well for a simple reason: Most people associate entertainment with lots of laughter and feel that if the audience is not laughing a good deal, they are not responding
favorably to the speech. But stop to consider for a moment the range of things that entertain a speaker, from the outrageous antics of the comedian Gallagher to the
muttered ramblings of Steven Wright. The humor should be adapted to his topic, the audience, the occasion, and speakers own personal style. Four suggestions
should guide the use of humor. Good humor is memorable and relevant to the general purpose. if humor does
not relate to the point a speaker is making, the audience will be diverted from rather than directed to the key idea.
Finally, a speech to entertain benefits from spirited delivery. We have often heard good speeches to entertain and looked forward to reading transcripts of
them later. We were usually disappointed. The personality, timing, and interaction riteraction with the audience that made the speech lively and unforgettable could
not be captured on paper. We have also read manuscripts of speeches to entertain that promised to be dynamic when presented.
b. The Speech to Inform
One of the primary functions of speech itself is to provide an avenue for the transfer of knowledge. Somebody is able to give other people that which he has
acquired by his own experience by means of speech. The capability to convey information in an understandable form through public speech is therefore
important.
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The manner of delivering an informative speech will depend almost entirely upon the subject that the speaker is talking about and the audience he is
addressing a clear understanding of the ideas presented besides to create an interest in the information.
c. The Speech to Stimulate or Actuate through Emotional Stimulation
Another function of speech is to raise the ideals and ambitions of men above the mediocre level where they habitually fall by stimulating emotional attitudes.
The speech to stimulate is purposed to arouse enthusiasm or to deepen emotion, but this is not all of it.
In presenting the speech to stimulate, the presentation should be dynamic, which means that the outward expression of this dynamic quality will, of course,
vary with the specific purpose of the speakers speech and the occasion.
d. The speech to Convince or to Actuate through Conviction
The preceding speech explained how support may sometimes be secured by stimulating emotion and arousing enthusiasm when people already agree in
principle with the speaker. In this way, the speech to convince is closely concerned with conviction, with the necessity not only of arousing n audience, but
also of changing existing beliefs or instilling new ones. The speech to convince is purposed to secure belief or action based on belief
in which it makes the member of the audience want to do what the speaker proposes rather than feels that they have to. Moreover, there are two subsidiary
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purposes that a speaker should keep in mind that is to impress the listeners with a motive for believing, i.e., self-preservation, power, profit, pleasure, pride, etc.
Furthermore, it is to convince them of the logic of the speakers proposal, i.e., the relation between cause and effect, theory and practice, etc. Sometimes, the
speaker shall have to create or to retain an emotional attitude favorable to belief in the proposal such as anger and sympathy.
Everything depends upon the speech situation, and these situations vary more widely than for any other type of speaking. The style of delivery should be
adapted to the occasion and to the audience. Moreover, the delivery before the audience that is apathetic to the situation will differ from that which the speaker
will employ before an interested group, or one that is hostile. In general, however, a straightforward, energetic presentation that suggests enthusiasm without
seeming overemotional is the most effective in securing conviction.
e. Answering Questions and Objection