Discussion Question 3

What I am going to take away form this class is probably going to be the skills I have learned in preparing a proper speech. In the years that I worked for Wells Fargo I had spoken in front of an audience many, many times. However, in those speaking events I had notes on what I was going to say, but did not realize there are so many ways I could have made each one of those speaking events more impactful for the audience. Just in an introduction there are so many crucial steps a speaker must follow to insure he is successful. For example, using an attention getter is crucial. This step is what is going to capture the attention of the audience. Without capturing the audience’s attention, the speaker might as well be speaking to a wall.  Next, establishing credibility, this step lets the audience know that you are an authority on the topic. Which again is crucial in capturing your audience’s attention.

Discussion Question 2

My favorite speech would probably have to be our last one, the persuasive speech. I picked a topic that I really cared about and had some knowledge on. I think that allowed me to believe in what I was trying to persuade my audience to do.  Therefore, enhancing my effectiveness.  Furthermore, I really hope that my speech might actually have persuaded at least some of the audience members to become more involved with in our political system and vote.  Considering my grade, I think the time and effort I put into the speech paid off. Furthermore, some of the feedback I received from the audience would lead me to believe that my speech might have actually had an impact on some of my classmates.  Also, I think the content of my speech is something that most people can understand and relate too.  Therefore, making it a bit easier for me to connect with the audience and keep them engaged though out.

Discussion Question 1

The concepts I found to be most helpful in preparing for my speeches were use of facts and statistics, and creating a captivating introduction. After listening to the numerous speeches presented by my classmates, I realized if they did not grab my attention at the beginning I rarely was engaged in their speech. The main thing that I made sure I did well was an appealing attention getter. I found that capturing my audience’s attention at the beginning of the speech made keeping them engaged much easier. In my opinion, a speech, which provides information that enables an audience to make a logical connection to the presenter, is the defining factor for a successful speech. The use of facts and statistics is what creates this experience. I think there can be numerous times or areas one can present a fact or statistic and have it be impactful. I believe in an informative or persuasive speech beginning with a fact or statistic can establish creditability, engage audience, and create an attentive audience.