Copyright ©2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.1 Chapter 15: Speaking to Inform This multimedia product and its contents are protected under.

Copyright ©2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 1

Chapter 15:Speaking to Inform

This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law:*any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network;*preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images;*any rental, lease, or lending of the program


Informative PresentationsInstruct, explain, describe, enlighten, demonstrate, clarify, correct, remind

An informative presentation can:•report new information.•clarify difficult terms.•explain complex phenomena.•overcome confusion and misunderstanding.


College LecturesThe bad news:• Most students tune out of a 50-minute

lecture around 40% of the time.• Student attention peaks in the first 10

minutes of class but then decreases after that point.

The good news: Lectures are effective teaching methods when instructors are effective informative speakers.


Informative vs. Persuasive

Informative Speaking

• Instructs, explains, describes, etc.

• Gives something to the audience

• Tells them• Information can

persuade.

Persuasive Speaking

• Changes audience attitudes, beliefs, behavior, etc.

• Gets something from the audience

• Sells them• Persuasion can

inform.


Begin with a Value Step

Value Step

Uses the presentation’s introduction to explain why the information is

valuable or important to the audience.


Identify the BenefitsFocus of Value Step

1. Social

2. Physical

3. Psychological

4. Intellectual

5. Economic

6. Professional

Benefits

1. More popular

2. Healthier, more attractive, strong

3. ______________

4. ______________

5. ______________

6. ______________


Informative Communication

Katherine Rowan’s Informatory and Explanatory Communication Theory

Explains how to make strategic decisions about the content and

structure of informative presentations by understanding the nature of the

information and the audience.


Classifications of Informative Communication


Classifying Information

Informatory• Primarily aims at

increasing audience awareness

• Reports new information

• Similar to news reporting: who, what, where, when, and how

Explanatory• Primarily aims at

deepening audience understanding

• Goes beyond “facts” to help audience understand, interpret, or evaluate.

• Answers “Why?” or “What does that mean?”


Informatory and Explanatory Examples

Informatory: Tocreate awareness

Examples • Cake recipes• Simple directions• _______________• Sports trivia• Biographies• Healthy diets

Explanatory: To deepen understanding

Examples• Baking principles• Academic lecture• In-depth news story• __________________• __________________• __________________


PowerPoint Quiz

What type of informative presentation may require elements of persuasion to achieve its purpose?

A. Explaining a complex process

B. Reporting new information

C. Explaining difficult concepts

D. Overcoming confusion and misunderstanding


PowerPoint Quiz

Which of the following examples calls for explanatory communication in an informative presentation?

A. How to shift gears on a bicycle.B. How bicycle gears are calibrated.C. How the bicycle helmet laws came

about.D. How to change a bicycle tire.E. How to ride a bicycle


Informatory Strategies


Informing About Objects• Topic Area: Fire Ants

• Purpose: To familiarize audience members with the external anatomy of fire ants

• Central Idea: A tour of the fire ant’s external anatomy will help you understand why these ants are so hard to exterminate.

• Value Step: Besides inflicting painful, sometimes deadly stings, fire ants can eat your garden, damage your home, and harm your pets.

• Space Arrangement: (A) Exoskeleton, (B) Head, (C) Thorax, (D) Abdomen


Informing About a Procedure• Topic: Cooking hard-boiled eggs

• Purpose: To teach listeners how to make perfect hard-boiled eggs.

• Central Idea: There are four steps to cooking perfect hard-boiled eggs.

• Value Step: Rather than wasting or throwing away cracked eggs, you can now make sure your hard-boiled eggs are perfect.

• Time Arrangement (A) Cold-water start, (B) Stop the boil, (C) 15 minute stand, (D) Cold-water rinse.


Explanatory: Difficult Terms


Explaining Heuristics• Topic: Heuristics

• Purpose: To explain how heuristics affects persuasion

• Central Idea: An understanding of heuristics provides speakers with important persuasive tools.

• Value Step: Understanding heuristics can help you persuade others and reject invalid heuristic-based arguments.

• Topical Arrangement: (A) Essential features, (B) Common heuristics, (C) contrast heuristics and valid arguments, (D) Quiz about heuristics


Explanatory: Quasi-Scientific Phenomena


Explanatory: Breathing for Speech

• Topic: Breathing for speech

• Purpose: To explain how to breathe for speech in order to be a more effective and audible speaker

• Central Idea: The ability to produce a strong and expressive voice requires an understanding and control of the inhalation/exhalation process.

• Value Step: ___________________________

• Organization: ________________________


Explanatory: Overcoming Confusion & Misinformation


Explanatory: Fat in Foods• Topic: Fat in foods

• Purpose: ________________________• Central Idea: Many people declare a desperate

and unwise war on food with high fat content.

• Value Step: ______________________• Problem-Solution Arrangement: (A) Many

people try to eliminate fat from their diet, (B) This is understandable because they don’t want to be fat, (C ) Fat is an essential nutrient, (D) We need appropriate amounts of fat to be healthy.


Generating Audience Interest

• Keep It Short. Generally, no more than 20 minutes for a presentation.

• Tell Stories. Stories captivate, educate, and create lasting images and memories.

• Use Humor. Capture audience attention and help them remember you.

• Involve the Audience. Powerful method for keeping listeners alert and interested.


Can You Keep It Short?Questions to Help Shorten a Presentation

• Will the audience be able to reach this conclusion without my help?

• Does the audience already know this information?

• Does the audience really need to know this information?

If yes, yes, & no are the answers, delete information and shorten your talk.


Sources of Stories

Sources • You

• Your Audience

• Other People

Examples• Your family’s wild “roots”• ____________________

• Alumni: Our homecoming • _____________________

• Meeting the U.S. President• ______________________


Fisher’s Narrative Theory

• Walter Fisher: Storytelling is an indispensable part of being human.

• Good stories have two essential qualities: – Story Probability: Consistency of

characters and actions – Story Fidelity: The apparent

truthfulness & believability of the story.


Match the Story Questions

A (story probability) or B (story fidelity)

1. A or B: Can you follow the events as they unfold?

2. A or B: Does the story seem realistic?

3. A or B: Does the story reflect your personal experiences and values?

4. A or B: Do you wonder “Why did he do that?”


Build a Story: The Three Pigs

1. Background Information

2. Character Development

3. Action or Conflict

4. High Point or Climax

5. Punch Line

6. Conclusion or Resolution

1. Once upon a time, three little pigs set off to . . .

2. _______________

3. _______________

4. _______________

5. _______________

6. _______________


PowerPoint QuizWhat phase of the textbook’s story-building chart answers the question: Is there a sentence or phrase that communicates the climax of the story?

A. Background information

B. Character development

C. Action or conflict

D. High point

E. Punch line


Best Practices for Telling Stories

• Use a Simple Story Line.

• Limit the Number of Characters.

• Connect to Your Audience.

• Exaggerate Your Delivery.

• Practice, Practice, Practice


Use Self-Effacing Humor

Your ability to direct humor at yourself is usually more effective than funny stories or jokes you’ve made up or

borrowed from a book.

President Reagan told an audience that a prominent Democrat reported, “Don’t worry. I’ve seen Ronald Reagan, and he looks like

a million.” He was talking about my age.


Tips for Using Humor

• Focus your humor on the message.• Make sure the humor suits you.• Be careful talking about body functions.• Don’t tease anyone in your audience.• Avoid ethnic or religious humor unless

making fun of yourself.• Don’t go overboard with funny content.• Practice, practice, practice!


Which Joke Is Appropriate?

Age• Old? At Ruth’s last birthday, the candles cost

more than the cake.• There are three signs of old age. The first is lost

memory . . . The other two I forget.

Banks• A banker is just a pawnbroker in a suit.• I think the reason they have drive-up tellers is so

the cars can see their real owners.


Involve Your Audience Strategies

•Ask questions•Encourage interaction•Do an exercise•Ask for volunteers

•Invite feedback

Topic: How to reduce presentation anxiety

•________________•________________

•________________•________________

•________________


Adapt to Learning Styles

Learning Style Strengths and preferences that

characterize the way people take in and process information

Three Basic Learning Styles: 1. Visual2. Auditory3. Kinesthetic/Tactile


Communication Assessment

Informative Presentation AssessmentUse the following ratings to assess each competency:E=Excellent; G=Good; A=Average; M=Missing; N/A=Not applicable in this presentation.

Preparation and Content____ Purpose and topic____ Audience adaptation____ OrganizationDelivery____ Extemporaneous delivery____ Vocal Delivery


TEST Your Knowledge

All of the following statements are good tips for using humor except:A. Do not tease anyone in your audience.

B. Focus your humor on the message.

C. Do not direct humor at yourself

D. In general, avoid ethnic or religious humor.

See p. 323 for more review questions.

Copyright ©2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.1 Chapter 15: Speaking to Inform This multimedia product and its contents are protected under.

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