1. Watch this TED talk about finding the confidence within by Caroline Goyder. Choose two points about communicating with confidence found in the video that resonates with you in relation to your journey as a public speaker. Write a concise paragraph on each point explaining your point of view.
2. You all have a topic for your Informative Speech. Now is the time to start composing. This assignment is in two parts and will help you develop both your beginning and ending.* Please answer the following prompts in the text box below.
- As you know, it is important to offer an attention-getting introduction. Now, consider your introduction and come up with two possible attention getters that you might use.
- You also understand the need to present a solid conclusion to your speech. Consider, now, your conclusion, and come up with two memorable clinchers.
* Of course these are just ideas at this point. Clearly, things can change as you begin actually working on your speech, but I wanted you to start thinking in this direction. Maybe try using some of the tactics listed below.
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- Jokes – People love to laugh. By telling a good joke early in the speech, you not only build your rapport with the audience, you also motivate to listen with the promise of more humor. Just make sure that the joke isn’t offensive and that it fits well with the rest of your speech.
- Quotations – Quotations are great attention-getters. Typically, if a quotation has stood the test of time, it offers some sort of humor or insight that will interest the audience. Also. a good quote by a known author will enhance your credibility.
- Anecdotes – A good story is a very effective attention-getter. If you tell a story about yourself, you can build your credibility, and the story will probably be more relevant to your audience.
- Statistics – It’s a public speaking myth that statistics shouldn’t be used in speeches. If you use too many statistics, perhaps, it could be problematic. However, if you select a few really startling statistics that illustrate your point, they can be quite effective. If you are going to use a statistic as an attention-getter, make sure that it’s relevant and has a lot of impact.
- Facts – Just as with statistics, you’re looking for relevance and impact.
- Props – A visually interesting prop can be a good attention-getter. If the audience can’t figure out what it is or can’t figure out what the significance to your speech is (and you eventually explain of course) then you have a potentially effective attention-getter.
- Audience Involvement – This involves asking the audience to become part of your speech. That could mean asking them a question (rhetorical or otherwise), asking them to do something physical (raise their hands, close their eyes). or asking them to think about something related to your speech.
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