This book can be read differently depending upon your experience as a speaker and how you learn best. Allow me to explain.
Inexperienced Speakers: Your best approach to reading this book is to read the book straight through, begin with Chapter 1 and end with Chapter 8. Be sure to slow down as you go through the chapters and complete the activities provided throughout as they are designed to help you explore the ideas introduced in the chapter and build your ability to design and deliver a speech with confidence. At the end of every chapter, except the last, practice speeches are provided, do every one, as they will help you deliver your best speech ever!
Experienced Speakers: The beginning chapters go into depth explaining the fear and ways to conquer your fear. If you have already confronted your fear, you may want to advance through these ideas quickly and focus more on the chapters that focus on strategies to enhance your skill set as a speaker: Chapter 3 Transform Your Delivery, Chapter 4: Make Visuals Count, Chapter 7: The Speech Formula and Chapter 8: Putting It All Together
Sequential vs. Global Learners: The ideas in this book culminate in the final two chapters of this book. Readers have their own learning style. Some are more global and others sequential. For the global learners, taking a look at the “big picture” first is how you learn best. If this describes you, read Chapter 8 before you read Chapter 7. For sequential learners who prefer the details first and then the big picture just read the book as written.
Key Ideas Are Addressed from Different Angles: As you progress through the book, you will explore some ideas multiple times. Thoroughly understanding what goes into a speech and the process of creating a speech is complex. It involves an itinerant (back and forth motion) process. Therefore, elements must be addressed more than once. Let’s use “Source” as an example. Isn’t information important to insert in a speech? Of course, the information literally drives the speech; it is the reason for it. However, what is the best place to discuss it at length? There is no one specific place; in fact we address the significance and the use of a source in five different chapters from five different perspectives.
Chapter 1: Public Speaking Freaks us Out
• Not knowing your information increases anxiety.
Chapter 2: Conquer your Fear
• Knowing your information helps reduce anxiety.
• Quality, credible information gets speakers excited about delivering, thus reducing anxiety.
Chapter 4: Make Visuals Count
• Why it is crucial to break down research on your slides.
• How to keep your audience engaged as you present the content.
• How to cite sources correctly.
Chapter 7: Speech Formula
• The driving part of the Body is the Source.
• How to evaluate, identify and implement credible source content.
Chapter 8: Putting it All Together
• Description of when, where and how to conduct research.
• When, where and how to incorporate it correctly into the speech.
Yes, we discuss “Source” content quite a bit and given it’s significance in the speech, we should. Writing a speech involves an itinerant process. Don’t be surprised when significant elements of the speech are addressed within different chapters shedding new light on it’s importance. If you fully complete the process, you will master each element therein.