What is an essential goal of public speaking?

An essential goal of public speaking is to persuade or inform the audience. This objective emphasizes the importance of not just delivering a message, but doing so in a way that influences the audience's thoughts, beliefs, or actions. Effective public speaking requires understanding the audience's needs and crafting a message that resonates, whether to provide new information or to encourage a particular viewpoint.

In contrast, simply expressing complex ideas might not effectively engage or connect with the audience unless they are persuaded or informed by that complexity. Engaging in debates can be part of public speaking but is not the primary goal of all public speaking engagements, as many situations call for informative or persuasive presentations rather than a back-and-forth debate format. Finally, merely reading from notes does not harness the full potential of public speaking; it lacks the engagement and connection necessary to inform or persuade effectively. Thus, the primary goal remains the capacity to convey messages that resonate and incite action or understanding among listeners.