9: Beginning and Ending the Speech

Introduction purposes

-get the attention/interest of your audience -reveal the topic of your speech -establish your credibility and goodwill -preview the body of the speech

getting attention and interest

-relate topic to audience -state the importance of your topic -startle the audience -arouse the curiosity of the audience -question the audience -begin with a quotation -tell a story

reinforce central idea

-summarize your speech -end with a quotation -make a dramatic statement -refer to the introduction

The conclusion purposes

-to let the audience know you are ending you speech -to reinforce the audience's understanding of, or commitment to, the central idea

Tips for preparing the Conclusion

1. keep an eye out for concluding material 2. concluded with a bang, not a whimper 3. don't be long-winded 4. don't leave anything in your conclusion to chance

Tips for preparing the introduction

1. keep the intro. relatively brief (10-20% of speech) 2. be on the lookout for possible introductory materials as you research 3. be creative in devising your introduction (make 2-3 possible intros and choose) 4. don't worry about the exact wording of your introduction until you have finished preparing the body of the speech 5. work out the introduction in detail *getting you speech off to a good start can lead to a boost of confidence

signal the end of the speech

Wording- "in conclusion", "in closing", "one last thought", etc Manner of delivery- crescendo ending, dissolve ending

crescendo ending

a conclusion in which the speech builds to a zenith of power and intensity EX. (Jaws theme music... dada, dada, dadadadadadadaDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!)

dissolve ending

a conclusion that generates emotional appeal by fading step-by-step to a dramatic final statement

rhetorical question

a question that the audience answers mentally rather than out loud

preview statement

a statement in the introduction of the speech that identifies the main points to be discussed in the body of the speech

preview the body of the speech

preview statements usually come at the very end of an introduction+ provide a smooth lead-in to the body of the speech *cover definitions/background that your listeners will need to follow and understand the rest of your speech

opening with a question/startling statement works best when

the (question/statement) is meaningful to the audience and firmly related to the content of the speech

credibility

the audience's perception of whether a speaker is qualified to speak a on given topic

goodwill

the audience's perception of whether the speaker has the best interest of the audience in mind