Decide on the purpose

Perhaps the most important consideration in the selection of a topic and in writing your speech is the purpose. What do you want the audience to do or think or feel as a result of what you say? This is a question you should ask not only yourself but also your sponsors. They had a reason for inviting you to speak and they ought to know what they want the speech to accomplish.

It is a good idea to write down a brief statement of purpose and keep it at hand as you write your speech.

From my experience in reading and writing speeches, I have concluded that there are six basic purposes of a speech:

These can overlap, and of course a speech can have more than one purpose. Churchill's speeches were meant to both inspire and motivate his countrymen. A president's state-of-the-union address usually is intended to inform members of Congress of the progress his administration has made, to convince them that his policies are good for the country, and to motivate them to work hard to pass his favorite programs. The best state-of-the-union speeches may also be inspirational, persuasive, and even entertaining. But usually one or two of the six basic purposes predominate.

Although many fine speeches contain humor, to entertain is rarely the purpose of a speech. Instead, the humor helps to carry a point or to win over an audience—that is, to make the audience more receptive to the important things a speaker has to say. There will be more on humor in later chapters.