1. Organization • Select and structure material • Create meaningful order • Consider your audience • Goal is to increase comprehension • Select the main points • What the audience needs to understand • Early Life, Obstacles, Successes

2. Thesis Statement • Main point/idea in relation to your topic • Ends with a preview of your main points • Put the main points in the order you will discuss them • Example: • Cats are affectionate creatures due to their intelligence, emotions, and personalities.

3. Outline • Write points and subpoints in word/phrase structure • DO NOT use full sentences • Make sure subpoints are connected to main points • Make sure main points are connected to thesis • Word points using parallel structure • Everything must connect to your purpose statement

4. Transitions • Transition between • Introduction and body • Each body section • Body and conclusion • Bridges sections of the speech • Labels organization for the audience • Helps audience comprehend and retain information

5. Transitions • Signposts • Connect supporting material to sub points or main points • First, second, third, forth • For example, finally, to clarify

6. Introduction • Must grab audience and motivate them to listen • Hooks (attention grabbers) • Startling statement • Questions (use sparingly) • Must be specific • Direct or rhetorical • Consider what will happen if audience does not answer the way you want them to answer

7. Introduction • Hooks • Brief narrative (do not go on a tangent) • Actual • Hypothetical • Personal reference • Action • Create suspense

8. Introduction: Listener Relevance Link • Information that alerts listeners to: • How/why the main point relates to them • How they might benefit • Why they should care • Use implied language • Include in introduction • How can your speech meet audience needs?

9. Introduction: Establish Credibility • Perception audience has about your competence • Provide information on why you are credible to speak on the subject • Show that you care • Be professional • Be serious, and present yourself in this way

10. Introduction: Thesis • State your thesis • Audience needs to know what the speech is about • State main points after your thesis • Put in correct order • Can be combined with thesis or be a separate sentence after the thesis

11. Conclusion • Summarize main ideas • Restate your thesis • Provide relevance link for audience • End with strong final statement (clincher) • Call to action (persuasion) • Sum up importance • Do not just repeat your introduction