Conversational quality in speech delivery means that the speech

Delivery

Delivery is the way in which we present our speech. It is generally divided into two categories, verbal and nonverbal delivery, and includes everything from the way we say the words to our hand and body movements. Good delivery does not make up for poor content, though good delivery is essential to a good speech. Remember, delivery is an area that improves exponentially with practice! Here are some common tips skilled speakers use to get their message across clearly and persuasively.

Think Conversational Quality

This phrase captures many different aspects of good delivery, but what does it mean? Think of a time you have had a meaningful conversation with someone you respect and are comfortable being around. How fast do you speak? How do you pronounce words? Do you talk with your hands? Typically, this is the style you should use for public speaking. Next, let's break down some specific aspects of delivery.

Verbal Delivery

Rate - Research shows that audiences favor quicker speakers over slower speakers. Speaking very slowly could give the impression that you are not practiced or do not know the material. Keep your speaking pace up, but do not speak so fast that the audience might miss something important. Think about conversational quality. How fast would you speak in that scenario? Use that as a baseline for your speaking rate.

Inflection - Inflection refers to the changes in pitch or tone of a speaker. We use inflection as a crucial part of daily speech, though it is easy to forget once in front of a crowd; it is easy to stay the same pitch and simply read what is written. Avoid this monotone delivery style. Inflection gives our words life and adds emotion to our expressions.

Pauses - We use pauses for different reasons: to signal the end of a thought, give an idea time to sink in, and lend dramatic impact to a statement. While practicing your speech, look for moments where you could pause to let the audience sit with something you've just said - especially if it is the main point or something vital to your message.

Nonverbal Delivery

The voice is usually the first thing that comes in speech presentations, but we also communicate with our bodies. The nonverbal elements of delivery discussed below can help us appear confident and competent at the podium.

Personal Appearance - How we look matters, both to ourselves and to our audience. Dressing so that you feel presentable and professional will help you give a better speech and reduce your anxiety about being judged. Your audience will appreciate you putting your best foot forward as well. Looking nice is a sign that you care about what you are going to say.

Movement - It is good to practice to see how speech anxiety influences your movement. Many develop nervous habits such as shifting their weight from one foot to the other, using uncontrollable hand motions, or pacing back and forth. The distracting movement will disappear as you become more comfortable and practiced.

Gestures - Motioning with your hands can help emphasize your message, but it can also become a distraction. There is no perfect amount of gestures, they should just be natural and not so excessive that they take focus away from your message. Remember to think about how you would gesture during a natural conversation.

Eye Contact - Considered the base level of communication, eye contact is the best way to establish a relationship with your audience. An absence of eye contact can quickly mean an absence of the audience's attention. Eye contact also aids in making you seem honest and credible, while failure to do so can sometimes come across as dishonest or insincere.

Prepared by GVSU Speech Lab Consultants & Carl J. Brown

Some information adapted from Stephen Lucas' The Art of Public Speaking, Tenth Edition.

Page last modified June 28, 2021

Conversational Delivery

Speak to listeners as if you are conversing with them.

I wish you to see that public speaking is a perfectly normal act, which calls for no strange, artificial methods, but only for an extension and development of that most familiar act, conversation.

– James Albert Winans, Hamilton 1897

A speech is simply not a speech until it is delivered to an audience, yet that is the part of speech-making that most worries many people. But James Winans, whose conception of delivery still infuses contemporary scholarship and teaching, wanted us to understand that speech delivery is merely an adaptation of something we all do every day quite naturally and effectively.

What Winans saw as essential to effective public speaking was the same quality of communication found in most conversation. “There is no good speaking,” he wrote, “without this conversational quality.”

“Speak conversationally.”

“Audience members are better able to process your speech if you’re talking with them rather than at them,” says Professor of Psychology Jen Borton. "If you need a few notes, write them down, but don’t write your talk down verbatim. Even if you memorize the words, you will sound as though you’re reading off invisible notes in your head rather than having a conversation with your audience.”

“Think about what you're saying and try to convey it.”

“Try to actually talk to the audience, not simply recite what you’ve prepared,” advises Dan Chambliss, the Eugene M. Tobin Distinguished Professor of Sociology.

“Own the classroom.”

That’s what the best presenters do, observes Professor of Literature and Creative Writing Doran Larson. “They are not muddling or embarrassed but take command of their topic and present it with confidence and with conviction regarding the importance of what they have found.”

“Practice, practice, practice.”

That’s the advice of Associate Professor of Government Sharon Rivera. “Develop a thick skin,” she says, “and ask your friends for their suggestions on how to improve.”

“Conversational” suggests naturalness. But Winans cautioned against just doing what comes naturally. Many of us have mannerisms that are natural to us but weaken our communication—we pace aimlessly, speak too fast, gaze at the ceiling, fill too many pauses with “um.” Rehearsal and honest feedback can help us weed out these distracting behaviors and become more comfortable and confident with our message.

“Be yourself,” says presentation expert Nancy Duarte in her Harvard Business Review blog. But she reminds us that, “Authentic presentations take practice.”

“Seek opportunities to make presentations, and know your subject cold.”

Edward Walker, the Christian A. Johnson Distinguished Professor of Global Political Theory makes those recommendations. “The day you can speak without notes and stay on course,” he says, “is the day you have begun to master oral presentation.”

What does conversational delivery mean?

What is the quality of speech?

What are the 4 types of speech delivery?

What are your tips for conversational delivery?