Speech Fundamentals
ENC 3246
Speaking & Writing for
Engineers
Engineers are poor
communicators.
True or False?
Presentations are expensive.
Consider whether it is really necessary.
Cost in salaries of
audience
Cost in time for
presentation
Cost in time to
prepare presentation
Presentations have several advantages over documents
Work can come alive
for audience
Presenter can read
audience and react
Work
C
A
B
C
Presenter receives
instant reaction
!
?
!
D
?
Presentations also have disadvantages
? ?
Speaker has limited
chance to catch errors
Audience cannot
reread text
?
audience
Audience cannot look
up background material
has one
chance
to hear
What are the most common public speaking
challenges?
 Anxiety
 Lack of preparation time
 Not knowing your purpose
 Not knowing the audience
Communication Apprehension
 The Book of Lists ranks fear of public speaking as the
#1 fear, even ahead of death, disease, and nuclear
war.
 A 2001 Gallup Poll found that public speaking was
second only to a fear of snakes.
 Fact Check: Updated research says this is not true!
What is true about communication apprehension?
What are the causes of CA?
 Fear of Embarrassment
 Fear of Failure
 Fear of Rejection
Overcoming or Controlling CA
 Know your environment
 Relax
 Breathe
 Use extras wisely
 Keep your focus on the material
 Know your material & practice
 Your audience is on your side
Presentations can be viewed
from three stylistic perspectives
Structure and
Speech
Supply plenums for each liner panel allow
for independent flow control
Visual Aids
Delivery
Archives, Cal-Tech
Structure and
Speech
Visual Aids
Delivery
Archives, Cal-Tech
Begin preparing a scientific presentation
by analyzing your constraints
Who are they?
What do they know?
Why are they here?
What biases do they have?
audience
to inform
formality
to persuade
to inspire
purpose
occasion
size
time
to teach
There are 2 messages in any speech:
1. The one you send
2. The one the
audience receives
Challenge:
Audiences can be Poor Listeners
 Reactive to trigger words or topics
 Listen faster than you can speak
 Prefer info similar to their beliefs
 Retain very little (about 10% of what they
hear)
Goal: Be Compelling
 Know Purpose of Speech
 Know Audience
 Show Value of Message
 Build Rapport
Types of Speeches
 Informative:
Conferences, technical updates, new product
introductions
 Instructive:
Training, coaching, orientation
 Persuasive:
Client presentations, in-house proposals
Types of Audiences: Demographics
 Technical or Non-technical
 Managerial or Staff
 Educational Level
 Age
Types of Audiences: Situational & Psychological
 Occasion
 Size of Room & Group
 Roles & Motives
 Culture
 Feelings about you or your topic
Goal: Present a clear message
 Speech Overview/Preview
Prepares Audience
 Use Connectives/Transitions
Signals Topic Change
 Review Points
Enhances Audience Retention
As with documents, the structure of presentations should have clear
beginnings, middles, and ends
B
e
g
i
n
n
i
n
g
Middle
E
n
d
i
n
g
Beginnings prepare the audience
for the work to be presented
Defines work
Shows importance
Work = A + B
Maps presentation
Gives background
B
A
C
D
Speech Organization
 Introduction




purpose/central idea
relation statement (why important)
qualifications (if necessary)
preview/forecast
Speech Organization-Organizational Patterns
 Body




Topical
Triad
Chronological
Problem/Cause/Solution
In the middle, make smooth
transitions between major points
pre-combustion
methods
combustion
methods
combustion
methods
post-combustion
methods
Speech Organization
 Conclusion




forewarn audience of ending
summarize your main points
remind audience of desired response
end in an upbeat manner
Structure and
Speech
Visual Aids
Delivery
Archives, Cal-Tech
The Importance of Good Delivery
Goal: Be Captivating & Memorable
 Delivery
How You Give the Speech
 Verbal Techniques
Volume, Rate, Emphasis, Vocal Variety,
Articulation
 Non-verbal Techniques
Personal Appearance, Gestures, Eye Contact
 Language
Enhances Understanding
There are several choices speech delivery
Memorizing the Speech
Reading From a Text
+ allows eye contact
- difficult for long speeches
- room for precision errors
- no room for improvising
+ ensures precision
- does not sound natural
- no room for improvising
- hinders eye contact
Winging It
Speaking Extemporaneously
+ sounds natural
- has much room for error
+ insures organization
+ allows eye contact
+ allows improvising
- some room for error
Delivery Essentials
~65% of total message
 Eye Contact and Facial Expression

50% of nonverbal message
 Body Movement--body language

hand gestures, walking, podium use
 Vocalics or Paralanguage

30% of nonverbal message
 Distracting Mannerisms
Engineers can be excellent communicators too!
Structure and
Speech
Supply plenums for each liner panel allow
for independent flow control
Visual Aids
Delivery
Archives, Cal-Tech
 “The
ability to communicate is
everything.”
--Lee Iacocca
Former CEO, Chrysler Corporation