Nonverbal Communication and Delivery

Speech delivery tips

Nonverbal Communication and Delivery

• “Actions speak louder than words.”
• 65 percent of all
  meaning in a face to face setting is nonverbal.Definition:
  Nonverbal communication is “vocal
  and non-vocal messages expressed in
  other than linguistic means.” — Adle

Three Nonverbal Communication

Codes

Humans are multi coders — we use many codes to express ourselves.

1. Kinesics —
using your body
to communicate.

Gestures, Eye Contact, Facial Expressions.

Hand gestures
emphasize words and emotions and can help illustrate
what you are saying. Gestures may even replace verbal
messages altogether.

Two types: 
Illustrators of Verbal meaning and Signals 
for concepts or actions.

Tips on using better hand
gestures:

• Keep your hands 
  by your side or neutrally in front of you,
  until you use them to make a point.
• Keep most gestures
  at chest level
• Avoid:

  
  
  Putting hands in
  your pockets
  Leaning on the
  speaker’s stand
  Fidgeting with hands
  or fingers
• Think about what you
  are saying so that your gestures will match or
  enhance your message
• Avoid mannerisms.

Facial Expressions help
audience feel comfortable and see that you care.

Tips for better
facial expressions:

• Smile before
  you begin speaking
• Act naturally ––
  Don’t be either mechanical or melodramatic;
• Think about what
  you’re saying so that your facial
  expressions will match or enhance the thought

Tips for better eye
contact with an audience:

• Divide the room in 3-5 equal
  sections, and make eye contact with each
  section.
• At least 80 percent of the
  time you should be giving eye contact with
  audience.

When speaking from notes, follow
these rules:

• Put notes on 
  cards and hold them
• 
  Don’t read your speech
• Absorb one idea

  
  
• Speak your full idea before looking down at
  notes
• Connect with
  individualsin the audience by looking directly at them
• Be sure to have strong eye contact in the introduction and conclusion

2. Proxemics
–using space to communicate.

How you use space in front of an audience sends
messages about your confidence and poise.

Know that Distance sends emotional messages.

Kinds of Distance

Public — 12 feet or more

Social — 4 to 12 feet

Personal — 1.5 to 4 feet

Intimate — 0 to 1.5 feet

Tips for better
movement while giving a speech:

• Walk confidently to the front of the
  room
• If possible avoid standing behind
  table or podium
• Pause before you
  begin
• Don’t pace. Only move to help
  communicate an idea
• Movement up front
  should be natural and help support your ideas
• Use the Speaker’s Diamond:Take a step to represent each main idea in a diamond pattern
• Pause briefly after
  key points to let the audience absorb the information.
• Pause before you sit down

3. Paralingustics

–using voice to communicate.

Ever Heard: 

“I didn’t like the way she said that.”“It’s not what you say but how you say it.”

Tips for using your
voice in public speaking:

• Seek a variety of pitch
  levels. Pitch is where your voice falls on a musical scale.
• Avoid a monotone expression.Show energy and enthusiasm in your voice
• Pronounce your words clearly
• Project voice to back of room
• Vary the rate to keep your
  speech lively
• Avoid rushing. Speak
  slow enough to let ideas sink in

4. Rehearse Your

Speech to Perfect It

Tips for
rehearsal:

• Complete your speech early so that
  you can focus on dynamic delivery
• Time your practice. When you get to
  limit, go back and edit
• Rehearse three to five times in
  front of a mirror or before friends
• Repeat the speech right before you
  go to bed two or three nights to memorize most of it