NSU Comm 1113

1. Fundamentals of Oral Communication
Northeastern State University
Effective Speaking

2. Effective Speaking
• Know your audience
• Know your purpose
• Be prepared (notes, visual aids, etc.)

3. Use good language
• More conversational
• Less complex
• Repeat key ideas & phrases
• Engage the audience (humor, questions)

4. Introduction:
• Attention Getter – use relevant anecdote,
question, statistic to introduce your topic.
• Relevance– why should we care?
• Road Map – preview the speech to the audience
Anatomy of a Speech

5. Main Points:
• Use specific & relevant examples
• Use clear transitions
• Help make unfamiliar concepts
clearer for audience (metaphors, analogies...)
Anatomy of a Speech

6. Conclusion:
• Highlight & Review Main Points
• Emphasize most important things
• Draw connection with audience –
Why should this topic be important to them?
Anatomy of a Speech

7. Good Habits
• Eye Contact – shows confidence, try and
look at everyone in the room.
• Power of the Pause – silence can be a
good thing. Give audience a moment to digest.
• Breathe... It’s a good thing. Relax...

8. Good Habits
• Gestures – use purposefully
• Posture / Movement – stand straight,
avoid shifting back & forth, move if you need to.
adapted from http://speakinghelp.stanford.edu