GYAN GANGA COLLEGE OF EXCELLENCE

BBA – I
COMMUNICATION SKILLS NOTES
UNIT II
SYLLABUS FOR UNIT II –
Public Speech: Composition Principles, Speech Delivering Skills, Group Discussion:
Do’s and Don’t’s of Group Discussion, Communication in Committees, Seminars and
Conference.

Public Speaking –
Definition & Meaning -
Public speaking is the process or act of performing a presentation (a speech) focused
around an individual directly speaking to a live audience in a structured, deliberate
manner in order to inform, influence, or entertain them.
Public speaking is commonly understood as the formal, face-to-face talking of a single person
to a group of listeners. It is closely allied to "presenting", although the latter is more often
associated with commercial activity. Most of the time, public speaking is to persuade the
audience. In public speaking, as in any form of communication, there are five basic elements,
often expressed as "who is saying what to whom using what medium with what effects?" The
purpose of public speaking can range from simply transmitting information, to motivating
people, to act, to simply telling a story. Good orators should be able to read their audience
and not only engage them, but also be able to read them. The power of a truly great presenter
is the ability to change the emotions of their listeners, not just inform them. Public speaking
can also be considered a discourse community and interpersonal communication. It has
several components that embrace such things as motivational speaking, leadership, personal
development, business, customer service, large group communication and mass
communication. Public speaking can be a powerful tool to use for purposes such as
motivation, influence, persuasion, informing, translation, or simply ethos.
In present times, public speaking for business and commercial events is often done by
professionals, through representation by a speakers bureau paid on commission of 25-30%, or
via other means.
The best way to define Public speaking is by looking at two key concepts:
i) A message
ii) An audience
This means that every time you go to a meeting, attend a conference call, or present solutions
to your boss – you’re engaging in public speaking. It doesn’t matter the number of persons
listening to you; it is still defined as public speaking. Most people do not realize that public
speaking is something they practice every day. However, understanding this gives you a
significant advantage and an excellent opportunity to practice.
Public speaking is usually a talk given to a large gathering. It is given on various
occasions. Its aim is usually to persuade, inform, motivate, influence, encourage, or
entertain; it is usually followed by applause from the audience.
The person in responsible positions must be good speakers as there are many occasions when
they are called for addressing the audience. Being able to speak well is an asset in any
profession.
Speaking skill can be cultivated and developed with approximate knowledge of the formal
aspects of public speaking, and with practice.The most significant requirement for public
speaking is its preparation. Even persons who have natural skill in speaking need preparation
to convey a good speech.
Essentials of Public Speaking -
The ability to speak effectively depends on some trades and qualities. It is also dependent
upon communication situation. The following is a checklist of features that are often
associated with effective public speaking skills.
i) Self-confidence
ii) Knowledge of the topic
iii) Understanding of the audience
iv) Proper articulation
v) Pleasing voice quality
vi) Sincerity
vii) Emotional control
viii) Fluency
ix) Friendliness
x) Reasoning
xi) Sympathy
x) Open-mindedness
xi) Humility
xii) Responsiveness
xiii) Awareness
xiv) Humour
xv) Spontaneity
xvi) Tactfulness
xvii) Intelligence

Characteristics of Public Speaking -

Some of the characteristics of good public speaking or good speech are mentioned below:
1. Clarity –
Clarity is the first main feature of a good speech. Your speech should be successful in
conveying to the audience the ideas, emotions, facts or arguments, you want to express.
2. Vivid and concrete -
The speech should be vivid including in it concrete facts easy to perceive and visualize.
3. Brief -
The concentration of an average audience does not last more than twenty or 25 minutes.
Hence, an ideal speech should not exceed that time, unless the audience is motivated by
certain interesting facts during the speech.
4. Audience-oriented -
A good speech is always audience-oriented. For delivering an audience-oriented speech, one
should study:
 Whether the audience is the general public or specialized?
 How large is the audience?
 What is the age group of listeners?
 What are their social, religious, political and economic views as well as prejudices
of the listeners?
 What would be the response of the expected audience?
5. Interesting –
Quotations, anecdotes and humorous touches often make a speech very interesting. The
quotations should be familiar and accepted by experts. Anecdotes should be novel, brief and
in good taste. Humour should be typical, spontaneous and gentle.

7 Basic Elements of Public Speaking –

There are seven elements that a speaker must understand to be able to prepare and transmit an
effective speech or presentation in public. A professional and effective speaker knows that he
must apply these seven elements at the same time.
However, not paying attention to any of these aspects may result in an unprofessional or
disastrous speech or presentation.
There are seven elements of public speaking:
1. The speaker
2. The message
3. The audience or receiver.
4. The channel.
5. Feedback.
6. Noise.
7. The place or situation.
1. The speaker -
One of the most pivotal among the basic elements of public speaking is the speaker itself, that
is, the source of the message. Many speakers forget that they are the presentation itself, and
not the visual aids they use. Many presenters or speakers today put a lot of effort into visual
aids and forget that those elements are just that visual aids that help the speaker make a better
presentation. Relying on visual aids in one hundred percent is not recommended.
There are three factors that we need to consider about any speaker.
 Motivation when making the presentation or passion
 Credibility as a speaker
 Style and personality to communicate the knowledge and ideas.

2. The message -
The message refers to everything the speaker says, both verbally and bodily. The verbal
component can be analyzed in three basic elements.
i) Content: This is what the speaker says about the subject or topic.
ii) Style: This explains the way the content of the Speech is presented. The style may vary; in
some cases, it must be very formal or very informal. Most presentations can fall between
these two extremes, and in each case, the style should be determined by which one should be
the most appropriate for the speaker, the audience, as well as the occasion and place.
iii) Structure: The structure of a message is your organization. There are many ways to
organize your message; The structure could include an introduction, a body or argument, and
the conclusion.
When presentations are poorly organized, it reduces the impact of the message. For a speech
or presentation to achieve the desired objective, it must captivate and impact the audience
from the first 60 seconds until the end of the intervention.

3. The audience -
A professional speaker should analyze his listeners before the Speech and decide how to
present his ideas. This analysis could include some important considerations:
Needs, Age, sex, marital status, race, geographic location, type of group (homogeneous or
heterogeneous), education, trade, activity, and profession.
The speaker should always adapt to the audience, both in their language and attire (as much
as possible).

4. The channel -
When a speaker communicates with his audience, they use many communication channels.
These include the nonverbal channel, the visual channel, and the auditory channel.
The nonverbal channel includes: Gestures, Facial expressions, Body’s movement, Physical
posture.
The visual channel includes: Diagrams, Drawings, Graphics, Photographs, Videos.
The auditory channel includes: Tone of voice, Variations in voice volume, Tapes, CDS or
audio materials.

5. Feedback -
Feedback is the process through which the speaker receives a response or information from
the audience that has heard the message. The feedback process is not completed until the
speaker has responded to the concerns of his audience.
When you speak in public, you must be attentive to the nonverbal reactions of the audience
and be prepared to respond to the reactions of the public during the presentation. The
responsibility of a professional speaker is to provide your audience with all the information
you need to hear.

6. The noise -
There are two types of noise that a speaker should know: External noise and internal noise.
External noise consists of sounds from laughter, poor acoustics of the auditorium,
temperature (too hot or too cold), poor ventilation, visual interference such as low light, or
obstacles between the speaker and the audience.
Internal noise occurs when the speaker is confused or conveys an unclear message about
what he wants to express.
The best way to combat any type of noise; use more than one communication channel at the
same time (verbal and nonverbal). Ensure that the auditorium is conditioned to appear in
public. Use the repetition of ideas throughout the exhibition. Transmit a clear and concise
message for the audience to understand.

7. The place or situation -

The place where a speech is delivered may be one of the most critical elements for the
success of a presentation.
It is recommended that you review the place or auditorium where you are going to make your
presentation. You also need to know in advance the exact spot where you are going to speak
in public and to coordinate all the details to take all precautions in advance.
For example: the conditions of the place, the seats, the air conditioner, the lighting, the
arrangement of the platform, the seats, the tables, etc. All details must be under control.

Modes of Delivery in Public Speaking -

There are four main modes of delivery used in public speaking:

i) Impromptu
ii) Extemporaneous
iii) Memorized
iv) Manuscript

i) Impromptu -
The impromptu speech is delivered with little opportunity to prepare. Its main virtue is that it
is spontaneous; its main shortcoming is that it is usually not well planned. When you are
urged “say a few words” without any advance warning, what leads is an impromptu speech.

ii) Extemporaneous -
Extemporaneous speaking is somewhat more formal than impromptu speaking. You have an
opportunity to plan, and the resulting speech is better organized than an impromptu speech.
You will normally rely somewhat on notes, but you will not read to the listeners. Most public
speeches are delivered extemporaneously.

iii) Memorized -
A memorized speech allows for a well-planned expression of ideas. When presenting a
speech from memory, how, speakers have tendency to lose a certain amount of naturalness
and sometimes sound and look quite wooden. The possibility of forgetting the speech is
another negative aspect of the memorized speech.

iv) Manuscript -
Manuscript speaking is relied on for more formal occasions. Speaking from a manuscript,
you are able to be very precise, and you can carefully control the exact message the listeners
receive. Naturally, it in general takes longer to develop a manuscript speech, and often the
manuscript becomes a barrier between you and the listeners.

Need of Public Speaking -

The best presenters and speakers speak in a usual way that invites you to make some
modifications in your life, no matter how small.
Thus, there are three vital purposes of public speaking which are explained below:
i) Informative Speaking -
Informative speaking is regarded as one of the most common types of public speaking. The
main purpose of informative presentations is to share one’s knowledge of a subject with an
audience. Reasons for making an informative speech differ broadly.

Example: Let’s say, you might be asked to teach a group of co-workers on how to use new
computer software or to report to a group of managers how your latest project is coming
along. It is incorporated into various different works.
Therefore, learning how to speak efficiently has become an important skill in today’s
scenario.

ii) Persuasive Speaking -

Another reason for speaking to an audience is to persuade others. In our everyday lives, we
are often called on to motivate, convince, or otherwise persuade others to take an action,
change their beliefs, or reconsider a decision.
Persuading customers to purchase your firm’s products, advocating for music education in
your local school district, or inspiring high school students to attend college all involve
affecting other people through public speaking.

iii) Entertaining Speaking -

Entertaining speaking includes an array of speaking occasions ranging from introductions to
presenting and accepting awards, wedding toasts, to delivering eulogies at funerals and
memorial services in addition to motivational speeches and after-dinner speeches.
As with informative and persuasive speaking, there are professionals, from religious leaders
to comedians, who make a living simply from delivering entertaining speeches.

Importance of Public Speaking -

i) Individual
When you apply for a job, the employer evaluates you on the basis of certain characteristics.
Your capability to communicate is one such characteristic, and it comes across clearly in an
interview. Your ability to communicate not only influences whether you are employed but it
determines your progress in the job.
Employers realize that it is the ability to communicate that often separates an exceptional
employee from the ordinary ones. Being able to organize your thoughts and give a public
speech is another substantial determinant of your personal and professional success.
Being able to give an efficacious public speech enhances your self-esteem; you feel good
about yourself.

ii) Organization -
It has been said that an organization is only as good as the individuals who constitute make it.
It could also be said that an organization communicates only as effectively as do its
individual members.

There is a need in business for people who can effectively present the organizational
viewpoint to the public. The average business organization does a poor job of acquainting the
public with its contributions to society.
From a communication viewpoint, it does not matter how clean the motives of the
organization are. What matters are, what the public knows about such things and how the
public responds to this knowledge of a company’s activities.
Unless the public is made aware of what the business is doing and why, the purposes on the
part of business will be of no use. Only through effective external communications can
business present the information that is most likely to result in a desirable image. One of the
most crucial and effective formats in which to present that information is public speech.

iii) Society -
We live in a society in which the free expression of ideas is not merely tolerated, but
encouraged. Issues are analysed and viewpoints are presented in many different formats.
Newspaper editorials, town hall meetings, and discussions (or arguments) are a few settings
in which opinions are aired on those subjects about which the participants feel strongly.
It is often through public speaking that ideas are presented for public evaluation. This was as
true in the prelude to the Declaration of Independence as it is today in election campaigns at
all levels. It is as evident at an annual meeting of stockholders’ as at a monthly union local
meeting.

8 Steps in Speech Composition

1. Know your audience -
It is important to know if you will be sharing your thoughts with high school students,
professionals, or college graduates so you can adjust your speech accordingly. High school
students usually prefer more entertainment than literary speech since they do have a lesser
attention span compared to college graduates. When you are tasked to do a speech for
professionals, more real-life situations will be helpful as these kinds of the audience usually
look for samples that they can use in their job.
2. Create an Outline -
After knowing your audience, you can now start outlining your speech. Doing an outline
helps a lot in organizing your thoughts and determining what you want to include in the
introduction, the body, the conclusion and how long you want your speech to last. Just like
writing an article, a speech should start with a catchy introduction followed by the body of
your speech and then the conclusion.
3. Research Extensively -
Research enough to make your points credible and remarkable.
4. Introduction of the speech –
One thing that you need to keep in mind while writing your introduction is how you can
make it lively. Most of the times, quotations are used in introductions but it will be better if
you’ll place real-life situations instead. That can somehow help in keeping the attention of
your readers as they will become interested what happened next in the sample situation that
you gave. Keep your introduction short.
5. Body of the speech –
The body of your speech is the most important part. This is also the hardest part to compose
because you need to organize all of your thoughts. It is better to have a short but concise body
rather than a long clustered speech.
6. Conclusion of the speech -
Most of the time, the conclusion contains the inspirational message to your audience that they
will forever remember and even post it on their social media, quoting you. Your conclusion
can even help you recover from a not so good start of your speech.
7. Read your Work –
After writing your speech, it is now time for adding and deleting process. You have to read
your work not just once but twice or thrice to make sure that you do not leave out anything.
Never be content with your first draft because there’s a reason why it is called a draft and not
the final one. Speaker should always go the extra mile and read the work.
8. Rehearse your Speech -
Look in the mirror and read your speech. Practice the gestures and emotions that you want
your target audience to feel so by the time you stand in front of them, you will feel less
tension for not knowing what to do. However, do not make it look like scripted when
delivering your speech.

Group Discussion –
Group discussion is formed by combining two different words i.e. group and discussion.
Here, group means a number of people or things that are put together considered as a
unit whereas the word ‘discuss’ is derived from the Latin ‘discutere’, which means to
shake or strike.
Thus ‘discussion’ refers to examine the topic thoroughly to reach a conclusion.
Collectively, it is called Group discussion which means the exchange of ideas by participated
candidates on a specific subject or topic.
Generally, group discussion is a method used by the companies or organizations to check
whether the candidates have certain personality or skills which are must for their members
or employees.
Nowadays, group discussions have become a main stage in the recruitment process.
In this discussion, the group of applicants or candidates is given a topic or a scenario and few
minutes are provided them to think about the same, and then asked to discuss the situation
among them for a limited time.
Organizations conduct group discussion after the written test so as to test the interactive
skills of the candidates and how good they are at interacting with other people.
Group discussion also tells about how candidates behave, participate and contribute in
a group.
Also, recruiters come to know about how much importance applicants give to the team
objectives as well as their own, how well they listen to viewpoints of others and how open-
minded are they in accepting the views contrary to their own.
Group Discussion is conducted to evaluate your following skills: Confidence, effective
communication, quality of language, listening skills, assertive attitude, paraphrasing skills,
leadership.

Types of Group Discussion -

Generally, group discussion categorized into two categories i.e. Topic-based group discussion
and Case-based group discussion as discussed below.
i) Topic-Based Group Discussion: In this discussion, a topic is provided to the candidates
about what they have to perform the discussion. This logic has been drawn from the actual
work scenarios. In this discussion, the given topics are of three kinds i.e. Factual topics,
Controversial topics and Abstract topics (related to intangible things).
ii) Case-Based Group Discussion: Instead of the topics, small cases are handover to the
candidates which leads to the questions and they have to discuss those questions. This will
help in finding out the problem-solving abilities of the candidates.

Purpose of Group Discussion -

There are several purposes for group discussions. Some of them are listed below:
i) To reach a solution on an issue of concern.
ii) To generate new ideas for solving a problem.
iii) For choosing the applicants after the written test for a job or for admission to educational
institutes.
iv) To train ourselves in various interpersonal skills.

Importance of Group Discussion -

i) Suggestions: It is through group discussions that a meaningful and practically
implementable solution can be reached. The Collaboration of these suggestions gives rise to a
new one, creating a space for the best possible output.
ii) Decision Making: Group discussion helps in evaluation of a problem and reaches to a
suitable decision, based on suggestions presented by the members. It also makes it easier for
the boss or chairperson to able to take even the toughest of decision with an ease because by
group discussion he/she can know that the decision to be taken will be supported by other
members of the company also.
iii) Exchange of Ideas: With the help of group discussion the exchange of ideas is taken
place. As every member participated in the discussion put his/her thoughts on the table and
this makes the diversity in the ideas.
iv) Productive Activity: Group discussion is always supposed to be a productive way in terms
of business concern. It is the proven method which always helps to procure the best possible
decision for a concern.
v) Assertiveness: Confidence level of a candidate shows up in a group discussion. It is
assessed that how confident candidates are, while putting up their opinion in front of others.
vi) Team Work: While working for a company, it is very important to work as a part of the
team in an assigned project. This quality is really important and this will be evaluated through
group discussion. You not only put your own points but also listen to others and then come to
a concluding point.
vii) Leadership Qualities: Group discussion clearly indicates who amongst all the participants
is taking the lead and who is a passive contestant. As a good leader gives the entire discussion
a good direction and takes it forward whenever it is moving from the main topic. This quality
is also evaluated through this process only.
viii) Communication Skills: As communication skills are must in every field of work. These
are evaluated through a structured group discussion.

Objectives of a Group Discussion -

 Produce a range of options or solutions, addressing a particular problem or an issue.
 Generate a pile of ideas by examining issues in greater depth, looking at different
dimensions of these issues.
 Broaden the outlook of the participants through cross-fertilization and exposure to
new and different experiences and ideas and enrich their understanding of the issues
under discussion.
 Develop their skills in interpersonal communication and expressing their views in a
clear and succinct manner.
 Effective means of changing attitudes through the influence of peers in the group.
 Valuable means of obtaining feedback for the training team on verbal skills,
motivation level and personal traits of the participants and characteristics of the
group.

Do’s of Group Discussion –

There are several things about which you have to be careful while group discussion.
i) Speak pleasantly and politely in the group.
ii) Respect and recognize the contribution of every member and represent it with a nod or a
smile.
iii) Agree and acknowledge whatever you find interesting.
iv) Disagree politely because it is a discussion and not an argument.
v) Do a mental revision of what you are going to say. Think of how you can best answer the
question or contribute to the topic.
vi) Stick to the theme of discussion and not get engaged in other irrelevant discussions.
vii) Follow etiquettes while speaking.
viii) Be confident.

Don’ts of Group Discussion –

Some of the don’ts are listed below about which you have to careful while presenting
yourself in front of others.
i) Don’t lose your temper. It is a group discussion, not an argument.
ii) Don’t speak loudly or aggressively. Always use a moderate tone and a medium pitch.
iii) Don’t do gestures like finger pointing and table thumping. This can appear aggressive, so
limit your body gestures.
iv) Don’t dominate the discussion. As confident speakers should allow the quieter, a chance
to speak up and contribute to the discussion.
v) Don’t draw too much on personal experience.
vi) Don’t interrupt when someone else is speaking. Wait for a speaker to finish before you
speak.

Advantages of Group Discussions :

The advantages of group discussion are as follows:
(i) It provides a deeper understanding of the subject.
(ii) It improves the ability to think critically.
(iii) It provides different approaches to solve a problem.
(iv) It help the group in taking a decision.
(v) It enables a participant to put across one's viewpoint.
(vi) It enables a participant to put across one's view point.
(vii) It enhances confidence in speaking.
(vii) It can change your opinion and show you things from a different perspective.

Limitations of Group Discussion :

i) If the group is large, not all the members may get the opportunity to participate and
contribute to the discussion.
ii) If the task is not clearly defined, the discussion may lack focus and as a result, it may be
unproductive.
iii) Difficulties can arise if the leader is incapable in guiding the discussion and is not familiar
with the topic or the issues.
iv) Some members may dominate and, in a way, hijack the discussion.
v) As this is a group task, some members may take it easy and not feel constrained to
participate.