Basic Concepts in Rhetoric

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Basic Concepts in Rhetoric

• Informative Speaking that is Not for Dummies

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Some Guidelines for the Info Speaking Assignment

• Your audience is your audience
• The topic must be business-related
• Salience is key
• Keep the presentation informative rather than
  persuasive

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Informative Speaking Topic Ideas

• Look for new trends/services/problems
• Check business related web sites
• www.businessdaily.com
• www.morningstar.com
• www.cbs.marketwatch.com
• Browse business related magazinesFast Company,
  Fortune, Red Herring, Business Week, Harvard
  Business Review

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Basic Rhetorical Concepts

• Modes of Proof (Aristotle)
• Ethos---credibility
• Pathos--emotions
• Logos--logical proof
• Proof begins and ends with the audience
• Five Canons of Rhetoric--Invention, Arrangement,
  Style, Delivery, Memory

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Invention--the first among equals

• Invention defined Energizing the truth or
  the discovery and adaptation of arguments and
  material for the speech
• Step 1--determining the universe of arguments
  available to the rhetor
• Step 2--adapting that material to the particular
  audience

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Audience Adaptation

• Situational Analysis
• Why are they here?
• Size of group, time of day, size of room,
  amplification, availability of media?
• Are they hostile, favorable or indifferent?
• Demographic Analysis
• Age, group affiliation, race or ethnicity,
  religion or creed, sex, socio-economic status

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Arrangement and Organizational Patterns

• The Connection with Invention
• Topical
• Spatial or Geographical
• Chronological
• Cause/Effect

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Understanding Speech Anxiety

• It is a natural physical reaction to stress
• Understand the spiral of anxiety
• Speech anxiety peaks at the beginning of a speech
  and then decreases
• Studies show that audiences consistently
  underestimate speaker anxiety

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Dealing With Speech Anxiety

• Avoid avoidance
• Avoid caffeine
• Practice, practice, practice
• Concentrate on the first two minutes
• Deep breathing
• Avoid bottling up nervous energy

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Special considerations for informative speeches

• Understand the knowledge level of your audience
• Consider other time savers rather than jargon
• Have other non-techies review your speech
• Sensitize your audience to the issue and
  encourage interruptions for translation

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Introductions--Goals and Methods

• Goals
• Gain Attention
• Develop Rapport
• Establish Credibility
• Motivate Listeners
• Preview Main Points

• Methods
• Startling Statistic
• Personal Experience
• Quote an Expert
• Tell a humorous story
• Preview of your main points

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Transitions--getting from here to there...

• Why are they necessary?
• --oral v. written discourse
• --signposting
• When do you use them?
• --moving between identifiable parts of the speech
• When do you plan for them?
• --prior to the speech!

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Conclusions--Goals and Methods

• Methods
• Tie in to something from your Introduction
• Provide an Explicit Review of Main Points
• End with a Closing Thought or Final Statement

• Goals
• Review Speech Content
• Provide a Sense of Closure
• Motivate Your Audience