Strategic Organization
Putting a speech together in a
particular way to achieve a
particular result with a particular
audience.
Organizing your speech
1. The importance to organize speeches clearly
and coherently.
2. Five major patterns of organizing main points
in a speech.
3. Guidelines for organizing main points.
4. Speech connectives and their roles in a
speech.
Clear organization is essential to
effective public speaking
• 1. Research shows that well-organized
speeches are easier for listeners to
comprehend.
• 2. Research shows that listeners find
speakers who give well-organized
speeches more competent and
trustworthy.
Clear organization is also
connected to critical thinking
• 1. Organizing speeches helps students
understand the relationships between
ideas.
• 2. The skills of critical thinking used in
organizing speeches will benefit
students in many aspects of their lives.
The main points
• 1. Speeches should have a limited
number of main points.
• 2. Most speeches contain from two to
five main points.
• 3. If a speaker discovers that she or he
has too many main points, the points
should be condensed into a few broad
categories.
Main points arrangement
• 1. Chronological: main points follow a time
sequence (historical events, a process, etc.)
• 2. Spatial: main points follow a directional
pattern (right to left, east to west)
• 3. Causal: main points show a cause-and-
effect relationship.
• 4. Topical order break the speech topic into
its constituent parts.
• 5. Problem-solution (for persuasive speech).
Chronological Order
A method of speech organization in
which the main points follow a time
pattern.
Chronological Order
Specific Purpose: To inform my audience when the
Great Wall of China was built.
Main Points: I. Building of the Great Wall began
during the Qin dynasty of 221-206
B.C.
II. New sections of the Great Wall
were added during the Han
dynasty of 206 B.C.-220 A.D.
III. The Great Wall was completed
during the Ming Dynasty of
1368-1644.
Spatial Order
A method of speech organization in
which the main points follow a
directional pattern.
Spatial Order
Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the
design of the Eiffel Tower.
Main Points: I. The lowest section of the tower
contains the entrance, a gift
shop, and a restaurant.
II. The middle section of the tower
consists of stairs and elevators
that lead to the top.
III. The top section of the tower has
an observation deck with a
spectacular view of Paris.
Topical Order
A method of speech organization in
which the main points divide the topic
into logical and consistent subtopics.
Topical Order
Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the
artistic versatility of Pablo
Picasso.
Main Points: I. As a painter, Picasso tested the
limits of abstraction.
II. As a sculptor, Picasso often
incorporated “found” objects.
III. As a printmaker, Picasso gave
vent to his whimsy and
eroticism.
Problem-Solution Order
A method of speech organization in
which the first main point deals with
the existence and seriousness of a
problem and the second main point
presents a solution to the problem.
Problem-Solution Order
Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that
legislation is needed to control the
abuses of fraudulent fund-raisers.
Main Points: I. Fraudulent charity fund-raising
has become a widespread national
problem.
II. The problem can be solved by a
combination of government
initiative and individual
awareness.
Causal Order
A method of speech organization in
which the main points show a cause-
effect relationship.
Causal Order
Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the
possible causes for the collapse
of Mayan civilization.
Main Points: I. Mayan civilization flourished for
over a thousand years until 900
A.D., when it mysteriously began
to disintegrate. (EFFECT)
II. Scholars have advanced three
major explanations for the causes
of this disintegration. (CAUSE)
Tips for preparing main points
• 1. Keep your main points separate and
distinct: each point should focus on a single
idea.
• 2. Try to use parallel wording in your
main points. It makes main points easier to
understand and to stand out from the details
of the speech.
• 3. Balance the amount of time devoted to
each main point.
Four types of connectives
• 1. Transitions indicate when a speaker has
completed one thought and is moving on to
another.
• 2. Internal previews let the audience know
what the speaker will take up next.
• 3. Internal summaries remind listeners of
what they have just heard.
• 4. Signposts are brief statements that
indicate exactly where a speaker is in the
speech or that focus attention on key ideas.
Identify the organizational
method
• I. Cesar Chavez is best known for his
efforts to protect the rights of Hispanic
farm workers in California.
• II. Cesar Chavez was also a tireless
advocate for Hispanic racial and cultural
pride in general.
Identify the organizational
method
• I. Rodeos began in the Old West as
contests of skill among cowboys during
cattle roundups.
• II. By 1920 rodeos had become a popular
spectator sport for the general public.
• III. Today rodeos combine traditional
western events with a circus-like
atmosphere and the marketing techniques
of big business.
Identify the organizational
method
• I. The outermost section of the ancient
Egyptian burial tomb was the entrance
passage.
• II. The next section of the Egyptian burial
tomb was the antechamber.
• III. The third section of the Egyptian burial
tomb was the treasury.
Introductions and conclusions
• Objectives of a speech introduction
• A. To gain the attention and interest of
the audience.
• B. To reveal the topic of the speech.
• C. To establish the credibility and good
will of the speaker.
• D. To preview the body of the speech.
Methods of gaining attention
• 1. Relate the topic to the audience
• 2. State the importance of the topic.
• 3. Startle the audience.
• 4. Arouse the curiosity of the audience.
• 5. Question the audience.
• 6. Begin with a quotation.
• 7. Tell a story, an anecdote, a joke.
• 8. Refer to the occasion or to a previous
speaker.
Preparing an effective
introduction
• A. Make the introduction brief and to the
point.
• B. Keep an eye out for potential introductory
material as you research the speech.
• C. Be creative when devising their
introductions.
• D. Don’t be concerned with the exact
wording of the introduction until the body of
the speech is finished.
• E. Prepare it in detail so it can be delivered
effectively.
A speech conclusion has two
primary functions
• A. The first function is to signal the end
of the speech.
• B. The second function of a conclusion
is to reinforce the audience’s
understanding of or commitment to the
central idea of the speech.
Methods of ending the speech
• a. Summarize the main points of the speech.
• b. Conclude with a quotation.
• c. End with a dramatic statement.
• d. Refer back to the introduction of the
speech.
• These methods can be used separately or
in combination to create an effective
conclusion.
•
Preparing an effective conclusion
• A. Keep an eye out for potential
concluding materials as you research
the speech.
• B. Conclude with a bang instead of a
whimper.
• C. Be brief.
• D. Prepare the content and delivery of
your conclusions with special care.