Demographic Analysis involves age, gender, culture, ethnicity, race,

religion, and educational level. Aristotle noted more than 2,000 years ago that few things affect a
person's outlook more than his or her age. (2)

As college students we watch the same kinds of shows and listen to the same types
of music and have a common history.We all remember "The Office," Back to the
Future, Lady Gaga, and the Iraq War. These are all things that we have in common.
If I were to do a speech about any one of these topics, I know that I may not have to
explain who or what to an audience of my own age. Age is a very important factor
and can be very helpful in picking a topic.

Gender is another characteristic. It is important to find out the ratio of men to

women in the class. Also, make sure that you do not use any sexist language,
stereotypes or make jokes about gender. If you were to insult men in front of a class
of 12 men, then in most cases these 12 men are not going to listen to you for the rest
of your speech. You may have also lost your credibility.

Culture is the shared knowledge, behavior, attitudes, beliefs, values, and norms of a
group. It is very important to be sensitive to students of other culture's feelings. You
may do or say something that may offend them. Ethnicity is a person's national or
religious heritage. There may be a student from China Town in Chicago, or a
student from Little Italy in New York. A person's race is a person's biological
heritage. It is important to learn as much as possible about these students before
your speech, so you are sure not to offend them or anger them.

Another touchy subject is religion. Be very careful when you speak about different
religions because people feel very strongly about their beliefs.

And finally, the education background of your listeners can help your choice of
vocabulary, language style, and your use of examples. This can help you select and
narrow your topic

Psychographics of a Given Audience

The demographics of the audience gives the speaker one type of picture based on variables such as
age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, culture, race, and ethnicity; however, there is another equally
important picture based on the overall psychological make-up of the audience, or the psychographics of
the audience. Psychographics can be used to describe and develop a profile of the individuals in a given
audience. Speakers can also use psychographics to select an audience that meets a certain profile, and
then tailor a message specifically to that profile.
Psychology is commonly defined as the science of behavior and mental processes. The speaker can look
at the psychology of the individual audience members to determine how they might respond as a group to
his or her ideas. The speaker wants to look at the current state of values, beliefs, attitudes, and needs,
and not consider how the person developed them.
What is the current disposition of the audience toward the speech's topic and purpose? If the speaker is
attempting to persuade the audience to accept a particular idea or take an action, it is important to
understand the starting point. What are the dominant values, beliefs, attitudes, and needs of the
audience? The speaker must know how to use that knowledge to tailor the speech to the audience.
Consider values, beliefs, attitudes, and needs as factors in the psychological make-up of the audience.
Values
Values can be defined as broad preferences concerning appropriate courses of action or outcomes. As
such, values reflect a person's sense of right and wrong or what "ought" to be. "Equal rights for all",
"Excellence deserves admiration", and "People should be treated with respect and dignity" are statements
of values. Values tend to influence attitudes and behavior. For example, if someone who values equal
rights for all goes to work for an organization that treats its managers much better than it does its workers,
he or she may form the attitude that the company is an unfair place to work; consequently, this person
may not produce well or may perhaps leave the company. It is likely that if the company had a more
egalitarian policy, his or her attitude and behaviors would have been more positive.
Something that the speaker perceives as good may not be perceived as very good by members of the
audience. Something that the speaker perceives as beautiful may not appear the same to the audience. A
course of action that the speaker believes is right may not be endorsed by the audience. It is important to
consider what the audience values as part of the overall psychological make up of the audience.

Beliefs
The speaker should consider how close the audience's beliefs in something or someone or about the
world, both physical and spiritual, are to his or her own beliefs. Members of the audience may believe that
certain things exist or certain ideas are true. The speaker should attempt to identify and build upon
shared beliefs to get the audience to consider or accept a particular belief which may be different from the
ones they hold. The speaker can often build upon shared beliefs to establish common ground with the
audience before advancing a new idea.

Attitudes
Attitudes can play a very important role in speech preparation. An attitude is a positive or negative
evaluation of people, objects, event, activities, ideas, or just about anything in the environment. If the
speaker knows the audience's attitude toward the topic or thesis before the speech, he or she can make
sure to address these attitudes during the speech preparation. Some ways to find out the audience's
attitude beforehand include rating scales or direct statements from audience members.
Needs
If members of the audience need certain things either physically or psychologically, the speaker should
consider how to satisfy those needs. One classical breakdown of needs is Maslow's hierarchy of needs. If
the speak understands where the members of the audience are on Maslow's hierarchy, he or she can
show how his or her ideas help the audience satisfy those needs

Analyze the occasion

This step will help you determine the general content, duration and tone of your speech. Check out the
following:

-nature of event.

Various events have various expectations. Note the differences, for example, among a recitation, an
interview, a discussion, a lecture, and a presentation, and how these are further shaped by their being
delivered as part of a class requirement, an ambush radio or TV interview, a focus group discussion, a
roundtable discussion, a seminar, a conference, a company's board meeting , a court hearing, a session
in the House of Representatives or Senate, or the program in events like a wedding, a necrological
service, a church service or mass, a commencement exercise etc.

-general objectives of the event

Determine the announced theme or agenda of the event. Find out too, if possible, its hidden agenda. A
meeting might be called for the announced purpose of gathering ideas for decision, yet may actually be
for making the participants agree with the organizer's set ideas.

-organizer's objectives for your participation

Know your role in the occasion. If you are supposed to introduce a speaker, remember that the shortest
but most impressive introduction is best- the audience is there for the speaker's message not his resume,
and certainly not for your time onstage. If your are the keynote speaker, your main role is to set the tone
or mood for the event and create enthusiasm, not to preempt to other speakers. An acceptance speech is
generally a "thank you" speech, not a call to arms for your favorite cause. And after-dinner speech might
be lighthearted.

-your own purpose for participation

Certainly, you shoukd know why you said "yes" to the invitation. You have to be clear about your own
agenda.

-your specific contribution to the event.

This is the especially important if there are other speakers. You might find out that the event is pitting your
ideas against those of your adversary, or that your planned topic overlaps with another speaker's. Without
your making any distinct contribution, the audience will remember you as the speaker that did not matter
at all, that wasted their listening time.

-your primary communicative goal.

You may have several communicative goals (e.g., inform, commemorate, entertain, persuade, challenge,
stimulate intellectually or emotionally, convince, actuate), and these can be effectively combined. In fact,
your communication is incomplete if you will simply transmit information, since that information may just
get rejected. You will have to get the audience to accept your statements as credible (since it is not
possible for them at the moment to check them out for truth or falsity). You will also have to get them to
like or appreciate the information you are transmitting. Ultimately, you should be able to affect their
behavior. in short, you have to be quite aware of what you want your audence to think, believe, feel, and
do in response to your speech.

Nevertheless, you have to focus on one primary goal. Write a specific purpose statement to keep
focused, such as "I have to convince the graduating high school students to think of a post-college career
path when they choose the college course the will take."

Types of Supporting Materials for a Speech or presentation

Okay, so you want to ask your boss for a raise. All of the good things that you've done in the past year
are great examples of supporting materials. Supporting materials are resources used to give your main
points credibility.

There are three basic categories, or types, of supporting materials. They are:

Examples (brief, extended, and hypothetical)

Statistics

Testimony (expert or peer)

Examples

Examples are a great way to simplify and reinforce ideas in your speech. You can tell your boss that you
are a valuable asset to the company because you are an innovator and can manage multiple projects.
This would be an example of a brief example. A brief example is an example that concisely clarifies the
point that you are making. A brief example does not take up more than two or three sentences in your
speech.

An extended example may be a narrative or an anecdote in your speech. This is when you may tell a
story in your speech to reinforce or simplify certain concepts. You can give the example of the
procedure you implemented for handling customer sales and the training program you've been asked to
lead. This would be an extended example.
A hypothetical example is a fictional example that you or someone else has created to illustrate your
point. In fact, the entire beginning of this lesson is a hypothetical example!

Examples are also a great way to relate to your audience. You can use a personal story or a narrative to
reinforce and clarify ideas, while also making a personal connection to your audience.

Statistics

Statistics are another great way to provide your main points with valuable information and support. You
really have to be careful with statistics, however.

You can't throw too many numbers at your audience. If you can, use statistics sparingly and make sure
you explain what the statistics mean. When you are explaining statistics, make sure you use the research
where you found your statistics. Don't try to re-interpret the statistics. Make sure you aren't
manipulating the numbers to fit your speech; it must be used in the same context as the original
research.

When you ask your boss for a raise and you tell him that you've doubled your sales in the past year, this
is a good example of statistics. In a public speaking situation, you don't need to give exact numbers or
throw out a lot of information. If you say you've doubled your sales, and that is an accurate and ethical
statement, then that is enough information for the audience.

It is okay to round your statistics to make the information more understandable. Rather than saying,
'2,456 people have used my training course and improved their sales,' you could say, 'over 2,000 people
have used my training course and improved their sales.' This is still an accurate statement, and it does
not skew or manipulate the data in an inappropriate way.

Statistics are a great way to quantify ideas or concepts. In other words, if you want to illustrate how
many more girls are doing well in science and mathematics, then you might want to find research that
supports your claim. For example, you may find research that says 62% of girls in AP math and science
classes are passing their AP exams versus 29% of boys. This would be a good statistic to use to quantify
your idea.
If you have an option to use a visual aid, then use your visual aid to display statistical research. Make
sure you are using a visual representation of the data, such as a chart or graph. Avoid using lists or tables
if you can.

Testimony

Testimony is another great way to add credibility to your speech. There are two types of testimony: peer
and expert. Peer testimony is a statement that comes from someone who has experienced an event or
situation. It could be someone who has been directly affected by the topic of your speech or someone
that has an opinion on the topic. Expert testimony comes from a person that is a respected expert in the
field of your topic, such as a doctor or someone that has conducted a great deal of research in that
particular field.

For example, you're probably familiar with the products and brands that have celebrity or doctor
endorsements. The companies of these products want the credibility of these celebrities or experts.
Unless the celebrity is an expert, the testimony from the celebrity would be considered a peer
testimony. The testimony from a doctor or an expert is, naturally, considered expert testimony.

A testimony will give your speech a similar form of credibility and give the audience a real world
example of the concepts you are trying to illustrate. The glowing reference from the director at the
sister company is an example of a testimony. In addition to giving this letter to your boss, you can quote
or paraphrase the director's testimony when you are asking for a raise.

Practice Problems

Now that you understand the differences and uses of supporting material, let's practice identifying
which types of supporting material are the best types to use in a speech:

Example 1

You are giving a speech about the popularity of social media. You want to really give your audience an
idea of social media's popularity and how companies are using social media as a marketing tool
 Patterns of Speech Organization
 Topical Order: With this organizational pattern, you categorize your information by
certain specific topics in your speech. Then you either arrange those topics in the order of
most importance to least importance or by least importance to most importance. Once this
is decided, the main points need to be supported more fully with subpoints and full detail.
The notable thing about the topical pattern approach is that the speech can be organized
independently and be interconnected, though many speakers say they use this approach
as a last resort when none of the other patterns work.
 Chronological Order looks at ideas over time. With this approach, the speaker typically
discusses events or conditions that occurred furthest away and works his way up to the
present occurrences. On an occasion, he'll start with more recent happenings and then
refer to things that happened earlier. This approach is used when the speech focuses on
historical events or people. Speeches that focus on processes or demonstrations use a
chronological speech pattern as well.
 Spatial Order arranges ideas according to location or geography. Spatial order provides
a way to examine structures, such as buildings and objects. Spatial order provides a way
to analyze conditions in relevant locales. Spatial order may be combined with
chronological order to explain geographical development or migration over time.
 Causal Order looks at the causes and effects of a problem or phenomenon. The
approach discusses or examines the effects first and then presents the probable causes.
This approach is useful in accounting for historical events and understanding problems.
You can refer to probable effects when you want to make predictions about the future.
 Problem-Solution Arrangement discusses the nature of a problem and the solution. The
speaker uses the causal pattern to present the problem. Then he points out the problem's
harmful effects and the probable causes. Next, the speaker offers a solution that will
either control or eliminate the effects. In this structure, several solutions may be presented
along with their advantages. Researchers say it's best to clarify the problem or need
before showing your preferred solution. For the best response, begin with the problem,
then offer the solution.
 Motivated Sequence Order is a technique used to organize the entire speech. This
largely differs from the first five approaches which are used to arrange the main points or
the subpoints under a main point. The Motivated Sequence Order is really effective when
you're trying to persuade people to your point of view. It can also be used for informative
presentations. It uses five steps:

1. Attention – Like the Introduction part of the speech, this step is designed to snag the
audience's attention by using a means that relates positively to the rest of the speech.
2. Need – This step relates the problem to the audience. This step can be supported with
statistics, quotations, or other facts.
3. Satisfaction – In the satisfaction phase, you present the specific, detailed plan that
addresses the need as you anticipate and respond to any questions the audience has
about the solution.
4. Visualization – Here you help the audience see themselves in the future. With positive
visualization, the speaker describes the advantages of adopting the plan that was
presented.
5. Action – This final step is designed to move the audience to do something—apply the
information, vote for a particular candidate, sign-up for a program, buy a book, or take
some other action.

The motivated sequence pattern is more complex than the others listed here. However, it's
highly effective when used for persuasive speeches.

The Importance of Using Visual Aids in A

Presentation
Visual aids are enhancements to a presentation that can engage the audience, provide
additional information, and reinforce key points. Years ago, equipment like overhead
projectors and posters provided the common visual aids; however, with the evolution
of multimedia, enhancements like PowerPoint slide shows and portable digital
projectors for showing animated clips have become common.
Visual aids can help you to reach your objectives by providing emphasis to whatever
is being said. Clear pictures multiply the students' level of understanding of the
material presented, and they should be used to reinforce your message, clarify points,
and create excitement.

Visual aids involve your students and require a change from one activity to another:
from hearing to seeing. With pictures, the concepts or ideas that you present are no
longer simply words - but words plus images. If students don't clearly grasp the
spoken word, a visual may help them to better absorb information. Visuals can help to
make complex information more understandable. They provide a change from just
listening, and pictures typically stimulate interest more easily than words.
10 Tips for Using Visual Aids
Tip 1. Plan your presentation before creating visual aids.

Know what you want the audience to do as a result of hearing your presentation. Then figure out what they
need to know to do what you want them to do. Then create a simple outline that logically and clearly develops
your main points. Finally, create visual aids to support your message.

Tip 2. Use visual aids sparingly.

They are aids to your presentation – not its sum and substance. Using visual aids is meant to highlight and
support your key points.

Tip 3. Make your visual aids visible to the entire audience.

Projecting an image people can’t see is as senseless as speaking so softly people can’t hear.

Tip 4. Talk to the audience, not to your visual aids.

Look at the audience at least 80% of the time. Avoid turning your back to the audience.

Tip 5. Avoid laser pointers.

Your visual aids should be so clear that your audience can easily follow along. Use your hand, if necessary. (If
you absolutely have to use a pointer, set it down after you are finished. Holding on to it will only encourage
you to use it for every point on every slide.)

Tip 6. Explain the content of the visual aid when you first show it.

As soon as you show people an object, they will look at it – even if you’re talking about something else. Don’t
make them divide their attention.

Tip 7. When you finish with the visual aid, remove it, cover it, or turn it off.

(See above.) When using PowerPoint, tap the B key and the screen will go to black. Tap any other key and the
screen light up again.
Tip 8. Limit the amount of material on any one visual aid.

Use each slide to convey a single point. Bullet points – no more than four or five per slide – explain, illustrate,
or substantiate that one point.

Tip 9. Avoid clip art from well-known sources.

It’s almost always boring and amateurish. DO use images, graphs, and charts, whenever possible and
appropriate.

Tip 10. Be prepared to give your presentation without your visual aids.

Murphy’s Law — “if anything can go wrong, it will” — applies in spades to anything involving technology
and an audience. Have a backup plan in case something goes wrong. Take a hard copy of your slides.

ATTENTION AND INVOLVEMENT OF AUDIENCE IN SUCCESSFUL PRESENTATION

Importance of audience attention & involvement is very vital aspect it shows the success of speaker
and there are many definitions on the concept of audience, but one of the simplest and most
comprehensive is the following: an audience is a group of persons who listen to a particular
communication string that is delivered to them. In fact, an audience is an abstract concept of
persons who use a medium to receive information, and it is made up of individuals, but they are
viewed as a collective group. Consequently, it is very difficult to know and anticipate audience’s
needs, as individuals do not have the same knowledge of the conversational subject, do not have
the same wishes and desires and most importantly, do not assimilate or interpret the message
delivered to them in the same way.
Start your speech with a question.
A question automatically gets the audience thinking of an answer. It is important to
choose an interesting question that also leads in to your topic effectively. If your
topic has something to do with music, a question such as "do you like music?" is not
very effective. Most listeners will answer "Of course I love music". They may also
think "Why are you asking such a stupid question?". Instead, you could ask
something that challenges the audience: "What would you give to become a famous
singer?" or "If you had the talent to be a professional musician, would you give up
your present life?". Or, if your topic has to do with job interviewing techniques, you
might not ask "Are you satisfied with your job?". Instead, a question such as "What
would you do if you lost your job tomorrow?". That really gets the audience thinking!
Start your speech with an interesting fact or surprising statistic.
Today it's easy to cite an interesting fact or statistic. Do a little research on your topic
and you will uncover some fascinating information that you can use in your speech.
For example, you could begin by telling your audience that "the average person
changes career five times during their lifetime". That will get the audience thinking
about their own experiences - when did they last change jobs, when might they
change jobs again, etc. After mentioning this fact, the audience will be more open to
your presentation on job interviewing techniques.
Start your speech by describing a problem.
You should clearly and forcefully describe the problem. Everyone has problems and
our first instinct when hearing about a problem is to start thinking about possible
solutions. When you start with the problem, the audience is right there with you as
you explain your favorite solution.
Or you could start your speech with a story.
A fourth powerful opening to your speech is to start with a story. When you describe
something that happened to another person, in a situation that everyone can
understand, the audience will experience some of the same thoughts and feelings of
those people in those situations. There is one thing you have to be careful about
however. Make sure that your story is short and to the point. Be brief - tell just
enough to get the audience in the mood to hear your presentation.
Try starting some speeches with humor.
Using humor can be a bit dangerous for two reasons. First, what if you say something
funny but nobody laughs? Don't let that stop you from trying! If you succeed with
humor it will be a wonderful way to connect with the audience. If the audience does
not laugh, often they don't even know you were joking -they often think it is just a
story. All you have to do is move forward with the rest of your speech. The second
reason it can be dangerous is because some speakers take too much time on an
opening joke. As with stories, keep humor brief. It should be just enough to get the
audience focused, then you can jump into your topic.

These techniques will make the openings of your presentations stronger and will
guarantee that your audience listens carefully to your speech. Still, you have to keep
their attention all the way to the end, which leads us to Lesson 7 - Memorable
Conclusions.
Factors that influence the beginning and ending of speech

Start your speech with a question.

A question automatically gets the audience thinking of an answer. It is important to
choose an interesting question that also leads in to your topic effectively. If your topic
has something to do with music, a question such as "do you like music?" is not very
effective. Most listeners will answer "Of course I love music". They may also think
"Why are you asking such a stupid question?". Instead, you could ask something that
challenges the audience: "What would you give to become a famous singer?" or "If
you had the talent to be a professional musician, would you give up your present
life?". Or, if your topic has to do with job interviewing techniques, you might not ask
"Are you satisfied with your job?". Instead, a question such as "What would you do if
you lost your job tomorrow?". That really gets the audience thinking
Or you could start your speech with a story.

A fourth powerful opening to your speech is to start with a story. When you describe
something that happened to another person, in a situation that everyone can
understand, the audience will experience some of the same thoughts and feelings of
those people in those situations. There is one thing you have to be careful about
however. Make sure that your story is short and to the point. Be brief - tell just enough
to get the audience in the mood to hear your presentation.

Informative Speeches
An informative speech is one in which the speaker relays knowledge to an audience on a specific
topic. There are four distinct types of informative speeches: speeches about objects, speeches
about processes, speeches about events, and speeches about concepts.

Speeches About Objects

For the purposes of this type of informative speech, anything that is visible and tangible is
considered an object. Object speeches seek to impart knowledge about this object to the audience.
Whether your object is the human body or the most recent episode of Family Guy, informative object
speeches provide a comprehensive overview of your object as topic.
It's important that object speeches have a purpose: using our previous examples, you may discuss
the complex, myriad ways in which the endocrine system functions and how it regulates metabolism;
similarly, you may describe how Family Guy serves as a modern form of satire in pop culture. It's
one thing to spout off facts about an object, but there must be a purpose to those facts.

Speeches About Processes

A process is the manner in which something is created, made, done, or works. An informative
speech about a process then describes how something is made, done, or works. Processes could
include anything from how the modern electoral college works to how an ice cream sandwich is
made on the factory line. Informative process speeches work to help your audience both understand
the process, and possibly be able to replicate the process for themselves (if applicable).

Speeches About Events

Any occurrence that happens is regarded as an "event." A speech about an event then, describes
the occurrence in full: the time, date, location, and circumstances of that occurrence. Like all
informative speeches, event speeches must also serve a purpose. You may talk about how the
Battles of Lexington and Concord came to be known as the "shot heard 'round the world," or
describe the experience of your first week at college. In either case, your speech must have a
purpose to it.

Speeches About Concepts

Concepts refer to ideas, beliefs, theories, attitudes, and/or principles. When speaking about
concepts, you may have to find concrete ideas in order to make abstract ideas more relatable and
tangible to your audience. Whether discussing the theory of the origins of the universe to whether
there's any truth to the phrase "love at first sight," concept speeches break down complex ideas into
manageable chunks of understanding for your audience.