When determining your topic and specific purpose for an informative speech, you should also consider an additional aspect: your approach. Not all informative presentations work in the same way. Sometimes you may want to explain something or demonstrate how it works. Other times, you’ll share a story about an event or draw comparisons between things.

Faced with an informative speech assignment in her communication course, Cheryl decided to talk about her Ta Moko. Often mistaken for a tattoo, a Ta Moko (or moko) is a permanent facial or body marking common to the Maori tribal people of New Zealand. Having traveled to New Zealand three summers in a row, Cheryl developed an appreciation and affection for Maori culture. On her third trip, she had an artist create a Ta Moko on her right forearm. In composing her speech, Cheryl determined that her specific purpose was to inform her class about how a Ta Moko differs from a tattoo. To do this, she first defined the meaning of Ta Moko and explained its spiritual significance in Maori culture. She then compared and contrasted a Ta Moko and a tattoo. Finally, she explained the design and personal meaning of her own moko. During her six-minute presentation, Cheryl defined an important term (Ta Moko), described an object (the moko), compared it to a similar and well-known object (tattoo), and told a personal story.

Whether it’s a classroom assignment or a work situation, there are various ways of making an informative presentation. Knowing what these are can help you make sound choices when you start investigating and composing an informative speech. In this chapter, we focus on the four most common types: expository, process or demonstration, narrative, and comparison/contrast. You might use one of these types as a primary way of presenting the information in your speech. For example, perhaps your instructor has asked you to develop an informative speech focused on demonstrating a particular process. However, in most informative speaking situations outside of the classroom, you may find yourself combining several or all four types—as Cheryl did—to achieve your specific purpose.