Different Kinds of Delivery
From Sprague, Jo and Douglas Stuart.
Speaker’s Handbook. 2nd
Ed. San Diego: Harcourt Brace
Jovanovich, 1988.
The appropriate mode of delivery will change based on the topic,
audience and occasion.
1.
If you have little time to prepare, you will be
forced to use an impromptu mode.
2.
If your exact words will matter, such as when
giving a policy statement or giving an important announcement, or if the
occasion is formal, you will probably use a manuscript
or memorize your words.
3.
For most speaking situations use the extemporaneous mode.
4.
No speech
is purely one mode. Even in an extemporaneous speech, for example, it is
often advisable to write out the introduction and conclusion and partially
memorize them. And any speaker who encounters hecklers must expect to engage in
some impromptu retorts.
1.
Extemporaneous speaking is the most common mode
of delivery, and is the one you should use in all but a few special cases.
2.
Memorize
ideas, not specific words, except for key transitions, introduction,
conclusion, and perhaps some key examples.
3.
Used by most teachers, trial lawyers,
salespersons, and others engaged in speaking for hours at a time or for large
portions of the day.
4.
Extemporaneous speaking involves
a.
preparation
b.
structure
c.
support
d.
practice
e.
main idea
f.
introduction and conclusion
5.
Benefits
a.
Easier to sound natural and
confident.
b.
Easier to respond to feedback or changes in the situation.
1.
Use impromptu speaking when you have no time for
preparation and planning.
2.
Not appropriate for any critical message.
3.
However, impromptu situations do occur.
a.
For
example, you are called into an executive management meeting on the spur of the
moment to explain how your department help cut costs.
b. Because
a meeting runs long, you are forced to reduce a 20 page report into a 3 minute
presentation.
c.
A
customer comes into your corporate headquarters complaining about one of your
policies.
4.
Steps to handle an impromptu situation
a.
Keep your composure.
i.
Don’t
apologize.
ii. Don’t
expect perfection. You speak all the time without extensive preparation.
b.
Use the time
you have, however short.
i.
Jot
down notes, if you have the time.
c.
Select a main
idea.
i.
Try
to craft a single, declarative sentence that sums up what you need to say.
ii. Make
this conspicuous when you speak.
iii. Be
sure to connect your main idea to the audience and the occasion.
iv. Remember
the critical issues. Pick the top 2 or 3.
d.
Select a
pattern for your ideas.
i.
Keep
it simple.
ii. Some
possibilities:
1.) Past-Present-Future
2.) Pros
and Cons
3.) Problems
and Prospects
4.) Concentric
rings (Main points progress from immediate concerns to universal concerns)
a.) For
example
i.) In
the Home,
ii.) In the
School,
iii.)In
the Community;
b.) Or
i.) Locally,
ii.) Regionally,
iii.)Nationally,
iv.) Internationally
5.) Domains (Develop the
different spheres touched by the topic)
a.) For
example:
i.) Politically,
ii.) Socially,
iii.)Economically;
b.) Or
i.) Practical
Implications,
ii.) Theoretical
Implications,
iii.)Moral
Implications
e.
Select at least one type of support for each
point: an explanation, an example, a story, a fact, or a statistic.
f.
Whenever
possible, plan your first and last sentences.
i.
Look
for an attention getter.
ii. Take
you best piece of information and use it as a lead. Get their attention, state
your main idea, move through your main points, and state the main idea again.
iii. If
you have a solid conclusion that differs from the introduction, use it. If not,
don’t waste time. Simply summarize the main points and restate the main idea.
D.
Memorize a short, important speech only on
those occasions where holding a manuscript would be out of place.
