Introductions and Conclusions

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Introductions and Conclusions

• Chapter 9

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The Introduction

• Attention Getter
• Central Idea
• Establish Your Credibility
• Preview Your Main Points

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Attention-Getting Suggestions

• Tell a story
• Arouse curiosity
• Cite a quotation
• State an interesting statistic
• Provide a visual aid
• Ask a question
• Rhetorical question to stimulate interest but
  not to elicit a reply
• Overt-Response question designed to get a
  response

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Sample Attention Getter

• What form of entertainment do Americans spend the
  greatest amount of money on?
• Ill give you some hints its not movies, music,
  sports, TV, video games, or theme parks.
• The answer is gambling each year Americans spend
  340 billion, more than all other forms of
  entertainment combined.

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Sample Quotation

• Mark Twain once said, There are two times in
  your life when you should not gamble When you
  cant afford it and when you can.

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Sample Visual Aid
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Central Idea

• The key concept of a speech
• The core message of your speech
• President Dwight Eisenhower is quoted as saying,
  Why give a speech if you dont want the audience
  to take away a key message?

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Establishing Your Credibility

• Credibility the degree to which a speaker is
  perceived to be believable, trustworthy, and
  competent
• Helping the audience to know you know what you
  are talking about
• Example I have owned an aquarium for five years
  now. Because of my experience and research I can
  talk to you today about the proper maintenance of
  your fish habitat.

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Previewing Your Main Points

• Tells the audience what to listen for
• Sets up the structure of your speech
• Helps get everyone on the same page
• Example Today I will tell you about the three
  essential parts of any aquarium the filter,
  bubbler, and lighting.

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What is wrong with this intro?

• What tiny crystal fortified the coffers of many
  ancient empires and laid waste to others? What
  mineral has the power to create and the power to
  destroy? What is good as gold when scarce and
  cheap as dirt when abundant? The answer to all
  of these questions is salt, the spice of life.
  Today I would like to look at the importance of
  salt in history, at how we spice up our lives
  with salt today, and at the role salt will
  probably play in the future.

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What is wrong with this intro?

• What tiny crystal fortified the coffers of many
  ancient empires and laid waste to others? What
  mineral has the power to create and the power to
  destroy? What is good as gold when scarce and
  cheap as dirt when abundant? The answer to all
  of these questions is salt, the spice of life.
  Today I would like to look at the importance of
  salt in history, at how we spice up our lives
  with salt today, and at the role salt will
  probably play in the future.

12
What is wrong with this intro?

• What tiny crystal fortified the coffers of many
  ancient empires and laid waste to others? What
  mineral has the power to create and the power to
  destroy? What is good as gold when scarce and
  cheap as dirt when abundant? The answer to all
  of these questions is salt, the spice of life.
  Today I would like to look at the importance of
  salt in history, at how we spice up our lives
  with salt today, and at the role salt will
  probably play in the future.

13
What is wrong with this intro?

• What tiny crystal fortified the coffers of many
  ancient empires and laid waste to others? What
  mineral has the power to create and the power to
  destroy? What is good as gold when scarce and
  cheap as dirt when abundant? The answer to all
  of these questions is salt, the spice of life.
  Today I would like to look at the importance of
  salt in history, at how we spice up our lives
  with salt today, and at the role salt will
  probably play in the future.

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What is wrong with this intro?

• A six-year-old collie lay battered and helpless
  by the side of the road. The car that hit her
  had broken her pelvis, dislocated her hip, and
  smashed her jaw. It had also blinded her, and
  she whimpered in pain and fear. Unfortunately,
  this true story happens much too frequently
  because of the growing problem of pet
  overpopulation. Having grown up on a farm with
  animals of all kinds, I care deeply about their
  welfare, and I have become aware through my
  veterinary courses of how serious the problem of
  pet overpopulation is.

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What is wrong with this intro?

• A six-year-old collie lay battered and helpless
  by the side of the road. The car that hit her
  had broken her pelvis, dislocated her hip, and
  smashed her jaw. It had also blinded her, and
  she whimpered in pain and fear. Unfortunately,
  this true story happens much too frequently
  because of the growing problem of pet
  overpopulation. Having grown up on a farm with
  animals of all kinds, I care deeply about their
  welfare, and I have become aware through my
  veterinary courses of how serious the problem of
  pet overpopulation is.

16
What is wrong with this intro?

• A six-year-old collie lay battered and helpless
  by the side of the road. The car that hit her
  had broken her pelvis, dislocated her hip, and
  smashed her jaw. It had also blinded her, and
  she whimpered in pain and fear. Unfortunately,
  this true story happens much too frequently
  because of the growing problem of pet
  overpopulation. Having grown up on a farm with
  animals of all kinds, I care deeply about their
  welfare, and I have become aware through my
  veterinary courses of how serious the problem of
  pet overpopulation is.

17
What is wrong with this intro?

• A six-year-old collie lay battered and helpless
  by the side of the road. The car that hit her
  had broken her pelvis, dislocated her hip, and
  smashed her jaw. It had also blinded her, and
  she whimpered in pain and fear. Unfortunately,
  this true story happens much too frequently
  because of the growing problem of pet
  overpopulation. Having grown up on a farm with
  animals of all kinds, I care deeply about their
  welfare, and I have become aware through my
  veterinary courses of how serious the problem of
  pet overpopulation is.

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Tips for the Introduction

• Keep the introduction relatively brief.
• Be creative.
• Keep on the look out for material for the
  introduction while researching your topic.
• The introduction may not be the first thing you
  write.
• Be fully prepared to deliver your introduction.

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Conclusions

• Used to signal the end of the speech
• Summarizes key ideas (main points)
• Reinforces the central idea
• Ends with a clincher quote, dramatic statement,
  refer to the introduction

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Conclusion Guidelines

• Dont drag out the ending
• Dont end weakly
• Dont end with an apology
• Never bring in new main points