A Brief Guide to Constructing a Speech
An Effective Introduction Should…
- Gain Attention
- Establish Credibility
- Give the Audience a Reason to Listen
- State Central Idea/Reveal Topic
- Preview the Body of the Speech
- Be Relatively Brief (usually not more than 10/15 percent of the length of the speech)
An Effective Speech Body Should…
- Have a Clear Organizational Structure
- Clearly State each Main Point
- Provide Necessary Elaboration of the Main Points
- Use Signposts to Introduce New Points (transitions, previews, summaries)
An Effective Conclusion Should…
- Summarize
- Reemphasize the Main Idea in a Memorable Way
- Avoid Introducing New Main Points
- Signal the End of the Speech
- Be Relatively Brief (usually not more than 10/15 percent of the length of the speech)