Verbal and nonverbal communication in public speaking

Part I

Integrated communication refers to the energy public speakers bring to their presentation through the excitement of their voice, the sincerity of their face, their body language and gestures, and the intensity of their connection with listeners. When used together, these dimensions of integrated communication can create a powerful public speech. When communication is not integrated, a public speaker’s verbal communication often does not match his or her nonverbal signals. For example, imagine a news anchor who smiles while talking about an accident caused by a drunk driver or a speaker persuading an audience to travel to Hawaii with a monotone voice and lackluster appearance.

Part II

Respond to the following questions, and if it’s relevant, include your own personal experience:  

• Think about how you feel when your communication partner’s verbal statements clearly don’t match his/her nonverbal communication? What message does the audience receive when this happens with a speaker?
• Give an example of when you experienced this, and explain what could have been done to improve the speaker’s communication integration. If you have never experienced this, think about the examples provided here and explain the steps public speakers in general should take to ensure their verbal communication matches their nonverbal signals.