Eight Essential Components of Communication

In order to better understand the communication process, we can break it down into a series of
eight essential components:

1. Source
2. Message
3. Channel
4. Receiver
5. Feedback
6. Environment
7. Context
8. Interference

Each of these eight components serves an integral function in the overall process. Let’s explore
them one by one.

Source

 The source imagines, creates, and sends the message. The source begins by first

determining the message—what to say and how to say it.

 The second step involves encoding the message by choosing just the right order or the

perfect words to convey the intended meaning.

 The third step is to present or send the information to the receiver or audience. This

message can be conveyed through his or her tone of voice, body language, and choice

of clothing.

 Finally, by watching for the audience’s reaction, the source perceives how well they

received the message and responds with clarification or supporting information.

Message

 The message is the meaning produced by the source for the receiver or audience. When

you speak to a person your message may be the words you choose that will convey your

meaning. But that is just the beginning. The words are brought together with grammar

and organization. You may choose to save your most important point for last. The

message also consists of the way you say it—in a speech, with your tone of voice, your
 body language, and your appearance—and in a report, with your writing style,

punctuation, and the headings and formatting you choose. In addition, part of the

message may be the environment or context you present it in and the noise that might

make your message hard to hear or see.

 Imagine, for example, that you are presenting in front of your class and are aware there

is the Super Bowl game tonight. Your audience might have a hard time settling down,

but you may choose to open with, “I understand there is an important game tonight.” In

this way, by expressing verbally something that most people in your audience are aware

of and interested in, you might grasp and focus their attention.

Channel

 There are different ways for a message to travel between the source and the receiver

and this is called the channel. For example, think of your television. How many channels

do you have on your television? Each channel takes up some space, even in a digital

world, in the cable or in the signal that brings the message of each channel to your

home. Television combines an audio signal you hear with a visual signal you see.

Together they convey the message to the receiver or audience.

 Turn off the volume on your television. Can you still understand what is happening?

Many times you can, because the body language conveys part of the message of the

show. Now turn up the volume but turn around so that you cannot see the television.

You can still hear the dialogue and follow the story line.

 Similarly, when you speak or write, you are using a channel to convey your message.

Spoken channels include face-to-face conversations, speeches, telephone

conversations and voice mail messages, radio, public address systems, and voice over

Internet protocol (VoIP). Written channels include letters, memorandums, purchase

 orders, invoices, newspaper and magazine articles, blogs, e-mail, text messages,

tweets, and so forth.

Receiver

 As a receiver you listen, see, touch, smell, and/or taste to receive a message and

interpret the message from the source intentionally and unintentionally. To better

understand this component, think of a receiver on a football team. The quarterback

throws the football (message) to a receiver, who must see and interpret where to catch

the ball. The quarterback may intend for the receiver to “catch” his message in one way,

but the receiver may see things differently and miss the football (the intended meaning)

altogether.

Feedback

 When you respond to the source, intentionally or unintentionally, you are giving

feedback. Feedback is composed of messages the receiver sends back to the source.

Verbal or nonverbal, all these feedback signals allow the source to see how well, how

accurately (or how poorly and inaccurately) the message was received. Feedback also

provides an opportunity for the receiver or audience to ask for clarification, to agree or

disagree, or to indicate that the source could make the message more interesting. As the

amount of feedback increases, the accuracy of communication also increases.

 For example, suppose you are downstairs and your children are upstairs. You would like

to tell them dinner is ready. You yell upstairs for them to come down and hear no reply.

You might assume that this means they understood, are wanting to eat, and will be down

shortly, but you also may think they didn't hear you, or they aren't hungry and choose to

skip dinner. So you shout louder! If you followed up your first, "Dinner is ready" message

with a request for feedback ("Say I'll be right down, or I'm not hungry if you heard me")
 you might have an opportunity to clarify your message, and to find out if they are hungry

and coming down for dinner.

Environment

 The environment is the space where you send and receive messages. If you glance

around your room, your environment can include the tables, chairs, lighting, and the

computer you are using. The room itself is an example of the environment.

 The environment can also include factors like formal dress, that may indicate whether a

discussion is open and caring or more professional and formal. People may be more

likely to have an intimate conversation when they are physically close to each other, and

less likely when they can only see each other from across the room. In that case, they

may text each other, itself an intimate form of communication. The choice to text is

influenced by the environment.

Context

 A presentation or discussion does not take place as an isolated event. Context is the

circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of

which it can be fully understood and assessed. For example, when you came to class,

you came from somewhere. So did the person seated next to you, as did the instructor.

 The degree to which the environment is formal or informal depends on the contextual

expectations for communication held by the participants. The person sitting next to you

may be used to informal communication with instructors, but this particular instructor

may be used to verbal and nonverbal displays of respect in the academic environment.

You may be used to formal interactions with instructors as well, and find your

classmate’s question of “Hey Teacher, do we have homework today?” as rude and

inconsiderate when they see it as normal. The nonverbal response from the instructor
 will certainly give you a clue about how they perceive the interaction, both the word

choices and how they were said.

 Context is all about what people expect from each other, and we often create those

expectations out of environmental cues. Traditional gatherings like weddings or

quinceañeras are often formal events. There is a time for quiet social greetings, a time

for silence as the bride walks down the aisle, or the father may have the first dance with

his daughter as she is transformed from a girl to womanhood in the eyes of her

community. In either celebration, there may come a time for rambunctious celebration

and dancing. You may be called upon to give a toast, and the wedding or quinceañera

context will influence your presentation, timing, and effectiveness.

 Context is all about what people expect from each other. In a business meeting, who

speaks first? That probably has some relation to the position and role each person has

outside the meeting. Context plays a very important role in communication, particularly

across cultures.

Interference

 Interference, also called noise, can come from any source and has the ability to block or

change the intended meaning of the message. For example, if you drove a car to work

or school, chances are you were surrounded by noise. Car horns, billboards, or perhaps

the radio in your car interrupted your thoughts or your conversation with a passenger.

 Psychological noise is what happens when your thoughts occupy your attention while

you are hearing, or reading, a message. Imagine that you are studying for your first test

and you are nervous about the grade you will receive. As thoughts of doubt creep into

your mind, they interfere with your reading of classroom notes and the study guide.

 Interference can come from other sources, too. Perhaps you are hungry, and your

attention to your current situation interferes with your ability to listen. Maybe the
 classroom is hot and stuffy. If you were a member of an audience listening to a guest

speaker, how could this impact your ability to listen and participate?

 Noise interferes with normal encoding and decoding of the message carried by the

channel between source and receiver. Not all noise is bad, but noise interferes with the

communication process. For example, your cell phone ringtone may be a welcome noise

to you, but it may interrupt the communication process in class and bother your

classmates.
TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

“Communicating every moment? How is that even possible? It’s not like I have my

mouth open every minute,” we hear you ask. Ah, but you see, we communicate not just

verbally, but also non-verbally, and even informally. The entire gamut of the various

types of communication channels and expressions we enjoy is outlined in this chart.

As you can see, there are at least 6 distinct types of communication: non-verbal, verbal-oral-

face-to-face, verbal-oral-distance, verbal-written, formal and informal types of

communication. Add to this the boundless opportunities the internet superhighway offers, and

you have an absolute goldmine of communication possibilities!

Formal Types of Communication Skills
This type of communication is also referred to as “official communication” and covers the gamut

of verbal expressions that address a formal need.

It is:

 Conducted through a pre-determined channel. For instance, a large number of your

interactions within your profession, financial communication (from and to your bank,

creditors, debtors, etc.) and legal expressions are examples of formal communication.

 More time-consuming that non-formal communication, as it follows a particular

communication protocol.

 Even in cases of oral expressions (in meetings, seminars, etc.), it is often backed by

written communication that can provide documentation evidence of the oral

conversation. (This written communication could be as simple as a minutes-of-meeting,

to as complex as a detailed recording.)

 Considered a reliable source of information. (So when you receive a legal notice from

your bank, you better take notice of it!)

Formal communication forms the core of our professional lives (though not all professional

communication is formal). Hence becoming an expert in this type of communication is central to

professional advancement and success. Below, we provide you simple tips to excel in your

expression and profession.

 Begin by clarifying the purpose of your communication.

 Whether you use an oral or written expression, always follow a well-defined

structure that can be easily understood by your audience.

 Keep your tone open, professional and friendly.

  End by re-iterating what you expect to cause through this communication: clarification

on your stance, answers to questions, a call to action, etc. Also clarify any constraints

that apply to this communication (like confidentiality, time-limit for response, etc.)

 Finally, thank your audience for their listening. (This works well for written

communication too.)

Informal Communication
Informal communication is surprisingly popular, and also referred to as “the (unofficial)

grapevine”. This is often by word-of-mouth information. In fact, it is this type of communication

that opens you up to unofficial yet provocative information.

Informal communication is

 Spontaneous and free-flowing, without any formal protocol or structure. Hence this type

of information is also less reliable or accurate.

 A communication channel that spreads like wildfire, as there are no formal rules to

follow.

 Mostly oral, with no documentation evidence. Due to this, many undermine the value of

informal communication, terming it mere “gossip”.

Despite its drawbacks, informal communication is considered “user-friendly” and hence offers

huge advantages when used wisely. For instance, consider this example where a company is

served by 3 different caterers. Employees may become aware of the timings of service, rules

and regulations through a formal communication sent out by company management. But they

will become aware of the preferred caterer of the day through informal communication from

friends and colleagues. This type of communication hence serves well when you want to control
or encourage positive opinions, ideas and expressions, without making them seem like they’ve

been “thrust upon” by senior management.

Note: In modern times, social networks from “unofficial” sources (like your personal Facebook

and Twitter feeds, LinkedIn, etc.) are powerful sources of informal communication and are often

used to shape public opinion.

Oral Communication (Face-to-face)

Face-to-face oral communication is the most recognized type of communication. Here, what you

express comes directly from what you speak. Again, this can be formal or informal: with your

friends and family, in a formal meeting or seminar, at work with your colleagues and boss, within

your community, during professional presentations, etc.

This types of communication

 Gets better with practice. The more you practice with awareness, the more control you

will have on your oral expressions.

 Is vibrantly a-live! This means that despite all past rehearsals, oral communication offers

you a present-moment opportunity to tune, revise, revoke and fix what you express. It is

hence the most powerful type of communication and can work for or against you with

every expression.

 Engages your audience more than other types of communication. The listener (or an

audience) often expects to speak-back to you with oral communication, enabling two-

way communication more than any other channel.

For superior face-to-face communication,

 Always meet the eyes of your audience with confidence, conviction and openness.
  Practice before a mirror to perfect your tone and expressions, so they suit the message

you want to convey. They two facets often convey more than your words do.

 Practice using role-play. This means that even when you rehearse before a mirror,

candidly ask yourself, “Am I ready to receive this message with this tone and

expression?” If you aren’t convinced, your audience won’t be either. So practice again

until you get it right.

 Consciously engage your audience’s participation. This is the strength of this type of

communication, so never let your oral expression be a one-way rant to yourself. You can

do this by asking questions, getting their opinion and encouraging expression of new

ideas.

 Finally, become an active listener. An effective oral communicator not only speaks, but

also actively listens to his audience.

Oral Communication (Distance)

Distance (oral) communication has made the world a smaller and more accessible place. Mobile

phones, VOIP, video-conferencing, 2-way webinars, etc. are all modern expansions of distance

communication, taking its expression to the next subtle level. And in this type of communication,

your tone of voice and pace of delivery take priority over other expressions.

For effective oral communication over distance,

 Give higher priority to your listening. When you fail to listen, you will find that multiple

people attempt to speak at the same time, undermining the value of this form of

communication.

 Speak slightly slower than you would in face-to-face communication. This will make

sure that you remain aware of the subtle nuances of your tone, and the receiver has time

to grasp what you convey.

  Always re-iterate what you understand when you listen. This type of communication

misses the non-verbal signals that you would receive in face-to-face communication

(that can indicate subtle expressions like anger, friendliness, receptivity, sarcasm, etc.)

So paraphrase what understand and confirm that this is indeed what the other party also

meant to convey.

 Where appropriate, wear your friendly face with a smile on your lips and eyes. Feel this

friendly face. Your tone will automatically convey your openness and receptivity to the

other person. (This may not be appropriate if you expect to convey a warning on the

phone, so ensure that your face suits your message.)

 Finally, back this up with written communication where possible. The intent is to

confirm the take-away from the communication so all parties are on the same page. This

makes sense even for an informal call with your friend – perhaps you can send a quick

text message to re-iterate how pleasurable it was to speak to him, and then confirm the

final call-for-action.

Written Communication
A few decades ago, written communication depended on the trusty old mailman as we wrote to

people who were far away. On rare occasions, this also included the formal note or legal notice

from the bank, landlord, business client, etc. What a surprise then that this type of

communication has now taken over every aspect of our world!

Think about it, if you club the total written communication you engage with in a day – the text

messages you send over your fancy mobile, your Facebook and Twitter updates, personal

and professional emails, heck, even the blogs you write – it would far surpass any other verbal

communication you enjoy. Correct? It makes sense then to be an absolute pro at this type of

communication. Listed below are 3 rules that can help you get there.
  Follow a clear structure so your communication is not all over the place. This can include

a brief introduction, agenda, message body and conclusion. The cleverness and

effectiveness of your communication lies in how you’re able to capture this structure in

your mode of communication (email, text message, quick status update on social media,

etc.).

 Clarify the context of your communication where possible. This might seem like overkill

for a harmless text message. But you’d be amazed at the amount of seemingly-harmless

(written) communication that reaches the wrong eyes and ears. So take care to ensure

that your context is reasonably clear, no matter who the recipient.

 Always err on the right side of caution. There are very few instances when written

communication is purely formal (addressed to professional peers and seniors or third-

parties), or purely informal (addressed only to your immediate friend/family circle). More

often, if falls between these two modes. Hence, play safe by adapting a semi-formal

tone, keeping your communication clean (in language and expression) and open

(without offending any group). Believe us when we say that it’s far better to have your

friends think of you as a “stiff” communicator, rather than have your boss view as an

“offensive” communicator!

Non-verbal Types of Communication

This type of communication is more subtle, yet far more powerful. It includes the entire gamut of

physical postures and gestures, tone and pace of voice, and the attitude with which you

communicate.

In the past few decades, body language experts have revealed how the posture you adopt, the

hand gestures you endorse and other facets of your physical personality affect your

communication. It is worthwhile to spend a few hours coming up to speed on basic body-

language gestures, so you don’t inadvertently send mixed messages with your gestures and

speech. You can also use this to support your message, making it more impactful.

But despite what these experts tell you, there will be times when the body language you are

meant to adapt is in complete contrast with how you feel (like using a “friendly” posture when

you internally feel threatened or intimidated). Hence, non-verbal communication is most

effective when these 3 facets are consistent in your communication.

1. What you say with your words.

2. What you share with your postures and gestures. (However, these can be learnt to

express the right message).

3. What you feel inside you, and hence impacts the subtle message you feel compelled to

share outside you.

As you can see, (1) and (2) can be learnt with a little bit of practice. But (3) has to be

consciously built so you constantly align yourself to what you want to express.

For instance,

 When you want your peers to think of you as a friendly person, it is because you

genuinely like and care for people.

 When you want your team to think of you as a strong Leader, it is because you

genuinely take responsibility for yourself and the team.

 When you want your peers, seniors and others to listen to you, it is because they are

convinced that you will genuinely listen to them and factor their thoughts and opinions.
Communication is a powerful activity that comes to us as naturally as breathing. With a little bit

of awareness, our communication can be flawless so the other person not only receives our

message, but is also open to it. We leave you with this powerful quote from Enlightened Master

Paramahamsa Nithyananda, revealing a tip so potent that it shows its power in any type of

communication (formal, informal, verbal, non-verbal, etc.).

“Communication begins with Listening!”

So the next time you find yourself in the middle of a frustrating conversation, focus on your

listening. This will help you grasp what your audience wants to hear from you, so you find a way

to tailor your communication for your audience to become receptive to it too. When you listen

and your audience too listens, you are engaged in the best form of communication!

How to Build Your Confidence for Public Speaking

Want to be more effective at public speaking this year? Start with these four ways of increasing

your relaxation and confidence with audiences.

Think of the speakers you admire in business, politics, religion, social settings, or on the TED

stage. Were any of them not relaxed or confident?

As speakers, we tend to make a fundamental mistake in our speeches and presentations: we

believe it’s our content rather than we ourselves that moves audiences.

And so we prepare in the wrong way, giving all our attention to what we’re going to say instead

of how we’re going to say it. So as you prepare for this year’s crop of reports, pitches, lectures,

meeting remarks and formal presentations, consider the following four ways of being a more

relaxed and confident speaker when it comes to reaching and moving listeners.
 1. Think In Terms of Your Public Speaking Audience Not Your Content

You speak to audiences to get your message across, naturally. Yet it’s easy to believe that the

individual points you’re about to make are the essential components of your talk. But it's the

story you're telling that matters. The "information mindset" may mean you use your preparation

time to go over and over the material, convinced that if you’re successful at delivering every

point just so, nothing can go wrong.

Apart from lack of spontaneity, proceeding that way means you're turning the entire public

speaking equation on its head. Once you’ve gathered and organized your material, your time

needs to be spent thinking of your audience. That means who they are, what their needs are,

what references will resonate with them best, and the action you want them to take as a result

of your talk.

When you're in that mode when you speak, you'll probably find yourself referring to points you

hadn’t planned to speak about, or bringing in stories or examples that occur to you in real time.

That’s a speech that’s more organic, enjoyable, and ultimately more convincing to an

audience.

2. Improve Your Comfort Level Speaking in Public

To be that kind of speaker, you need to be comfortable with audiences. And this is an area that

too many speakers ignore completely.

As I tell my speech coaching clients: whoever you are and whatever you speak about, you

should spend less time thinking about your content, and more time learning how to be relaxed in

front of a roomful (or an auditorium full) of people. Paradoxically, the more you stop self-

monitoring and consider others' needs, the more comfortable you'll feel in your own skin.
Think about all this for a moment: Your preparation for a presentation is usually literary, i.e., you

take notes, build a PowerPoint deck with bullet points, or write out a full manuscript. But your

actual speech is given in the oral arena of performance, where your job is to move listeners. The

more natural, authentic, and comfortable you are doing that the more effective a speaker you

will be. And your level of confidence that you can succeed in these settings will soar.

3. Make Diaphragmatic Breathing a New Habit

If you’re not familiar with diaphragmatic breathing and the reasons it helps in public speaking,

it’s time to learn. Breathing for speech is a more active form of breathing than breathing for life.

It involves gaining a fuller reservoir of air to project the voice; and in particular, it requires

controlling your exhalation since voice is simply exhaled air acting upon the vocal folds.

Here’s how to breathe diaphragmatically. A question clients frequently ask me is, “When should I

breathe this way?” The best answer is, “Always.” That is, you should develop the habit of

diaphragmatic breathing. Not only will it help you in public speaking situations. You’ll also more

efficiently get oxygen to your heart and your brain.

Once you’re there, you’ll simply feel more in control of your breathing—which can easily

become too rapid and shallow if you suffer from speech anxiety. The result is a calmer and

more controlled oral performance, leading directly to more confidence.

4. For Effective Body Language, Move with Purpose

Now let's bring body language into the picture. Body language is on everyone’s mind when

speaking, usually tied to the question, “What should I do with my hands?”

But there’s a lot more going on in terms of the physical expressiveness that's needed for public

speaking. In fact, a good way to think about body language when you’re speaking is to simply

ask yourself, “How can I give physical expression to what I’m saying?”

The body is a fundamental tool of communication, amplifying and making what you say more

powerful. And of course, body language works best when it’s closely tied to what you’re saying.

To speak this way, discover my 5 key body language tips of public speaking.

If you think along these lines, you can begin to move with more purpose. Consider using a

different part of the room or stage with each main point you make, for instance. Think also about

where you stand in relation to your audience—are there times you want to move closer to them,

or closer to the screen to point out an aspect of your visuals? You can even use the actor’s

knowledge that “down-center” (or the point closest to your listeners) is your strongest position

for your all-important opening and closing.

Even apart from your public speaking appearances, practice moving with more purpose in your

daily life. When you walk, move like someone who is actually going somewhere. Gain a sense of

your connection to the earth—how it feels to walk on the ground and move through space. The

body is often a source of lack of confidence in speakers. Be more mindful and comfortable in

this area, and you’ll own another key to being a more confident public speaker.

Finally, take every opportunity that comes your way to get up and speak. The more familiar you

become with speaking to groups, the more you'll be able to access and display your authentic

self—the person the audience came to hear.

 General Purposes of Speaking

1. To Inform

The first general purpose that some people have for giving speeches is to inform. Simply put,

this is about helping audience members acquire information that they do not already possess.

Audience members can then use this information to understand something (e.g., speech on a

new technology, speech on a new virus) or to perform a new task or improve their skills (e.g.,

how to swing a golf club, how to assemble a layer cake). The most important characteristic of

informative topics is that the goal is to gain knowledge. Notice that the goal is not to encourage

people to use that knowledge in any specific way. When a speaker starts encouraging people to

use knowledge in a specific way, he or she is no longer informing but is persuading.

Common Types of Informative Topics

O’Hair, Stewart, and Rubenstein identified six general types of informative speech topics:

objects, people, events, concepts, processes, and issues (O’Hair, et al., 2007).

The first type of informative speech relates to objects, which can include how objects are

designed, how they function, and what they mean. For example, a student of one of our

coauthors gave a speech on the design of corsets, using a mannequin to demonstrate how

corsets were placed on women and the amount of force necessary to lace one up.

The second type of informative speech focuses on people. People-based speeches tend to be

biography-oriented. Such topics could include recounting an individual’s achievements and

explaining why he or she is important in history. Some speakers, who are famous themselves,

will focus on their own lives and how various events shaped who they ultimately became.
The third type of informative speech involves explaining the significance of specific events,

either historical or contemporary. For example, you could deliver a speech on a specific battle of

World War II or a specific presidential administration. If you’re a history buff, event-oriented

speeches may be right up your alley. There are countless historical events that many people

aren’t familiar with and would find interesting. You could also inform your audience about a

more recent or contemporary event. Some examples include concerts, plays, and arts festivals;

athletic competitions; and natural phenomena, such as storms, eclipses, and earthquakes. The

point is to make sure that an informative speech is talking about the event (who, what, when,

where, and why) and not attempting to persuade people to pass judgment upon the event or its

effects.

The fourth type of informative speech involves concepts, or “abstract and difficult ideas or

theories” (O’Hair, et al., 2007). For example, if you want to explain a specific communication

theory, E. M. Griffin provides an excellent list of communication theories on his

website, http://www.afirstlook.com/main.cfm/theory_list. Whether you want to discuss theories

related to business, sociology, psychology, religion, politics, art, or any other major area of

study, this type of speech can be very useful in helping people to understand complex ideas.

The fifth type of informative speech involves processes. The process speech can be divided into

two unique types: how-it-functions and how-to-do. The first type of process speech helps

audience members understand how a specific object or system works. For example, you could

explain how a bill becomes a law in the United States. There is a very specific set of steps that a

bill must go through before it becomes a law, so there is a very clear process that could be

explained to an audience. The how-to-do speech, on the other hand, is designed to help people

come to an end result of some kind. For example, you could give a speech on how to quilt, how

to change a tire, how to write a résumé, and millions of other how-to oriented topics. In our
experience, the how-to speech is probably the most commonly delivered informative speech in

public speaking classes.

The final type of informative speech involves issues, or “problems or matters of dispute” (O’Hair,

et al., 2007). This informative speech topic is probably the most difficult for novice public

speakers because it requires walking a fine line between informing and persuading. If you

attempt to deliver this type of speech, remember the goal is to be balanced when discussing

both sides of the issue. To see an example of how you can take a very divisive topic and make

it informative, check out the series Point/Counterpoint published by Chelsea House

(http://chelseahouse.infobasepublishing.com). This series of books covers everything from the

pros and cons of blogging to whether the United States should have mandatory military service.

2. To Persuade

The second general purpose people can have for speaking is to persuade. When we speak to

persuade, we attempt to get listeners to embrace a point of view or to adopt a behavior that they

would not have done otherwise. A persuasive speech can be distinguished from an informative

speech by the fact that it includes a call for action for the audience to make some change in

their behavior or thinking.

Why We Persuade

The reasons behind persuasive speech fall into two main categories, which we will call “pure

persuasion” and “manipulative persuasion.” Pure persuasion occurs when a speaker urges

listeners to engage in a specific behavior or change a point of view because the speaker truly

believes that the change is in the best interest of the audience members. For example, you may

decide to give a speech on the importance of practicing good oral hygiene because you truly
believe that oral hygiene is important and that bad oral hygiene can lead to a range of physical,

social, and psychological problems. In this case, the speaker has no ulterior or hidden motive

(e.g., you are not a toothpaste salesperson).

Manipulative persuasion, on the other hand, occurs when a speaker urges listeners to engage

in a specific behavior or change a point of view by misleading them, often to fulfill an ulterior

motive beyond the face value of the persuasive attempt. We call this form of persuasion

manipulative because the speaker is not being honest about the real purpose for attempting to

persuade the audience. Ultimately, this form of persuasion is perceived as highly dishonest

when audience members discover the ulterior motive. For example, suppose a physician who

also owns a large amount of stock in a pharmaceutical company is asked to speak before a

group of other physicians about a specific disease. Instead of informing the group about the

disease, the doctor spends the bulk of his time attempting to persuade the audience that the

drug his company manufactures is the best treatment for that specific disease.

An attitude is defined as an individual’s general predisposition toward something as being good

or bad, right or wrong, negative or positive. If you believe that dress codes on college campuses

are a good idea, you want to give a speech persuading others to adopt a positive attitude

toward campus dress codes.

Value refers to an individual’s perception of the usefulness, importance, or worth of something.

We can value a college education, we can value technology, and we can value freedom.

Values, as a general concept, are fairly ambiguous and tend to be very lofty ideas. Ultimately,

what we value in life actually motivates us to engage in a range of behaviors. For example, if

you value protecting the environment, you may recycle more of your trash than someone who

does not hold this value. If you value family history and heritage, you may be more motivated to
spend time with your older relatives and ask them about their early lives than someone who

does not hold this value.

Lastly, a speaker can attempt to persuade people to change their personal beliefs. Beliefs are

propositions or positions that an individual holds as true or false without positive knowledge or

proof. Typically, beliefs are divided into two basic categories: core and dispositional. Core

beliefs are beliefs that people have actively engaged in and created over the course of their

lives (e.g., belief in a higher power, belief in extraterrestrial life forms). Dispositional beliefs, on

the other hand, are beliefs that people have not actively engaged in; they are judgments based

on related subjects, which people make when they encounter a proposition. Imagine, for

example, that you were asked the question, “Can gorillas speak English?” While you may never

have met a gorilla or even seen one in person, you can make instant judgments about your

understanding of gorillas and fairly certainly say whether you believe that gorillas can speak

English.

3. To Entertain

The final general purpose people can have for public speaking is to entertain. Whereas

informative and persuasive speech making is focused on the end result of the speech process,

entertainment speaking is focused on the theme and occasion of the speech. An entertaining

speech can be either informative or persuasive at its root, but the context or theme of the

speech requires speakers to think about the speech primarily in terms of audience enjoyment.

Why We Entertain

Entertaining speeches are very common in everyday life. The fundamental goal of an

entertaining speech is audience enjoyment, which can come in a variety of forms. Entertaining
speeches can be funny or serious. Overall, entertaining speeches are not designed to give an

audience a deep understanding of life but instead to function as a way to divert an audience

from their day-to-day lives for a short period of time. This is not to say that an entertaining

speech cannot have real content that is highly informative or persuasive, but its goal is primarily

about the entertaining aspects of the speech and not focused on the informative or persuasive

quality of the speech.

Key Takeaways

 There are three general purposes that all speeches fall into: to inform, to persuade, and

to entertain. Depending on what your ultimate goal is, you will start by picking one of

these general purposes and then selecting an appropriate speech pattern that goes

along with that general purpose.

 Informative speeches can focus on objects, people, events, concepts, processes, or

issues. It is important to remember that your purpose in an informative speech is to

share information with an audience, not to persuade them to do or believe something.

 There are two basic types of persuasion: pure and manipulative. Speakers who attempt

to persuade others for pure reasons do so because they actually believe in what they

are persuading an audience to do or think. Speakers who persuade others for

manipulative reasons do so often by distorting the support for their arguments because

they have an ulterior motive in persuading an audience to do or think something. If an

audience finds out that you’ve been attempting to manipulate them, they will lose trust in

you.
 Entertainment speeches can be after-dinner, ceremonial, or inspirational. Although there

may be informative or persuasive elements to your speech, your primary reason for

giving the speech is to entertain the audience.

Exercises

1. Imagine you’re giving a speech related to aardvarks to a group of fifth graders. Which

type of informative speech do you think would be the most useful (objects, people,

events, concepts, processes, and issues)? Why?

2. Imagine you’re giving a speech to a group of prospective voters supporting a specific

political candidate. Which type of persuasive speech do you think would be the most

useful (change of behavior, change of attitude, change of value, or change of belief)?

Why?

3. Imagine that you’ve been asked to speak at a business luncheon and the host has

asked you to keep it serious but lighthearted. Which type of entertainment speech do

you think would be the most useful (the after-dinner speech, the ceremonial speech, or

the inspirational speech)? Why?

 8 Things You Should be Doing When Delivering a Speech
P U B L I S H E D O N October 22, 2014
BY DR. HUME JOHNSON

To deliver a speech well, there are a few essential things that you must ne doing. Simply having

a great written speech is not enough. It’s your delivery which will make it resonate with the

audience. Last week, the students in my Speech class were practicing at the podium for a

formal speech assessment. We used the opportunity to make note of the crucial elements of

good speech delivery. As you prepare to deliver your next speech, be sure to illustrate and

exhibit these eight ingredients in order to capture your audience, hold their attention and for

your delivery to be on point!

1. Sound Conversational

In order to be believable and to win the attention of your audience, it is important to speak in a

conversational style. To sound conversational, pretend as if you are delivering your speech to

only one person such as your grandmother or a respected friend. Instead of reading to your

audience word for word what’s on your script, try to simply talk to them. Connect with them in

the same way you would telling a story about an event in your day to a close friend.

2. Project Your Voice

You must attempt to project your voice and sustain this projection throughout your presentation.

Some people have a naturally soft voice. Others have been conditioned to speak in very low

tones. However, persons at the back of the room should still be able to hear you even without a

microphone. Projecting your voice is not the same as shouting. The voice is produced by the

control of breath from the diaphragm. This breath allows the voice volume and the ability to

carry in a large room. Resist the temptation to sink into a low tone. Projecting your voice gives

force to your speech, shows your personality and makes you appear more confident.
3. Make Eye Contact

It is incredibly important to connect with the people who are talking to. The most effective way is

at first to make eye contact with them. Do not stare at one person, but make your eyes wander

around the room as you speak. A good technique which I have used is to focus my eyes on the

left of the room (left focus), then right of the room (right focus) and then to the middle of the

room (centre focus). My most important points and the beginning and end of my speech are

usually centre focus. Eye contact says you are confident, you know what you are talking about,

you are aiming to connect and engage with audience.

4. Pace Yourself

Some folks speak way too fast. Others speak in a slow pedantic fashion which is likely to bore

their audience. Pace yourself. This means try not to speak too fast or too slow. For naturally fast

speakers, slow down and ensure that the audience hears and understand what you saying. For

slower speakers, my advice is to pick up the pace a bit. Show your personality; be animated and

the audience will become engaged with you as well.

5. Gesticulate

It is important to use your hands, in the same way you would when having a normal

conversation. With a podium, some people simply hang on to it and forget to use their hands. To

gesticulate offers naturalness; it makes you seem more comfortable and you will appear more

confident to your audience. Resist the urge to hug the podium. Let go.

6. Have Good Posture

Posture and body language are essential to good speech delivery. Stand straight, imagine that

each vertebrae in your spine sitting on top of each other and your head on top of the last
vertebrae. Try not to slouch, or to dance. This will be distracting to your audience. Aim for an

erect, confident posture.

7. Be Confident

Confidence is the core element of effective speech delivery. Watch some speech samples on

Youtube and pay attention to what great speakers have in common. They are usually confident

and engaging. If you are not naturally confident, pretend that you are. Fake it til you make it.

The more you project, exhibit a confident air, the more it will become like second nature to you.

Go ahead, try it, and tell me the results.

8. Speak Passionately

Finally, invest your speech with passion. Be excited about your topic; show your enthusiasm, Do

not be afraid to laugh, smile, become animated while delivering your speech. Be yourself. I

promise the audience will connect more with you than if you stand there stiff reading from a

script. They have come to hear you and to engage with the person you are. Show them.