Start With a Formula
Whether you plan to speak about a familiar topic or one that requires extensive research, it’s important to understand some basic methods of speech organization that can keep you from feeling overwhelmed.

• Tell them what you’re going to tell them
• Tell them
• Tell them what you’ve told them

This formula is effective because it’s simple, it’s catchy, and it makes good sense.

Develop an Outline
If you take the “tell them” formula one step further, it can be developed into a traditional outline- the kind you learned how to make in school –with Roman numerals indicating main ideas and capital letters next to supporting statements. Begin with the “tell them what you’re going to tell them” section, which in outline terms is:

I. The Introduction
Contrary to what nervous speakers often believe, your audience wants you to succeed. But attention spans are short, and minds have a tendency to wander. So within those first 120 seconds of your speech, you’ll have to be absolutely fascinating. Simultaneously, you will want to represent yourself as an authority on your subject. And in order to establish a sense of trust and reliability, it’s important to briefly inform your audience what you will be talking about. Next, proceed to “tell them” by constructing the main portion or

II. The Body
Once your introductory words have captivated the attention of your audience, you can now focus on what you really want to say. You can do this by:

A. Main ideas or points, making sure each point is backed up by
B. Supporting material, such as statistics, quotations, or other researched information.

Finally, use the remaining time portion of your speaking time to “tell them what you told them” in

III. The Conclusion
Sum up what you have just said, resisting any temptation to introduce last minute ideas. Say what you need to say, then end.

Begin in the Middle
What’s the toughest part of most projects? For many people, it’s getting started. This is also true when putting a speech together. A good way to develop your speech is to begin in the middle. i.e. Start of with your main idea and branch out gradually. This will help you to build a focus on what the most important part of the speech is. Here is how to effectively organize your speech:

• List key points- speech’s central idea in one sentence, 3-5 statements to support it.
• Arrange them in order- loose outline that is logical & sequential
• Expand upon those ideas- Elaborate and use anecdotes of people, events or statistics
• Develop an introduction- review each section for a strong start, get audience participation, tell them what you’re going to tell them.
• Develop a close- tell them what you told them, review key points, make a call to action, return lectern to person who introduced you.

Next, let’s look at how to create a mindmap:

Create A Mindmap
Most of us find that developing a speech is a creative challenge that calls for a certain amount of flexibility. If you tend to become frustrated when working with a standard written outline, consider drawing or mindmapping your next speech.

A mindmap is a diagram that represents your random thoughts on a particular subject. Upon first glance, a mindmap might represent an architect’s blueprint or a computer analyst’s flowchart. However, ideas displayed on your mindmap are there to help you develop and organize your speech.

You may have already engaged in some aspects of mindmapping without realizing it. For example, when you are at a conference or some other event when you need to take notes, do you substitute symbols for words? Do you condense the material into shorter, more memorable catch phrases? Do you make notes in the margin next to your more basic ideas? If so, then you have already dabbled in mindmapping.

Let’s take a look at the mindmap for this presentation. First, the main topic is printed in the center of the page. The ideas on how to organize a speech are also printed. Then important points about those ideas were added. Note that the main topic has a circle around it and that the ideas are enclosed in squares in order to make them stand out. Lines were drawn to connect the ideas, and each idea was expressed in only a few words.

Unlike traditional methods that call for columns and rows, mindmapping uses your natural tendency to think in a circular fashion. Keep your mindmap free of excess clutter. If you need room for direct quotations or extra material, you can use a second sheet of paper and connect those items to the mindmap using asterisks, numbers, or color-coding. Your primary concern is to get an idea of what will be included in your speech and when it will be introduced.

In conclusion, the five methods for organizing your speech are:

1. How to Start with a Formula
2. Develop an Outline
3. Begin in the Middle
4. Create a Mindmap
5. Build a Conclusion

Regardless of the quality of your message, your speech will lose its impact if it lacks organization. However, if you use some of the methods we’ve just discussed, you’ll be much more likely to attract the attention of your audience and retain it through to your conclusion.