a. Determining the Purpose of the Speech
Too often a speaker arise to say a few words with no idea what he is speaking for. When this happens, the net result is merely the consumption of a
certain amount of time. It is not enough merely to center the speech about a definite subject; the speech should be thought of always in terms of the response
desired from the audience. The speakers may want the audience to be entertained, or to understand a difficult point, or to believe a proposition, ton, or to become
emotionally aroused, or to take some definite action. In any event a speaker must think of his speech as an instrument of utility - a means of getting a reaction. If a
speaker determines his purpose for speaking and keep in mind the response he. seeks, a great deal of time that might otherwise be consumed with nonessentials
can be saved.
b. Analyzing the Audience and Occasion
If the speech is to have its maximum effect, a speaker must get in mind early in the process of preparation a clear picture of the conditions under which he is to
speak. Many an audience has been lulled to sleep by the fact that the speaker seemed to be addressing an imaginary audience. People like to feel that they are
being talked to directly - that they are at least silent partners in the conversation. Further, they do not like to have too heavy a diet of thought forced upon them at a
jovial ovial gathering, nor are they pleased by facetious comments in the face of
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tragedy. Whenever possible, therefore, it is to find out ahead of time what sort of gathering a speaker is to address.
A speaker should make a point of finding out what kind of people will make up the audience, what brings them together, what their age and social position are,
who else is going to speak to them, and what will be their probable attitude toward the speaker and his purpose. Sometimes, of course, a speaker will not be able to
learn all these things in advance, and a speaker will have to adapt himself to conditions as he finds them; but the more accurately he can picture the audience
and occasion beforehand, the easier this adaptation will be when the time comes to speak.
c. Selecting and Narrowing the Subject
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