Exemplary:  Central message is compelling (precisely stated, appropriately repeated, memorable, and strongly supported). Message is appropriate for purpose, context, and audience.

1.       Visual aids and demonstrations

Visual aids and demonstrations are excellent ways to promote a central message of any oral presentation. At the same time, these tools can be used in a way that dominates the speech or distracts from the central message. Bullet points are included for discussing visual aids and power-point slides.

2.       Understand the purpose

Often the central message of a speech is lost because of the manner in which the topic is developed. Students should understand speeches can inform, entertain, inspire, or persuade. The purpose of each of these speeches is distinctly different from one another. If an audience is anticipating an entertaining speech, being overtly persuaded with a controversial subject and argumentation can create a speaker/audience/topic disconnect.

3.       A good exercise for class discussion is to list a general topic areas, such as disease and society. Asking students to list possible speeches within this topic area that would be unique to each speech purpose can help them understand not all topics are inherently persuasive, informative, or entertaining. At the same time, students are likely able to develop any topic of interest to meet expectations of any speech assignment or speaking purpose.

4.       Connect with audiences

The ultimate measure of whether or not the central message is fulfilled is how well the speaker connects with the audience. Included are bullet points for discussing the speaker’s relationship with the audience, as well as strategies for learning about and adapting to audiences.