Types of Supporting Materials
Facts
Facts involve statistical information that can be demonstrated to be true. Moreover, the source of the information for that fact can be examined. For example, it is a fact that the average high temperature in Knoxville during the month of August is 87° according to the National Weather Service. This is a factual statement because it can be demonstrated to be true through examination of the source information. Because facts are not in dispute, they provide powerful support for a speaker. However, it is essential that the speaker avoid using nonfactual information as fact. Playing fast and loose with the facts will destroy the speaker’s credibility.
Expert Opinions
Effective supporting material may be gathered from the opinions of those recognized as experts on a topic. Experts are perceived to possess a great deal of credibility by receivers. However, two factors are important when making use of expert opinion. First, the people cited must be perceived as experts by others who are judged to possess similar expertise. The author of a self-help book on nutrition that is universally rejected by professional nutritionists should not be cited as an expert in nutrition. Second, make sure that the expert is dealing with the topic with which he/she has expertise. A nutrition professional is not necessarily an expert on the issues surrounding global warming. Inappropriate or unethical use of expert opinion will diminish your credibility as a speaker. You must also make sure that you use testimony from unbiased sources. For example, you would not want to make a claim that one product is better than another by using the maker of the product as a source because it would not bring credibility to your claim. Instead, you would need to find a third party, unbiased source to support your claim.
Personal Experience
Your personal experiences, if used appropriately, can provide compelling support for your objectives. Describing your experiences with the topic lends a real-life perspective to an issue that cannot be achieved through the use of facts or statistical information. In addition to your own personal experience, you may also consider using the testimony of someone else who has experienced what you are discussing. When considering whether to include personal experiences in your speech, consider the following:
- Will your use of personal experience have the desired impact on the audience?
- How relevant are your personal experiences to this audience?
- How consistent are your personal experiences with other forms of supporting material such as facts and expert opinion?
- What are the potential consequences of revealing this information to this audience?
Examples
Examples can help a speaker clarify complex concepts. Examples as supporting material offer the advantage of helping receivers visualize the meaning of the message. They are used to clarify, reinforce and personalize your ideas. You may want to use brief examples in passing to help you better illustrate your points for the audience throughout your speech. Sometimes, however, you will need to make use of hypothetical examples, which make use of an imaginary or fictitious situation. This is used when you are discussing an instance that may be difficult for your audience to imagine and you want them to envision it happening. Examples must be adapted to the audience, easily understood, vivid and memorable.
Stories
Stories are useful as supporting material to make a point and are, in essence, extended examples. Moreover, stories offer a memorable, entertaining method of conveying information. Dr. Andy Holt, former President of the University of Tennessee , was well known for his use of stories about economically distressed students in speeches seeking financial support for the University. When making use of stories as supporting material be certain that the audience will draw the correct lesson from the story. It would not have served Dr. Holt's purpose if receivers interpreted the story to mean that we admit too many financially distressed students to the University rather than getting the point that we need to strengthen our financial support for worthy, academically sound students. Make sure that when you tell a story in your speech, you keep it brief and practice how you will tell it.
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