Speaking to inform? Advanced speech arrangement techniques to do it like a pro
Most basic introductory level classes and courses on speech writing and public speaking teach the simple 3-point speech structure of speech arrangement. I call it 1-3-1. That is, 1– Opening, 3- Body (usually 3 main points) and 1 – Conclusion. There is a saying that goes with this intro-body-conclusion model -
Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them.
The first time I heard this, I could not help but smile. I smiled because not only was it catchy in a tongue-in-cheek kind of way, it was succinct and accurate.This model works, which is why it continues to be employed by newbies and professionals alike. It is simple, effective, useful… but quite basic. You see, while it lays out a framework for your points, it does not tell you much about the order in which points should emerge for maximum effectiveness.
That is why in this article I am building on this model to incorporate these pieces so that you, dear reader, can be more advanced and effective in your approach to speech arrangement. Specifically, we will focus on informational speaking. Let us begin.
The audience and aim foundation
Like so many other aspects of your public speaking, how you arrange a presentation will depend largely on your audience and your aims. These two factors will go together to determine the overall flavour of your presentation.
To recap briefly, there are four foundational aims of public speaking. These are to
Inform
Persuade
Entertain and
Inspire
Often you will need to do more than one in your presentation, but you will likely have one core purpose while the others simply support. You know, like the proverbial coffee and soy milk.
Speech arrangement to inform
When your aim is to inform or teach, how you arrange your presentation becomes very important because you are engaging the audience mentally. And that can be very demanding. The easier you make it, the better. To teach something, your arrangement needs to be clear and your delivery needs to be disciplined and your speech arrangement can make or break it all.In fact, bad speech arrangement is a common speaker mistake. (Read more about it in my article here).
To teach something, your arrangement needs to be clear and your delivery needs to be disciplined.
Let us look at the 1-3-1 (that is intro, body and conclusion) speech arrangement for speaking to inform.
Introduction for informational speaking
Your introduction should ideally provide an inkling or an explicit statement of what content you are planning to cover. Avoid common speech opening mistakes like those in this article and focus on setting up your informational presentation for success. For example, imagine an astrophysicist giving an educational talk on how planets move in space;
“In this presentation, we will explore 3 factors believed by most astrophysicists to influence the patterns of planetary motion”
Or if you favour subtlety and a little bit of mystery…
“Have you ever wondered what makes Earth, Mars, Jupiter and all the other planets in our Solar System move in space the way they do? What laws govern the movements of planets across the vastness of space and the night sky?”
Both those intros effectively present the topic in a clear and concise manner while preparing the audience mentally for what is to come. This is a very important function of your introduction especially in the context of speaking to inform. Now, let me introduce you to some advanced arrangement techniques for presenting your points in the body of your informational speech.
The Body
The body of your informational speech should present your points according to one important and very effective mantra - Go from what is known to what is unknown. Let us look at this concept a little closer.
Known to unknown
It is surprisingly difficult for a mind to adopt an entirely new concept. In my life, it has been known to physically hurt! At the very least, for your audience, it demands a lot of effort on the part of the mind and the appending person. When you speak to inform, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to make comprehension as painless as possible.
Persuasive information
I have always maintained that all speaking is persuasive speaking.Even when you are speaking to inform, you probably want the audience to “do something” with the information you are sharing. It might be as simple as getting them to think differently about the subject. If so, then you are in the realm of persuasion. And since you are here, let me introduce you to a good friend. She is called Cognitive fluency.
The cogs must mesh for motion to happen
Speaking to inform (and ultimately persuade) is closely linked to the concept of cognitive fluency. This is an observed psychological phenomenon which suggests that people are more willing to act on information when that information places less of a mental burden to process.In other words, the easier it is to process information, the more likely the information will lead to action. Or to put it in marketing and advertising speak, confused customers don’t buy.
When you speak to inform, a big part of your job is to improve cognitive fluency—to grease the cogs in the gears of your audience’s mind. And one very effective way to do this is to adopt the known to unknown technique.
Known to Unknown – how to use it
The application is straightforward enough – simply explain what is new in terms of what is familiar.
...explain what is new in terms of what is familiar.
In our earlier astrophysics example, you may be tempted to discuss gravitational pull as one of the factors that affect planetary motion through an explanation of how planets interact with the fabric of space-time. That would be quite a mouthful (and mind-ful).
Instead, a better option would be to start off discussing the motion of everyday terrestrial objects and getting your audience comfortable, confident and grounded. Once this is achieved, it becomes much easier (and cognitively fluent) to launch into the more abstract celestial realms while still speaking in terms of the terrestrial. This is key.
To illustrate, I have included a short example of this technique used by the brilliant scientist and skillful communicator Neil deGrasse Tyson. The technique is applied quickly on the way to a bigger point, but I think you will recognize it instantly. Watch the video here.
Scheming in a good and ethical way—why known to unknown works
Every time you explain new concepts in terms of familiar ones you are exploiting schemas.Schemas are thought-structures or concepts. “Shoe” is a schema because it conjures up a consistent concept in your mind. So are “car”, “cup”, “cloth”, “ball” and “child” etc. Established schemas are familiar and incredibly fluent.
By leveraging existing and established schemas, you are building on existing mental frameworks rather than starting from scratch. This saves time and makes your communication more effective. Analogies and metaphors can be invaluable verbal tools in this regard.In fact, analogies are so useful that I dedicated a three-part series of articles to discussing them. Read them here, here and read common analogy mistakes here.
In brief, short analogies that build from the known to the unknown are like using a well a trodden footpath through a dense forest to the listener's comprehension. Whenever you can, use them. But to use them correctly, I recommend you read the articles.
Having discussed known to unknown, let us now discuss the second technique: simple to complex.
Simple to complex
If known to unknown is how to explain a point, then simple to complex is how you arrange your points. As the name suggests, when arranging your main points, start with the most simple and most intuitive points. Then work your way up to the most complex.
In the world of learning design, this is fittingly called laddering. It is why you don’t do calculus in kindergarten.
If known to unknown is how to explain a point, then simple to complex is how you arrange your points.
In your informational presentation, going from the simple to the complex not only builds knowledge in your audience, it also builds confidence—in themselves, the content and in you. It helps you gather momentum that can carry you and the audience through when you get the knottier bits of the presentation.Most speakers do not consider this. They leave the arrangement of their points to chance or some other form of whimsy thereby leaving their audiences quizzical.
Simple to complex – how to use it
Ask yourself – if I were to rank my points based on complexity or difficulty, what would that ranking look like? Got it? Good. Now start at the bottom and work your way up. That is the ideal speech arrangement for the body of your presentation and it works even better if the points are interrelated. This will give your informational presentation the best chance at success.
With this approach, you take the guesswork out, save a lot of time and save yourself and your audience a lot of grief.
Let us return to our astrophysics example. Remember the speaker here is talking about planetary motion. Say the speaker wanted to cover gravity and elliptical orbits. Gravity is an easy point. We have all seen objects fall and can easily grasp the concept. Elliptical orbits, however, are a different matter.
With the right approach, you can take the guesswork out, save a lot of time and save yourself and your audience a lot of grief.
Based on the simple to complex approach, the speaker would be better off starting with gravity and then working her way to elliptical orbits. The good news is she can always use the known to unknown technique to explain either concept.
Conclusion for informational speaking (and this article)
Your audience is most likely to remember what you say at the end of your presentation. So, a good practice for concluding your informational speech is to
recap your points and
provide direction for action.
If you have done everything else well, this will serve to reinforce the content through repetition. Adding a call to action is a nice touch. However, sometimes, you may want to be subtle and let the audience glean the implications (and appropriate action) from your content themselves. This requires even more skill on your part in how you present the content. But that is a topic for another day.
For now, remember that the arrangement of your presentation when speaking to inform can make a huge difference in how effective you are.Introduce your subject in a clear and engaging manner and ensure you move between your points and ideas in a way that enhances cognitive fluency for your audience. Lastly, end strong with a succinct recap and provide direction for action for the audience based on the information you have shared. Or put another way:
“Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them.”
Only now, you will be doing it much better. And you will see your effectiveness and impact shoot right up as a result.Until the next article, speak with skill.
