Select a Method of Delivery
For virtually any type of speech or presentation, you can choose from four basic methods of delivery: speaking from manuscript, speaking from memory, speaking impromptu, and speaking extemporaneously. Each method is distinguished by the expressive voice and body behaviors it uses or restricts, and by the qualities of delivery it promotes or impedes (see Table 17.1).
Speaking from Manuscript
When speaking from manuscript, you read a speech verbatim—that is, from prepared written text (either on paper or on a TelePrompTer) that contains the entire speech, word for word. As a rule, speaking from manuscript restricts eye contact and body movement, and may also limit expressiveness in vocal variety and quality. Watching a speaker read a speech can be monotonous and boring for the audience. Quite obviously, the natural, relaxed, enthusiastic, and direct qualities of delivery are all limited by this method. Commenting on the dangers of reading from a TelePrompTer, for instance, columnist and former speechwriter William Safire notes that it can make the speaker appear “shifty and untrustworthy.”5
At certain times, however, it is advisable or necessary to read a speech, such as when you must convey a very precise message. As with politicians and business leaders, you may know that you will be quoted and must avoid misinterpretation. Or perhaps it is your responsibility to explain an emergency, so you will need to convey exact descriptions and directions (see Chapter 30 on crisis communication). In some speech circumstances, such as when an award is being presented, tradition may dictate that your remarks be read from a manuscript.
TABLE 17.1 Methods of Delivery and Their Probable Uses
| When | Method of Delivery |
| Precise wording is called for; for instance, when you want to avoid being misquoted or misconstrued, or you need to communicate exact descriptions and directions . . . | Consider speaking from manuscript (reading part or all of your speech from fully prepared text). |
| You must deliver a short special-occasion speech, such as a toast or introduction, or you plan on using direct quotations . . . | Consider speaking from memory (memorizing part or all of your speech). |
| You are called upon to speak without prior planning or preparation . . . | Consider speaking impromptu (organizing your thoughts with little or no lead time). |
| You have time to prepare and practice developing a speech or presentation that achieves a natural conversational style . . . | Consider speaking extemporaneously (developing your speech in working outline and then practicing and delivering it with a phrase or key-word outline). |
If you must read from a prepared text, do what you can to deliver the speech naturally:
- Vary the rhythm of your words (see Chapter 18).
- Become familiar enough with the speech so that you can establish some eye contact.
- Use a large font and double- or triple-space the manuscript so that you can read without straining.
- Consider using some compelling presentation aids (see Chapter 20).
- Paginate your sheets in case the speech is dropped or shuffled.
Speaking from Memory
The formal name for speaking from memory is oratory. In oratorical style, you put the entire speech, word for word, into writing and then commit it to memory. In the United States, speaking from memory rarely occurs anymore, though this form of delivery is common in other parts of the world.6
Memorization is not a natural way to present a message. True eye contact with the audience is unlikely, and memorization invites potential disaster during a speech because there is always the possibility of a mental lapse or block. Some kinds of brief speeches, however, such as toasts and introductions, can be well served by memorization. Sometimes it’s helpful to memorize a part of the speech, especially when you use direct quotations as a form of support. If you do find an occasion to use memorization, learn that portion of your speech so completely that in actual delivery you can convey enthusiasm and directness.
ESL SPEAKER’S NOTES
Avoiding the Pitfalls of Manuscript Delivery
Speaking from a manuscript may be difficult and perhaps even ill-advised for some ESL speakers. Reading a speech aloud, word for word, is likely to exaggerate existing problems with pronunciation and word stress, or the emphasis given to words in a sentence. These emphasized words or syllables are pronounced more loudly and with a higher pitch. Robbin Crabtree and Robert Weissberg note:
One of the most characteristic features of spoken English is the tendency of native speakers to take one word in every sentence and give it a stronger push than the others. This feature is called primary stress. If you try out a couple of sample sentences, you’ll note that the primary stress normally falls at the end, or very close to the end, of the sentence: “That was one of the best speeches I’ve ever heard.” “Let me know if you have trouble; and I’ll be glad to help.”1
If you have difficulty with word and sentence stress and you find that you need to deliver a speech from manuscript, spend extra practice time reading your speech with the aim of ensuring that your word and sentence stress align with the meaning you intend.
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Speaking Impromptu
Speaking impromptu, a type of delivery that is unpracticed, spontaneous, or improvised, involves speaking on relatively short notice with little time to prepare. Many occasions require that you make some remarks on the spur of the moment. An instructor may ask you to summarize key points from an assignment, for example, or a fellow employee who was scheduled to speak on a new project may be sick and your boss has invited you to take his or her place.
Try to anticipate situations that may require you to speak impromptu, and prepare some remarks beforehand. Otherwise, maximize the time you do have to prepare on the spot:
- Think first about your listeners. Consider their interests and needs, and try to shape your remarks accordingly. For example, who are the people present, and what are their views on the topic?
- Listen to what others around you are saying. Take notes in a key-word or phrase format and arrange them into ideas or main points from which you can speak.
- If your speech follows someone else’s, acknowledge that person’s statements. Then make your own points.
- Stay on the topic. Don’t wander off track.
- Use transitions such as “first,” “second,” and “third,” both to organize your points and to help listeners follow them.
As much as possible, try to organize your points into a discernible pattern. If addressing a problem, for example, such as a project failure or glitch, consider the problem-solution pattern—state problem(s), then offer solution(s); or the cause-effect pattern of organizational arrangement—state cause(s) first, then address effect(s); see Chapter 12 for various ways of using these patterns. If called upon to defend one proposal as superior to another, consider using the comparative advantage pattern to illustrate various advantages of your favored proposal over the other options (see Chapter 26).
Taking steps like these will enhance your effectiveness because you will maintain the qualities of natural, enthusiastic, and direct delivery. And having even a hastily prepared plan can give you greater confidence than having no plan at all.
ETHICALLY SPEAKING
A Tool for Good and Evil
The philosopher Plato believed that the art of public speaking—or rhetoric, as the ancients referred to it—was too often corrupt.1 Plato’s cynicism toward public speaking was the result of unethical practices that he witnessed among his peers and other leaders in ancient Greece. From his perspective, rhetoric (at least as practiced) too often distorted the truth. Today, few people condemn public speaking per se as a dishonest form of communication. But many are aware of the power of delivery to corrupt. If history is any guide, these fears are well founded: one has only to think of such dictators as Mao Tse-tung, Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, and Saddam Hussein, all of whom deliberately used delivery as a means of manipulation. Hitler’s forceful delivery—a scorching stare, gestures, and a staccato voice—so mesmerized his listeners that millions accepted the horrific idea that an entire people should be annihilated. Historians note how Hitler spent countless hours practicing his vocal delivery and body language to achieve maximum hypnotic effect. As he did this, he would have himself photographed so that he could hone individual gestures to perfection.2
Like any tool, delivery can be used for both ethical and unethical purposes. Countless speakers, from Abraham Lincoln to Martin Luther King Jr. to Steve Jobs, have used their flair for delivery to uplift and inspire people. Yet there will always be those who try to camouflage weak or false arguments with an overpowering delivery. You can ensure that your own delivery is ethical by reminding yourself of the ground rules for ethical speaking described in Chapter 5: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, and fairness. Always reveal your true purpose to the audience, review your evidence and reasoning for soundness, and grant your audience the power of rational choice.
Radu Bercan/Shutterstock
Speaking Extemporaneously
Speaking extemporaneously falls somewhere between impromptu and written or memorized deliveries. In an extemporaneous speech, you prepare well and practice in advance, giving full attention to all facets of the speech—content, arrangement, and delivery alike. Instead of memorizing or writing the speech word for word, you speak from an outline of key words and phrases (see Chapter 13), having concentrated throughout your preparation and practice on the ideas you want to communicate.
More speeches are delivered by extemporaneous delivery than by any other method. Many, if not most, PowerPoint presentations are extemporaneous. Because this technique is most conducive to achieving a natural, conversational quality of delivery, many speakers consider it to be the preferred method of the four types of delivery. Knowing your idea well enough to present it without memorization or manuscript gives you greater flexibility in adapting to the specific speaking situation. You can modify wording, rearrange your points, change examples, or omit information in keeping with the audience and the setting. You can have more eye contact, more direct body orientation, greater freedom of movement, and generally better control of your thoughts and actions than any of the other delivery methods allow.
Speaking extemporaneously does present several possible drawbacks. Because you aren’t speaking from specifically written or memorized text, you may become repetitive and wordy. Fresh examples or points may come to mind that you want to share, so the speech may take longer than anticipated. Occasionally, even a glance at your speaking notes may fail to jog your memory on a point you wanted to cover, and you momentarily find yourself searching for what to say next. The remedy for these potential pitfalls is frequent practice using a speaking outline.
READY FOR THE CALL: PREPARING FOR THE EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEECH
Follow these general steps to prepare effective extemporaneous speeches:
- ______ 1. Focus your topic as assigned or as appropriate to the audience and occasion.
- ______ 2. Prepare a thesis statement that will serve as the central point or idea of your speech.
- ______ 3. Research your topic in a variety of sources to gather support for your thesis and add credibility to your points.
- ______ 4. Outline main and subordinate points.
- ______ 5. Practice the speech at least six times.
(See Chapter 2 for more on speech preparation.)