Chapter 9 Delivery — Study Notes

Stand and Deliver: Introduction to Delivery

• Delivery is the act of presenting your speech and greatly affects how the audience receives your message.
• Example: Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream demonstrates how crisp diction, controlled pace, and deliberate tone emphasize key phrases and arguments.
• A different delivery (disheveled, monotone, overlong pauses) can ruin a well-written speech, underscoring that delivery matters as much as content.
• The chapter frames delivery as a set of choices and practices you develop, building on everyday communication skills rather than creating them from scratch.

Speaking or Talking?

• Everyday talking vs. public speaking: public speaking requires training and practice; without it, anxiety can impede performance.
• Key obstacles to good delivery:
  • Lack of formal training in public speaking.
  • Anxiety about public speaking.
• Jerry Seinfeld joke used to illustrate how common public-speaking fear is:
  • Public speaking is the #1 fear; death is #2 (humor underscores anxiety).
• People are comfortable talking daily, often underestimating how much public-speaking is a learned skill.
• Everyday communication already involves performance: greeting, giving directions, persuading, etc. Effective public speaking extends and refines this performance, not creates it from scratch.
• Cross-cultural communication example: greeting a French shopkeeper involves pronunciation, intonation, and nonverbal cues, showing that performance matters in delivering words.

Creating Focus and Energy from Your Anxiety

• The core challenge for most speakers is anxiety; strategies to convert that energy into focus and audience energy:
  • 1) Remember—we are all in the same boat. Anxiety is universal; no one dies from it. Build a supportive, charitable audience culture.
  • 2) Manage your expectations. Accept nervousness as normal; ask how to respond productively, not how to eliminate it.
  • 3) Recognize that nerves can enhance performance. Channel nervous energy into excitement and enthusiasm; avoid dwelling on nervousness.
  • 4) You don’t look as nervous as you feel. Visualize your nervousness as subjective; audiences pay attention to your message more than your nerves.
  • 5–8: (items not shown in the provided transcript excerpt; note that several points in the sequence appear to be omitted in the scan)
  • 9) Visualize success and believe in it. Mentally rehearsing a successful delivery helps manage fear.
  • 10) Remember the audience is on your side; imagine you’re speaking to supportive listeners to reduce anxiety.
  • 11) Act “as if.” You don’t have to feel calm to perform; act with confidence and your feelings often follow.
• Practical tips:
  • Practice, breathe, and prepare; preparation itself reduces anxiety and increases confidence.
  • Your topic should take precedence over nerves; your message matters more than your fear.
  • Visualization and rehearsal reduce anxiety and improve delivery when combined with real practice.

Types of Preparation and Delivery

• Four main delivery modes:
  • Speech from memory: memorize a written text and recite it from memory. Historically common, now rare due to accessibility of books/computers/teleprompters. Pros: spontaneity when done well; Cons: risk of forgetting material, sounding rehearsed.
  • Manuscript speech: write and read aloud from a prepared script; politicians often use teleprompters to read at eye level for a natural appearance. Cons: reading without audience connection; potential robotic delivery.
  • Extemporaneous speaking: rely on limited notes or an outline; most common formal speaking style; allows flexibility and audience adaptation; exact wording may be written for memorable metaphors/antitheses.
  • Impromptu speaking: speak with little to no preparation; relies on on-the-spot structure and a stock of arguments/anecdotes; develops with experience.
• Exercise: Are you a better reader or speaker? Try delivering a 3-minute chunk from:
  • Manuscript, then from notecards, then from memory.
  • Track differences in delivery and review via video to understand how each method changes performance.
• Key terms:
  • extemporaneous speech: a speech delivered from written notes or an outline.
  • impromptu speaking: a speech delivered on the spot with little or no preparation.

Staying on Time

• Time management is essential for ethical, respectful public speaking; audiences have little patience for overlong speeches.
• Practical tips:
  • If you have a set time limit, design and practice to stay within about 1 minute of the allotted time.
  • Use time signals (fingers/cards) to monitor remaining time.
• Dangers by preparation method:
  • Manuscript or memorized speeches tend to be time-consistent but can still vary in real delivery.
  • Impromptu speeches require watching time closely because you create content on the fly.
  • Extemporaneous speeches are most prone to overrun or run short if not well practiced.

Types of Speaking Aids

• Speaking aids help you stay on track without replacing your memory of content:
  • Printed outline on 8.5" x 11" paper: easy to read; downside: you’re tied to the podium.
  • Notes on 4" x 6" or 5" x 8" cards: can move around, use gestures, hold while walking; ensure font is legible.
  • Outline content on cards: start from your outline; use a single word or phrase to cue points.
  • Some content may be written verbatim in speaking notes for quotes, precise numbers, long-source names, or carefully crafted antitheses.
  • You can customize notes with delivery reminders (e.g., color-coded dots for breath or eye contact). Common color schemes: main points blue, subpoints green, citations orange.
  • PowerPoint slides: common aid; can function as extemporaneous notes; print slides and add delivery notes to slides.
• Writing and formatting tips:
  • If using a manuscript without a teleprompter, ensure font size is large enough to read at a glance; double-spacing is common for readability.
  • When printing outlines, uppercase lettering is common in scripts, though some find all caps harder to read.
• Example usage: use slides as a memory aid; when you know your material well, slides may be the only reminder you need.

Using Your Voice Effectively

• The voice is the most adaptable performance instrument; control over voice includes: volume, speed, articulation, and inflection.
• Volume:
  • Must be audible for the room but not overpowering; adjust by room size:
  • 5 ext{ to } 10 people: a natural conversational voice suffices; a “big voice” is unnecessary and distracting.
  • 10 ext{ to } 50 people: speak up, project more volume, possibly slow pace a bit.
  • > 50 people: use a microphone or a lapel mic if available; otherwise, avoid shouting; use diaphragmatic breath and proper resonance.
  • Diaphragm-based breathing is essential for increasing air pressure and volume without throat tension.
  • Avoid clavicular breathing (shallow chest breathing) and focus on breathing from the diaphragm for sustained volume.
  • Resonance testing: place a hand on top of head and increase volume; you should feel vowel resonance in the head area as you go louder; adjust until resonance is felt.
• Speed (Rate):
  • Typical conversational rate: 110 ext{ to } 150 words per minute; aim for slightly below conversational rate to optimize comprehension.
  • Neuroscience insight (Peelle & McMillan, Brain and Language, 2004): processing of rapid speech shows the brain can compensate by engaging non-language areas; extremely fast speech can be understood with extra cognitive effort;
  • Slightly higher-than-normal rate can convey competence but may also signal anxiety or manipulation depending on context.
  • Pace guidance: speak just a bit slower than your normal rate to allow clear articulation; adjust for microphone/amplification in large rooms; slower pace helps back-row listeners.
  • Pausing is essential for emphasis and clarity.
• Articulation:
  • Clear pronunciation of sounds to ensure intelligibility; avoid slurring or over-enunciating ordinary words.
  • Overenunciation (hypercorrectness) can be irritating; example: pronouncing every consonant in casual clusters can sound artificial.
  • Aim for crisp articulation just above your normal level so distant listeners can hear clearly.
• Inflection:
  • Inflection adds musicality and meaning; helps avoid monotone delivery; shape sentences by varying tempo, volume, and emphasis.
  • Example of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address advice: place emphasis on nouns instead of prepositions to convey central meaning.
  • Focus vs. contrast in emphasis:
  • Focus: highlight the key word that determines what the sentence is about.
  • Contrast: emphasize a word to signal what the sentence is not about.
  • Practice with key sentences to discover which stresses best convey intended meaning; mark delivery cues on notes if helpful.
• Quick check: Try a segment of your speech with different rates and inflections; note how vocal qualities affect listener perception.
• Try-It prompt: Record yourself delivering a segment with an effective rate, then compare with monotone or over-articulated versions to observe listener impact.

Using Your Body Effectively

• Three aspects of physical delivery: standing, walking, gesturing.
• Standing:
  • Stand straight and tall to project confidence and improve voice projection; avoid slouching.
  • Hold notes at chest height if using a podium so you can see them without looking down; adjust pose if podium height is unsuitable.
  • Keep chin up and shoulders relaxed to facilitate breathing and eye contact.
  • Distribute weight evenly on both feet to avoid nervous fidgeting or foot-tapping.
• Walking:
  • Movement can sustain attention and reduce tension, but avoid excessive pacing.
  • When moving, come out from behind the podium to engage more directly with the audience.
  • Find a balance between staying still and moving too much; maintain natural movement that matches transitions.
  • Avoid tripping: walk with one foot in front of the other; plan paths to minimize missteps.
  • Face the audience during movement; turn away briefly only when interacting with visual aids or transitions.
  • Use movement to cue transitions: pauses and a few steps can signal a new point.
  • Move front-to-back-to-front to visually mirror the speech structure (introduction, body, conclusion).
• Gestures:
  • Gestures are highly individual; be natural and avoid forcing movement if you’re not a naturally expressive speaker.
  • If you normally gesture, don’t suppress it; if you don’t gesture, don’t overdo it to fake expressiveness.
  • Hands should stay in front of you or at your sides; avoid hiding hands in pockets or behind your back.
  • Avoid distracting or overly deliberate gestures (e.g., holding up fingers for “two options” too clearly).
  • If you’re using cards, keep hands around chest height to avoid neck strain when looking at notes.
  • Dress and pockets can affect gestures; keep pockets clear to avoid distracting motions.
• Eye contact and presentation credibility (combined with body language):
  • Eye contact signals engagement and credibility; begin with a pause and direct eye contact with the audience.
  • Sweep the room to acknowledge different audience sections; connect with individuals who seem engaged.
  • Don’t stare at one person; distribute gaze to create inclusion across the audience.

Communicating Credibility

• Eye contact is essential to convey engagement and credibility; fear or nervousness should not prevent you from making eye contact.
• Beginning with eye contact and a brief pause helps establish connection before you start speaking.
• Appearance contributes to credibility:
  • Dress appropriately for the occasion so that attire supports your message rather than distracts from it.
  • Clothes should be neat, clean, and unobtrusive; avoid apparel that draws attention away from the message (e.g., overly sexy outfits).
  • Comfort matters: choose functional clothes; avoid hat during speaking; avoid noisy jewelry or accessories that may distract through sound or movement.
  • The goal is to be taken seriously for your words, not for your clothing.

How to Practice Delivering Your Speech

• Rehearsal is essential for confidence, focus, and delivery refinement.
• Four practice runs is a recommended minimum; more practice improves fluency and reduces reliance on notes.
• Practice with a live audience when possible to incorporate feedback and simulate real conditions; if not, rehearse with a small, supportive audience (friends, classmates, family).
• Practice strategies:
  • Practice the entire speech at least four times; early practices may rely on notes, later ones focus on voice, eye contact, and audience interaction.
  • Practice with audience feedback and time checks to improve pacing and transitions.
  • Practice making mistakes and recover smoothly: pause, breathe, and resume rather than apologizing or drawing attention to the error.
  • If you slip, take a deep breath, pause briefly, and continue; avoid commentary on the mistake.
  • Don’t rely on a mirror; practice with a real audience to focus on content and audience engagement rather than appearance.
• Breathing and pacing:
  • Develop breathing routines to maintain energy and control; deliberate breathing helps you avoid running out of breath mid-sentence.
  • Use diaphragmatic breathing to regulate pace and sustain vocalization.

Answering Questions from the Audience

• Public Q&A can extend a speech into a dialogue; be prepared to manage questions effectively.
• Anticipate questions by reviewing difficult topics, potential numerical details, and decisions you made during preparation.
• Interpreting questions (the question-behind-the-question): slow down, clarify the question, and identify the underlying concern to address it effectively.
• Techniques for answering:
  • Treat the question as public: address the whole room; maintain an inclusive stance.
  • Acknowledge the question with courtesy and appreciation; validate the question and the questioner.
  • You don’t need to have all answers; if you don’t know, admit it openly and offer to find out or discuss later.
  • Answer questions, not speeches: stay focused on the topic and avoid giving a lengthy tangent.
  • If a question doesn’t advance the topic, you can redirect and connect it to your main points or suggest discussing it after the session.
• Handling a persistent or off-topic question: acknowledge, then steer back to the central message while offering to address the concern afterward.
• Benefits of dialogue with the audience: fosters engagement, demonstrates respect for audience perspectives, and enriches the presentation.
• Vocal fry and credibility: awareness of speech patterns (like vocal fry) is important, especially for younger speakers; excessive vocal fry can undermine credibility in some contexts; seek feedback and adjust patterns accordingly.

Group Presentations

• Group presentations involve coordinating two to six speakers and leveraging collective strengths to exceed the sum of individual performances.
• Keys to success: cooperation and coordination.
  • Cooperation: collaborative preparation; strategy, planning, and alignment on content.
  • Coordination: managing multiple speakers and transitions; ensuring smooth hand-offs and unified delivery.
• Planning steps:
  • Agree on topic and purpose; consider audience relevance, constraints (time, technology).
  • Division of labor: allocate tasks such as research, themes/arguments, organization, slides/technology among group members; ensure equal speaking times.
  • Regular coordination meetings to share results and adjust goals/methods.
• Speaking times: allocate roughly equal time to speakers; minimize transitions to reduce disruption; avoid frequent shifts that feel choppy.
• Transition strategies:
  • Relay presentation: sequential hand-offs where each speaker completes a piece and passes to the next; best when transitions are explicit and practiced.
  • Master of ceremonies (MC): a designated person manages introductions and transitions; often easier for flow since MC orchestrates the handoffs.
• Transitions require:
  • A strong preview of what’s coming next.
  • Written transition notes; avoid ad-libbed transitions; practice is essential.
• Advantages and disadvantages:
  • Relay: simple and quick; requires strong transition skills from each speaker.
  • MC: takes more time but allows speakers to focus on content; reduces the burden on individual transitions.
• Delivering the group presentation:
  • Maintain continuity across speakers; ensure consistent structure and style for audience coherence.
  • Use uniform slides/handouts and copy the same organizational approach across sections.
• Rehearsing the group presentation:
  • At least three full run-throughs to test timing, transitions, and coordination.
  • Practice with technology and ensure everyone can operate it; designate backups for equipment.
• Common issues to diagnose in rehearsals:
  • Overlong or overlapped speech portions; misaligned transitions; content overlap; inconsistent connections between parts.
• Summary of group work: success hinges on cooperation and coordination; structure and transitions should feel seamless to the audience.

Summary and Key Takeaways

• Delivery is a learned set of skills that can be practiced and refined to improve audience reception and credibility.
• Effective delivery blends voice control (volume, rate, articulation, inflection) and physical delivery (standing, walking, gesturing) with credible eye contact and appearance.
• Practice is essential: rehearse multiple times, simulate audience conditions, and prepare for Q&A.
• Group presentations require clear planning, coordinated execution, and practiced transitions to achieve a unified performance.
• Ethical considerations include staying within time limits and respecting the audience’s time.

Questions for Review

• What is the difference between speaking and talking?
• What are some techniques for turning anxiety into focus and energy?
• What makes a speaking voice effective? How is an effective voice produced?
• How can you use delivery to communicate credibility?
• Why should you practice? What makes practice effective?
• What factors should you consider in composing your part of a group presentation?

Questions for Discussion

• Find two TED Talks and compare their delivery; which is more effective for the topic and audience? Why?
• How do content, occasion, and audience expectations influence delivery choices? Provide examples.
• Why do you get nervous speaking? What is your best technique for managing it?
• For a chosen speech, generate five potential audience questions; could the speaker have anticipated most of them? Why or why not?
• What makes group presentations challenging? What makes them rewarding? Propose concrete strategies for your next group presentation.

Key Concepts

• appropriate clothes
• focus
• master of ceremonies
• articulation
• group presentation
• relay presentation
• contrast
• impromptu speaking
• speech from memory
• extemporaneous speech
• inflection
• eye contact
• manuscript speech
• (MindTap)