A POCKET GUIDE TO PUBLIC SPEAKING 5TH EDITION Chapter 8 Developing Supporting Material

Types of Supporting Material Examples Narratives (stories) Testimony Facts Statistics

Offer Examples Examples Brief example Illustrate, describe, or represent things Make ideas, items, or events concrete Brief example Single illustration of a point

Offer Examples (cont.) Extended example Hypothetical example Multifaceted illustration Reiterates the point effectively Hypothetical example Likely outcome of a future event; the “What If” scenario

Share Stories Story (narrative) Anecdote Helps make sense of our experience Includes plot, characters, setting, and timeline Can be brief or drawn-out Should create an emotional connection Anecdote A brief, interesting personal story

Draw on Testimony Testimony Expert testimony Lay testimony Firsthand findings, accounts, and opinions Expert testimony Testimony from professionals/accredited experts on the topic Lay testimony Testimony by non-experts

Draw on Testimony (cont.) When including testimony, provide The person’s name and qualifications; especially if using expert testimony Time and location of the testimony.

Provide Facts and Statistics Documented occurrences such as actual events, dates, times, and places Back up with credible evidence Statistics Quantified evidence Summarize, compare, and predict things

Use Statistics Accurately Use frequencies to indicate counts. Frequency is how often something occurs. Frequencies can Help listeners understand comparisons; Indicate size; Describe trends.

Use Statistics Accurately (cont.) Use percentages to express proportion. A percentage is a quantified proportion of a whole. Percentages help listeners easily grasp comparisons.

Use Statistics Accurately (cont.) Use averages to describe typical characteristics. Three types Mean (arithmetic average) Median (center-most score in a distribution) Mode (most frequently occurring score)

Using Statistics Ethically Use statistics within their context: remember that statistics are not permanent pieces of information; they are subject to the time in which they are gathered and who gathers them. Never present statistics as absolute truth Statistics are calculated but are still subject to scrutiny and evaluation for their validity.

Avoid Cherry-picking Some speakers selectively present supporting material and statistics which buttress their point of view and ignore competing data which contradicts their goal. Credible speakers present their evidence objectively and in context.

Refer Orally to Your Sources Clearly identify your information source. Provide enough context to interpret it.