HANDOUT # 004-SC- TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE DELIVERY-KUBS- FARRUKH MIAN

TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE DELIVERY

Oral/Speech communication may be conceived of as the process of creating shared understanding of
ideas, feelings  or other information through spoken language and accompanying nonverbal behavior.

1. Make a good set of notes you can follow at a glance, and PRACTICE your presentation.

2. Dress for the occasion and tidy yourself up. Do something about hair that tends to fall into your
face. Avoid wearing a hat or cap because it can obscure your face.

3. Arrange the environment to suit your presentation and get rid of distractions; erase needless
information from the boards, turn off equipment you’re not going to use, close or open
windows, blinds and doors to aid audience visibility, hearing and comfort. Turn on enough light
so people can adequately see you, your eyes and your facial expressions.

4. Check the operation of audiovisual equipment before your presentation. Have a backup plan in
case it fails.

5. Make sure your notes and other materials are in proper order before you begin.

6. Get rid of any gum or food you might have in your mouth. Don't hold a pen or paper clip or
anything else that you might twiddle and distract your listeners.

7. Stand or sit up straight with your weight balanced. Avoid slumping, twisting or leaning on the
lectern, table, or computer console. Don't stand in the light from the projector.

8. Make eye contact before you start to speak, as you normally do in beginning a conversation.

9. Don't start with “um” or “OK.”

10.  Talk to your listeners as if you are having a conversation with them.

o Make plenty of genuine eye-to-eye contact with members of the audience.

o Avoid merely reading your presentation.

o Focus on sharing your ideas. Communicate.

11. Use your voice expressively and meaningfully.

o Minimize the uhs, ums, likes and y’knows.

o Enunciate words clearly. Don’t mumble or garble them.

o Speak with appropriate loudness and speed. Consider audience, place and topic.

o Use variations in speed, inflections, and force to enhance your meaning and hold
audience attention. Avoid monotony.

12. Use your body expressively and meaningfully.

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o Look interested in your topic. Show your enthusiasm, sincerity, commitment.

o Minimize distracting mannerisms and aimlessly shifting weight or moving about.

o Use gesture and movement naturally to describe things, underscore transitions and

emphasize points.

Remember the 3 Es of Effective Delivery: Energy, Eye Contact and Expression

Use your voice expressively and meaningfully.

1. Minimize the uhs, ums, likes and y'knows.

2. Enunciate words clearly. Don't mumble or garble them.

3. Speak with appropriate loudness and speed. Consider audience, place and topic.

4. Use variations in speed, inflections, and force to enhance your meaning and hold audience
attention.

BASIC/SIMPLE STEPS FOR PUBLIC SPEAKING

Giving a talk or presentation about animal rights? Follow these five steps to make sure you give an
informative and effective speech every time.

Step 1: Research and Preparation

Consider the audience that you will be speaking to, and make sure that the tone and information is
appropriate for that audience. Try to put yourself in their shoes, and think about what you want the
outcome of your speech to be (e.g., to get people to go vegan or to adopt an animal instead of buying
one).

Step 2: Writing Your Speech

Before you begin writing, make a list of two to five main points that you want to present. Write out each
point in one or two sentences.

Your speech will be most effective if you plan your opening and closing statements and key transitions
down to the last word. Organize the speech logically with a beginning, a middle, and an end. In other
words, tell your audience what you’re going to tell them, tell them it, and then summarize what you’ve
told them.

Here are some other quick tips:

 Open with an attention-getting fact, a rhetorical question (making sure that you know what the
answer is), a quotation (to support your message), or a relevant anecdote.

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 Keep a positive tone and attitude.

 Keep it short. Your speech should take less than 20 minutes.

 Tell the audience what the problem is, what your proposed solution is, and what actions they
can take to help.

 Plan a snappy conclusion that summarizes your main points.

 Finish with a strong and motivating appeal for action. Inspire your audience!

Step 3: Practicing

You should know your speech well enough to speak naturally during your presentation and glance only
occasionally at your notes. Here are some tips for practicing:

 Practice your speech at least three times, and practice in front of a friend for feedback.

 Pace yourself. Your audience will want to hear what you have to say, so speak clearly!

 Gestures, movement, and eye contact can add to your impact, but make sure that they’re
natural and relevant.

 Try not to speak from a podium. It’s a barrier between you and your audience. Put your notes
on it, and then try to walk around.

Step 4: Putting Together Visual Aids

Visual aids are an important aspect of your speech and will help make unfamiliar and challenging
material more accessible for your audience. PowerPoint presentations, photos, charts, and videos can all
help you get your point across.

Keep the following in mind:

 Visual aids should be simple and colorful, but remember that red and green are difficult to read
from a distance.

 Keep text to a minimum—otherwise your audience won’t know whether to read or to listen to
you.

 A few effective slides or charts can help your audience understand your message, but too many
will distract them.

 Videos are a powerful way to get your point across. 

Step 5: Handling the Q&A

A well-handled question-and-answer session can strengthen your credibility, demonstrate your

knowledge, and give you a chance to clarify and expand on your ideas.

 Make a list of possible questions that people might have about the material that you are
presenting, and prepare answers to those questions.

 Check for a list of common questions and answers.

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 If someone is being aggressive or antagonistic, simply say, “I’d be happy to talk with you about
this in greater depth afterward, but I have limited time and need to address additional
questions.” Don’t let anyone take control of the presentation.

Rehearsal Checklist

 Rehearse a few days before you are to deliver your speech

 Use the note sheets or cards you will be using or delivery

 Practice with the presentation aids you will be using for delivery

 Practice with the presentation aids you will be using

 Time your speech and cut or expand it if needed

 Rehearse with a colleague or an audience if possible

 If you can, rehearse in the room with the podium you will use

 Plan what you will do with your hands

 Plan and practice your opening and closing carefully, so you can deliver them exactly

Steps for Effective Delivery

1. Approach the podium as you rehearsed.

2. Stand with confident posture.

3. Deliver your brilliant opening.

4. Realize you are a hit with the audience.

5. Breathe.

6. Spontaneously interject a humorous observation related to your topic.

7. Make all your points without hesitation, “ums,” “likes,” or “uhs.”

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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

Not all of the above skills need be addressed by every assignment. Many activities are available that are
both useful in teaching course. Below are listed some of these activities that are productive in
developing oral communication skills

 Reports on class readings, activities, current events

 Reports of laboratory, field or library research

 Reviews of literature

 Proposals for research or other projects

 Reflections on course subject matter (e.g., applications, critiques, comparison and contrast)

 Debates on course-related issues

 Small group or panel discussions of course concepts, issues, readings, etc.

 Interviews

 Oral exams

 Mock trials (e.g., of historical figures or characters in literature)

 Mock legislative hearings

 Role plays, scenes, or skits

 Oral reading

 Storytelling

 Podcasts, radio broadcasts and the like

 Poster presentations in which students present the what, how, why of their projects and
respond to audience questions

TIPS TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE OF THE FOLLOWING ORAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS:

 Choosing an appropriate topic, text, or body of information for public presentation

 Designing a spoken message for unity, clarity, coherence, and effect

 Explaining ideas and concepts clearly

 Creating appropriate arguments through critical analysis of topic and audience

 Using evidence and reasoning to support claims

 Citing research sources appropriately

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 Designing and using audiovisual aids effectively

 Managing nervousness associated with speaking in groups or before an audience

 Using language with clarity, accuracy, and ease (fluency)

 Using voice and body to engage audience attention and convey meaning (speaking clearly,
reducing vocal and verbal “fillers” and distracting mannerisms, making eye contact, using voice
and gesture interestingly and meaningfully, etc.)

 Adjusting content, language and presentation methods to the immediate audience or to others

engaged in the discourse (as in a group discussion)

 Listening courteously and critically

 Asking questions that are clear and appropriate to the situation

 Acting ethically vis-à-vis communication goals and strategies, use of information, use of
language and treatment of other persons

Note that few of the skills identified above are purely expressive. Almost all oral communication skills
require critical thinking and decision-making about matters of content, structure, language,
coparticipant and audience.

EVALUATING ORAL COMMUNICATION PERFORMANCE

Like writing, oral communication is typically evaluated on content and expression.

Content refers to the ideas presented, their development and their organization.

Expression comprises both style and delivery, style referring to the use of language and linguistic devices
and delivery to the use of voice and body in communicating the content.

One final factor cut across both content and expression: audience adaptation, which has to do with the
appropriateness and effectiveness of the message for its intended audience.

Appropriateness is generally thought of as the degree to which a message suits the immediate setting
and circumstances as well as the listeners’ demographics, beliefs, values and existing knowledge of the
topic. Appropriateness also implies that the speaker bears important ethical responsibilities with respect
to the goals, the content and the presentation of the message.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwGRNHhvsjQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7jEttQIU_c

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