Speech Structures

“A whole is that which has a beginning, middle, and end” — Aristotle

This amazingly simple and useful tool was developed by Florian Mueck. Here is the pdf template for the full structure. Florian came up with a visualization of a Greek template, which has:

• Foundation: beginning or opening
• Pillars: speech body
• Roof: ending or closing
• Drainpipe: connection of the closing of a speech with its opening.​

This structure is very easy to remember and can be applied to any communication, whether you are preparing a wedding toast or a career-making presentation. Although this was built for a speech structure, you can apply this framework for any communication to come across as structured, effective, and thorough.​

[Example] Prompt: What is your favorite color?

Foundation: My favorite color is blue because

Pillars

Majestic things like the ocean and the sky are blue

Blue symbolizes serenity, stability, inspiration, wisdom, reliability, etc.

Blue is easy to mix with other colors

Closing: For these reasons, my favorite color is blue.

Preview. View. Review.

Another great framework you can use for speeches, respond to questions, and in general communications is Preview-View-Review. This part structure helps you organize your thoughts in a clear way and provides a story-like framework for your communications. This concept was developed by educators to give the teacher a technique for effective learning. But, this can easily be applied in any situation.​

Preview (10–15 % of time)

• Hook: Opening statement to grab attention
• Positioning Statement: Benefits statement selling advantages of listening
• Overview: Key points that support positioning statement

View (80–85% of time)

• Point 1: Evidence/Illustration
• Point 2: Evidence/Illustration
• Point 3: Evidence/Illustration

​Review (5% of time)

• Recap: Summary of a positioning statement and key points
• Memorable Conclusion: Wrap up story or statement
• Call to Action: Request for order/commitment