Types of Public Speaking

The 3 Basic Types of Public Speaking

1. To Inform â€“ when the speaker is presenting interesting facts or lessons to the audience, or explain how to go about doing something. This could be a teaching lecturing about the Civil War, a student giving an oral report or showing how to decorate a cake or set up a blog, a museum docent explaining the history of painting, or a doctor explaining a procedure.
2. To persuade, Motivate, or Take Action  â€“ this is when the speaker will try influencing the audience in some way. The speaker might be trying to change your mind about something, to persuade you to change your opinion, to motivate to change a behavior, or to take action. Some examples are explaining the benefits of a non-profit for the purpose of eliciting donations, trying to get people to change bad eating habits by explaining all the benefits of eating healthily or attempting to convince people to vote against a candidate in an election.
3. To Entertain â€“ this type of speaking is often found at events like banquets, weddings, or dinners. The speaker is usually sharing a funny story or other anecdotal information. Some examples of this would be the best man speech at a wedding or an after-dinner speech given by a host of a party to thank guests for coming. They could also be planned as entertainment at an event. Topics are usually humorous and light and could serve a very specific purpose, like introducing a featured guest or giving a toast.