Sample Speech Outline
The sample speech outline below will help clarify what you want to say as well as help organise your material.
Read the page through to familiarise yourself with the terms and the process. When you're done download and print off the blank sample speech outline for your own use.
An outline forms the foundation of any successful speech as it guides you logically and sequentially through all the aspects you need to consider
before you write.
Remember this old saying?
'First: tell them what you're going to tell them.
Second: tell them.
Third: tell them what you told them.'
A speech outline uses all 3 parts.
'Tell them what you're going to tell them' becomes your introduction
'Tell them' forms the body
'Tell them what you told them' is your conclusion
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When completed well it saves you time and helps avoid any anxiety caused by inadequate preparation.
The process is broken down into 4 steps:
- Preparation:- deciding on your topic, considering the audience, refining your topic to suit them, deciding on the purpose of the speech and the organisational method you will use
- Introduction:- opening greeting and attention getter, defining your thesis statement (a summary of what your speech is about) establishing your credibility, an overview and the benefit to the audience
- Body:- transition or link between introduction and body, main ideas with supporting ideas, examples and details
- Conclusion:- summary of main points and closer or call to action
Sample Speech Outline - Step One - Preparation
Topic - decide what you are going to talk about
Audience - consider who will be listening to you and what aspects of your topic is best suited to meet their needs
Refine or Limit Topic - reframe in view of your audience -decide on the angle you will take and whether or not you need to limit the scope
Define Purpose - Is it, for example, to persuade, inform, demonstrate, entertain, or welcome? Is it a combination of these?
Organisational Pattern or Method - There are 6 basic organisational patterns or methods of arranging the body of your material. Choose the one most appropriate for your need.
These are:
- Cause - Effect Because event A happened, event B occurred.
- Problem - Solution The problem is X. The solution is Y.
- Logical This pattern suits a broad topic which is broken down into naturally occurring sub-topics.
Example:- Broad topic: Vocal Variety Sub-topics: rate of speech, use of pausing, voice tone, volume, articulation...
- Spatial or Geographic Topics dealing with physical space. Example:- The popular tourism areas in New Zealand
- Time or Chronological Historical topics dealing with the sequence of events or demonstration speeches, for example, how to bake a cake
- Advantage - Disadvantage For examining the range of positive and negative aspects to an idea or event
Sample Speech Outline - Step Two - Introduction
- Greeting - Attention Getter - How are you going to greet your audience, grab their attention and compel them to listen?
- Thesis Statement - A one sentence summary of your speech topic and your point of view or angle.
Example:- Green politics is no longer a fanciful, fringe fad. It is a neccessity.
- Credibility - Establishes your right to speak on the topic, cites your qualification or expertise
- Summative overview - Brief outline of the main points to be covered
- Benefit - What's in your speech for your audience? Why will they want to hear what you've got to tell them?
Sample Speech Outline - Step Three - Body
- Transition - the link between your introduction and the main body of your speech.
Note: If you're unsure about the exact nature of links or transitions and how they work or what they are, you'll
find more about them, with examples, on my page how to write a speech
- Main Idea 1 - Supporting ideas - Details and examples - Visuals or props - Transition to...
- Main Idea 2 - Supporting ideas - Details and examples - Visuals or props - Transition to...
- Main Idea 3 - Supporting ideas - Details and examples - Visuals or props - Transition to...
Sample Speech Outline - Step Four - Conclusion
- Summary of main ideas - from body of speech
- Re-statement of thesis statement - from introduction
- Re-statement of benefit to audience - from introduction
- Closer, Clincher or Call to Action - final sentence
And now get your own 'ready-to-use' template. This is a simple 2 page PDF of all 4 steps and their sub-headings with spaces for you to write your notes.
Right-click to download and print your sample speech outline now.
Please note you will need Adobe Reader (the latest version is recommended) installed on your computer in order to open and read this PDF. If you haven't got it you can get it here (a new window will open so you can download it without leaving this page).
If you want to open the file in your browser window, just click on the link. However, if you want to download the file to view later, then right-click on the link and choose "Save Target As" or "Save File As." Then select where you want to save the file on your hard drive.
Once you have saved the file, locate where you saved it, and double click to open.
In order to print, open the downloaded file, and select the "Print" option from the ebook menu.
Want to know more about preparing speeches?
This page is about planning your speech and this one gives plenty of detail and examples about how to write it.
Once you're done with planning and writing do find out about how to rehearse. A speech is a live performance. Rehearsing can lift your delivery from ordinary to extraordinary.
If your speech is being assessed check out this standard speech evaluation form to see what aspects are likely to be judged and how a rating scale works.
Go well completing your sample speech outline.
I welcome your feedback so if you have any questions or comments please use my contact form. It's at the bottom of my 'About Me' page. I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
Return to the top of the page
Find out more about effectively planning your speech
Learn more about how to write a speech
Rehearsing irons out all the glitches BEFORE you deliver your speech. Get those tips now.
Download the blank speech outline
See a sample speech evaluation form
The site map has links to numerous other pages on other public speaking skills. Check it out.
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