Have you ever thought for what reason you speak to your audience?

Although the number of topics you can speak on is limitless, there are only a few primary reasons to talk to your audience. They are to inform, persuade, or inspire others.

This article will explore these three reasons in more detail.

To Inform

You may have shared knowledge, presented ideas, or provided information to an audience in your prior public speaking.

This could include teaching, delivering a lecture, or explaining a concept during a seminar or conference.

If the reason to talk to your audience is to inform, you should follow these three strategies:

Use of Clear and Structured Content

Organize the information in a logical, easy-to-follow manner.

This includes introducing the topic, breaking it down into main points or sections, and providing supporting details or examples.

This helps your audience understand and retain the information.

Using frameworks like “problem-solution” or “cause-effect” can make complex ideas in your presentation more digestible.

Visual Aids and Multimedia:

Incorporating visuals such as slides, charts, graphs, videos, or diagrams can enhance understanding.

Visuals complement the spoken word by clearly representing data or ideas, making abstract concepts more concrete.

Well-designed visuals also keep the audience engaged and help reinforce key points.

Engaging Stories and Real-Life Examples:

People often relate better to stories than to dry facts or statistics.

You can make complex or technical information more relatable and memorable by weaving in relevant anecdotes, case studies, or real-life examples.

Stories also evoke emotional engagement, which can help solidify the message in the audience’s mind. Your personal stories are the best.

These techniques help ensure you communicate the information effectively and make it engaging and memorable for your audience.

So, to inform is one reason to talk to your audience.

Another is to persuade.

To Persuade

You may speak publicly to influence others’ beliefs, attitudes, or actions.

This includes your presentations in political campaigns, marketing presentations, motivational talks, or debates.

Your goal is to convince your audience to adopt a particular viewpoint or take specific actions.

If the reason to talk to your audience is to persuade, you may want to appeal to the following:

Logic:

This approach involves using reason, facts, statistics, and logical arguments to convince the audience of the validity of your point of view.

By presenting well-researched evidence and demonstrating clear cause-and-effect relationships, you can appeal to your audience’s rationality.

For example, you might use data, studies, or expert testimony to support your argument.

Emotions:

Emotions play a decisive role in persuasion.

By connecting with your audience’s emotions—whether fear, joy, or anger—you can create a strong bond and influence your audience’s feelings.

For example, you might use personal stories, vivid imagery, or evocative language to evoke an emotional response, motivating your audience to act or change their perspective.

Credibility:

You can persuade by demonstrating your expertise, trustworthiness, and authority.

When your audience perceives you as knowledgeable and ethical, they are more likely to be convinced by your argument.

This could be achieved through presenting credentials, citing relevant experience, or showing a genuine commitment to the topic.

Being confident, respectful, and honest in tone also helps to build credibility.

By combining these strategies—logical reasoning, emotional appeal, and credibility—a speaker can effectively persuade their audience to adopt a particular viewpoint or take action.

So, two reasons to talk to your audience are to inform and to persuade.

Another is to inspire or entertain.

To Inspire or Entertain

Public speaking is also a medium to inspire, uplift, or entertain audiences.

This is common in motivational speeches, storytelling events, comedy shows, or ceremonial addresses such as graduation or keynote speeches.

Each of these purposes requires different techniques and approaches but highlights the power of public speaking to connect with and impact audiences.

If the reason to talk to your audience is to inspire or entertain, you may want to do the following:

Humor:

Humor is an effective way to engage and entertain an audience.

A well-timed joke, witty observation, or lighthearted anecdote can help break the ice, relieve tension, and create a connection with the audience.

Humor also makes the speaker appear more relatable and approachable and can energize the room.

It’s essential, however, for the humor to be appropriate and aligned with the tone of the message.

Always follow the rule of never making fun of another person or group. Self-deprecating humor can be compelling. However, the caution is to use it sparingly. If you use it too often, your credibility will decrease. Be careful.

Storytelling:

Storytelling is a powerful tool to inspire and captivate an audience.

You can create a vivid and compelling connection by sharing personal experiences, anecdotes, or narratives that resonate emotionally.

A well-crafted story can transport the audience into another world, making complex ideas more accessible and inspiring them through the characters’ journeys, challenges, and triumphs.

This can also evoke empathy, excitement, or hope, leaving a lasting impression.

Passionate Delivery:

When you are genuinely passionate about your topic, your enthusiasm becomes infectious.

Your energy, vocal variation, body language, and facial expressions can inspire and uplift your audience.

Passionate delivery conveys conviction, motivating your audience to become excited about your topic and take action.

Your enthusiasm often creates an atmosphere of positivity and energy that entertains and inspires simultaneously.

By effectively using humor, storytelling, and passionate delivery, you can entertain your audience while motivating or inspiring them to think differently or take action.

So, to inform, persuade, and inspire or entertain are three reasons to speak to your audience.

Ensure you understand the reason you are speaking.

If you don’t, the audience won’t understand either.

Call to Action

• To convey information to your audience, use (1) clear and structured content, (2) visual aids and multimedia, and (3) engaging stories and real-life examples.

• To persuade your audience to your point of view, use (1) logic, (2) emotions, and (3) demonstration of your credibility.

• To persuade your audience to your point of view, use (1) humor, (2) storytelling, and (3) passionate delivery.

References

• Lucas, S. E. (2015). The Art of Public Speaking (11th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.

• Aristotle. (2007). The Rhetoric (W. Rhys Roberts, Trans.).

• Carnegie, D. (1936). How to Win Friends and Influence People.

Being a confident, engaging, and effective technical speaker is a vital personal and professional asset. With more than 40 years of engineering experience and more than 30 years of award-winning public speaking experience, Frank DiBartolomeo can help you reduce your presentation preparatory time by 50%, overcome your fear of public speaking and be completely at ease, deliver your presentations effectively, develop your personal presence with your audience; and apply an innovative way to handle audience questions deftly.

Working closely with you, Frank provides a customized protocol employing the critical skills and tools you need to create, practice, and deliver excellent technical speeches and presentations. Connect with Frank and explore how he can help you become the exceptional speaker you were meant to be. Please reach out to him at frank@speakleadandsucceed.com or 703-509-4424 for a complimentary consultation. Schedule a meeting with him at calendly.com/frankdibartolomeospeaks. Listen to his Successful Speaking for Technical Professionals podcast