1. Gaining Support

            There is a world of difference between just having a good idea – even the best one available – and using persuasion to convince others that it is good. In order to do this, at times, your persuasive abilities might have to be as good as your idea, maybe even better.

            Whether you are talking to 100,000 over the radio or TV, 500 people in an auditorium, 100 at a luncheon, 25 in a classroom, or seven people in a conference room, all of these “talks” can be considered “speeches.”

            There are some important differences, however.

            Aside from individual skills, which we will talk about later, the most important differences are the size of the group and the audience’s ability to actually respond, or show their response, to you and to what you are saying while you are talking.

            While talking to large groups is more efficient in terms of getting the message out, talking to smaller groups lets you pay more attention to your audience and at how the message is being perceived and received. With small groups you can:

• Interact with people individually
• Get direct feedback
• Immediately acknowledge or deal with questions
• Immediately acknowledge or deal with concerns
• Show everyone in the room that you are talking directly to them, and listening to what they have to say about it
• Make the entire presentation more personal

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Presenting Your Ideas ;  Creating Effective Presentations Every speech or presentation has three main sections: the introduction, the body and the conclusion.  A speech also includes transitions for coherence.