Informative speaking often serves as the base for persuasive speaking: indeed, persuasive speakers typically use information as part of their attempt to influence audiences to behave in a certain way. But although informative speaking and persuasive speaking are naturally related, it is important to recognize that they differ in one very important way: an informative speech is intended to be objective—it presents facts and information in a straightforward and evenhanded way, free of influence from the speaker’s personal thoughts or opinions. A persuasive speech, by contrast, is expected to be subjective—it presents facts and information from a particular point of view.
When delivering an informative speech, then, you must always remain fair to different points of view; if you find yourself presenting only facts, information, or other material that supports your own opinion, you are most likely delivering a persuasive speech. So it is important to examine your process at every step in the development of the speech to ensure that you are being truly objective. Some of the issues you’ll need to evaluate are examined in Table 15.1.
TABLE 15.1 INFORMATIVE VERSUS PERSUASIVE SPEAKING
| Informative Speeches | Persuasive Speeches | |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | From a perspective of inquiry or discovery; the speaker researches a topic to find out what information exists and shares that information with an audience. | From a perspective of advocating a position or desired outcome; the speaker researches a topic to find information that supports a particular point of view and then tries to convince an audience to change an attitude or take some action based on that point of view. |
| Objectivity | The speaker reports information objectively, in the role of a messenger. | The speaker argues a case subjectively and speaks from a particular point of view. |
| Use of facts and information | The speaker sets out the current facts or state of affairs concerning the topic. | The speaker builds a case that he or she is passionate about and includes information that supports his or her favored position. |
| Expression of opinions | The speaker may provide others’ opinions but refrains from giving his or her own. | The speaker provides others’ opinions that support his or her own position or viewpoint; the speaker may mention differing opinions only to rebut or discredit them. |