STUDY 2

Conversational Manner

2 Corinthians 2:17

SUMMARY: Speak in a natural, sincere way that conveys how you feel about the topic and your listeners.

Prepare prayerfully and carefully. Pray for help to concentrate, not on yourself, but on your message. Fix in your mind the main points you need to convey. Express thoughts in your own words; do not simply recite expressions word for word as they appear in print.

If you plan to read from the Bible or another publication, get to know the passage well so that your reading will be fluent. If people are quoted, read their words with feeling, without being overly dramatic.
Speak from the heart. Think about why your listeners need to hear the message. Focus on them. Then your posture, gestures, and facial expressions will convey warm sincerity and friendliness.

Do not confuse naturalness with casualness. Maintain the dignity of your message by using clear speech and proper grammar.
Look at your listeners. Maintain eye contact where it is not offensive to do so. When you give a discourse, look at one individual in the audience at a time, rather than looking at or scanning over the entire group.