What are some common pitfalls to avoid when outlining your speech?

Outlining your speech is a crucial step in preparing for a successful presentation. A well-organized outline helps you structure your main points, support your arguments, and deliver your message effectively. However, there are some common pitfalls that you should avoid when outlining your speech. In this article, we will discuss what they are and how to overcome them.

1 Pitfall 1: Too much or too little detail

One of the most common mistakes that speakers make when outlining their speech is either including too much or too little detail. Too much detail can make your outline cluttered, confusing, and hard to follow. Too little detail can make your outline vague, incomplete, and unconvincing. To avoid this pitfall, you should balance the level of detail in your outline according to your purpose, audience, and time limit. A good rule of thumb is to use one sentence per main point and one phrase per subpoint. You can also use keywords, symbols, or abbreviations to save space and highlight important information.

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David. Bodary

Professor at Sinclair Community College
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Too often my speakers (students) use questions as main points in their outlines when in reality the main point is more likely the "answer" to the question posed. This problem becomes apparent when a person starts to practice and realizes that the preparation outline is really not finished as it does not identify what to say so much as what the speaker hopes to talk about. Therefore more work is needed before practice out loud - which is essential - can begin.

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Kim Hatton

Ministry, Music, Cellist, Author & Speaker
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I agree with something subjects can periodically be too little or have too much detail. It is better to have too much. For example, some of my Powerpoint presentations are designed to be short for direct online presentations or a quick presentation for varied discussions. However, I have back up questions and a course if a group or persons need more duration of a subject.

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Michael Halpin

Retired Asst Deputy Secretary Florida Dept. Environmental Protection
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Two points here: 1) “Tell them what you’re going to tell them”. In other words tell the audience in summary form what you will convey. 2) Try to limit your message to 3 key points. Three seems to be a perfect number.

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2 Pitfall 2: No clear hierarchy or order

Another common mistake that speakers make when outlining their speech is not having a clear hierarchy or order of their points. A hierarchy shows the relationship between your main points and subpoints, and how they support your thesis statement. An order shows the sequence or logic of your points, and how they lead to your conclusion. To avoid this pitfall, you should use a consistent and appropriate format for your outline, such as alphanumeric, decimal, or full-sentence. You should also use transitions, signposts, and summaries to connect and reinforce your points.

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3 Pitfall 3: No alignment with your goal and audience

A third common mistake that speakers make when outlining their speech is not aligning their outline with their goal and audience. Your goal is what you want to achieve with your speech, such as to inform, persuade, or entertain. Your audience is who you are speaking to, such as their background, interests, and expectations. To avoid this pitfall, you should tailor your outline to your goal and audience, by choosing relevant and appropriate topics, arguments, and examples. You should also consider the tone, style, and language of your speech, and how they suit your purpose and audience.

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Tyson Raleigh

School Safety and Security, Emergency Management, Threat Assessment, Crisis and Behavior Intervention, Educational Leadership
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Giving a speech is much like teaching a lesson in a classroom. What do you want the audience to learn or hear, and how will you know the audience has received the message?

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Jennifer DiLiscia-Basnight

Multitalented, Purpose driven, Hard Working, No-nonsense Employee
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An example I’ve seen of this is a Leadership speech reused for various forums. Maybe for an Activity Directors Conference then again for an Administrators Conference. The content is the same but the examples and the context changes for your audience.

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4 Pitfall 4: No revision or feedback

A final common mistake that speakers make when outlining their speech is not revising or getting feedback on their outline. Your outline is not a fixed or final document, but a flexible and dynamic tool that can help you improve your speech. To avoid this pitfall, you should review and revise your outline several times, checking for clarity, coherence, and completeness. You should also seek feedback from others, such as your peers, instructors, or mentors, and incorporate their suggestions and critiques into your outline.

Outlining your speech is not a simple or easy task, but it is a rewarding and beneficial one. By avoiding these common pitfalls, you can create a more effective and engaging outline that will help you deliver a successful speech.

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Michael Halpin

Retired Asst Deputy Secretary Florida Dept. Environmental Protection
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“Tell them what you told them”. In other words, re-state the 3 key points which you made at the beginning of the speech to drive home your message.

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5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Lisa King

Expanding Minds and Comfort Zones. Self Mastery Mentor. Trainer, TEDx Speaker, Author and Creator
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Remembering to ensure that you are taking your audience on a journey. Include emotive content, educational content and make them laugh. If your story is heavy at times it’s important to make sure your audience are not left in the heavy emotion of your story, take them out of that state by adding humour, even in the heaviest of stories humour can be hugely impactful and help your audience see it’s possible to come through it.

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What are some common pitfalls to avoid when outlining your speech?

1

2

3

4

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1 Pitfall 1: Too much or too little detail

2 Pitfall 2: No clear hierarchy or order

3 Pitfall 3: No alignment with your goal and audience

4 Pitfall 4: No revision or feedback

5 Here’s what else to consider

Public Speaking

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What are some common pitfalls to avoid when outlining your speech?

1

2

3

4

5

1 Pitfall 1: Too much or too little detail

2 Pitfall 2: No clear hierarchy or order

3 Pitfall 3: No alignment with your goal and audience

4 Pitfall 4: No revision or feedback

5 Here’s what else to consider

Public Speaking

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