Chapter 12 Preparing and Researching Presentations 337This chapter and the chapters that follow show you how to approach public
speaking calmly and pragmatically. The first step lies with preparation, the focus
of this chapter. The next step focuses on organization, which we will talk about
in Chapter 13. Then in Chapter 14, we will discuss the causes of public speaking
anxiety and offer techniques to manage any concerns you may have. For now,
know that being concerned about giving a speech is natural, but preparation and
solid effort can enable you to conquer your nervousness and make you a success-
ful speaker (Bodie, 2010; Schroeder, 2002).
Clarifying the General Purpose of Your Speech
In many real-life situations, choosing a topic and purpose for a speech is not
a difficult task. You speak because you volunteered—or were forced—to speak
on a specific topic for which your expertise is relevant to the situation. For
example, you are a public health nurse giving a community presentation on
the importance of early screening for breast or prostate cancer. In other cases,
the parameters for a speech are quite general: a high school valedictorian or key-
note speaker, for example, has to write a speech that both honors and inspires a
large group. The possibilities for such speeches are endless. This communication
class may provide a similar challenge—finding a speech topic and purpose that
fit within your instructor’s guidelines, which may range from very specific (“give
a five-minute speech defending the constitutional right to free speech”) to quite
vague (“give a persuasive speech”).
Speaking assignments usually fit within one of three general purposes: infor-
mative, persuasive, and special occasion.
Informative Speeches
In our information society, managing and communicating information are
keys to success (Berrisford, 2006). Informative speeches aim to increase your
audience’s understanding or knowledge by presenting new, relevant, and
useful information. Such speeches can take a variety of forms. They might
explain a process or plan, describe particular objects or places, or characterize
a particular state of affairs. You can expect to give informative speeches in a
variety of professional situations, such as presenting reports to supervisors or
stakeholders, running training sessions for a company, and teaching in formal
education classes.
Consider the TED Talk given by Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, a cognitive neu-
roscientist, in June 2012 regarding the social and cognitive development of the
adolescent brain, in which she also highlights the newest brain imaging technol-
ogy that tracks how the brain develops in this critical life phase. Through her
direct, informative, and engaging style, Sarah connects with her audience and
introduces a potentially confusing and challenging topic clearly, complete with
attention-grabbing anecdotes, statistics, and humor. A brief excerpt from her
presentation is offered in Sample Speech 12.1.
Have you ever experienced
the power of a speech?
Think about a specific pre-
sentation that you’ve seen—
be it a watershed national
event or a more personal
experience such as a eulogy
at a loved one’s funeral.
What about the speech
stirred your emotions?AND YOU?