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Speech Structure Templates

When it comes to delivering a powerful and impactful speech, having a well-structured and organized approach is key. A well-structured speech not only helps you convey your message effectively but also keeps your audience engaged from start to finish. That's why understanding the speech structure is essential for any aspiring speaker.

Our collection of documents on speech structure offers a comprehensive guide to help you craft a compelling speech that captures your audience's attention. Whether you're preparing for a persuasive speech, an introduction speech, or a personal experience speech, our resources provide you with the tools and templates you need to create a seamless and impactful presentation.

From persuasive speech outline templates to speech preparation checklists, our documents cover all aspects of speech structuring. We understand that each speech requires a unique approach, which is why our collection includes a variety of resources to cater to different speech types and lengths. Whether you have three minutes or thirty, we have the resources to help you organize your thoughts and ideas effectively.

No matter your level of experience in public speaking, our speech structure documents are designed to guide you through the process and help you deliver a memorable speech. With step-by-step instructions and easy-to-use templates, you can confidently structure your speech and deliver it with clarity and conviction.

So, whether you're a student preparing for a class presentation or a professional seeking to improve your public speaking skills, our collection of speech structure documents has you covered. Explore our resources today and take your speaking abilities to the next level.

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Persuasive Speech Outline Template - 3-5 Minutes

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Speech Writing

Speech Format

Understanding Speech Format - Simple Steps for Outlining

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Writing a speech can be stressful and confusing for many people. Feeling lost and overwhelmed without a clear plan can make the task even harder.

But learning the basics of speech format can make it easier and even enjoyable. This guide will show you step-by-step how to write great speeches with examples and templates.

• 1. How to Write a Speech Format?
• 2. Speech Format Examples for Different Academic Levels
• 3. Speech Formats For Different Types of Speeches
• 4. How to Rehearse a Speech?

How to Write a Speech Format?

Speech writing gives you a chance to leave an everlasting and meaningful impression on the audience. You might have always believed that you are not good at public speaking. And speech writing may bring you out in cold sweats, but this is different.

Let’s see how one should write a great speech that engages the audience.

Step 1 - Decide the Purpose of Your Speech 

To understand the purpose of your speech, consider these queries:

• What is the main motive behind it?
• Is it to inform or persuade? Is it to entertain or demonstrate? Or is it a combination of these?
• What do you want to achieve with your speech?
• Do you want your audience to act upon something, or do you want to convince them to believe what you are saying?

Your answer to all of these questions will decide the organizational structure, type of speech, tone, and content as well. 

Identify your listeners and decide which type of speech is suitable for your targeted audience. If you are going to deliver a speech at a wedding, write a special occasion speech . Similarly, if your motive is to persuade the audience, you’ll have to write a persuasive speech .

Step 2 - Choose a Speech Topic 

Choose an effective speech topic that catches the audience’s attention immediately. A good speech topic is your first step to impress the audience.

You can select any topic according to the type of speech you need to deliver. Pick a motivational speech topic if you want to get the audience to act upon your message. If you want to make your audience laugh, decide on an entertaining speech topic .

Step 3 - Conduct Research 

Conduct thorough research on your particular subject to collect relevant material. Finding credible and updated material is crucial, as good research is the backbone of sound speech. 

Before you write your speech, you need to know what your speech will be about exactly. And how long it needs to be, i.e., 5 minutes or 30 minutes long. So, always collect the data according to the time limit. 

For a 5-minute speech, you only need a brief material. Your speech should revolve around the central idea. If your speech is 30 minutes long, you need to collect enough details to cover in 30 minutes. 

Step 4 - Create an Outline

Now that you have the material for your speech, craft an outline to organize your material. Drafting an outline at first always saves precious time. 

Write keywords in the outline that prompt you to remember what you’ll include in your speech. Having an outline for your speech is like having a road map that guides you throughout the speech delivery.

As mentioned before, the basic speech outline format consists of three things:

• Introduction

Here is a speech outline template that you can use while crafting an outline for your speech.

Speech Format Outline

Step 5 - Write a Strong Introduction

An introduction will give a brief overview of what you are going to tell your audience. Here are the five things that you should include in your introduction paragraph.

• Greetings and Your Introduction

Decide how you are going to greet your audience and how you will introduce yourself to the audience. You can start with a fact, a quotation, posing a rhetorical question, or even with one-liner humor. 

Keep in mind that whatever you start with, must be related to your topic and suitable for your audience.

• A Precise Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is a brief summary of your speech, and it provides the main message of your speech. 

• Your Credibility

You need to establish your credibility to make your speech effective. Cite your expertise and qualification that gives you the right to speak about your speech topic.

• Brief Overview

Briefly tell your audience what you are going to share so that they have an idea of what to expect from your speech. 

• Benefits of Listening to Your Speech

Convince your audience why they should listen to you. Tell them what's in your speech for them and why should they pay attention. Give them reasons and be specific about the benefits.

Step 6 - Write a Detailed Body 

The body of your speech is where you will write the details of what you want to share with your audience. Generally, the body section has three main points, but it can have more than 3 points. 

It is always a good idea to be specific and inform the audience of only essential things. 

Quite frankly, if you introduce the audience to an abundance of ideas or topics, they might not remember them all! To leave a lasting impact, decide on 2 or 3 ideas, so the crowd remembers them all!

While crafting the body section of your speech, you should keep the following things in mind:

• Choose the three strongest points that describe your topic efficiently. 
• Always provide supporting examples. Make sure that the evidence you provide matches the type of speech you are going to write.
• Use transition phrases to make a logical connection between the details.
• Use visual aids like images, graphs, or tables to help your audience understand your topic better.
• Keep the sentence structures in check. Make sure there are no grammatical errors and follow an engaging tone. 

Step 7 - Craft a Memorable Conclusion

The final section is the conclusion that sums up the whole speech. Here is how you can write an effective speech conclusion that summarizes and draws all the details together:

• Summarize all the main points
• Restate the thesis statement to reinforce your message
• Remind the audience about the benefits they’ll get if they carry out what you have proposed.
• Provide a call to action at the end of your speech

Step 8 - Format and Polish Your Speech 

After the final draft, the next step is editing and formatting. Read your speech aloud and check the flow and organization of the information. Refine the draft by removing unnecessary things and correcting any grammatical mistakes.

Proofread your speech to make sure it contains all the vital information. Correct the structure if needed, and ensure that your speech is free from all kinds of mistakes. Revise your speech as many times as possible.

Now, let’s take a look at some comprehensive speech format examples for multiple academic levels and various occasions.

Speech Format Examples for Different Academic Levels

Follow these speech examples to learn how to properly format a speech and easily get through the speech-writing process.

Speech Format for Class 8

Speech Format for Class 9

Speech Format for Class 10

Speech Format for Class 11

Speech Format for Class 12

Speech Format O Level

Speech Formats For Different Types of Speeches

When preparing a speech, understanding the format suitable for your specific occasion is crucial. Different types of speeches require different structures to effectively convey your message and engage your audience.

Here are some sample formats for kinds of speeches:

Debate Speech Format

Impromptu Speech Format

Formal Speech Format

Public Speech Format

Informative Speech Format

Extemporaneous Speech Format

Speech Formats For Different Occasions

Different occasions call for different types of speeches, each with its unique structure and style. Knowing how to format your speech for the occasion helps to make your speech memorable. 

Here are a few speech templates made according to specific events:

Best Man Speech Format

College Speech Format

Welcome Speech Format in English

Persuasive Speech Format

Want to see some outstanding speech examples ? Head over to our detailed blog!

How to Rehearse a Speech?

Rehearsal plays an important role in delivering an effective presentation. You need to practice a lot to be confident with your speech and deliver it perfectly. Here is how you can do it efficiently:

• Set the time on the stopwatch that is going to be allocated to you. You need to finish your speech within the allocated time.
• Read your speech out loud. Hearing yourself will help you familiarize yourself with the flow of your speech quickly. Remove or change the phrases that sound awkward, and fix the organization of information.
• Your habitual unconscious gestures
• Irregular breathing because of long sentences
• Taking breaks or pauses at the wrong places
• The body posture
• Raising or dropping the voice
• Repeated fillers, i.e., umm, err, uhh, etc
• Lack of smiling and eye contact
• Tone variation
• If you experience any problems, stop and fix the problem before starting again from where you left off.
• Make notes of where you need to remember to do something. It will help you improve your speech delivery.
• If possible, do a proper dress rehearsal at the actual venue in front of a bunch of friends. It will help you to get comfortable with the dress, stage, and actual presentation situation.

If you’ve plenty of time, rehearse at least three times or more, before the final presentation. The more you do the rehearsals, the more you build up your confidence and the easier it becomes to deliver your speech.

Wrapping it up, if you came up with a speech after following the guide, you should be able to grab the attention of the audience within seconds! 

This guide contains all the essentials to crafting a compelling speech and presenting it in a meaningful way!

However, if you still need some help, you can pay somebody to do my essay . Our service provides top-notch speeches at cheap prices.

You can request your speech at our service and get expertly crafted speeches to impress your audience.

So why wait? Hire our speech writing service and let our experts handle your speech-writing needs!

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Speech Structure Templates

We have created some templates that debaters can use to prepare their speeches. These include cue card formats that can be printed on plain paper or cardboard (we recommend 200gsm) and cut out.

Speech Structure Template – Cue Card Format PDF

Speech Structure Template – Cue Card Format DOCX

Speech Structure Template – A4 Paper Version

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How to write a good speech in 7 steps

By:  Susan Dugdale  

- an easily followed format for writing a great speech

Did you know writing a speech doesn't have be an anxious, nail biting experience?

Unsure? Don't be.

You may have lived with the idea you were never good with words for a long time. Or perhaps giving speeches at school brought you out in cold sweats.

However learning how to write a speech is relatively straight forward when you learn to write out loud.

And that's the journey I am offering to take you on: step by step.

To learn quickly, go slow

Take all the time you need. This speech writing format has 7 steps, each building on the next.

Walk, rather than run, your way through all of them. Don't be tempted to rush. Familiarize yourself with the ideas. Try them out.

I know there are well-advertised short cuts and promises of 'write a speech in 5 minutes'. However in reality they only truly work for somebody who already has the basic foundations of speech writing in place.

The foundation of good speech writing 

These steps are the backbone of sound speech preparation. Learn and follow them well at the outset and yes, given more experience and practice you could probably flick something together quickly. Like any skill, the more it's used, the easier it gets.

In the meantime...

Step 1: Begin with a speech overview or outline

Are you in a hurry? Without time to read a whole page? Grab ... The Quick How to Write a Speech Checklist And come back to get the details later.

• WHO you are writing your speech for (your target audience)
• WHY you are preparing this speech. What's the main purpose of your speech? Is it to inform or tell your audience about something? To teach them a new skill or demonstrate something? To persuade or to entertain? (See 4 types of speeches: informative, demonstrative, persuasive and special occasion or entertaining for more.) What do you want them to think, feel or do as a result of listening the speech?
• WHAT your speech is going to be about (its topic) - You'll want to have thought through your main points and have ranked them in order of importance. And have sorted the supporting research you need to make those points effectively.
• HOW much time you have for your speech eg. 3 minutes, 5 minutes... The amount of time you've been allocated dictates how much content you need. If you're unsure check this page: how many words per minute in a speech: a quick reference guide . You'll find estimates of the number of words required for 1 - 10 minute speeches by slow, medium and fast talkers.

Use an outline

The best way to make sure you deliver an effective speech is to start by carefully completing a speech outline covering the essentials: WHO, WHY, WHAT and HOW.

Beginning to write without thinking your speech through is a bit like heading off on a journey not knowing why you're traveling or where you're going to end up. You can find yourself lost in a deep, dark, murky muddle of ideas very quickly!

Pulling together a speech overview or outline is a much safer option. It's the map you'll follow to get where you want to go.

Get a blank speech outline template to complete

Click the link to find out a whole lot more about preparing a speech outline . ☺ You'll also find a free printable blank speech outline template.  I recommend using it!

Understanding speech construction

Before you begin to write, using your completed outline as a guide, let's briefly look at what you're aiming to prepare.

• an opening or introduction
• the body where the bulk of the information is given
• and an ending (or summary).

Imagine your speech as a sandwich

If you think of a speech as a sandwich you'll get the idea.

The opening and ending are the slices of bread holding the filling (the major points or the body of your speech) together.

You can build yourself a simple sandwich with one filling (one big idea) or you could go gourmet and add up to three or, even five. The choice is yours.

But whatever you choose to serve, as a good cook, you need to consider who is going to eat it! And that's your audience.

So let's find out who they are before we do anything else. 

Step 2: Know who you are talking to

Understanding your audience.

Did you know a  good speech is never written from the speaker's point of view?  ( If you need to know more about why check out this page on  building rapport .)

Begin with the most important idea/point on your outline.

Consider HOW you can explain (show, tell) that to your audience in the most effective way for them to easily understand it.   

Writing from the audience's point of view

To help you write from an audience point of view, it's a good idea to identify either a real person or the type of person who is most likely to be listening to you.

Make sure you select someone who represents the "majority" of the people who will be in your audience. That is they are neither struggling to comprehend you at the bottom of your scale or light-years ahead at the top.

Now imagine they are sitting next to you eagerly waiting to hear what you're going to say. Give them a name, for example, Joe, to help make them real.

Ask yourself

• How do I need to tailor my information to meet Joe's needs? For example, do you tell personal stories to illustrate your main points? Absolutely! Yes. This is a very powerful technique. (Click storytelling in speeches to find out more.)
• What type or level of language is right for Joe as well as my topic? For example, if I use jargon (activity, industry or profession specific vocabulary) will it be understood?

Step 3: Writing as you speak

Writing oral language.

Write down what you want to say about your first main point as if you were talking directly to Joe.

If it helps, say it all out loud before you write it down and/or record it.

Use the information below as a guide

(Click to download The Characteristics of Spoken Language  as a pdf.) 

You do not have to write absolutely everything you're going to say down * but you do need to write down, or outline, the sequence of ideas to ensure they are logical and easily followed.

Remember too, to explain or illustrate your point with examples from your research. 

( * Tip: If this is your first speech the safety net of having everything written down could be just what you need. It's easier to recover from a patch of jitters when you have a word by word manuscript than if you have either none, or a bare outline. Your call!)

Step 4: Checking tone and language

The focus of this step is re-working what you've done in Step 2 and 3.

You identified who you were talking to (Step 2) and in Step 3, wrote up your first main point.  Is it right? Have you made yourself clear?  Check it.

How well you complete this step depends on how well you understand the needs of the people who are going to listen to your speech.

Please do not assume because you know what you're talking about the person (Joe) you've chosen to represent your audience will too. Joe is not a mind-reader!

How to check what you've prepared

• Check the "tone" of your language . Is it right for the occasion, subject matter and your audience?
• Check the length of your sentences. You need short sentences. If they're too long or complicated you risk losing your listeners.

Check for jargon too. These are industry, activity or group exclusive words.

For instance take the phrase: authentic learning . This comes from teaching and refers to connecting lessons to the daily life of students. Authentic learning is learning that is relevant and meaningful for students. If you're not a teacher you may not understand the phrase.

The use of any vocabulary requiring insider knowledge needs to be thought through from the audience perspective. Jargon can close people out.

• Read what you've written out loud. If it flows naturally, in a logical manner, continue the process with your next main idea. If it doesn't, rework.

We use whole sentences and part ones, and we mix them up with asides or appeals e.g. "Did you get that? Of course you did. Right...Let's move it along. I was saying ..."

Click for more about the differences between spoken and written language .

And now repeat the process

Repeat this process for the remainder of your main ideas.

Because you've done the first one carefully, the rest should follow fairly easily.

Step 5: Use transitions

Providing links or transitions between main ideas.

Between each of your main ideas you need to provide a bridge or pathway for your audience. The clearer the pathway or bridge, the easier it is for them to make the transition from one idea to the next.

If your speech contains more than three main ideas and each is building on the last, then consider using a "catch-up" or summary as part of your transitions.

Is your speech being evaluated? Find out exactly what aspects you're being assessed on using this standard speech evaluation form

Link/transition examples

A link can be as simple as:

"We've explored one scenario for the ending of Block Buster 111, but let's consider another. This time..."

What follows this transition is the introduction of Main Idea Two.

Here's a summarizing link/transition example:

"We've ended Blockbuster 111 four ways so far. In the first, everybody died. In the second, everybody died BUT their ghosts remained to haunt the area. In the third, one villain died. His partner reformed and after a fight-out with the hero, they both strode off into the sunset, friends forever. In the fourth, the hero dies in a major battle but is reborn sometime in the future.

And now what about one more? What if nobody died? The fifth possibility..."

Go back through your main ideas checking the links. Remember Joe as you go. Try each transition or link out loud and really listen to yourself. Is it obvious? Easily followed?

Keep them if they are clear and concise.

For more about transitions (with examples) see Andrew Dlugan's excellent article, Speech Transitions: Magical words and Phrases .

Step 6: The end of your speech

The ideal ending is highly memorable . You want it to live on in the minds of your listeners long after your speech is finished. Often it combines a call to action with a summary of major points.

Example speech endings

Example 1: The desired outcome of a speech persuading people to vote for you in an upcoming election is that they get out there on voting day and do so. You can help that outcome along by calling them to register their support by signing a prepared pledge statement as they leave.

"We're agreed we want change. You can help us give it to you by signing this pledge statement as you leave. Be part of the change you want to see!

Example 2: The desired outcome is increased sales figures. The call to action is made urgent with the introduction of time specific incentives.

"You have three weeks from the time you leave this hall to make that dream family holiday in New Zealand yours. Can you do it? Will you do it? The kids will love it. Your wife will love it. Do it now!"

How to figure out the right call to action

A clue for working out what the most appropriate call to action might be, is to go back to your original purpose for giving the speech.

• Was it to motivate or inspire?
• Was it to persuade to a particular point of view?
• Was it to share specialist information?
• Was it to celebrate a person, a place, time or event?

Ask yourself what you want people to do as a result of having listened to your speech.

For more about ending speeches

Visit this page for more about how to end a speech effectively . You'll find two additional types of speech endings with examples.

Write and test

Write your ending and test it out loud. Try it out on a friend, or two. Is it good? Does it work?

Step 7: The introduction

Once you've got the filling (main ideas) the linking and the ending in place, it's time to focus on the introduction.

The introduction comes last as it's the most important part of your speech. This is the bit that either has people sitting up alert or slumped and waiting for you to end. It's the tone setter!

What makes a great speech opening?

Ideally you want an opening that makes listening to you the only thing the 'Joes' in the audience want to do.

You want them to forget they're hungry or that their chair is hard or that their bills need paying.

The way to do that is to capture their interest straight away. You do this with a "hook".

Hooks to catch your audience's attention

Hooks come in as many forms as there are speeches and audiences. Your task is work out what specific hook is needed to catch your audience.

Go back to the purpose. Why are you giving this speech?

Once you have your answer, consider your call to action. What do you want the audience to do, and, or take away, as a result of listening to you?

Next think about the imaginary or real person you wrote for when you were focusing on your main ideas.

Choosing the best hook

• Is it humor?
• Would shock tactics work?
• Is it a rhetorical question?
• Is it formality or informality?
• Is it an outline or overview of what you're going to cover, including the call to action?
• Or is it a mix of all these elements?

A hook example

Here's an example from a fictional political speech. The speaker is lobbying for votes. His audience are predominately workers whose future's are not secure.

"How's your imagination this morning? Good? (Pause for response from audience) Great, I'm glad. Because we're going to put it to work starting right now.

I want you to see your future. What does it look like? Are you happy? Is everything as you want it to be? No? Let's change that. We could do it. And we could do it today.

At the end of this speech you're going to be given the opportunity to change your world, for a better one ...

No, I'm not a magician. Or a simpleton with big ideas and precious little commonsense. I'm an ordinary man, just like you. And I have a plan to share!"

And then our speaker is off into his main points supported by examples. The end, which he has already foreshadowed in his opening, is the call to vote for him.

Prepare several hooks

Experiment with several openings until you've found the one that serves your audience, your subject matter and your purpose best.

For many more examples of speech openings go to: how to write a speech introduction . You'll find 12 of the very best ways to start a speech.

That completes the initial seven steps towards writing your speech. If you've followed them all the way through, congratulations, you now have the text of your speech!

Although you might have the words, you're still a couple of steps away from being ready to deliver them. Both of them are essential if you want the very best outcome possible. They are below. Please take them.

Step 8: Checking content and timing

This step pulls everything together.

Check once, check twice, check three times & then once more!

Go through your speech really carefully.

On the first read through check you've got your main points in their correct order with supporting material, plus an effective introduction and ending.

On the second read through check the linking passages or transitions making sure they are clear and easily followed.

On the third reading check your sentence structure, language use and tone.

Double, triple check the timing

Now go though once more.

This time read it aloud slowly and time yourself.

If it's too long for the time allowance you've been given make the necessary cuts.

Start by looking at your examples rather than the main ideas themselves. If you've used several examples to illustrate one principal idea, cut the least important out.

Also look to see if you've repeated yourself unnecessarily or, gone off track. If it's not relevant, cut it.

Repeat the process, condensing until your speech fits the required length, preferably coming in just under your time limit.

You can also find out how approximately long it will take you to say the words you have by using this very handy words to minutes converter . It's an excellent tool, one I frequently use. While it can't give you a precise time, it does provide a reasonable estimate.

Step 9: Rehearsing your speech

And NOW you are finished with writing the speech, and are ready for REHEARSAL .

Please don't be tempted to skip this step. It is not an extra thrown in for good measure. It's essential.

The "not-so-secret" secret of successful speeches combines good writing with practice, practice and then, practicing some more.

Go to how to practice public speaking and you'll find rehearsal techniques and suggestions to boost your speech delivery from ordinary to extraordinary.

The Quick How to Write a Speech Checklist

Before you begin writing you need:.

• Your speech OUTLINE with your main ideas ranked in the order you're going to present them. (If you haven't done one complete this 4 step sample speech outline . It will make the writing process much easier.)
• Your RESEARCH
• You also need to know WHO you're speaking to, the PURPOSE of the speech and HOW long you're speaking for

The basic format

• the body where you present your main ideas

Split your time allowance so that you spend approximately 70% on the body and 15% each on the introduction and ending.

How to write the speech

• Write your main ideas out incorporating your examples and research
• Link them together making sure each flows in a smooth, logical progression
• Write your ending, summarizing your main ideas briefly and end with a call for action
• Write your introduction considering the 'hook' you're going to use to get your audience listening
• An often quoted saying to explain the process is: Tell them what you're going to tell them (Introduction) Tell them (Body of your speech - the main ideas plus examples) Tell them what you told them (The ending)

TEST before presenting. Read aloud several times to check the flow of material, the suitability of language and the timing.

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How to Craft a Masterful Outline of Speech

Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

I’m sure you have all seen at least one captivating Ted Talk online. One thing you probably noticed is how smoothly it went. I can assure you that every public speaker has done their homework and put together an outline of speech before presenting it in front of an audience. This wouldn’t be possible without some preparation beforehand.

An outline done right can do wonders for organizing your speech, and public speaking teachers often stress the importance of this organization tool. A rough outline can help you come up with more main points and sub-points for your arguments. It will help you brainstorm ideas. Some people use index cards with keywords or brief phrases from their speech outline to help them accurately deliver their speech.

The outline functions as a visual aid, too. Some people with photographic memory can use the outline as supporting material and ensure they do not forget crucial elements of their speech. Logically ordering your speech points can also smoothen your speechwriting process.

The speech outline is one of the most critical elements to have. Simply put, it has two main functions: it’s a point of reference and an organizational tool. Our guide will help you understand how an outline is used, the structure of an outline, and the different types, so you can create the most helpful outline for you.

In this article:

Preparation Outline

Speaking outline, the big picture, type of speech, call to action, speech outline structure, coordination, parallelism, transitions, speech outline types.

The preparation outline is your first draft. It includes the bare bones of your speech, and it’s often referred to as a working/rough/practice outline. You will write the main points of your speech, the supporting points, organized logically, and the other various components, such as attention getter and so on (we expand on the parts of a speech outline further in the article).

The preparation outline is used to help put your thoughts on paper and arrange your material. It is also the place where you should pay attention to your arguments. Are they convincing or lacking evidence? You might need to rearrange some parts to make your speech flows better. Don’t be afraid of removing parts of your preparation outline if they don’t make sense.

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The preparation outline is then transformed into a speaking outline. Even though your preparation outline should include full sentences, don’t forget your it is not an essay. Try not to get carried away with writing, and use it to get your textual arguments in order.

The speaking outline is your reference point. Unlike the preparation outline, this one is more concise includes keywords to serve as quick reminders during your speech. These short phrases should briefly encapsulate your main points, conclusion, introduction, and an attention grabber. Unlike the first outline, which uses long sentences and breakdowns of your textual arguments, the speaking outline could easily fit on cue cards and help prepare for your speech.

You shouldn’t solely rely on index cards, however, as you may come across as unprepared in the eyes of the audience. Most speakers use them to prepare for their speech and simply refer to them when they get stuck. Make sure to check the instructor’s requirements to see if you’re allowed index cards during your speech.

Things to Consider Before Outlining Your Speech

Before you get into arranging your outline, it’s essential to think about the big picture. Before you begin, consider three things: think about the speaker, the subject, and the audience. Here is more detail about each element:

Speaker – Why are you discussing the topic at hand? Why does this subject matter to you? Do you have any significant insights on the topic? Do you have any expertise or qualifications that can help convince the audience of the legitimacy of your words?

Subject – Are you covering a controversial topic? How do you think your audience will react to it? Are you going to make some interesting points? Try to predict the audience’s reaction s you can be more prepared for your speech.

Audience – What do you know about your audience? Are they all from a particular age group? Are they qualified in the same area you are? Are they familiar with your work? Has the audience paid to listen to your speech?

Try to take a step back and look at the big picture. You might find some exciting takeaways when doing that.

Think about the purpose of your speech. Are you there to convince the audience to do something? Or is your goal to inform the audience of some less-known facts? Generally speaking, there are two common categories of speech, and yours most likely falls under one of them:

Informative speech – the primary purpose of the informative speech is to educate the audience on a subject. The goal is to have the audience learn something and leave your speech with a better understanding of a specific subject. We have an in-depth article about informative speech outline with examples here .

Persuasive speech – a persuasive speech aims to convince the audience to do something or change their opinion on a topic. It is similar to a sales pitch and combines credibility, logic, and emotion to help convince the listener. We have in-depth article about persuasive speech outline here .

Before you start outlining your speech, make sure you have chosen your preferred type, as the outlines vary depending on your speech category.

The title is highly underestimated when making a speech outline. Logically we think that we don’t need one. Since we are more or less presenting the speech verbatim, we are not exactly going to stand in front of an audience quoting our speech title. But we might still need one. A title helps summarize your main goal. It holds the central idea behind your speech. You will have no trouble writing a title once you are sure what message you are trying to deliver.

What is the central idea of your speech? Is there e certain question you are aiming to answer? Determine the essential message behind your speech. Try to sum it up in a single sentence. Try to explain your message simply, without overcomplicating it.

Use your central message as a reference point throughout your speech. When you get stuck, write up your main points and supporting arguments, and always ask yourself, do they support the key message? If not, they might be redundant.

In order to make a captivating speech and maintain the audience’s attention, you need to think about the relevance of your message. You should always put the audience first, so now that you have your key message prepared, list the reasons why the audience should care about your message. Is it relevant to them somehow?

Think of at least one reason why the speech should matter to your audience. For example, if you’re writing a persuasive speech about texting and driving, the audience would find it relevant because it concerns their safety. If you can’t think of a relevant reason why the listeners should care about your speech, reconsider your message.

You have probably heard about hooks before when you used this technique to begin your essays. The hook is the attention-getter, and it is paramount to your speech. It’s the first sentence your audience will hear and usually determines whether or not your audience would listen to the rest of your speech. There are many clever ways to start your talk and ensure you’re being heard:

• Ask the audience a rhetorical question.
• Start with a joke.
• Tell a short personal story.
• Recite a quote.
• Prompt the audience members to do something.

Speaking of encouraging the audience to do something, this brings us to our next point.

When presenting a persuasive speech, you’ll most likely need a call to action. The most convincing speeches prompt the audience to make some kind of action. You can ask them to raise a hand if they have done something (drink more than 5 cups of coffee a day). Alternatively, you can ask them to scan a QR code to reveal some useful information on the topic at hand. These small steps will move the audience in the right direction.

Now that you have prepared thoroughly, you can formulate your speech outline. Get familiar with the main points of your speech. You can find examples and references below, explaining each topic. Remember that all the various elements of your speech will make an organizational pattern supporting your central thesis (key message). An organized speech has main points, typically between 2 and 5, and any supporting material is put in your outline as a sub-point.

A Roman numeral numbers every main point, while subpoints are listed with capital letters. The hierarchal order that follows is Arabic numerals and, finally, lowercase letters. For further subordination, speak to your tutor or the person in charge of your public speaking project.

Here is the basic speech outline, including an introduction, body, and conclusion. For planning purposes, each section is explained to understand the textual arrangements best. Examples are given later in the text.

Every basic speech outline includes an introduction. This is your speech opening, and it needs to be robust and captivating. It is critical to prepare a compelling introduction. An introduction has 3-5 parts, depending on the length of your speech.

• Attention getter – Capture the audience’s attention.
• Thesis statement – Your key message is introduced here with a couple of short sentences.
• Motivation – Explain how this speech will be relevant to the audience
• Qualifications – Explain to the audience why you are qualified to discuss this topic
• Transition – Smoothly transition the audience to the next part of your speech

The body is an integral part of any basic speech. Here you can develop your thesis in detail. The body holds the bulk of the information you will be presenting in front of an audience. It is important to do plenty of research on your speech topic. Gather content you might need during your talk. are you going to need any visual aids? Perhaps make some charts of your statistics. Or, if you’re going for a humorous approach, some memes on the topic can get the audience laughing and hungry to hear more on the topic. Aim for a sheet full of ideas. It’s worth noting that too much information doesn’t mean better speech. Once you have gathered all your engaging material, subtract some supporting material that you feel isn’t genuinely helping your presentation. You shouldn’t try to talk about everything. Instead, choose what is most important and focus on making it relevant and believable by adding sub-points:

• First subpoint (Give some support to the reason above)
• Sufficiently supported statements (Provide more factual arguments to support the above statements)
• Sufficiently supported statements
• Second subpoint (Structured like the one above, with its supporting point listed below)
• Sufficiently supported statements (…)
• More points, following the above guidelines
• Transitional statement
• First subpoint (Supporting the main point)
• Continue organizing your outline this way.
• First subpoint (supporting the main point)
• Continue your outline as shown above.

The grand finale of your speech is where you must tie together all previous elements in a clear and solid point.

• Summary – Here, all your main ideas and points will connect together and formulate a convincing conclusion. You can provide short examples of why the listeners should agree with your proposed thesis:
• Call to action – give the audience members a suggestion, something they can do to support what they have learned. Or instead, think of a unique or memorable ending to your speech.
• Closure – Bring the speech to an end by thanking the audience for their time.
• Bibliography – in some cases, you might get asked for your bibliography of references. If you’re using many statements, quotes, or statistics from various sources, remember to collect them throughout your research.

Let’s help you visualize these instructions and see how these elements correspond by looking at an example.

Topic: Hypoalergenic Cats

Specific Purpose: To debunk the myth of hypoallergenic cats.

Thesis: Despite there being breeds of cats known as “hypoallergenic”, no cat breed is guaranteed to relieve you of your allergy symptoms.

Preview: I will talk about the misconceptions behind cat allergies and explain how they work.

Here is an example of the structure of a Body:

• People are allergic to a protein called FEL D1.
• The protein is contained in the cat’s saliva.
• The saliva is being transferred to the cat’s fur during their cleaning process.
• This fur is spread around your house in the form of dander.
• People are not allergic to a cat’s fur, just the protein.
• This means you could be allergic to some cats, not all of them.
• Get a check-up and find out if there are any medications you can take to ease your allergy symptoms.
• Vacuum regularly around your house to reduce cat hair and dander spreading.
• Swap your drapes with blinds and carpets with hardwood floors. That way, less fur will stick to your furniture.
• Buy HEPA air filters for every room.
• Clean out their litterbox more often.
• No cat is hypoallergenic.
• All cats make the protein FEL D1.
• Some breeds are known to produce less FEL D1, but there is no guarantee you won’t be allergic to them.
• Even the “naked” cat breeds such as Sphynx, Donskoy, Bambino, etc., produce FEL D1.
• Buying “hypoallergenic cats” only creates a bigger rehoming problem.
• Many cat breeders like to use the myth of hypoallergenic cats to sell expensive cat breeds.
• Once people realize the cat isn’t hypoallergenic, they can no longer keep it.
• The cat is either thrown out, put in a shelter, or resold, creating tons of stress for the animal or potentially resulting in its death.

Now that you know the structure of a speech, you are almost ready to start writing it. By all means, if this has inspired you, grab a sheet of paper and write down the ideas that come to mind. But before you start putting your outline on paper, double-check you are familiar with the rules of outlining a speech.

Rules in Outlining

Speech outlines follow a specific set of rules. Going by these rules will only help you polish the particular details that make your speech stand out. To double-check that your speech makes sense, go through your outline and give it another read to check for coherence. Here are some characteristics you should pay attention to:

Think of your outline as a staircase – your final draft should have subordinate points diagonally placed beneath your main points. They should all interlink and reference one another.

Looking at the example from the section above, points A. and B. explain what determines a cat allergy and what doesn’t. Points 1-3 give information on why the protein affects people and debunks the myth that people are allergic to cat hair . Points 1-3 are called subordination of point, just like  A., B., and C. are to main point III. Your overall organizational pattern should not only include Roman numerals, points, and thesis statements. It should be cohesive and coordinated. 

Another important part of speech writing is parallelism. It is the concept of beginning sentences similarly whenever possible, using similar grammar. Pay attention to our example once again. Note section II and the subordinate points of main point B. – all points start with a verb: “Get,” “Vacuum”, “Swap,” “Clean.” This type of structure adds clarity to your speaking and shows you have really paid attention to your full-sentence outline. Don’t worry about sounding boring – parallelism helps you sound acute!

Another essential part of your speech outline is division. The concept is simple – when you’re trying to make one point, you should also try to expand it. If your point is convincing enough, it will have plenty of meaningful information that you can lengthen in sections A. and B. Similarly. You can use a supporting point for sub-points A. and B. to help expand them, and so on. Remember you’re doing this only to support your main thesis statement. If your sub-points aren’t doing that, you might be waffling on and confusing your audience.

A clever way to connect your main points is by using transitional statements. In most cases, speakers use these sentences to glue together two distinctive (yet connected) ideas. That way, the audience is prepared that something else is being discussed. You have used transitional sentences in essay writing. Maybe these words will ring a bell: “next”, “also”, “moreover”, “firstly”. These words and phrases will greatly improve your writing skills and, eventually, your entire speech.

There is another way you can integrate a transition into your speech – by using non-verbal transitions. Adding brief pauses or moving around the stage grabs the audience’s attention and helps them understand some other concept is being introduced. Most extemporaneous speakers take it to another level by stepping out of the podium or raising or lowering their voice rate. These can all be signals to your audience that a transition is taking place.

A third way to include transitions into your speech outline is to make internal summaries. To write an internal summary, summarize what has already been said in a brief sentence or two. For example:

So far, we have explored why n cat can be hypoallergenic. But does that mean you can be less allergic to some cats?

We have hinted at the next point in our speech with this question. We could also use  a summary to build on an issue we are currently expanding:

Now that you understand how cat allergies work, let’s see if there is a way to share your life with a cat despite being allergic.

How to Write an Outline for a Persuasive Speech, with Examples

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The Anatomy of a Powerful Speech: Mastering the Art of Speech Structure

“If a speech is like a sandwich, then the speech structure is the bread. Without it, you’ve just got a messy pile of ingredients.” — Anonymous 😁

Have you ever wondered why some speeches leave a lasting impact while others fade into oblivion? The answer often lies in their speech structure. A well-structured speech isn’t just about organizing words; it’s about creating an experience that resonates with your audience long after the applause has ended.

Let me give you an example. Think of a speech like a house: a solid foundation is essential, but it’s the architecture that makes it stand out. Similarly, a great speech needs more than just a good topic; it needs a captivating structure to bring your ideas to life. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll discuss the anatomy of a powerful speech structure, exploring the essential components, techniques, and tips that will elevate your public speaking game.

What Makes a Speech Structure Successful?

A well-structured speech is like a trusty map that leads you and your audience on an unforgettable adventure. It’s the backbone of your message, making it clear, easy to follow, and impactful. Let’s dive into how a great speech structure works its magic:

Grabbing Audience Attention From the Begining

A great first impression can work wonders you never imagined. Speech opening is your opportunity to make a great first impression. Think of your speech opening like a movie trailer – it needs to be exciting and leave your audience wanting more. For example, You can do the following things:

• Share a surprising fact: “Did you know that the average person spends about 30% of their waking hours daydreaming?”
• Tell a short, captivating story: “Imagine you’re walking through a dark forest…”
• Ask a thought-provoking question: “Have you ever wondered what it takes to change the world?”

Building Excitement with Every Step

As you move through your speech, give your audience clear signposts and smooth transitions. It’s like putting up road signs so they know exactly where you’re going and what to expect next. You can use Phrases like “Now that we’ve explored…, let’s move on to…” or “Here’s the exciting part…” to keep them hooked.

Making Your Message Easy to Digest

You wouldn’t want to get lost on your adventure, right? The same goes for your audience. Present your ideas in a logical order, using simple language everyone can understand.

For example, start with the basics and gradually introduce more complex concepts. You can even compare your topic to something familiar to make it more relatable. We all can agree that none of us liked the boring lectures that we had to listen to when we were at our schools.

Touching Their Hearts and Minds

I always use this tip for my speeches. A great speech isn’t just about facts – it’s about connecting with your audience on an emotional level.

Tell stories that tug at their heartstrings or use persuasive techniques to get them fired up about your message. Think about what matters to them and tailor your words to resonate with their values.

Leaving Them with Something to Remember

Just like the end of a fantastic trip, your conclusion should be memorable. Summarize your key points and give your audience something to take away. It could be a call to action, a final thought-provoking question, or a powerful quote that sums up your message.

If you use above mentioned tips in your structure, your final speech will be amazing and memorable to anyone who listens.

Speech structure is more than just a list of points – it’s the glue that holds everything together. By crafting a well-organized and engaging speech, you’ll captivate your audience and leave a lasting impression.

Three Essential Components of a Speech Structure

Now that you understand why a clear speech structure is crucial, let’s break down the three essential parts of a well-crafted speech . Just like a house needs a strong foundation, walls, and a roof, your speech needs these key elements to stand tall:

The Introduction: Your Grand Entrance

Imagine stepping onto a stage with a spotlight on you. Your introduction is that moment—your chance to capture everyone’s attention and make them excited to hear what you have to say. Here’s how to make a killer first impression:

• Attention Grabber: A question, a quote, a surprising fact, or a personal anecdote.
• Introduction of Topic: Clearly state your subject and why it matters.
• Thesis Statement: Briefly summarize your main points or argument.

Remember, your introduction sets the tone for the entire speech. Make it count!

To know how you can use speech opening for your benefit, read our full guide on “ HOW TO CRAFT A SPEECH OPENING “.

The Body: The Heart of Your Message

Now that you have their attention, it’s time to share your message. The body of your speech is where you’ll present your main points, evidence, and arguments. But how do you make sure your audience doesn’t get lost in a sea of information? Here is a formula to follow,

• Main Point 1: Introduce your first major idea, supporting it with evidence, examples, and stories.
• Main Point 2: Transition smoothly to your second key point, following the same pattern of explanation and support.
• Main Point 3 (Optional): If necessary, include a third main point.

The Conclusion: Your Lasting Impression

As you approach the end of your speech, think of it as your final bow. Your conclusion is your chance to summarize your key points, reinforce your message, and leave a lasting impression on your audience. Here’s how to wrap things up with a big bang:

• Summary of Main Points: Reiterate your key messages to reinforce their impact.
• Call to Action: Encourage your audience to think, feel, or do something as a result of your speech.
• Closing Statement: Leave your audience with a memorable final thought.

Putting It All Together

Think of your speech structure as a journey you take with your audience. The introduction is your starting point, the body is the exciting middle part, and the conclusion is your destination. By carefully crafting each component, you’ll guide your listeners on an unforgettable adventure, leaving them informed, inspired, and eager to hear more.

So, are you ready to build your next speech? With a solid speech structure, you’ll be well on your way to delivering a message that resonates with your audience and leaves a lasting impact.

Advanced Techniques for Building a Great Speech Structure

Now that you’ve got the building blocks of a great speech structure, let’s explore some ninja techniques to take your speeches to the next level:

The Rule of Three:

Think of it like a magic number. People tend to remember things in groups of three. So, when you’re sharing your main ideas, try to have three of them. When you’re telling a story, see if you can break it into three parts. When you’re providing evidence, give three examples. This repetition makes your ideas stickier and easier to remember.

Problem-Solution-Benefit:

This one is super useful when you’re trying to convince people of something. First, you clearly define the problem. Then, you swoop in with your awesome solution. Finally, you show your audience how this solution will make their lives better. It’s like a superhero story but for ideas!

The Narrative Arc:

Everyone loves a good story, right? Well, guess what? You can use storytelling in your speeches too! Weave a story throughout your talk to keep your audience hooked. It could be a personal experience, a historical event, or even a fictional tale. The key is to make it relevant to your message and to use it to build an emotional connection with your listeners.

The Power of Contrast:

Imagine a black-and-white photo. It might be interesting, but it doesn’t pop, does it? Now imagine that same photo with a splash of color. Suddenly, it becomes more eye-catching. You can use the same principle in your speeches by contrasting two opposite ideas, statistics, or examples. This creates a memorable impact and helps your message stand out.

The Rhetorical Question:

Ever heard someone say, “Who doesn’t love pizza?” They’re not expecting an answer, are they? That’s a rhetorical question , and it’s a great way to make your audience think. By posing a question that has an obvious answer (or no answer at all), you can get your audience on your side and engaged with your topic.

Parallelism:

This one is like creating a catchy beat in a song. You use similar sentence structures or phrases to emphasize your points and make your speech sound more rhythmic. It’s a subtle technique, but it can have a big impact on how your speech flows.

Remember, these are just a few advanced techniques you can use. The key is to experiment, have fun, and find what works best for you and your audience. With practice, you’ll be able to deliver speeches that are not only informative but also entertaining and unforgettable.

Watch this video to get additional insights on how to structure a speech.

Example Speech Structure on Climate Change

This is a sample speech structure that you can use for your speeches. Feel free to use it as necessary.

Grab your audience’s attention with a question: “Have you ever noticed how our weather seems a little… off?”, or paint a picture with something like this, “Imagine a world where summers are scorching hot, winters barely cold, and storms are stronger than ever. This isn’t a distant future; it’s happening now, and it’s called climate change.”

Share a personal experience of extreme weather or a story about how climate change is affecting people and animals around the world. Then, explain what climate change is and why it’s important to understand it.

Your speech will have three main parts, each building on the last:

• The Science Behind Climate Change: First, you need to explain how climate change works. Think of it like a greenhouse for the entire planet. The Earth’s atmosphere traps heat from the sun, which is good because it keeps us warm. But when we burn too many fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and gas), we release extra greenhouse gases into the air. These gases act like a thicker blanket, trapping even more heat and causing the Earth to warm up.
• Why It Matters: Next, talk about how climate change affects us. Imagine rising sea levels flooding coastal cities, stronger storms destroying homes, and droughts making it hard to grow food. This is the reality we face if we don’t act soon. Tell a story about a community dealing with these impacts, or share a few facts about the ways climate change is affecting the world today.
• What We Can Do: Finally, end on a hopeful note by talking about solutions. We can use renewable energy sources like solar and wind power. We can drive less and walk or bike more. We can even change the way we eat by choosing more plant-based foods. Share examples of what governments, businesses, and individuals are doing to fight climate change. Remember, everyone has a role to play!

Conclusion:

In your conclusion, briefly summarize what you’ve covered. Then, leave your audience with a powerful call to action. What can they do to make a difference? Encourage them to learn more, spread the word, and take steps to reduce their carbon footprint. Remind them that even small actions can add up to make a big difference.

End with a positive vision for the future, a world where we’ve tackled climate change and created a healthier, more sustainable planet for everyone.

Remember: Keep your language simple and relatable, and use visual aids (like photos or graphs) to make your points clearer. Most importantly, speak with passion and conviction! Your enthusiasm will be contagious.

Final thoughts

So, what have we learned? A strong speech structure is like a sturdy backbone – it supports your ideas and helps them stand tall. It’s your secret weapon for grabbing your audience’s attention from the very first word, keeping them engaged throughout, and leaving them with a lasting impression.

Remember, your opening is like a fishing hook – it needs to be sharp and enticing to reel in your listeners. Your body, packed with well-organized main points and supporting evidence, is the meat of your message. It’s where you deliver the information, share the stories, and make your case. And finally, your conclusion is the cherry on top – it’s your last chance to summarize your key points, inspire action, and leave your audience wanting more.

So, are you ready to take your speeches to the next level? Grab that speech structure template, start experimenting with the advanced techniques we’ve discussed, and don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through. With practice and a little creativity, you’ll soon be delivering speeches that not only inform, but also captivate, inspire, and leave a lasting impact on your audience. Remember, the power of your words is limitless – use it wisely.

Free Speech Structure Template

How to write a speech outline and up your presentation game

Reading time: about 8 min

One reason people find public speaking daunting is they don’t have a simple method to sort their ideas, which can leave them feeling unprepared for the task ahead. Rather than being excited about what they have put together, they think, “Agh, that’ll have to do. I’m out of time.” This feeling, in turn, can have a negative impact on physical and mental energy levels during your talk. If you don’t feel confident, you won’t sound confident, and you’re not likely to impress your audience. If you go in confidently, the audience will be more willing to accept your ideas.

Whether you’re pitching a business idea or delivering a heartfelt wedding speech, you need to consider the perspective of your audience, identify your key message, and decide on the best way to engage your audience from start to finish.

Let’s take a look at how a speech outline works and how you can use Lucidchart to make your own.

Ready to jump right into a speech outline template?

Register for lucidchart to get started., what is a speech outline.

A persuasive speech outline gives you a map of the key ideas of your speech. First, it should ask you to consider your audience’s perspective and the key message you want them to remember from your talk. Then, it should guide you in creating a clear, organized structure for your presentation.

The Vivid Speech Outline in Lucidchart does both. It’s built on neuroscience, which shows that you can avoid anxiety and improve brain performance dramatically when you do the following:

Get information out of our heads and create a simple framework on the page: Humans have a strict limit to the amount of information that they can hold and consider in their mind at any one time. An outline lets your brain focus on one step at a time rather than becoming overwhelmed.

Prioritize, compare, and think deeply during the outline stage, not when overwhelmed by details: The prefrontal cortex, the clarification part of the brain, requires a lot of energy to function. An outline keeps you focused and avoids you hitting “the wall.”

See the relationship between ideas visually: It’s hard to think of new ideas if they don’t connect to existing ideas in some way.

Lucidchart’s Vivid Speech Outline template

Lucidchart has created a template based on Cam’s Vivid Speech Outline to help demystify and speed up the speech writing process.

The Vivid Speech Outline template demonstrates how to write a speech outline through the refinement of two parts: your overall message statement, which is the main point of your presentation, and your chunk structure, which acts as the body and building blocks of your speech. Clarifying your message statement first helps to focus your thinking when you structure your ideas.

Step 1: Message statement

The first page of the speech outline is where you define your transferable message. The message statement page asks three important questions:

• Who are you speaking to? You need to look into the mind of your listeners. What’s their job role, their biases, and their wants and concerns? If you don’t understand your audience’s perspective, you won’t be able to get through to them, no matter how important your ideas may be.  
• What do you want them to think or do? Do you want them to think something, e.g., “This project will succeed” or “Learning this method will make you better at your job”? Or do you want them to do something, like sign the contract or try the product?  
• Why would they think or do what you suggest?  Why should your audience sign the contract, try out the product, or believe that the project will succeed? List the reasons, arguments, examples, evidence, etc. (focused on what you know about your audience).

By combining the answers to questions two and three, you will have a draft of your message statement, which you will then transfer to the second page and use as your speech’s conclusion.

Pro tip: The best way to know if this message statement truly encapsulates your point is to test it. Imagine you are finishing your presentation. Think of your imaginary audience and say your message statement out loud. Does it bring your idea to life? Is this the one key message you want your listeners to recall? If not, repeat the process until your message statement feels complete.

Step 2: Chunk structure

The second page of the template gives you a one-page summary of your entire speech or presentation in brief, narrow pieces called chunks. This allows you to separate the world’s overwhelming details into categories, sections, paragraphs, segments, etc., and think more clearly.

The foundation of your one-page chunk structure is as follows:

1. Presentation title

Create a simple yet captivating title to capture attention and set expectations.

2. Two to four chunks

Make your speech easily digestible by segmenting it into chunks. Depending on what the situation calls for, you can choose two to four chunks or main ideas. You could choose as many segments as you like, but if you include more than four, your talk will start to seem complicated. When announcing the overview of your speech, every audience will be pleased to hear that your talk requires only two, three, or four main ideas to follow.

Inside each main idea or chunk, be sure to include:

A chunk heading: This heading simply states the issue to be discussed.

Details: List the examples, evidence, stories, charts or whatever details that help bring a key point to life beneath the chunk headings.

The key point: People forget most of what they hear, which is why you should state the key point at the end of each chunk. Even if your listeners won’t remember all the details, you hope they will remember the main point for each particular chunk.

For the conclusion, simply transfer over your message statement from the first page. Although you may want to re-test the message statement (from the first page) to see how it flows with the new details you’ve added to your speech outline, you’ve already written your big finish.

Pro tip: Now that you have a completed chunk structure, you can practice your speech from start to finish in less than a minute. Because you have a one-page map of all your important points for this talk in the chunk structure, you can test your message and structure––the yellow shapes (the title, optional introduction, chunk headings, key points, and message statement)––out loud. Most of the time, you won’t need to learn every word of your speech by heart. You just need to make sure you’re clear on the message and structure.

Benefits of the Vivid Speech Outline

The Vivid Speech Outline creates an environment for natural confidence and impact. By creating a persuasive speech outline, you can:

• Save time and effort by identifying your message and key points as the first step in the writing process.
• Be more efficient and minimize the mental load by splitting up the outlining and structuring of your speech.
• Reduce uncertainty and anxiety early in your preparation by considering the tough questions your audience might ask, sticking to the process, and testing the flow your talk.

Use the Vivid Speech Outline to take advantage of these benefits and get a competitive edge.

Using Lucidchart’s Vivid Speech Outline template to create your own presentation

Lucidchart’s template shows you how to write a speech outline that eloquently communicates your innovative message and engages your audience.

Use the Vivid Speech Outline custom shapes to quickly build your message statement and chunk structure pages. Simply drag and drop the custom shapes from the shape repository (or any shape in the toolbox) on the canvas, and fill in the details, chunk headings, or message statement. As you line up your points and supporting details, you’re more likely to notice if some of your ideas don’t quite fit. To make a change, drag and rearrange the shapes any way you want without losing any of the work you’ve already done. As mentioned above, key shapes for the Vivid Speech Outline are also colored to make it easier for you to practice your main ideas.

Lucidchart’s integration with Google Slides makes it easy to export your chunk structure to a slideshow presentation. Preview, edit, and rearrange the already created slides by clicking on the “Slides” icon in the dock to the right of the canvas, and then, with one click, send your finalized chunk structure to Google Slides. You can also select the “Present” option for a quick slide presentation within Lucidchart.

Creating your speech outline in Lucidchart means you also have access to all its sharing and collaboration features. Whether you want to have someone review your speech or you need to work on a presentation as a team, you can email access links to others, invite them to view, comment on, or edit the document, or chat with those with whom you’ve shared the document. Once given access to your document, your whole team can work on it and see each other’s changes in real time.

The beauty of this speech outline is in its simplicity and flexibility. With the help of Lucidchart, you can quickly structure a persuasive speech outline that works for any situation.

About Lucidchart

Lucidchart, a cloud-based intelligent diagramming application, is a core component of Lucid Software's Visual Collaboration Suite. This intuitive, cloud-based solution empowers teams to collaborate in real-time to build flowcharts, mockups, UML diagrams, customer journey maps, and more. Lucidchart propels teams forward to build the future faster. Lucid is proud to serve top businesses around the world, including customers such as Google, GE, and NBC Universal, and 99% of the Fortune 500. Lucid partners with industry leaders, including Google, Atlassian, and Microsoft. Since its founding, Lucid has received numerous awards for its products, business, and workplace culture. For more information, visit lucidchart.com.

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