(2 assignment) For the graph below, create and record a 3-minute presentation following the rhetoric of speech for the sales team and support staff.
Eva Chan 
RhetoricofSpeech.pptx
Rhetoric of Speech
Conveying your Message Clearly and Concisely
Rhetoric of Speech
Introduction
Narrative
Argument
Refutation
Conclusion
Intro
Narrative
Argument
Refutation
10%
10%
15%
15%
50%
Concl
10%
Distribution of Time
Introduction
| Talk About the… | Example |
| Audience | It’s a pleasure to be with a group that has demonstrated, once again, what sales excellence stands for. |
| Previous Speaker | Jane moved us all with her eloquent appeal to the core values of this company. Now, I’d like to talk to you about a subject I feel as strongly about as Jane feels about company values: cost accounting. |
| Event | This morning you will have the distinct privilege of meeting three of the most important innovators in our industry. |
| Moment in History | Thee years ago this week, I stood at this same podium and described to you the desperate financial condition of our company. What a difference three years have made. |
| Point of the Speech | We’re here today to talk about our company’s profit profile over the past six months. Frankly, it’s not very good. But what really lies at the heart of the profit issue is customer satisfaction, and I’d like to spend a little time addressing that. |
Narrative tells the story about what you want…
Answers WHY?
Listeners to do
Convince them of
Tell them
Argument is the main point
Facts or proof
Logic supporting your point
Focus on 3 points, at a minimum
Clear statement, followed by supporting details
Refutation
Anticipate objections to your argument
Answer anticipated rebuttals to your own arguments
A powerful move that acknowledges your audience
Conclusion is a call to action
Check for understanding
Appeal to action
Request approval
Action that supports to do, to know, or to feel
Planning Process
Who
Who is the audience? Why is this message important to them?
The Learning & Organization Development team in HR who have a goal of delivering leadership courses to the organization.
Why
What is the intent of the message (to do, to know, to feel)? What do you want them to do in response to the message?
The intent is to know and to feel persuaded to take action. The desired response is to say yes.
What
What is the situation that prompted the message? Is there urgency? Will the message prompt any negative emotions (anger, hostility, confusion, etc.)?
The data shows that we are not sufficiently meeting our goals. There’s a sense of urgency but no anticipated negative emotions.
Example using Rhetoric of Speech
| Element | Example |
| Introduction | Our goal this year was to develop leadership courses that served the entire organization. Today, I’d like to take just a few minutes to share with you how the metrics look in support of that goal and what are possible next steps. Basically, the questions are: “How are we doing?” and ”Given this progress, what we should do next?” |
| Narrative | Thanks to the LMS and HRIS, we can review data that shows course completion of leadership courses for active managers. What the data shows is that active managers, even with long tenure, have not consistently completed the courses. In fact, the average penetration rate of the courses in leadership is a little more than 20%, or about 1 out of 5 leaders have completed the courses. This data tells us there is more we can do. |
| Argument | There are 3 key areas that we can focus our efforts on in the next quarter: (1) executive sponsor support, (2) communication, and (3) e-learning modules. By executive sponsor support, leaders from the director level up need to know what these leadership programs are about and why they are important. We need them to actively support these learning efforts by making their teams aware of what is to be gained from the programs and how they help support the organization’s goals. As for communication, we need to use a more structured approach to promoting our courses, communicating when they’re available and reaching out to others about why they should attend. This may involve doing more on our website, as well as aligning our messages with other department’s weekly messages. When it comes to e-learning modules, we can do more to reflect today’s standards around learning by using blended approaches, instead of just instructor-led events. |
| Refutation | You might be wondering if this is feasible in such a short amount of time. My past experience implemented these efforts using an agile approach. In other words, we work in smaller development cycles where we can produce things in a more timely fashion. |
| Conclusion | The data tells us it’s time for action. Would you agree? |
Assignment: Record a 3-minute presentation
Audience: sales team & support staff
Purpose: to inform them of an upcoming challenge and come up with ideas to solve it
Context: Some urgency but no anticipated negative emotions. They’re eager to try something new.
Instructions: Use the rhetoric of speech to structure a 3-minute presentation for the team
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