1. Informative Speaking

2. Purpose of Informative Speeches
The main goal is to increase the audience's understanding or awareness by imparting knowledge.
Provides an audience with:
New info
New insights
New ways of thinking about a topic.

3. Types of Informative Speaking
By Content
Objects
Processes
Events
Concepts
People
Issues
By Purpose
Descriptions
“word picture”
Explanations
“why”
Instructions
“how to”
Demonstrations
“visual how to”

4. Defining Information in your Speech
Operational definition
when something is defined by what it does
Definition by negation
Describes something by explaining what it is not
Definition by example
Provide examples
Definition by synonym
Using another word for comparison
Definition by etymology
“word origin”

5. Informative vs. Persuasive
Informal topic tends to be noncontroversial
Informative speaker does not intend to change audience attitudes.

6. Techniques of Informative Speaking
Define a specific informative purpose
Strive for balance: Include neither too much nor too little
Emphasize the topic’s relevance to your audience.
Create information hunger
A reason for your audience members to want to listen to and learn from your speech.

7. Limit the amount of information you present
Make it easy to listen
Limit the amount of information you present
Use familiar information to increase understanding of the unfamiliar
Use simple information to build up understanding of complex information
Define your terms so that all audience members will understand you.
Relate old ideas to new ones

8. Present new and interesting information Strive for clarity
Use Visualization
Incorporate presentation aids
Emphasize important points
Repetition
Signposts

9. Use a clear organization and structure
The introduction
The body
The conclusion
Use supporting material effectively
Use clear language
Generate audience involvement
Personalize your speech
Use audience participation
Use volunteer
Have question-and-answer period

10. Checklist
In your introduction, tell audience members what you hope they will learn by listening to you
Stress the topic’s relevance to your listeners.
Select examples that will be clear to all audience members.
Introduce concepts that may be new to the audience by relating them to something with which listeners are already familiar.

11. Reinforce your message through repetition of key words and phrases.
Use language that is concise, concrete, and vivid to describe your information.
Consider using similes and metaphors to make your examples familiar to the audience.
Consider how presentation aids can reinforce and expand upon your speech points.