| Selecting the general purpose of a
speech is necessary to bring your speaking ideas into focus. the general purposes of each
speech are to entertain, inform, or persuade. The goal of persuasive speaking is to move
your audience from a place of neutrality to your side of the action continuum. This may
also involve convincing the audience to ensure the change, and then stimulating them to
action. |
| Audience analysis is a central element
for successfully choosing and narrowing topics for public communication. |
| Select a topic that
interests you and your audience and is related to your purpose. Topic selection involves
the generation of a large number of ideas through brainstorming, flexibility in thinking,
and suspension of judgment. The effective speaker willingly considers the appropriateness
of ideas and examines all possible associated topics before settling on one topic. Once a
general topic has been identified, the narrowing process begins. Speakers must reduce the
ideas to manageable size. Limiting the idea via the thesis statement is a good start to a
focused and effective speech. Time, the breadth of the topic, plus the knowledge of the
audience are also significant factors. |
| Use the valuable resource
of your library or the internet to select ideas and discover supporting materials.
Efficient use of the library or the internet helps you develop sources, ideas, and note
cards that make your preparation process more systematic and sensible. |
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