- Attention getter (or hook) – An attempt to capture the audience’s attention. Effective strategies include both a story/narrative and/or an astounding fact or figure (a statistic).
- "When I was 10 years old, my grandpa took me to Piedras Blancas, about halfway between San Fransisco and Los Angelos on the California coastline. I could hear strange barking noises coming from the beach, and as we crested the dune, I saw wild elephant seals, hundreds of them, stretched out before us. It was breathtaking, to say the least."
- Credibility Statement – A brief explanation about why you are capable of giving this speech or why the audience needs to hear it now
- "Seals and sea lions have always been a personal passion of mine, and while elephant seals and sea lions aren’t currently on the endangered animals list, it is important for you to know the difference between them if you ever have a face-to-face encounter like I did."
- Thesis (or purpose statement) - A clear and succinct statement about what you are doing for the duration of the speech. (info / pers)
- "Today, I am going to tell you about the three main differences between elephant seals and sea lions."
- Preview of Main points (the structure of the body of the speech)
- "I’ll start with their physical differences, then move on to their habitat needs and geographical locations, and finally I’ll inform you about some of the main conservation efforts to preserve these magnificent mammals."
Here’s what that looks like all together:
When I was 10 years old, my grandpa took me to Piedras Blancas, about halfway between San Fransisco and Los Angelos on the California coastline. I could hear strange barking noises coming from the beach, and as we crested the dune, I saw wild elephant seals, hundreds of them, stretched out before us. It was breathtaking, to say the least. Seals and sea lions have always been a personal passion of mine, and while elephant seals and sea lions aren’t currently on the endangered animals list, it is important for you to know the difference between them if you ever have a face-to-face encounter like I did. Today, I am going to tell you about the three main differences between elephant seals and sea lions. First, I’ll start with their physical differences, then move on to their habitat needs and geographical locations, and finally I’ll inform you about some of the main conservation efforts to preserve these magnificent mammals.