Basic Speech/Writing Plans

WRITTEN June 30, 2022 Author: Rich Atkins

Insights About How to Deliver Information to Others

When you’re about to deliver information to people, whether it is written or spoken, remember that your audience wants it to be interesting. As you prepare your presentation, consider and choose one of the following basic presentation plans:

DIRECT—immediately tell the audience what they need to do or know. No fluff.

  • State the most important points first.
  • Follows up with supporting details.
  • Useful approach for providing information/news.

INDIRECT—tell a story to capture their interest, and then make a call to action (accompanied by its benefits).

  • Provide contextual or anecdotal evidence first.
  • Follow up with a conclusion or inference show how the story applies.
  • Appeal will be based on the evidence, and the action that needs to result.

Combination—tell some of the story and what they need to do/know; then tell the rest of the story, and ask them to do more.

  • Balance the appeal and evidence being provided.
  • Combine for power – use the pieces of information with persuasion.
  • Approach is useful when relaying bad news, combine the facts within context.

Choose the best method of getting your information to your audience based on what they want or need. Here’s where audience awareness is the key. The more you know about your readers/listeners, the better you’ll be able to meet and exceed their needs.

Determine how your audience will best receive your information. You may find that a direct approach of purely facts and information works best over the anecdotal approach of the indirect. Or you may settle nicely into a combination of both. Know your audience and your material and you can deliver information that they want and need to know.


This information is discussed in our Business Writing and Public Speaking curriculums. If you’re looking for ways to improve your communication skills, register for one of our upcoming online classes & webinars.
Photo by Kaitlyn Baker on Unsplash

Other Resources on Deliver Information

Direct and Indirect Speech – Athabasca University

Speech Writing and Types of Speeches – ask IFAS

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