If you get clear on these, it’s easier to see what kind of structure would work best for your speech. And you could try out a couple of different approaches to see which one has the most impact. 

Any time invested in working on the structure of a speech will help you to be more powerful and engaging as a speaker. So, good luck in building a well-structured gingerbread house for your audience to gratefully nibble on!

Here are some courses that are relevant to you: 

Presentation Skills and Training

Talk Writing and Training

Or you can view  all of our Courses .

Ginger Leadership Communications

This showcase of inspiring female speakers is part of Ginger’s work with game changing leaders.

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Mastering Effective Speech Structure for Compelling Presentation

It is crucial to understand the power of an excellent opening! It sets the scene for the rest of the presentation, catching the audience’s attention and making them curious. An inadequate introduction can easily cause a speech to fail, losing its listeners’ interest. Here, we will uncover the art of developing a effective speech structure from the start.

When starting your speech, it is essential to get your audience’s attention straight away. One way to do this is to start with an engaging anecdote or story linked to your topic. This will create a connection and stir their emotions, keeping them interested in your presentation.

It is also important to explain the purpose and main points of your speech in the introduction. This will ensure that the audience understands what you are trying to say and it will help guide them through the rest of your speech.

To make your introduction unique, think about including some unexpected or thought-provoking statistics or facts related to your topic. This will give your speech credibility and show that you have done substantial research on the subject. By displaying these interesting details early on, you will make your speech both informative and interesting.

I can give you an example of the power of a successful introduction. A few years ago, I attended a conference. The speaker began her presentation with a captivating story about her own challenges and successes in overcoming adversity. This opening instantly grabbed everyone’s attention and produced an emotional bond between the speaker and the audience. Throughout her speech, she incorporated relevant information and key points, while maintaining our interest with her fascinating storytelling style.

 Importance of Effective Speech Structure

Creating an Engaging Speech : Structure it for Maximum Effect!

• Effective speech structure is vital to make your ideas shine. Without it, even the best ideas can get lost. A great structure acts as a guide, helping you engage your audience and leave a lasting impression.
• Good flow of ideas is key to keep your listeners hooked. Carefully structuring your speech provides them a roadmap that leads through a clear narrative. This helps them understand your message and stay engaged.
• Structuring your speech also helps clarify complex concepts and keeps your thoughts focused. Breaking arguments into smaller pieces allows your audience to take in information at their own pace. This enhances understanding and prevents any important points from being missed.
• A well-structured speech also builds suspense and anticipation. As you go through your presentation, strategically placing key points and evidence maintains interest. This adds dynamism to your delivery.

It’s time to take action! Use effective speech structure when crafting your next presentation. This will ensure each word uttered carries maximum impact and leaves an unforgettable mark on your audience. Don’t miss out on this opportunity; seize it today!

Understand Audience for Effective Speech Structure

Comprehend your audience’s needs! Tailor your speech to their interests, age range, gender, cultural backgrounds, and educational levels. Assess their knowledge of the topic, and incorporate stories, examples, or visuals that align with their passions. Additionally, recognize any emotional triggers. Take into account current events, trends, and local customs. Make a lasting impression and leave them feeling motivated!

Identifying the Key Message

The key message is the main point to convey through your presentation. It’s essential to determine this message at the beginning to steer your speech and stay focused.

Now, let’s look closer into how to identify the key message. There are 4 aspects to consider:

• Audience: Know their needs, interests, and what they already know.
• Purpose: Figure out the purpose of your presentation.
• Central Idea: Make one clear and short statement with all the content.
• Supporting Points: Identify the main points that back up the central idea.

By considering these aspects, you can craft a speech with a key message that your audience will appreciate.

Keep in mind, each aspect is essential for making an effective speech. Analyze your audience and tailor your message. Also, define a purpose that meets their needs and summarize all information into one central idea. Finally, create supporting points to strengthen and explain the main idea.

Pro Tip: When you’ve identified the key message, regularly check that it’s still relevant during the preparation process. That way, you’ll end up with a powerful presentation!

Organizing Effective Speech Structure

Organizing your speech is an essential part of delivering a captivating presentation. It helps you convey your message with clarity and makes an impact. Here are tips to help you structure your speech:

• Outline the main points you want to communicate.
• Include visuals such as graphs, charts, or slides to back up your points.
• Divide the speech into sections, each focusing on a specific aspect.

Also, add unique details to your content. Think about including personal anecdotes or examples that make your message more relatable.

Further, use transitions between sections for a smooth flow. Vary your tone of voice and delivery style. Practice timing and pacing to cover all points within the time limit.

By following these suggestions, you can create a well-structured speech . Organization is key in crafting a compelling presentation!

Crafting an Engaging Opening

Grab your audience’s attention from the start! Share a thought-provoking quote or surprising statistic . Or, tell a compelling story that illustrates the importance of your presentation. You can also use rhetorical questions to make people reflect on their knowledge or beliefs.

Barack Obama’s 2004 Democratic National Convention speech is an example. He started with, “There’s not a liberal America and a conservative America; there’s the United States of America.” Such a powerful opening resonated with the crowd and set the stage for a meaningful message.

Also Read: Find Your Passion: A Path to Self-Discovery and Fulfillment

Creating a Coherent Body

To get your message across effectively, you need a coherent body. Here’s how to create one:

• Grab audience attention with an introduction.
• Break content into logical sub-points and bullet lists.
• Use clear transitions between sections.
• Include relevant examples and anecdotes.

You’ll be glad to know that Harvard Business Review found that presentations which use storytelling elements are 40 times more likely to persuade people .

Incorporating Visual Aids

Today, visuals are a must for successful presentations. They not only keep the audience engaged, but also help communicate info more clearly. Here are some tips on using visuals.

• Tables are great for data. They make it easy for the audience to understand complex info. Plus, they look good. Columns can be used to sort and compare data.
• Visuals like graphs, charts, and images can also be used to explain key points. Graphs show trends or patterns in data. Images evoke emotions and create a lasting impression.

However, visuals should be used strategically. Pick only those which directly support your speech. Also, use appropriate colors, fonts, and formatting styles.

Captivating the Audience with Delivery

To captivate the audience with delivery, it’s essential to have a good flow and strong presence. Your body language, voice, and facial expressions all play a part. Appropriate gestures and eye contact can establish a connection. Visual aids and multimedia elements like videos and images can add depth and variety.

Verbal delivery is also important. Speak clearly and confidently, varying tone and pace. Storytelling techniques like anecdotes and personal stories can create an emotional connection. Captivating an audience involves both artistry and science. Master these elements for memorable presentations that truly captivate and inspire.

Also Read: Impact of Physical Fitness: Boost Self-Improvement

Concluding for Impact

For a powerful conclusion, plan ahead! Make it count with a memorable quote or story that relates to your main message. Summarize the key points in a concise way. Invite audience participation by asking thought-provoking questions.

Connect your topic to real-life situations or societal issues. This will inspire your listeners. Avoid introducing new information. Stick to the main ideas and maintain consistency.

Practice delivering your conclusion with confidence and enthusiasm. This will maximize its impact and leave a lasting impression on your audience.

Practice and Rehearsal Techniques

To deliver an outstanding presentation , consistent practice and rehearsal is a must. Here are some points to help refine your skills and communicate effectively with your audience:

• Consistency is key. Doing regular practice helps you internalize your content and builds confidence. This will make you feel in control during your presentation.
• Visualization can be powerful. Imagine yourself delivering an effective presentation. This will help you anticipate any potential problems and make necessary changes.
• Get feedback. Practicing in front of a supportive audience or seeking advice from experienced people can give you valuable insights. Criticism can point out areas you can improve on.

Apart from that, don’t forget these points:

• Don’t over-rehearse. Too much practice can make you sound robotic. Find the balance between being prepared and still being spontaneous.
• Create a mock environment. This will help you get used to potential distractions such as noise or equipment problems. You will be more confident on the actual day.
• Focus on non-verbal communication. Don’t forget to practice body language, facial expressions, and gestures. They will add depth to your message.

By following these techniques, you can give amazing presentations by being confident, well-prepared, and flexible.

Final Tips – Effective Speech Structure

When it comes to delivering a compelling presentation, having an effective speech structure is essential. Here are some final tips to help you craft the perfect one!

• Nail the Opening: Make sure to begin with an attention-grabbing statement or question. This will draw in your audience and make them excited to hear what you have to say.
• Organize Your Content: Separate your speech into logical sections with clear headings. This will make it easier for your listeners to understand and follow your message.
• Use Visuals Wisely: Visual aids like slides and props can make your presentation even better. But, be careful not to use too many! Only include visuals that add value.

To make your speech even more compelling, add unique details. Think of personal stories or statistics that support your main points. This will make your presentation stand out in the minds of your audience.

And here’s a pro tip: Rehearse! Practice your speech multiple times. This will help you become more confident and identify any areas that need improvement.

Follow these guidelines and deliver your message with passion! With these tips, you’ll create an impactful and engaging presentation that your audience won’t soon forget.

Also Read: Top 100 Commonly Used A to Z Phrasal Verbs for English Fluency

A captivating conclusion awaits! Skillful structure of your speech can leave a lasting impact . Weave compelling content to ensure your message is clear & resonates.

• A strong opening is vital to grab listeners’ attention. This sets the tone, captivating interest & keeping them engaged. Logical & coherent structure allows for seamless transitions.
• Incorporate key points to bolster argument & provide evidence. Each point should flow naturally, building a cohesive narrative. Utilize rhetorical devices for emotion & energy.
• Concise language avoids jargon & complicated terminology for better comprehension.

Martin Luther King Jr. is an example of effective speech structure. In his “I Have a Dream” speech, he outlined injustices & painted a vivid picture of equality. He used emotional language & repetition, inspiring millions & launching the civil rights movement.

When crafting a persuasive presentation or speech, consider an effective structure that captivates from start to finish. Organize thoughts into a logical flow & incorporate creative elements. Leave a lasting impression & ensure your message resonates. Know More – The Fluent Life

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What is the importance of effective speech structure? A: Effective speech structure is crucial because it helps organize ideas, maintain the audience’s interest, and ensure a clear and concise message delivery. It provides a framework that guides the flow of information, making the presentation more compelling.

Q2: How can I build a compelling presentation? A: To build a compelling presentation , start by defining your objective and target audience. Then, organize your content into logical sections, ensuring a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Include engaging visuals, use storytelling techniques, and practice your delivery to create a captivating presentation.

Q3: What are some tips for structuring the introduction of a speech? A: When structuring the introduction of a speech, it’s important to grab the audience’s attention with a compelling opening line or anecdote. Clearly state the purpose of the presentation and preview the main points you will cover. Hooking the audience and setting the tone early on is crucial.

Q4: How should I structure the body of my presentation? A: The body of your presentation should be divided into sections or key points. Each section should have a clear and concise message, supported by relevant facts, examples, or visuals. Transition smoothly between sections to maintain the flow and ensure the audience can easily follow along.

Q5: What is the recommended structure for the conclusion of a speech? A: The conclusion of a speech should summarize the main points and reiterate the key message. It is an opportunity to leave a lasting impression on the audience. Avoid introducing new information in the conclusion and end with a call to action or a thought-provoking statement.

Q6: How can I improve the overall structure of my speech? A: To improve the overall structure of your speech, start by outlining the main points you want to cover. Ensure a logical sequence and prioritize the most important information. Use signposts or transitional phrases to guide the audience throughout the presentation. Rehearse and seek feedback to refine the structure further.

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Speech Structure: 7 Basic Types

Speech structure determines the content and how it is presented. The purpose of these structures also differs. In my experience, I’ve found that speeches and presentations all pretty much fit into seven basic structures.

What Type of Presentation Are You Giving?

Speech structure type 1, business presentation.

The most common speech structure is a business presentation . These are typically given by team leaders, or first- or mid-level managers, and are usually in the context of a staff meeting. The content of this type of presentation includes project updates, new product launches, monthly sales reports and other topics critical to the group. These are usually given in small groups and kept fairly informal.

Speech Structure Type 2, Political or Persuasive Speeches

This type of speech is given by people running for, or already in, some form of political office. This can include anything from the local school board to a national office. The purpose of this type of public speaking is to present the person’s ideas and approach to the issues. Since people have short attention spans, it is important that these types of presentations are concise and highly relevant. These are usually given to medium to large-sized audiences.

Speech Structure Type 3, Sales Presentation

Probably the second most common speech structure is the sales presentation . The purpose is to make a sale or at least move a prospective client or customer further along the sales funnel. These types of speeches are highly persuasive and benefit-laden. These are usually given to smaller groups.

Speech Structure Type 4, Job Interview

Many people don’t even think of the job interview as a form of public speaking, but it most definitely is. Whether a job candidate is simply responding to questions or has to make a more formal presentation about his or her qualifications, speaking skills are required for success. The key here is understanding the criteria the interviewers are looking for and presenting the applicable qualities within the given time frame. These are usually given to an audience of one. However, there are times when the presentations will be given before a panel of up to a dozen individuals with hiring influence.

Speech Structure Type 5, Lecture

The most common way to present educational information is via the lecture speech structure. Because this structure is often not terribly interactive, a variety of other public speaking skills come into play to make sure that students are engaged with the information. These are usually given to medium to large groups.

Speech Structure Type 6, Conference or Seminar Presenter

Closely related to the lecture format, the conference or seminar presenter often will facilitate a series of lectures, as well as interactive activities that help participants learn new information. Sometimes the presenter is one of many, so bring your public speaking superpowers to bear will help keep your presentation memorable. These are usually given to medium to large groups.

Speech Structure Type 7, Debate

The debate speech structure is a two-person game, minimum. Practiced in school and used by political figures and activists alike, speakers take turns presenting one side of an issue. The goal is to persuade the audience to that side. Debate takes skill in persuasion, much like the sales presentation, and also includes emotional appeals. These are usually given to medium to very large groups.

Preparation is the Key to Success

Regardless of what type of structure your presentation will take, you need to prepare in advance. The following are things you need to keep in mind when planning out your speech.

Length of Time

Do you have 15 minutes or 5 hours? How much time you have dictates how much information you can include and to what level of detail you can present that information.

Typical Timing per Structure

• Business Presentation: 5 to 15 minutes
• Political or Persuasive Speeches: 15 to 90 minutes
• Sales Presentation: 10 to 20 minutes
• Job Interview: 2 to 15 minutes
• Lecture: 30 to 90 minutes
• Conference or Seminar Presenter: 45 to 90 minutes
• Debate: 5 to 10 minutes

Different topics require different presentation styles and structures. Is this an emotionally laden topic? Or is it more straightforward and factual? This will dictate how you present the information, what stories you will use, and whether humor is appropriate or not.

You don’t need to write out a speech word-for-word, you do need to have a roadmap. Plan what you will include in the presentation so you stay on topic.

Opening and conclusion

Your opening — how you hook your audience — and your ending — how you leave them feeling once you leave the stage — are the two most critical parts of any speech. These are the sections you should plan out word-for-word and memorize.

Who are you speaking to? What is their level of understanding of your topic? What language do they use to discuss your topic? How engaged in your topic are they already? You need to know your audience so that you can choose the right information to provide and provide it in a way that they can understand and relate to. If you don’t know anything about your audience, you will find it very challenging to engage them in your presentation.

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About the author

Carma Spence, is author of Public Speaking Super Powers. She is fiercely committed to guiding women to Owning their Superpowers and turning their knowledge and interests into a profitable business. She is masterful at helping her clients see what is possible for them and supporting them on the journey from where they are to where they want to be, releasing the Mind Goblins of self-doubt, self-sabotage and second-guessing that keep them stuck.

With 20+ years experience in marketing communications and public relations, natural intuitive skills and certification in using some of the most effective transformational coaching tools available, Carma’s mission and commitment is to unleash the inner power every woman entrepreneur possesses so they can boldly go out into the world, transforming the fabric of people’s lives in meaningful and positive ways.

You can find her on Facebook , Twitter , Google+ and LinkedIn . Her website is CarmaSpence.com .

Module 9: Informative Speaking

Organizing the informative speech, learning objectives.

Discern the best organizational approach for types of informative speeches.

Like an essay, a speech should have a clear organizational structure with a recognizable beginning, middle, and end. But unlike an essay where your reader can go back and re-read sections they may not understand or follow, in a speech in front of a live audience your audience can’t stop, rewind, and re-listen to parts of your speech they didn’t follow. For that reason it is especially important to have a clear and easy-to-follow structure to a speech.

In this section, we introduce the characteristic organizational structures of an informative speech. Later on, we’ll explore each of the organizational structural elements in greater detail.

An informative speech can be broken up into three sections:

• Section 1: Introduction.  The first section of the speech contains an attention-getter to grab the interest of the audience and orient them to the topic of the speech, a clear thesis that states the purpose of the speech, and a preview of the main points of the speech.
• Section 2: Body. The heart of the speech is the body. The body is where you provide your audience all the information they will need to understand your topic. To make the body of the speech easier for the audience to follow, divide it up into at least two but no more than five main points . Organize the main points in a clear structure appropriate to the topic and thesis and provide supporting examples and/or evidence for each main point.
• Section 3: Conclusion. The conclusion is a short section that reinforces the thesis, summarizes the main points, and provides a sense of closure.

Video example

To see an example of an informative speech with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion, watch this speech where the speaker informs her audience how to manage the stress that comes with being a college student.

You can view the transcript for “Stress Informative Speech (with captions)” here (opens in new window) .

Specific Purpose Statement

Once you have a speech topic selected, develop a specific purpose statement. Your purpose statement describes what you want your audience to know as a result of listening to your speech. Here are some examples of informative speech purpose statements:

• To inform my audience about different types of coffee makers.
• To inform my audience about the historical significance of Harriet Tubman.
• To inform my audience about how to prune roses.

Central Idea

Your purpose statement helps you determine the thesis or central idea of your speech. You will present your central idea in the introduction to the speech and everything you say in the speech will support that central idea.

For example, if your purpose is to inform your audience about different types of coffee makers you could develop a central idea like this:

• There are two main types of coffee makers, automatic drip machines and manual coffee makers.

Main Points

Once you have a purpose statement you want to develop your main points. The body of the speech is where you will present and provide support for the main points of the speech. Remember that you should generally aim to have at least two but no more than five main points. Keep time constraints in mind when developing your main points. If you are given four minutes to speak, for instance, trying to have four main points might be too ambitious, so you might instead focus on two or at the most three main points.

You’ll want to organize the body of the speech in a way that helps you present your main points in the most effective order. Your purpose statement helps you decide what kind of organizational pattern would make the most sense for your topic.

Organizational Patterns

There are many types of organizational patterns you can use for an informative speech, as you can see in more detail in Module 6: Organizing and Outlining Your Speech. Here are a few examples:

In a topical organization structure, each point fits into one of a few topic categories.

Topical : This is a good, all-purpose organizational pattern where you divide your main points into topics. It works well for speeches where the main points are clearly distinct from each other and the order they are placed in isn’t critical like it would be for some other organizational patterns. The example above about coffee makers, for example, could be divided into two topical main points: 1) automatic drip coffee makers and 2) manual coffee makers. Each main point would be supported by subpoints that elaborate on the characteristics of each type of coffee maker.

Compare/contrast: With compare/contrast organizational patterns, you explain the similarities and differences between two or more things. A speech about the similarities and differences between video game consoles PlayStation and Xbox would fit this type of organizational pattern. You could devote one main point to the qualities they share in common and a second point to how they differ from each other.

A spatially organized speech about the Mississippi River might follow the river from north to south.

Spatial: Do you have a topic that lends itself to being explained in a directional order such as from top to bottom, left to right, or east to west? If so, you could organize your speech in a spatial pattern. This can be a good organizational pattern to use when you want to describe a place to an audience. For instance, if you gave a speech about the major cities the Mississippi River passes through you could start in the north by describing its origin in Minnesota near Minneapolis and St. Paul, then work south and explain how it flows through other cities like St. Louis before it empties into the Gulf of Mexico in New Orleans.

Chronological: This is a speech that follows a time order. This is a good choice for speeches where you want to explain a sequence of events. For example, you could use a chronological pattern for a speech explaining the steps Apple took in developing the iPhone or the significant decisions made by the Supreme Court affecting rights of the LGBTQIA community. Chronological can also be a good organizational choice for speeches where you are explaining a process or demonstrating how to do something.

To describe or demonstrate a process, step by step may be the best structure.

Step-by-Step:  When you’re speaking about a process, the most logical organizational structure may be step by step. Step-by-step organization is useful for “how-to” or demonstration speeches where you are teaching or showing how to do a task. If you were speaking about how to spray-paint a mural, you might describe each layer of the painting step by step.

Biographical : A biographical organization tells the story of a person’s life. The person could be a well-known person or someone who is not. The subject of the speech could even be the speaker themselves. It can be similar to the chronological pattern in that it can be organized by time but it doesn’t have to be. A biographical speech could start by focusing on an important event late in someone’s life and then going back in time to explain how the person got to that point.

A causal structure talks about why something happened.

Causal: If you want to explain a cause/effect relationship, you want to use the causal organizational pattern. Typically with this pattern, you would have two main points: one focused on the causes of an event, the second about its effects. A speech about hurricanes might be organized this way, for example. One main point could be devoted to oceanic and atmospheric causes of hurricanes and the second main point about the effects of hurricanes such as storm surge, strong winds, and flooding.

We cover outlining in detail elsewhere, but at this point once you have a purpose statement, general idea, main points, and an organizational pattern, you are ready to develop an outline.

Some important reminders about outlines:

• Working outlines are what you start with and they help you with speech preparation and planning. This isn’t the outline you will use for speaking.
• The full-sentence outline develops the full details of the message. But, again, it is not the outline you use to speak.
• The speaking outline includes key words or phrases and helps you stay organized in front of the audience without reading to them. This is the outline you will speak from so that you are speaking extemporaneously rather than reading your outline word for word.
• Tip: Using notecards for your speaking outline helps with delivery and makes it easier to find information if you lose your place or draw a blank.
• Silverware. Authored by : Peter Griffin. Located at : https://www.needpix.com/photo/download/1307472/silverware-drawer-utensils-knife-fork-spoon-silverware-free-pictures-free-photos . License : CC0: No Rights Reserved
• Mississippi River Watershed. Authored by : Shannon1. Located at : https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mississippiriver-new-01.png . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Airplane. Authored by : Spacefem. Located at : https://openclipart.org/detail/274994/draw-a-single-engine-airplane . License : CC0: No Rights Reserved
• Dominoes. Authored by : Clint Budd. Located at : https://flic.kr/p/MN2WaG . License : CC BY: Attribution
• Stress Informative Speech (with captions). Authored by : RITPublicSpeaking. Located at : https://youtu.be/f4RLULR6iNg . License : Other . License Terms : Standard YouTube License
• Organizing the Informative Speech. Authored by : Mike Randolph with Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Organizing the Informative Speech. Authored by : Sandra K. Winn with Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution

Writing a speech

Topic outline.

The purpose of a speech is often to inform or persuade an audience. 

Speeches are usually written to be spoken directly to an audience and can be used to entertain, influencing the listeners that the viewpoint of the speaker is correct. 

Speeches can also be used to encourage the audience to take action or to change their behaviour in some way; for example, to join a particular school club or society, or to recycle more. 

The ways you use language and vocabulary when writing the words of a speech will depend on the audience and the purpose you are writing for; for example, in a speech to a group of teachers and parents giving your views on a recent proposal, formal language is most appropriate.

• think about the audience that the speech is for  – are you giving your speech to a group of people you know, or do not know, or a mixture of both? If you know your audience well, you may be able to relax a little, but a speech is still a formal kind of talk and would usually not include slang
• whether your audience are likely to disagree with what you say – you will need to consider any possible objections and deal with them. Use language carefully to make objections seem less significant; for example, using phrases like ‘A few people may still think, however’
• the reason you are giving this speech and how you feel about this topic  – try to imagine the words of your speech as you would speak them out loud. Your tone of voice must match your message, so choose words that appeal to the emotions of your listeners. Focus on what you want your audience to know and feel by the end of your speech
• how to engage your listeners  – f or example, you might use inclusive words or phrases like ‘we’, ‘all of us’ and ‘our’ to make your listeners feel that you are all on the same side.
• Plan where you want to finish your speech and how you will get there before you start writing – t h e structure of a speech is usually in three parts. For example: 
• An opening that grabs your audience's attention and makes the overall topic of your speech clear  – for example, pose a question to the audience where you can predict the answer.
• A well-structured, supported and developed argument –  for example, to support your argument you might use real life examples or anecdotes.
• A powerful conclusion  –  for example, group your final words or ideas in threes to help make them memorable or end with a thought- provoking question or image and thank your audience for listening.
• Organise your ideas into paragraphs as appropriate – this will help you to develop and support your points convincingly, to build your argument and/or offer a full explanation of a particular point of view.
• S how the connectio ns between ideas in sentences and paragraphs  –  where a new point or idea follows on from what you have already said you might use linking words or phrases such as, ‘in addition’, ‘likewise’ or ‘similarly’.
• Example of a speech