The Power of Nonverbals in Competitive Speech

1
The Power of Nonverbals in Competitive Speech

• You Cant Not Communicate
• Try it. . .

-Jen McCarty Eastview Speech
2
Your Communication Impact

• Make a guess
• What percentage is
• Language? The words we use
• Vocal? How the speaker delivers the message
• Visual? What the audience sees
• (Answers should equal 100)

3
Communication Impact
10 Language 35 Vocal 55 Visual
4
Language10

• Obviously WORD CHOICE is important!
• Be Sophisticated
• Think Professional
• Use Style
• Be Grammatically Correct
• Avoid Slang and Tired Language
• Consider Literary Merit in Published Material

5
Vocal35

• Its Not What You Say Its How You Say It
• Volume
• Rate
• Pitch
• Quality
• Pauses/Silence

6
VOLUME, PITCH, RATE

• Use volume rate and pitch deliberately
• be soft to add emphasis
• Pick up speed to show intensity
• Raise pitch to show emotion
• VARY!
• Be aware of how you naturally use volume, rate
  and pitch

7
QUALITY

• Be aware of the quality of your voice and how you
  can use it to add character
• Raspy
• Clear
• Articulate
• Breathy

8
PAUSES/SILENCE

• DO NOT BE AFRAID TO BE SILENT and TO USE PAUSES
• Remember that nonverbals are 90 of communication
  impact.

9
VISUAL55

• Appearance
• Gestures
• Facial Expressions/Eyes
• Movement
• Posture and Stance
• Proxemics

10
Appearance

• See Handbook
• ENOUGH SAID!!

11
Gestures/Mannerisms

• Difficult to teach
• Think about where you can use them deliberately
• Watch others
• Watch yourself
• Be aware of where you gesture and if it is needed
  or is distracting

12
Facial Expressions and Eyes

• Most noticed yet most complex part of the body.
• Researchers found
• At least 8 positions of eyebrows and forehead
• 8 more for eyes and eyelids
• 10 for lower face
• Surprise, Fear, Anger, Disgust, Happiness, and
  Sadness (plus blends of all these)

13
Movement

• Blocking
• Miming
• Transitional Walks
• Movement must
• 1st always be motivated
• 2nd thought out and purposeful.

14
Posture and Stance

• Characters(1,2,3 method)
• Poise and confidence (before, during, and after
  your presentation)
• Watch yourself
• Watch others
• Posture as you sit in desks discussion

15
Practice Deliberate Choices with Nonverbals

• Decide what you want to communicate and use
  nonverbals to help you to
• Repeat
• Substitute
• Complement
• Accent
• Regulate
• Contradict

16
Repeat

• Saying Go North about two blocks and then
  pointing north.
• Be careful that gestures dont become too
  literal I can hear the bird and then putting
  hand to the ear.
• (Repeat nonverbals should be used sparingly)

17
Substitute

• Replacing the language with a gesture.
• Whats Up?
• Shrug of the shoulders as a response.

18
Complement

• Nonverbal behavior can conveys relationship
  between characters
• Low voice, hesitation, shuffling feet, head bowed
  (embarrassment inferior)
• Many complementing nonverbals consist of
  illustrators
• Scratching head
• Snapping fingers

19
Accent

• Especially important in Public Address
• Gesturing on an idea
• Pausing before an important idea or point of the
  script
• Stressing certain words with your voice It was
  your idea It was your idea

20
Regulate

• Especially apparent in Duousing intonation to
  show interruption wanting to gain the floor
  turning the floor over to the other character.
• Rising and falling patterns to help move the
  speech show conclusion vary delivery. . .

21
Nonverbals in Listening

• Nonverbals are important in speaking but also in
  listening.
• Why?

22
Nonverbals in Listening

• Respect your audience. People will never laugh,
  or cry, or hear what you have to say if you speak
  as if they're not there. A speech is never about
  the speaker, it's about the audience and the
  entertainment or persuasion of that audience. If
  you respect your audience, they will respect and
  respond to you. You are at their mercy, never
  your own.
• Natalie Sintek forensics online competitor
  of the year 2004
• State Champion 3 consecutive years 020304
  National Humorous Champion 2004

23
Nonverbals in Listening

• What are your nonverbals as you listen to your
  competitors?
• Where are your eyes?
• What is your posture?
• Where are your hands?
• Do you nod? Smile? Or otherwise encourage the
  speaker?

24
The Power of Nonverbals in Competitive Speech

• Remember. . .
• You Cant Not Communicate