developing an audience-Centered informative speech 15.6 335
You can verbally reinforce an idea by using such phrases as “This is the
most important point” or “Be sure to remember this next point; it’s the most
compelling one.” Be careful not to overuse this technique. If you claim that
every other point is a key point, soon your audience will not believe you.
reinforCe key iDeas nonverbaLLy The way you deliver an idea can
give it special emphasis:
• Use gestures. Gestures serve the purpose of accenting or emphasizing key
phrases, as italics do in written messages.
• Use vocal cues. Pausing just before or just after making an important point
will focus attention on your thought. Raising or lowering your voice can
also reinforce a key idea.
• Use movement. Moving from behind the lectern to tell a personal anecdote
can signal that something special and more intimate is about to be said.
As we discussed in Chapter 13, your movement and gestures should be
meaningful and natural rather than seeming arbitrary or forced. Your need
to emphasize an idea can provide the motivation to make a meaningful
movement.Quick Check
Enhancing Audience Recall
• say it again. Build in redundancy.
• say it short and simple.
• say it at a steady pace.
• say it nonverbally with pictures and visuals.Developing an Audience-Centered
Informative Speech
15.6 Develop an audience-centered informative speech.
In this chapter, we’ve described types of informative speeches and offered nu-
merous principles to follow in helping your listeners understand, maintain
interest in, and remember your message. But when faced with an informative
speaking opportunity, you may still wonder how to go about preparing an infor-
mative speech. Our advice: Use the audience-centered speaking model, shown
in Figure 15.1, to guide you step-by-step through the process.
15.6