Nonverbal Components of Public Speaking

Nonverbal Components of Delivery and Question-and-Answer
Sessions
By Angelica Joy A. Balanquit

Nonverbal
Components of
Delivery
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The nonverbal components of a delivery are those aspects communicated through our
BODIES and FACES.
It has a powerful effect on the meanings exchanged between two people.
Between 65% and 93% of the total meaning of a message comes to us through non verbal signals. In addition, when nonverbal signals contradict verbal signals, people tend to believe the nonverbal signals over the verbal ones. Nonverbal Communication is extremely important for public speakers for it conveys meaning and can either enhance or detract from the overall message.
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PERSONAL APPEARANCE

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EYE CONTACT

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FACIAL EXPRESSION

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POSTURE

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GESTURES

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TECHNOLOGY AND DELIVERY

PERSONAL
APPEARANCE
Personal appearance, or the way you dress, groom, and present yourself physically, is an important part of delivery. 

You can’t judge a book by its cover. 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 

Looks are everything.

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You can never be too rich or too thin.

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You can dress him up, but you still can’t take him out.

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Good-looking lawyers make more money.

Accepted

Somewhat defies
Human’s Morality

You can’t judge a book by its cover.

Looks are everything.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

You can never be too rich or too thin.

You can dress him up, but you still can’t take him out. Good-looking lawyers make more money.

• Studies shows that personal appearance actually does matter quite a bit. People deemed “more attractive” earn more money than their less attractive peers and personal grooming plays a large part in our perception of a person’s attractiveness for both men and women.
• Attractive characteristics are defined as “those characteristics that make one person appear pleasing to another” (Hartz, 1996;
Morrow, 1990). Even though we may say we should not judge other people by the looks, we actually do just that.

There is a basic standard for acceptable personal grooming in public-speaking situations. That standard is that the speaker’s dress should be appropriate in the occasion. •

FORMAL WEAR + FORMAL
EVENT = APPROPRIATE

•

CASUAL WEAR + CASUAL
GATHERING = APPROPRIATE

•

FORMAL WEAR + CASUAL
GATHERING =
INAPPROPRIATE

•

CASUAL WEAR + FORMAL
EVENT = INAPPROPRIATE

Eye Contact

•

Man to Man - Either intimacy or challenging one another

The second essential component is eye contact or visual contact with another person’s eyes. Like personal appearance, appropriate eye contact is affected by culture and gender.

•Culture:
•Gender:

• Man to Woman and/or
Vice Versa - Invitation to flirt Eye contact has three functions:
1.

To greet and acknowledge the audience before the speech begins. 2.

To gauge and keep our audience’s interest and to monitor their feedback. 3.

To communicate with sincerity and honesty.

Two tips to make eye contact effective: 4.

Make eye contact with people in all parts of the room, not just those immediately in front of you.
Not doing so, means dishonesty.

5.

Look with interest by slowing down the movement of your eyes to make a connection with people through your eye contact.

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Poker face may be useful in card games but not in public speaking.

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You can use your facial expression to communicate your own interest in your topic, your agreement or disagreement with a point, your openness to an idea.

Facial Expression
Your face plays a central role in communicating with audience member, letting them know your attitudes, emotional states and sometimes your inner thoughts.
Your facial expression is the movement of your eyes, eyebrows, and mouth to convey reactions and emotions.

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If these expression do not come naturally to you then practice them until you are comfortable delivering them.

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Nervousness can affect our posture making us feel awkward and act in ways we would never do in other situations. 

To become aware of your posture during a speech, practice your speech in the way you will actually give it

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One final word about posture and delivery: Pay attention to the way you begin and end your speech.

Posture
Posture is the way we position and carry our bodies, and people assign meaning to our posture whether we realize it or not. We are perceived as confident and relaxed or tense and insecure based, in part, on our posture.

Gestures
Gestures are movements, usually of the hands but sometimes of the entire body, that express meaning and emotion and offer clarity to a message.

Three tips to help you in making gestures:
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Vary your gestures. Try to use different gestures rather than repeating only one gesture. Some gestures emphasize 

Use gestures that fit your message.
Sometimes, a point needs extravagant gesture, at other times, a more subtle gesture is much more effective.

“Ang mga aktibista ay mga taong ginagabayan ng masidhing pagmamahal sa bayan. Sila ang patunay na hindi pa tapos ang laban ni Bonifacio!”


Stay relaxed. Your gestures should flow with your words by trying to keep your movements comfortable and effortless.

– Karl Med… este Eman Nolasco

Proxemics
Effective speakers pay close attention to proxemics, the use of space during communication. Be mindful of how far you are from your audience as well as how elevated you are from it. (For example, a platform, or a podium)
One of the strengths of skilled speakers is their ability to move closer to their audiences at key points during speech. Doing so will help you communicate openness and a willingness to engage in conversation with your audience. Technology and Delivery
Technology refers to the tools speakers use to help them deliver their message. When you are thinking of using technology for your speech, stay audience centred by asking yourself the following questions: 

Have I asked what types of technology will be available for me to use?

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Do I have time to prepare the materials I need to use that technology? 

Do I have the time to practice using the technology? Have I worked out any glitches?

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Am I prepared to speak if the technology fails?

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Does the technology help me communicate my messages clearly? 

Does it enhance my speech or detract from it?

Technologies for Speakers
TRADITIONAL TECHNOLOGIES

ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGIES

Podium for notes

Microphones

Tables or easels for displays

Laptop computers and LCD projectors

Presentational aids such as posters

Overhead projectors and screens

Hand-outs

Slide projectors and screens

Chalk, chalkboards and erasers

Presentational aids such as PowerPoint or
Prezi slides

Ink markers, whiteboards and erasers Televisions, DVD players, and Smart
Boards
Markers, pens, and flip charts

CD-ROM players

Tacks, pins, or tape

Audiocassette players

Question-andAnswer Sessions
Speeches often involve Q-and-A
Sessions. These sessions provide an opportunity for audience members to explore an idea or proposal in more detail, ask for clarity, and share their own perspectives. •

Preparing for questions

• Managing the Questionand-Answer Session

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Identify Potential Questions

 Explain the Format

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Formulate and Practice Answers

 Listen and Clarify