External Speaker Critique

External Speaker Critique

Part 1- Background Information about the speaking situation

The speaker was David M. Larrick the senior regional director, advisory services at Voyageur assets management inc. The title of his speech is Investment insight and his purpose was to inform on small cap and large cap growth equality with their company. The intended audience was investors, brokers, or finical advisors. The speech took place on November 7th at noon and lasted around 45 minuets. The speech took place at Smith Barney offices in troy. It was a very large conference room with many long tables. The speaker stood at the front using a dry-erase board. It was done over a lunch conference type of setting. The event was sponsored by Voyageur asset management inc. to persuade the audience to invest with them.

Part 2- Evaluation of speech content: Analysis of ideas presented in the speech.

The central idea of this speech was to inform brokers about the company and to persuade them to invest with their company. The main points the speaker focus on was the history of the company, they prospects for the future and the benefits you would have investing with them. The main ideas were very clearly stated and had a lot of visual aids such as charts and graph to enhance this. The charts show annualized returns, portfolio characteristics, sector weightings, and risk vs. return; and risk characteristics. The speaker's main idea clearly supported the thesis because the charts of the company's growth and prospects clearly showed these issues. Overall the speaker was very well organized with clear examples and charts to prove. The speaker did a wonderful job of being loud and clear especially considering this was over a lunch meeting.

Part 3 - Audience Analysis & Adaptation

The speaker adapted well to this audience everyone there wants the information about the company. The way the speaker had to adapt was the volume, considering the company sponsors this over lunch. You can just imagine people walking in getting their food and eating while this speech is taking place. There is a set time the speech begins but people are welcome to walk in as soon as they get a chance and in some cases this could be midway through. So he had to adjust his volume level from the external noises. For example he high extreme high volume in the begging so people getting things to eat as well as those eating could hear him clearly. Towards the end as things have settled down and most people are finished he didn't need to be as loud. One thing the speaker could due differently is better timing. He could wait about 20 minuets to start and pass out the packets he gave then. This way people have time to get in get their food and look over his packet while eating before he begins, he would gain more attention because the audience would not be preoccupied by something else.

Part 4- Speaker Ethos

I thought the speaker had great ethos, he was very professional and really knew his stuff well. He was extremely knowledgeable on the subject, and considering he is a representative of the company I expected that he would have these qualities before the speech even began. The speaker again was extremely knowledgeable about his topic but when it comes to trustworthiness you have to take it with a grain of salt because the statistic he show are true but you have to remember his bottom line is to sell his company so they will never touch down on the faults of it. The speech was very effective considering the speakers ethos, he presented himself and the information well and clear. The use of visual aids also gave a lot of great information and helps to answer questions you may have had about the company. He was very confident in his company and his speech which makes the audience feel good about the information presented.

Part 5- Delivery

Some of the speaker's strengths during the speech were and great use of volume and