NFGS_ch2.3_lecppt.pptx

1. Chapter 2.3
Purpose
Copyright © 2022 W. W. Norton & Company

2. Introduction
• Your purpose is the outcome you are seeking as the result of
making a presentation.
• Your purpose answers the question: “What do I want my
audience to know, think, feel, or do as a result of my
presentation?”
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3. The Importance of Purpose
• There is probably an underlying purpose to what a speaker is
saying or doing—namely, sharing what they know or think with
a group of people who are interested in seeing a speaker whom
they revere or admire.
• Speaking without a purpose can be hazardous to your credibility
and jeopardize the outcome of your presentation.
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4. Purpose Will Help You Make Good Rhetorical Decisions
• Without a clear purpose, you will have difficulty making strategic
decisions about key elements of the rhetorical situation:
• To prepare for the occasion
• To establish your credibility
• To adapt to your audience
• To determine and organize your content
• To deliver your presentation effectively.
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5. Purpose Shows Respect for Your Audience
• Having a distinct purpose, and being able to make that purpose
clear to your audience, demonstrates to your listeners that you
are an audience-centered speaker:
• Someone whom they can trust to have their best interests in
mind
• Someone who genuinely seeks to share something of value
with them
• Someone who can clearly communicate a meaningful message
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6. Purpose Focuses Your Mind and Can Calm Your Nerves
• If you momentarily forget what you’re saying, whether because of
noise or other distractions, or simply because you’re feeling
symptoms of speaker anxiety, a well-defined purpose can get you
back on track
• For apprehensive speakers especially, a clearly defined purpose
can make a world of difference
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7. Determining Your Purpose
• To determine what you want your audience to know, think, feel,
or do as a result of your presentation, ask yourself the following
questions:
• Why am I speaking?
• Why am I speaking about this topic?
• Why am I speaking to this audience?
• Why am I speaking in this setting?
• Why am I speaking on this occasion?
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8. Determining Your Purpose
• Your purpose is not the same as the private goals you may want
to achieve with a presentation
• A presentation should have only one purpose but may have
several private goals
• Making sure your private goals align with your speaking purpose
is an essential component of ethical communication
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9. General Speaking Objectives
• Before determining your specific speaking purpose, you should
identify the general objective of your talk.
• There are four general speaking objectives:
• To inform
• To persuade
• To entertain
• To inspire
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10. General Speaking Objectives
• Speaking to inform: An informative presentation seeks to
report new information, clarify difficult terminology, explain
complex phenomena, or overcome confusion and
misunderstanding
• Speaking to persuade: A persuasive presentation strives to
change people’s attitudes and/or their behavior
• Speaking to entertain: An entertaining presentation tries to
amuse, interest, divert, or “warm up” an audience
• Speaking to inspire: An inspirational presentation brings
people together, creates social unity, builds goodwill, or arouses
audience emotions
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11. The Purpose Statement
• Once you know why you’re speaking, write a purpose statement
that specifies the goal of your presentation
• A purpose statement should establish an achievable goal
• A purpose statement should be relevant to your audience’s needs
or interests
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12. The Purpose Statement
INEFFECTIVE VS. EFFECTIVE PURPOSE STATEMENTS
Ineffective purpose statements Effective purpose statements
How to maintain your health Use the government's new food group
recommendations in appropriate por-
tions to improve your overall health.
Earthworms are important. Earthworms aerate soil, fertilize gardens,
create compost, and can provide a rich
source of food protein.
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13. The Purpose Statement
INEFFECTIVE VS. EFFECTIVE PURPOSE STATEMENTS
Ineffective purpose statements Effective purpose statements
How to take cell phone
photographs
Improve the quality of iPhone
photographs by following the rule of
three, using natural light (not flashes),
and sliding the exposure meter.
Abolish the Elect oral College
because it's unfair and
undemocratic.
The Electoral College does not reflect
the popular vote: it cancels votes in
winner-take-all states; gives more
weight to whiter, more rural states;
and lets candidates ignore states with
fewer e lector votes.
Learn the causes, symptoms,
treatments, and prevention of
depression.
The best treatments for anxiety and
depression include antidepressant
medications, cognitive behavioral
therapy, and/or lifestyle changes.
13

14. Notable Speaker: Malala Yousafzai, Part 1
As a fifteen-year-old living under Taliban rule in
Pakistan, Malala Yousafzai gained international
recognition for her work as an education rights
activist. Because of her activism, she became the
target of a Taliban assassination plot. On October 9,
2012, a gunman shot her in the head, leaving her
unconscious and in critical condition. After a lengthy
recovery, Yousafzai became an even more engaged
activist. She is the recipient of numerous awards,
including the International Children’s Peace Prize and
Pakistan’s National Youth Peace Price. At age
Seventeen, she became the youngest recipient of the
Nobel Peace Prize. At the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize
concert to honor her, Yousafzai spoke about her goal
to provide an education for every girl in the world.

15. Notable Speaker: Malala Yousafzai, Part 2
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16. Notable Speaker: Malala Yousafzai, Part 3
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17. Notable Speaker: Malala Yousafzai, Part 4
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18. Notable Speaker: Malala Yousafzai, Part 5
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19. Notable Speaker: Malala Yousafzai, Part 6
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20. Credits
This concludes the Lecture PowerPoint presentation for Part 2.3.
For more resources, please visit The Norton Field Guide to Speaking:
http://digital.wwnorton.com/nfgspeaking.
Copyright © 2022 W. W. Norton & Company