Principles of Speech Delivery
Principles of Speech Delivery
Principles of Speech Delivery
Articulation
You must fully open your mouth in order to distinctly enunciate the different words.
Modulation
A speaker should vary the speech in order to strengthen or reinforce the message.
Pitch
Power
Speakers ought to utilize the power of their voice to emphasize points without being loud.
Pace
When you deliver your speech, change, differ or vary the pitch and intensity of your voice, as well as
your pace.
Stage Presence
When we talk about the stage presence, it involves speaker’s appearance, projection, and manner on
the stage.
To procure stage presence, the speaker ought to talk confidently and deliver the speech wholeheartedly.
Facial Expressions
The speaker ought to ensure that his/her facial expressions do not contradict his/her verbal message.
The movements ought to signal the transition from one idea to what is the proceeding or the next.
Building rapport is defined as engaging with the audience and connecting with them.
Have eye contact, speak naturally, and relate with the audience.
Articulation
Articulation refers to the clarity of sounds and words we produce. If
someone is articulate, they speak words clearly, and speakers should
strive to speak clearly. Poor articulation results when speakers do
not speak clearly. For example, a person may say dinnt instead
of didn’t, gonna instead of going to, wanna instead of want to,
or hunnerd instead of hundred. Unawareness and laziness are two
common challenges to articulation. As with other aspects of our
voice, many people are unaware that they regularly have errors in
articulation. Recording yourself speak and then becoming a higher
self-monitor are effective ways to improve your articulation.
Laziness, on the other hand, requires a little more motivation to
address. Some people just get in the habit of not articulating their
words well. I’m sure we all know someone who mumbles when they
speak or slurs their words together. From my experience, this is a
problem that I’ve noticed more among men than women. Both
mumbling and slurring are examples of poor articulation. In more
informal settings, this type of speaking may be acceptable, but in
formal settings, it will be negatively evaluated, which will hurt a
speaker’s credibility. Perhaps the promise of being judged more
favorably, which may help a person become more successful, is
enough to motivate a mumbler to speak more clearly.
When combined with a low volume, poor articulation becomes an
even greater problem. Doing vocal warm-ups like the ones listed
in Section 10.1 “Managing Public Speaking Anxiety” or tongue
twisters can help prime your mouth, lips, and tongue to articulate
words more clearly. When you notice that you have trouble
articulating a particular word, you can either choose a different
word to include in your speech or you can repeat it a few times in a
row in the days leading up to your speech to get used to saying it.
Articulation Is an Art
If pronunciation means putting the consonants and vowels together, then articulation is how well we
put the vowels and consonants together and pass them through our lips and mouth. Let's face it; we
work hard to write a speech that is compelling and interesting. It's important to convey the
information in an intelligent way.
What sounds better to you? 'I dint bring visuals to show you today,' or 'I did not bring visuals to show
you today.' Yes, I thought so. The best way to improve articulation is to practice it in your everyday
life. Listen to others as well.
Pronunciation
Unlike articulation, which focuses on the clarity of
words, pronunciation refers to speaking words correctly, including
the proper sounds of the letters and the proper emphasis.
Mispronouncing words can damage a speaker’s credibility,
especially when the correct pronunciation of a word is commonly
known. I have actually heard someone, presenting on the topic of
pronunciation, mispronounce the word pronunciation, saying “pro-
NOUN-ciation” instead of “pro-NUN-ciation.” In such a case, it
would not be unwarranted for the audience to question the
speaker’s expertise on the subject.
We all commonly run into words that we are unfamiliar with and
therefore may not know how to pronounce. I offer my students three
suggestions when faced with this problem. The first is to look the
word up in an online dictionary. Many dictionaries have a speaker
icon with their definitions, and when you click on it, you can hear
the correct pronunciation of a word. Some words have more than
one pronunciation—for example, Caribbean—so choosing either of
the accepted pronunciations is fine. Just remember to consistently
use that pronunciation to avoid confusing your audience. If a word
doesn’t include an audio pronunciation, you can usually find the
phonetic spelling of a word, which is the word spelled out the way it
sounds. There will occasionally be words that you can’t locate in a
dictionary. These are typically proper nouns or foreign words. In
this case, I suggest the “phone-a-friend” strategy. Call up the people
you know who have large vocabularies or are generally smart when
it comes to words, and ask them if they know how to pronounce it. If
they do, and you find them credible, you’re probably safe to take
their suggestion. The third option is to “fake it ‘til you make it” and
should only be used as a last resort. If you can’t find the word in a
dictionary and your smart friends don’t know how to pronounce it,
it’s likely that your audience will also be unfamiliar with the word.
In that case, using your knowledge of how things are typically
pronounced, decide on a pronunciation that makes sense and
confidently use it during your speech. Most people will not question
it. In the event that someone does correct you on your
pronunciation, thank him or her for correcting you and adjust your
pronunciation.
STAGE PRESENCE
Delivering a speech is more than just uttering those well thought of words before the audience;
it involves giving out thespeech in a manner that it is well understood by them. ... Stage
presence is the sum total of all the qualities that keep your audience engaged while
you deliver a speech.
Google defines it as “The ability to command the attention of a theater audience by the
impressiveness of one's manner or appearance.” I think that's as good a definition as
any.
The reason we may struggle at times to understand the term, is that stage presence
exists in the mind of the audience. That means that as speakers, we can’t grab a
handful to make sure we have an adequate supply before we step on stage.
I do like two parts of the Google definition, however: “command the attention of an
audience”; and that word “impressiveness.” For when it comes to speaking, as with all
applications of stage presence, you must achieve both of those ends to take your
performance beyond the ordinary.
What often gets us into trouble where public speaking is concerned is the idea that it’s
something special—an out-of-the-ordinary event, in which we need to rise above our
ordinary competencies. But we're continually performing, adjusting our demeanor
throughout each day based on the needs of the people we’re with and the situation
we're facing.
Just as important is the realization that you can’t hide when you speak in public.
Audiences will always understand who you are—unless you spend all your energy
hiding your true nature, and what kind of presentation is that? Don’t forget: audiences
truly want to know you and to connect with you. So make that your be-all and end-all,
rather than trying to be excellent.
When an actor plays a role, he or she is strongly focused on the intentions of the
character. The stronger the force compelling that character forward, the more raw
material the actor has to work with. And in any worthwhile drama, conflicts occur that
result in new intentions, scene by scene. When the character’s intention changes to
meet those new conditions, that’s a new beat.
In my coaching and training, I equate an actor’s beats with your main points as a
speaker. As you move through your speech, each new main point you raise creates a
moment of renewed interest for your audience. You should therefore become aware of
how your talk unfolds in these terms, making each new main point look and sound
different for listeners.
As speakers, we constantly run the risk of becoming talking heads. But your body is an
essential tool of oral communication: from gestures to facial expressions to your
proximity to your audience. So if you want to speak with presence, you’d better get your
body into the act. For instance, learn the 5 best body language techniques of public
speaking.
In other words, to be the kind of speaker who commands attention and is impressive to
watch, your speaking persona needs a physical dimension. So if you’ve never
considered physical expressiveness as an element of your presentations, do so now.
Watch TED talks to get an idea of how some speakers enliven their speeches in this
way while others remain static and uninteresting to observe. Visuals are seductive as
hell, including the visual that is you.
Just as words have no physical dimension without your help, your beautiful language
won’t sing unless you give it voice. As a speaker, you need a fully expressive vocal
instrument, as it’s one of the skills that ushers presence on stage or leaves it in the
wings.
Keep this critical point in mind: Your voice is your most powerful instrument for creating
in listeners the emotions you're feeling. If audiences didn’t need to hear the sound of
truth or the power of an idea, why would you be speaking at all? Remember: verbal is
not vocal. Your words are one thing; the way you say them is something entirely
different. Think Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream Speech" and you'll
understand this immediately. To speak with maximum clarity and credibility, download
my free cheat sheet on the 5 key tools of vocal dynamics. Your voice is your most
flexible and powerful communication tool. Skillful use of the voice helps you speak with clarity and
credibility. Learn how to strengthen your vocal delivery to move others when you speak.
Discover how these five essential techniques can make your voice come vibrantly alive for your
listeners.
When you think about nonverbal communication and public speaking, do you consider
only posture, stance, and hand gestures? If you do, you're ignoring your need to use
space productively and to command the stage when you speak.
In a later blog, I'll explore how an actor’s techniques of stage directions and blocking are
custom-made to lead audiences in public speaking. For now, I’ll suggest one simple
idea: begin to think in terms of your performance space itself as an element of stage
presence. Just as your venue (its shape, acoustics, degree of accessibility between
speaker and audience, etc.) has a hand to play in your public speaking effectiveness, so
too does the stage you’re standing on.
Actors speak of theatrical performance as being “on the boards,” as indeed it is. Use
that space—the floor itself—as you move through your narrative, and to bring you closer
to the audience for your important points. You may be amazed at how much more lively
and watchable your presentation becomes. More important, your audience may be
amazed as well
The majority of the observers chose feeling states as the message of facial
expressions of disgust, fear, sadness, happiness, and surprise, supporting the
emotions view. Only the anger display tended to elicit more choices of behavioral
intention or action request, partially supporting the behavioral ecology view.
The Importance of Gestures. It may come as a surprise to hear that speech language
pathologists think a lot about gestures. ... However, a very important part of
communication development takes place well before a child says his or her first word –
and that is the development of gestures.
Movements
You should begin in a neutral position with hands at your sides (it may feel awkward at
first, but it looks fine). That keeps you open to your audience, so that influence flows
freely in both directions. Gesture sparingly, using defined or "clean" hand movements;
and make them strong.Follow the NODS formula and your upper body movement will
always support and amplify what you say.
Your body language reveals important clues about you, your message, and your
relationsihp with your audience. Learn proven techniques that can make you a more
dynamic and engaging speaker in my e-book Body Language to Look and Feel
Confident.
2. Using space.
When you speak in public, a certain amount of space on the stage is yours by right. You
should claim it! Leaders know how to project power by the way they stand and move;
and of course, when you speak in public, you are a leader. Learn how to occupy space
in a way that proclaims you're comfortable in the spotlight. Nothing demonstrates
confidence like a speaker who is at ease in their own skin in front of an audience.
When you speak, the stage is your world. Show your listeners they can have confidence
in what you're telling them by commanding the space around you. Don't overdo it, but
don't minimize the area through which you move. Need a reminder of a speaker who
knew how to move as a leader? Here's my piece on Bill Clinton's secret: compelling
body language.
When you deal with objects in a presentation, from a remote clicker to a handout to the
slide screen itself, find a way to help that object further your message and its impact.
The object is there for a reason. How can it help you get your message across? Need
some specifics? Read my blog on how to energize your PowerPoint presentations.
4. Facial expressiveness.
We might call this the forgotten relative in the family. Yet the human face is vital to
communication, from recognizing another person to understanding the subtle clues that
underlie motive. Audience members depend upon your facial expressions to augment
meaning.
If you don't have an expressive face, work with a mirror to create a link between what
you're trying to express verbally, and how your facial expressions make your meaning
clear. As part of your practice, give your entire talk without a sound coming out of your
mouth even though you form all the words, letting your face do all the communicating.
5. Voice.
As I mention above, your voice is physical, so it's obviously a component of effective
body language. In fact, aside from your brain your voice is the most flexible
communication instrument you own.
So you should learn how to use your voice to influence others. I don't mean only in
terms of voice and speech improvement. I'm also referring to the many ways vocal
expressiveness helps you indicate meaning and intention.
Listen to speakers good and bad, and listen some more. Take a voice and diction
course. Or work with a speech coach, preferably one who trained as an actor. A motto
I've used for years in my own public speaking training company is "Find Your True
Voice." Literally and figuratively, it can make a radical difference in whether your real
message is heard.