How to Tie a Necktie

On October 21st, I gave a demonstration speech to my Life Sciences Communication 100 class. The speech demonstrated how to tie a necktie. In particular, the speech was focused on how to tie the Windsor necktie knot.

The demonstration speech holistically went well. The introduction provided background information including why the subject matter was important. The speech's spark was decent, but didn't receive much reaction from the audience. The speech was organized well into logical steps. The rhyme for the steps made the process easier to remember, but may have been more easily remembered with fewer steps or an acronym. The conclusion was effective in that it repeated the steps and again reinforced the relevance of the topic.

Several visual aids were also incorporated into the speech. The visual aids were appropriate and essential: necktie, collared shirt, and mirror. The speech would not have been effective without the visual aids that were integrated.

The actual presentation performance also went well. I showed interest in the subject, which made the speech more effective. The volume and tone of my voice was appropriate and easy to understand on the video. There was adequate eye contact while occupied performing the task. The pace was generally okay, but in some places the pace seemed rushed.

Overall, the speech was effective. There were several weaknesses, but generally, they were overshadowed by the strengths. One weakness was the repetition of the word "like." These instances reduced the speech's focus and limited the impact factor of the speech. In some cases I made excessive arm and hand motions that also diminished the speech's focus. The speech's strengths were the introduction, conclusion, and organization. These elements provided a solid basis for the rest of the speech to be considered effective.

In retrospect, the topic seemed to work well for the demonstration speech. Ideally there would have been more of a reaction from the audience, but this was difficult to achieve because there was no room for audience involvement. The audience did react to the conclusion, which hopefully means the speech had the audience's attention enough to teach the audience. Overall, the speech should be considered a success.