Chapter 15, "Speaking to Inform"
The Art of Public Speaking - Notes by Ron Compton
Informative Speech: About an object, process, event or concept to convey understanding that skillfully uses audience
analysis to adapt to its members’ level of knowledge, and relate the subject to them.
Types of Informative Speeches: Analysis and Organization
1. Object – Material thing (person, place, structure) that can be perceived by senses, especially vision and hearing.
a. Use chronological order to show sequence.
b. Use spatial order to present main features.
c. Use topical order to describe natural parts of your subject.
2. Process – A series of actions that bring about a result or product.
a. Tell how to understand a process.
b. Tell how to perform a process.
c. Kinds of organization.
(1.) Most often chronological order is naturally used to show steps from beginning to end.
(2.) Sometimes topical order is best to present the main parts of a process.
3. Event – Something that happens; an occurrence.
a. Use chronological order to show steps.
b. Use causal order to present an analysis of cause and effect.
c. Use topical order to describe the main, natural parts.
4. Concept – Thought formed in the mind (belief, theory – abstract versus actual objects, processes, and events).
a. Most often topical order is naturally used to give the main aspects.
b. Usually more complex than speeches about actual objects, processes, and events – use extra clarity.
Guidelines for Informative Speaking
1. Don’t overestimate what the audience knows – be creative and clear, use examples.
a. Explain so that misunderstanding is impossible.
b. Make your information is totally comprehensive to people who don’t have specialized knowledge on the subject.
2. Relate the subject directly to the audience – tie to their interests/knowledge, make meaningful, keep their attention.
3. Don’t be too technical – avoid jargon (specialized language of a profession or group) to be clear.
4. Avoid abstractions – use familiar concrete existence.
a. Use description: Convey something with detailed clarity and vividness.
b. Use comparison: State the similarities of things in parallel.
c. Use contrast: State the differences of things in opposition.
5. Personalize your ideas – use human terms that relate to the experience of the audience.
a. Avoid just using bare, dry facts and statistics.
b. Use illustrations that involve people in detail showing your subject and points in clear, relevant action.
c. Make sure your listeners will not have an abstract, fuzzy view of your topic, but a specific, clear view.