9. Preparing a Speech

 

Homework revision


1. Watch the following speeches. Complete the table. For each speech name: 

    • branch of rhetoric, 

    • type of speech, 

    • subtype of speech, 

    • its purpose, 

    • its central idea, 

    • rhetorical appeals, 

    • kinds of support materials and visual aids the speakers used.



List of speeches to watch:
 

Class Work



Transitional words and phrases

  • Addition: and, also, besides, moreover, in addition

  • Time: soon, then, later, meanwhile

  • Contrast: but, yet, however, instead, although

  • Examples: for example, to illustrate, for instance

  • Conclusions: in summary, therefore, consequently, as a result

  • Concession: although it is true that, of course, granted



It’s time to create your first drafts!

Realize that the first draft is not the final draft — it need not be perfect.You will probably hate the first draft. That’s good. Channel that hatred into aggressive editing… later. Your goal in this stage is to capture the main concepts and ideas, not to have them in deliverable form.


Set a deadline. If you know your core message and you have an outline, there’s no reason why you can’t produce a rough first draft in a single sitting. A deadline is motivational magic.


Write in bullet form. Write in sentences if you can, but if sentences aren’t flowing from your mind, then start with key words or phrases in bullet form.


Write out of sequence. You don’t need to write the blocks of your speech in the order they appear on the outline. Quite often, speakers get hung up on trying to write the perfect opening. If the opening isn’t coming to you, start with a section in the body of the speech.


Don’t worry about transitions. If your first draft doesn’t flow from one outline point to the next, don’t worry. Those can be fixed later. Often, my first draft contains notes to myself like this: “[Whoa... need bridging between these ideas.]“


Don’t worry about words. Just get the ideas down using whatever words first come to you. You can edit for precision and better words later.


Don’t worry about the length. It’s okay if your first draft is way too long. (It’s also okay if it is way too short, although most people don’t tend to have this problem.) This is an issue to solve in the editing phase.
 
Let’s Practice!

Persuasive Speech: Sell a Product (Sample)

  • Introduction

    • Hook

    • Define the audience

    • Thesis statement

  • Body paragraphs

    • Reason #1 – Supporting fact/evidence

    • Reason #2 – Supporting fact/evidence

    • Reason #3 – Supporting fact/evidence

  • Conclusion

    • Short summary of the topic

    • Benefits to the reader

    • Call-to-action



Effective Ways to Persuade Customers to Buy




Customers never buy because of product features. They buy because they perceive some "benefit" to those features.

You'll get more customers, more quickly, if you communicate the benefits of using your product rather than the features it possesses.


Know the difference between a benefit and a feature


A feature is something that a product or service "is" or "does." A benefit is something that the product or service "means" to the customer. 

For example:

  • Wrong: "This car has a reinforced safety roof." (feature)

  • Right: "This car keeps your family safe." (benefit)



Use vivid but plain language


Customers will remember a benefit longer and more easily if it's expressed using simple, strong words that evoke emotion.

  • Wrong: "This roof provides protection in the event of a rollover accident.“

  • Right: "If this car rolls, there's a good chance you'll walk away unharmed."



Keep the list of benefits short


Most people can only hold two or three thoughts at one time in their short-term memory. Long lists of benefits just cause confusion.

  • Wrong: "Here are the top 10 benefits of using our product:“

  • Right: "The two most important things to remember are..."



Make your benefits concrete


Customers ignore benefits that are abstract and expressed using vague adverbs and adjectives. Benefits that are concrete and specific are more convincing and "stick in the mind.“

  • Wrong: "We can radically reduce your inventory costs.“

  • Right: "We decrease inventory costs by an average of 25%."



Task: Prepare your Sell Speeches
(Breakout Rooms 1and 2 – picture 1;
Breakout Rooms 3 and 4 – Picture 2)



Homework


1. Revise the information from this presentation. Find more detailed information here.
2. Write the first draft of your speech.