Devito’s 10 Steps to Public Speaking
Step
1: Select Topic and Purpose
v Topic
o Worthwhile?
o Appropriate?
o Culture-Sensitive?
o Limit and narrow
v
Characteristics of a Good Topic
o
Do I really care about this topic?
o Importance
to the speaker
o
Value for listeners?
o
Interest? Does it gains
and hold the audience’s interest?
o
Appropriateness -- Does the topic satisfy
the assignment/engagement?
o Manageable
within the time available
o
For audience and occasion and assignment
o Can I develop responsible knowledge
on this topic?
v Do you know your Purpose? Are you supposed
to Inform or to persuade
Step 2: Analyze
your Audience:
v How would their attitudes,
beliefs and values affect their disposition toward your speech?
v What is the “sociology
“ (Demographics) of the audience?
v
Consider:
Culture Factors, Age, Gender, Religion and Religiousness
v What is the “psychology
of the audience”
v
How willing is your audience?
v
How favorable is your audience?
v
How knowledgeable is your audience?
v Analysis and adaptation
during the speech is also important: how well are they following you?
Step 3: Research your Speech Topic
v
General Principles
v What do you
know
v Work from
the general to the specific
v Take accurate
notes
v What sources
are available?
v Evaluate Internet
Sources: Cite correctly!
v
Evaluation Questions:
v Is the Source
Reliable? Source, date, type of data?
v Is the Reasoning
Logical?
v
Integrate into the Speech
v Mention who,
when and where
v Provide smooth
transitions
v Avoid useless
expressions and use signal verbs
Step 4: Formulate
Thesis and Major Propositions
v
Thesis
o
Main assertion: what you want the audience to absorb from your speech.
o
Informative:
§
State
early and clearly
o
Persuasive:
§
Neutral or positive audiences: state explicitly
and early
§
Hostile: delay until you have moved them closer to your point.
v
Major propositions: principal assertions or
main points.
v Eliminate
points less important to your thesis.
v Combine points
that have a common focus
v Select points
that are most relevant or that interest audience.
v 2-5 main
points
v Word each
of the major propositions in the same (parallel) style.
v Develop each
main point so that they are separate and discrete.
Step 5: Support Propositions
v Use Examples
v
Hypothetical; Real; Extended
v Use Narratives (stories)
v
Explanatory; Exemplary; Persuasive
v Use Testimony
v Use Statistics
v
Make clear to audience
v
Make meaningful
v
Connect wit the proposition
v
Visually and verbally reinforce
v
Use in moderation
v Use Presentation Aids
Step 6: Organize Speech
v
Informative Speech Patterns
o Chronological/ Temporal
o Spatial
o Topical
v
Persuasive Speech Patterns
o Problem-Solution
o Cause-Effect/Effect-Cause
o Motivated Sequence
Step 7: Construct Introduction, Conclusion and Transitions
v
Introduction
o Attention
o Tie
o Credibility
o Thesis/Preview