Basic Qualities

1. Integrity – they need to trust you

Use evidence

Point out strengths and weaknesses




2. Knowledge – Expertise

Speakers must know their subject

Speakers must know their audience




3. Rhetorical sensitivity – speaker’s attitudes to listener’s needs

Meet listener’s needs

Solve their problems through public talk

All people are different – not one group

Adapt messages and themselves to audience

Seek and react to audience feedback

Understand limitations of talk

Work at finding the right set of arguments and verbal expressions to make particular ideas clear and attractive

Remember that the audience’s mood is skeptical - unsure of no idea but their own.




4. Understand human diversity – 2 genders, multiple ages, varied ethnic backgrounds, religion, …





5. Ethics

Assumed values about thoughts and actions

Good/bad




6. Oral skills

Fluency

Poise

Control of voice

Coordinated movements of body

Animated

Self-confident

conversational