Chapter 9 Introductions and Conclusions

Functions of Introductions

The key roles of introductions in a speech: gaining attention, gaining goodwill of the audience, stating purpose, and previewing and structure the speech.

How to gain the good will of the audience

Credibility

External Credibility

is the type of credibility you as a speaker gain by association: use of sources that the audience finds credible

Internal credibility

You develop as the speaker through specific actions.

To build internal credibility

 First: appropriately attired for a public presentation. 

Second: make eye contact with the audience before you speak. 

Third: speak clearly, fluently and confidently.

4th: demonstrating personal experience with or knowledge of the topic of your speech

5th: showing a connection to your audience, demonstrating shared experiences or shared values ex. Talking about how everyone had to bundle up to go to school today

Attention Getter

Techniques used at the start of a speech to engage the audience's interest.

1. Tell a story

2. Refer to the occasion

3. Refer to recent or historical events

4. Refer to previous speeches

5. Refer to personal interest

6. Use startling statistics

7. Use an Analogy

8. Use a quoation

9. Ask a question

10. Use humor

Storytelling

stories have a built-in structure that everyone recognizes and expects

stories have a beginning, middle and end, and this built-in structure allows the audience and the speaker to immediately share this experience.

stories as attention getters lend themselves readily to a well- structured speech

Refer to the occasion

You can provide reasons why you and the audience is here

Ex. toasts and historical events

Refer to recent or historical events

-creates a shared experience between the speaker and the audience

-can also establish goodwill and credibility

Ex. Gettysburg Address

Refer to previous Speeches

If you are talking about a topic previously discussed in another speech it shows credibility to refer to the past speech

Ex. a classmate give a speech on the same topic right before you then you should refer to their speech

Use a quotation

Using a quote is an attention getter

You are borrowing someone else’s credibility

Needs to be in context of your speech

Should be a short quote

Ex. quoting a movie line relevant to your topic to start

Rhetorical Question

A question posed for effect, not requiring an answer, meant to engage the audience.

• allow you to maintain control over a speech situation, and allow you to guard against an inappropriate or even offensive response.

Ex. asking have you ever thought about… questions

Asking real questions forces the audience to pay attention in order to participate

Creates connection and credibility

Humor in Speeches

A technique to create a connection with the audience, but it must be used carefully.

If done well:

-creates a connection between speaker and audience

-audience feels comfortable

-audience perceives speaker positively

If done bad:

-will destroy speech

-will destroy credibility

Because humor is based on understanding of language and culture

Analogies

Comparisons made to explain something unfamiliar by relating it to something known. Ex. “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get“

Preparing the introduction

Construct the introduction last to make sure the body of the speech drives the introduction

Make it relevant- must relate to the speech

Be succinct- needs to be concise, no more than 10-15% of the speech should be the introduction

Write out word for word- deliver memorized so it is short and has met all 4 functions

Clincher

The final statement or element of a speech designed to leave a strong impression.

• You can finish the story in the introduction

• You can retell the story from the introduction

• You can use humor- but this could always go wrong

Summarize and Close

The function of a conclusion that restates main ideas and brings the speech full circle.

This is a mirror image of the preview in the introduction

Restatement brings the speech full circle

Prepare Audience for the End

Using language and cues to signal that the speech is concluding.

Ex. you can use language cues (“now that we have seen that we can solve this problem effectively, we can review the entire situation”), movement cues (physically moving back to the center of the room where you began the speech), and paralinguistic cues (slow the rate of the speech, use more pauses) 

Avoiding New Information

The principle that new ideas should not be introduced in the conclusion to prevent confusion.

Functions of conclusions

Prepare audience for the end

Present final appeals

Summarize and close

End with a clicher

Appeals and challenges

Present final appeals and challenges

The conclusion should leave the audience motivated positively toward you and the topic you have been presenting

Appeals are generally phrased more as requests, while challenges can take on a more forceful tone, almost ordering or daring audiences to engage in thought or action.

Composing the Conclusion

Introductions and conclusions are mirror images of one another and should be prepared at the same time

Conclusions should be short only 10% of time

Should also write out conclusion and memorize

Do not include new information

Follow the structure- do the same thing as the introduction