Public Speaking Series, part 7
We have looked at some non-negotiable rules about context. Now we will move on to rules about content.
The most effective speeches are the ones that answer the questions in the minds of the audience. If this series had a thesis sentence, here it is. Good speakers scratch where the audience itches, information-wise. As the Radio Shack ad said, You've got questions, we've got answers.
You might be shaking your head and thinking, what's the big wisdom in this? And that's the point--your audience is asking questions, such as mentioned before, what's in it for me? and why is the speaker qualified to talk on this subject? But there are others. The ancient rhetoricians had long lists of them, basically ways to investigate the subject. But the issue is what questions would your audience have?
You can decide on these questions two ways: Ask the audience yourself, or look at audience characteristics and discern what the questions might be based on age, gender, background, occupation, socio-economic factors, family and marital status, education, etc.--and the most important, what do the audience members have in common? and why are they here listening to me in the first place?
The most effective speeches are the ones that answer the questions in the minds of the audience. If this series had a thesis sentence, here it is. Good speakers scratch where the audience itches, information-wise. As the Radio Shack ad said, You've got questions, we've got answers.
You might be shaking your head and thinking, what's the big wisdom in this? And that's the point--your audience is asking questions, such as mentioned before, what's in it for me? and why is the speaker qualified to talk on this subject? But there are others. The ancient rhetoricians had long lists of them, basically ways to investigate the subject. But the issue is what questions would your audience have?
You can decide on these questions two ways: Ask the audience yourself, or look at audience characteristics and discern what the questions might be based on age, gender, background, occupation, socio-economic factors, family and marital status, education, etc.--and the most important, what do the audience members have in common? and why are they here listening to me in the first place?
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