Chapter 17 Primary method of using material to support lecture points

In a long speech to get action, there may be multiple points, but as few as possible, and each point must be supported by material.These materials can make your speech sparkle and interesting. In a long speech to get action there may be multiple points, but as few as possible, we discussed a way to support the point of the speech, with a story, or from the experience of their own life, to make the audience do What the speaker wants them to do.This type of example is popular because it appeals to a fundamental tendency of the human heart, that "everyone loves a story."Incident or accident is the most common example used by general speakers, but it is not the only way that a point can be supported.In addition, you can also use statistics, diagrams summarized in a scientific manner, expert testimony, analogies, demonstrations or proofs, and so on.

Statistics are used to show the results of statistical calculations of a situation. They can be impressive and persuasive, especially with evidentiary utility, which isolated instances cannot.Shaq's polio vaccine was considered effective, based on statistics from across the country.Individual failures are the exception, and arguments based on such an exception cannot convince parents that the Shaq vaccine does not protect their children. But numbers themselves are boring, so they should be used judiciously and judiciously, and when they are used, they should be clothed with language and vivid.

Here is an example of how comparing statistics with familiar things can have the effect of strengthening impressions.One executive thought New Yorkers were too lazy and lost a lot of time by not answering the phone right away.In support of his argument, he said: "Seven out of every 100 calls show a delay of more than a minute before the answerer picks up the handset. A total of 280,000 minutes are lost each day in this manner. If six months, the delay in New York is Almost equal to all the hours of business since Columbus discovered America." Merely presenting figures, quantities by themselves, do not leave much impression, they must be supplemented by examples.They must be told, if possible, with the addition of our own experience.I remember listening to a tour guide's explanation in the large power generation room under the dam reservoir.He could have given us a figure for the size of the room, but that would be far less convincing than the method he used.He told us that the room was large enough to accommodate ten thousand people watching a football game on a standard pitch, with room on each side for several tennis courts.

Years ago, a student in my speech class at the Young Christian Association in Mid Brooklyn gave a speech about the number of homes that had been destroyed by fire in the last year.To illustrate further, if these burned buildings were lined up side by side, they could go from New York to Chicago.Moreover, if the people who died in the fire were placed every 0.5 kilometers, this miserable long line could be discharged from Chicago back to Brooklyn. I can barely remember the numbers he cites, but after all these years, I still have lingering horror at the sight of the long line of burning buildings stretching all the way from Manhattan to Cook County, Illinois.

The use of expert testimony in speeches is also often effective in supporting one's own arguments.But before using it, it is best to try to answer a few test questions: a.Are the quotes to be used accurate? b.Does it come from within the expert's area of ​​expertise? c.Is the subject of the quote well known and respected by the audience? d.Are the quotes definitely based on first-hand information rather than personal interest or bias? Years ago, one of my mentees at the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce began by citing Andrew Carnegie when he spoke about the need for specialization.Was his choice wise?He was respected by his audience because his quotes were accurate and the people he quoted were qualified to talk about what it takes to be successful in business.This famous quote from him is still worth repeating:

"I believe that the path to success in any field is to make yourself an expert in that field. I don't believe in strategies for spreading your talents, and in my experience I rarely, if ever I meet people who are distracted in many ways and still become a master at making money--I'm sure not in manufacturing. The people who succeed are those who pick a line and stick to it." An analogy, according to Webster's dictionary, is "a relation of resemblance between two things . Using analogies to support your arguments is a good technique.The following is an excerpt from a speech entitled "The Need for More Powerful Electricity".Told by C. Girard Davidson when he was Assistant Secretary of the Interior.Notice how he uses analogies for comparison to support his argument:

"A prosperous economy must keep moving forward, or it will fall into chaos. It is like a bunch of useless screws and nuts when the plane is on the ground, but once it is in the air, it is like a fish in water and plays an effective role. function. To stay aloft, it must keep going. If it doesn't go, it sinks—never going back." Here's another analogy, perhaps the most brilliant in the history of speech.It was used by Lincoln to answer his critics during the difficult Civil War: "Gentlemen, I want you to make a hypothetical. Suppose all your property is gold, and you give it to Plotinus, the famous roper, to carry him over Niagara Falls on a rope. .Will you shake the rope while he's walking on the waterfall, or keep yelling at him 'Polodin, lean lower! Go faster!' No, I'm sure you won't. You'll hold your breath Shut up and stand aside until he walks safely. Now the government is in the same situation. It is carrying a great weight over the rough seas. There are countless treasures in its hands, and it is doing everything it can Just do it. Don't disturb it! Just be quiet and it will get you through."

When the executives of the steel boiler company were explaining to the distributors, they needed a way to make it clear that the fuel should be added from the bottom of the furnace, not the top.So they came up with this simple but powerful presentation.The speaker lit a candle first, then he said: "See how bright the flame burns—how high it goes. It doesn't smoke because all the fuel is converted to heat. "The fuel for the candle is supplied from the bottom, as the steel pot is fueled from the bottom of the stove. "Suppose this candle is fueled from the top, like a hand-pitched stove. (Speaking of which, the speaker turns the candle upside down)

"Notice how the flame dies away. Smell the smoke and hear it crackle. See how red the flame is from incomplete combustion. At last, from lack of fuel from overhead, The flames went out." A few years ago Mr. Henry Modern Robin wrote an interesting article "How Lawyers Can Win" for Your Life magazine.The article describes Abe Humo, a lawyer for an insurance company.He used theatrical display effectively in an injury lawsuit.The plaintiff, Mr. Postway, said he was unable to lift his right arm due to a fall from the elevator shaft, which resulted in a severe shoulder injury.

Hu Mo showed great concern. "Now, Mr. Postway," he said confidently, "please show the jury how high you can raise your arm." Postway raised his arm carefully to his ear. "Now let's see how high you can lift it before you get hurt?" Humo urged him. "It's as high as this." The plaintiff said, straightening his arms and raising them above his shoulders. You should know what the jury will decide on this display. There can be three or up to four bullet points in a long speech that gets action.They take less than a minute to finish and are tedious to script to an audience.What is there to animate these arguments?That's the material you use to support your point, and it makes your presentation sparkle and interesting.Events, comparisons, and illustrations can be used to bring out the main idea clearly; statistics and testimonials can be used to forcefully illustrate the facts and reinforce the importance of the main argument.