How to Deliver an Effective Speech Evaluation

An effective speech evaluation involves keen observation and analysis.

Speech evaluation involves determining how well a speaker has conveyed his message to his audience. Effective and regular speech evaluations provide as much benefit to the evaluator as they do to the speaker in improving speech skills. An effective speech evaluator does not enter the speaking area and judge the speaker instantly. Rather, it involves keen observation and analysis through a series of stages that start well before the speaker delivers his speech.

Instructions

1. Contact the speaker before the meeting and obtain information about the speech he is going to deliver. Ask the speaker about the objective of the speech and the message or he wants to deliver. Ask if the speaker wants you to observe his speech for any specific gestures, verbiage, or overuse of certain words such as "well" or "ah." The more information you have, the better your ability to help the speaker.

2. Obtain speech manual from the speaker at the meeting. The speech manual has guidelines on how the speech should function. The manual also contains a form for you to fill out. In case there is no formal evaluator form, create one of your own. Take a blank sheet and draw a line along the length of the paper along its center, dividing the paper into two sections. Use one section to takes notes on the speech content and the other for observations on the way the speaker delivered her speech. You should familiarize yourself with the speech goals and the form before evaluation.

3. Listen to the speech carefully. Take notes on the evaluation form regarding the speech content and the way the speaker is delivering it. Determine if the speech content is organized and strikes a chord with the audience. Observe the speaker's appearance, tone of voice and gestures. If the speaker is enthusiastic, determine if he maintains the emotion consistently throughout the speech or if he wavers from nervous to calm and excited. Check for proper and consistent pronunciation and grammar. Note if you are able to understand the speech easily. Observe audience reaction to the speech. As an evaluator, you will be providing only your opinions and not the audiences', but observing audience reactions helps substantiate your opinion. If you see a spectator crying after listening to an emotional speech, tell the speaker that he was successful in making an emotional impact. Watch for any specific gestures or points the speaker has asked you to evaluate in particular.

4. Use the notes to evaluate the speech. Take two to three minutes for your evaluation. Offer an oral feedback that is essentially constructive with a few pointers on how the speaker can improve. For example, you could say "I felt that your message was conveyed very well. I would encourage use of some visual presentations for still better understanding. Your enthusiasm was contagious. I certainly look forward to listening to another speech from you soon." Always start and conclude your evaluation with an honest positive comment with suggestions for improvement in between. This serves to improve self-confidence in the speaker. Be honest in your opinion though.

5. Obtain feedback from the speaker about your evaluation after the speech. Feedback helps you know if you were accurate or if you need to make improvements.

References

• Toastmasters Public Speaking: Giving a Speech Evaluation-Saying What Needs to be Said
• Art of Speaking Toastmasters Club: Effective Speech Evaluations 101
• Rancho Bernardo Toastmasters: Effective Speech Evaluation Tips
• Sherrin Ross Ingram: How to Give Effective Speech Evaluations Consistently
• Six Minutes: Delivering Effective Speech Evaluations