How to Do Informative Speech Topics

An informative speech should be clear and concise.

An informative speech delivers information about a specific topic to the listeners. It should be clear, simple and concise and disseminate information in a manner which the audience will understand. It is important to remember that an informative speech must give the facts and not your opinions or point of view. When choosing a topic, try to select a subject that interests you, since your passion for the subject will come through when you speak. If the choice of topic is not yours and you must select from a list, choose a subject about which you think you can find interesting facts.

Instructions

1. Select your topic and research it well. Find two or three interesting facts that you want to convey. In his article for "Management Review," professional speechwriter Matt Hughes said "the average audience will retain only two or three new facts from a 20-minute speech."

2. Learn about your audience. In order to customize your speech to a level that your audience will understand and find useful, you must find out about them. For example, if you are going to be talking about financial planning, a group of Baby Boomers may want to receive information about subjects such as retirement planning, pensions and long term care insurance, while a group of young professionals are more likely to want to know about mortgage options and car financing.

3. Structure your speech. An informative speech, regardless of length, should ideally consist of an introduction, a body and a conclusion in a 20-70-10 percent ratio. The introduction should get your audience's attention, establish your credibility for giving the speech and state its purpose. The body of your speech gives the facts and information in an organized and coherent manner. The conclusion reviews the information you have given and closes the speech.

4. Create a PowerPoint or use some images or handouts to illustrate and enhance the information in your speech. If you are going to use PowerPoint, make sure that each slide is clear and easy to read and avoid trying to cram too much information onto each slide. Additionally, do not be tempted to read out loud everything you have on the slides word-for-word. Remember, you are using PowerPoint as an enhancement.

5. Practice your speech on family, friends and classmates. Ask them for their perceptions and constructive comments. Rehearsing the speech will help you know your content and be comfortable with it when you get in front of your audience.

References

• Colorado State University: Structuring an Informative Speech
• Kellogg Forum: Speaking of Success

Resources

• American Management Association: Seven Principles of Effective Public Speaking
• School for Champions: A Short Guide to Effective Public Speaking
• Best Speech Topics