The Art of Public Speaking

CHAPTER 7

Supporting your ideas

Contents

• Critical thinking• Examples• Statistics• Testimony

Supporting Materials and Critical Thinking

• Which ideas need to be supported• Do research to find materials• Evaluate the materials

ExamplesTypes of examples

Brief exampleExtended examplesHypothetical examples

Tips for using examplesTo clarify your ideasReinforce your ideasPersonalize your ideasMake your examples vivid and richly texturedPractice delivery to enhance your extended

examples

StatisticsUnderstanding statistics• Are the statistics representative?• Are statistical measures used correctly?• Are the statistics from a reliable source?Tips for using statistics• Use statistics to quantify your ideas• Use statistics sparingly• Identify the sources of your statistics• Explain your statistics• Round off complicated statistics• Use visual aids to clarify statistical trends

Testimony• Expert testimony Smiles

Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing. ~Mother Teresa

AttitudeTo be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it. ~Confucius

• Peer testimonyTestimony from ordinary people with firsthand experience or insight on a topic

• Quoting versus Paraphrasing

Tips for using testimony

• Quote or paraphrase accurately• Use testimony from qualified sources• Use testimony from unbiased sources• Identify the people you quote or paraphrase