Lesson 13 min 20 XP
Structuring a Speech
Opening, body, close — frameworks that work for any topic and any audience.
Ask about this lesson
For the complete documentation index, see llms.txt.Skip to main content
Opening, body, close — frameworks that work for any topic and any audience.
A speech without structure is just talking. Here are three proven frameworks, each suited to different purposes.
The workhorse of persuasive speaking. Structure:
Tell a story with a beginning, middle, and end. Works brilliantly for history, biography, or explaining a process.
The most versatile framework. Works in meetings, presentations, and formal speeches.
Match the framework to your goal, then fill the slots. Quick picker:
| Your goal | Framework | First move |
|---|---|---|
| Change a decision | Problem-Solution-Benefit | Make them feel the problem with one story |
| Explain how something happened | Chronological/Narrative | Set the scene with a date and place |
| Report and drive action | What-So What-Now What | State the finding in one sentence |
Worked example (What-So What-Now What, a 30-second meeting update):
The same facts without the framework — 'So, tickets have been kind of high and it's affecting some things and maybe we should look into it' — persuade no one. The slots force clarity, and clarity is what gets your idea resourced.