Informative Speech Set-Up

A. Introduction

1. Attention Getter

2. Quote, experience, statistic, rhetorical question, or analogy

3. Thesis

4. Ask Question

5. Answer Question

6. Tell Why

7. Declare main points

B. Body

Example: Discuss the causes of inflation. (“cause” = why)

1. What is meant by inflation?

2. Why do we have inflation?

3. How does inflation come about?

4. Who causes inflation?

5. When do we have inflation?

What? = Topical—things

Why? = Causal (logical)

How? = Descriptive—reportive—chain of events

Who? = Topical—people

When? = Chronological

Where? = Spatial

C. Conclusion

1. Provide a brief summary of the information presented.

2. Restate the importance or value of the information. (Thesis and such)

3. Close the speech by resolving your attention getter.

Rule of Six

1. Are there any words in the topic which require you to speak on any one of the 6 questions?
(Who, What, Why, When, Where, How) If so, which ones?

2. If #1 doesn’t apply, which questions of the 6 can you raise and answer the best?

3. What information do you wish to use in answering each question selected?

4. Write out the ideas you wish to use in your introduction. (Prepare introduction after preparing
body.)

5. Write out the information and ideas you want to use in your conclusion.
(Don’t prepare until finished with intro and body.)

Persuasive Speech

A. Get Attention

1. Specific example, rhetorical question, shocking statement, literary quotation,

overwhelming evidence, or humorous story.

B. Show Nature of Problem

1. Demonstrate Extent of Problem (Use examples, statistics, opinions, and cite your
sources)

2. Demonstrate Effect of Problem (What’s the problem doing to the people involved? Use
examples and facts. Be descriptive, sincere, and forceful.)

3. Demonstrate Causes of Problem (Sometimes there aren’t causes.) Show how effects
are produced.

4. Demonstrate How Existence of Problem Affects the Listeners. (Draw vivid

descriptions of bad conditions and relate them to the listener’s life.)

C. Present The Solution

1. Make clear statement of the best procedure and methods to be used. (Make clear the
cost, time, and number of people the solution will require. Illustrate how similar solutions
have worked elsewhere.)

D. Visualize The Solution

1. Show how the solution will eliminate the causes; reduce or eliminate the symptoms;
help people’ result in great advantages; reduce costs; increase efficiency. (Show
audience what’ll happen to them if the solution isn’t adopted.)

E. Appeal for Audience Action

1. Speak directly to audience and appeal to their motives of—(fair play, desire to save,
desire to be thought of as helpful, desire to be thought of as intelligent, pride in
ownership, pride in community)

2. Ask them to help in the adoption and development of your proposed solution.

F. Conclude

1. Challenge Audience to Do Something

2. Provide Summary of Important Points

3. Indicate Your Own Intention to Do Something

4. Present thesis. (Either here or in Step 2)

5. Resolve attention getter.