Have you ever said or communicated something, and you were either misunderstood or overcomplicated things, thereby not delivering on your message and purpose, leaving people not very interested or not engaging with you on your idea. There are so many dynamics to effective communication, but one thing you can do is to ensure that you structure your speech or message to ensure that your audience understands your topic and your purpose. The following is the list of speech structures you can use for more effective communication; this is also what Toastmaster International uses as part of the first project (Ice breaker) on your pathway program.
- Chronological
This structure of your speech follows a sequence of events, for example: If I want to share the history of your company. You can write who founded the company and why he started the company. In your next paragraph, you can talk about how it expanded or how the company grew. In the next section, you might want to discuss how the company pivoted during tough times. You could talk about this if the company grew into a different industry. - Topical
This structure uses topics and subtopics to explain significant concepts relating to your Topic. For example, you might want to present information about different dog breeds, e.g., hound, working, sporting, etc. Subtopics relating to each one could be examples of each dog breed. This blog is an example of Topical Structure. - Spatial
This structure organizes a speech based on its geography or its physical form. For example, In Geography, you can talk about different provinces or regions within your home country. For example, when I speak about South Africa, I could start with discussing Cape town and move towards the Mpumalanga area, or vice versa. Another example will be if you want to talk about climbing the world’s tallest mountains. You might need to structure your speech based on what happens to your body at different levels of elevation during your climb. - Casual
This structure organizes your speech by linking a cause to an effect or an effect to a cause. For example, you want to talk about how unhealthy eating could result in different diseases. You might also like to discuss how regular exercise could help with weight loss or more energy. - Comparative
This structure organizes speeches by describing two or more objects and their shared/different attributes. This structure shows how your topic compares by examining similarities or differences. For example, you could talk about other economic systems of two countries; you might want to highlight the differences and the similarities. - Problem/Solution
This structure organizes your speech using the problem and solution. First, you state the problem and explain its significance. You then propose your most feasible solution. For example, at work, you might feel that the tap water is not healthy, and you want to offer a technical solution for purifying the water on tap. - Particular/General/Particular
This structure uses an example that frames the broader content and illustrates the main or personal objective of the speech. The example you use at the beginning of the speech is repeated at the end to help you clarify your primary message.
To summarize, once you understand the purpose of your speech, make sure you use the correct structure to deliver your message more effectively. Example of this speech structure is Chronological, Topical, Spatial, Casual, Comparative, Problem/Solution, Particular/General/Particular.
Thank you for reading until the end; I appreciate your time and hope you find this helpful. Do you think there are more structures you can utilize for more effective communication? Which one of these do you use more often? Which structure would suit inspirational, persuasive, etc., speeches more. Let me know your thoughts about this blog, as I believe I learn as much from you as you do from me.