Crucial decisions for technical speakers

This paper presents several concepts which technical speakers must consider in the preparation of a speech. Most speakers believe that preparing for a speech requires only that their ideas be placed in some orderly pattern. But the concept of sharing ideas requires technical speakers to make two crucial decisions before preparing their pattern of organization. First, they must decide just what purpose they are trying to accomplish by speaking. Second, they must consider how knowledgeable their audience is. After these decisions have been made the subject of the speech will have to be explained and limited considering both audience and time. A conversational quality of delivery should be used.