The three-column outline is a template for you to utilize as you write your speech.
The first column is where you label the parts of your speech.
The second column is where you write the body of your speech
The third column is where you list the physical behaviors you intend to use throughout the speech.
Every speech should consist of three parts: The introduction; the body and the conclusion. It might be easier to think of them this way – in every speech the speaker should tell the audience what they are going to tell them; then the speaker should tell them; then the speaker should tell them what they told them.
Ok, so tell them what you are going to tell them:
Attention (this is where you are really creative and grab your audience’s attention)
Reveal Topic (this is where you tell your audience what you are going to be talking about)
Relevancy (this is where you answer the question the audience will be asking themselves – what’s in it for me or why should I care?)
Credibility (this is where you inform your audience of why they should listen to you about this topic – it is a very simple statement “I have experience in this area” or “I have done a lot of research on this topic” or a combination of both “I have experience and I have done a lot of research”.)
Preview (this is where you briefly preview the three points in your speech body)
Examples:
Attention:
I pulled back the arrow until I could pull no further then I released it and watched as it swiftly flew through the air.
Reveal Topic:
This attempt at archery was my first memory of participating in activities at the local YMCA.
Relevancy:
Everyone here today has at least heard of the YMCA (the Young Men’s Christian Association), some of you have also participated in activities at a local Y and others of you may only know the YMCA because of the popular song by the Village People, but I am sure everyone knows something about the YMCA.
Credibility:
I not only have experienced activities at the YMCA, I also worked for the Y for six years.
Preview
Today I am going to discuss the history of the YMCA in the USA; share some information about activities at the Y; and finally I will let you know how shooting that arrow as a child affected me and others.
The body would consist of three points that I alluded to above, wherein I would elaborate on each point and I would use transitions between each point – “now that I have told you about the history of the YMCA, I will tell you about some of the activities YMCAs in our area offer”; “now that I have told you about activities in our area, I will tell you about the story of the arrow.”
The conclusion would be “Today I have shared some information about the YMCA, it’s history, activities in our area, and my perhaps not so great shot into the ceiling and how that affected others, including how the story came full circle when years later I met the man who had to retrieve that misdirected arrow. I hope you have learned something about the organization and really someday something you do comes back full circle so you can see how interconnected everything is in our world.
If I would use any information that is not common knowledge, I would cite the source, for example:
According to the YMCA of the USA, “in over 10,000 neighborhoods in the US for over 160 years the YMCA has been bringing people together and delivering positive change”
At the bottom of the outline you will list your sources in MLA format.
