Create the specific purpose statement, which is a statement that indicates the direction you intend to take in a speech. The specific purpose statement keeps you on track as you conduct necessary research, organize your ideas, compose the speech and decide upon appropriate visual aids. In this instance, your specific purpose statement might be "To persuade my audience that animal experimentation is not only inhumane but also unnecessary."
State the central idea. The central idea is the main point (thesis) of a speech and should be expressed in one sentence (an independent clause with a subject, a verb and any modifiers, all working together to state a complete thought); for example, "Animal experimentation is not only inhumane but also unnecessary, especially since there are other scientifically proven methods and procedures for testing product safety."
Organize the speech. There are several ways to organize speeches: spatial order, chronological order, causal order, problem-solution order and topical order. However, most speeches that deal with questions of value are organized by topical order. Topical order, according to Stephen E. Lucas, author of "The Art of Public Speaking", results when you divide the speech topic into subtopics, each of which becomes a main point in the speech." Another method you might employ is Monroe's Motivated Sequence. According to Lucas, this method was developed by Alan Monroe, a professor of speech at Purdue University during the 1930s, and presents "a motivated sequence" for preparing speeches that ask for action from an audience. There are five steps in the sequence:
1. Gain the audience's attention.
2. Show the problem with the situation and the need for change.
3. Provide a solution to the problem.
4. Use visual imagery to show the benefits of your solution.
5. State what you want listeners to do and tell them how to do it.
Write the introduction. Most people already have an opinion regarding animal experimentation. They either abhor the practice or they see it as necessary to ensure safe products for consumers. Since this is the case, it's important that you grab the audience's attention in the introduction so that listeners will be willing to hear what you're going to say and not instantly tune you out, dismissing your opinion as invalid or erroneous.
For instance, you might begin by showing a photo of an animal (Use PowerPoint or create a large poster-size print) that has suffered an injury from animal experimentation, state the number of animals that are either maimed or killed each year in laboratories around the world; then glance around the audience, making eye contact with individuals, and ask a question: "Is this really necessary?" The key word is "necessary," for in using it, you are not requiring listeners to decide at this point whether or not animal experimentation is right or wrong but whether or not it is essential; and in so doing, you are subliminally suggesting there is a far more humane alternative.
Compose the body of the speech. Lucas maintains that speakers should devote the first main point in a persuasive speech to establishing the standards upon which they are basing their judgment and the second main point to applying those standards to the topic. Keep in mind the importance of justifying your judgment in terms of clearly defined criteria, not simply emotion.
It isn't enough to say something like: "I think animal experimentation is wrong because I love animals, and I don't believe they should have to suffer so we can have safe cosmetics or other products." Instead, provide a rational, logical reason for being against animal experimentation; for example, "Every day of the week, thousands of animal suffer needlessly as the result of animal experimentation, yet this type of testing is totally unnecessary since there are other methods for ensuring the safety of new medical procedures and consumer products."
Write the conclusion. Assuming that you have provided enough credible evidence, strong examples and supporting details during the course of your speech, the conclusion is the part of the speech when you tie everything together and ask the audience to make a choice and take action. Listeners can either choose to support animal experimentation, or they can choose not to support it, and take steps to abolish the practice.