Speech evaluation: getting good feedback

Did you know that receiving an informed speech evaluation is an invaluable part of developing public speaking competence and confidence?

Even though it might seem scary to ask for, and then to receive, specific suggestions and comments about what you've done, how else do you learn what worked and what needs further refinement?

If you want to move forward, to improve your presentation skills, receiving, and giving, good feedback is vital.

Use this page to find out more

If you want informative feedback and you're not a member of a public speaking club, this page is for you.

You'll find out how a speech is formally assessed:

the aspects/areas focused on in an evaluation,
the 5-point sliding scale used to rate performance,
how to get a meaningful speech evaluation,
how to use an evaluation to improve your performance
and there's a printable public speaking evaluation form to download.

What is a good speech evaluation?

And how do you get one?

Image: retro cartoon of woman thinking. Text: How to give useful evaluations

Unfortunately there are few situations outside of specialist public speaking programs, like those in schools, or clubs like Toastmasters International, where you can get a thorough and useful speech evaluation.

Despite the ability to present well being recognized as a desirable skill it's seldom encouraged with careful, thoughtful feedback.

Often the most you can hope for is a generalized "It was OK", "Great", or the dreaded: "Mmm, perhaps we'll give xxx a turn next time" type of comment.

Nice or nasty, it doesn't tell you anything useful.

What is rated in a speech evaluation?

The areas most commonly focused on are:

Introduction

Did it capture attention & interest?
Was the topic introduced clearly?
Was the topic related to the audience?
Did the speaker have topic-credibility?
Was the body of the speech previewed?

Body

Were the main points clear?
Were the main points supported?
Were the main points logically presented?
Were the transitions between main points clear & effective?

Conclusion

Was the transition to the end of the speech signaled?
Was there a summary of principal points?
Was there an effective close and/or call to action?

Language

Was the language used appropriate for the topic & the audience
Was the language varied?

Delivery

Were the notes, visual aids etc. organized before the start?
Was the beginning poised?
Was there good use of eye contact?
Was the body language (posture & gesture) controlled & effective?
Was the speaking rate flexible & effective?
Was the speaking volume appropriate & varied?
Was there fluency, an absence of fillers like 'ahs' & 'ums'?
Was vocal variety used, changes in pitch & tone, & good use of pausing?
Did the speaker show enthusiasm for the topic?
Were there visual aids & were they appropriate & integrated into the speech?
Did the speech finish with poise?

Overall evaluation

Did the speaker achieve the assignment's purpose?
Was the topic researched?
Did the topic adapt well to the audience?
Were the audience interested?
Was the speech completed within the time limit?

How are these areas/aspects rated?

In a formal speech evaluation, such as one done by a teacher in a high school public speaking class, variations on a sliding scale are used.

The most common is a 5 point scale:

You can see this scale in use on the downloadable public speaking evaluation form available from the link at the foot of the page.

The person doing the rating will actively listen and watch the speech evaluating each element.

The final assessment will generally show a range (up and down the scale) over most of the aspects. Therefore a speech can be seen to be 'good' in some areas, 'excellent' in others and perhaps 'fair' in one or two.

Getting a thorough speech evaluation

If you're not in a public speaking class or a member of an organization like Toastmasters International and the people you work with don't provide criteria-based feedback you have two options.

Organizing you own speech evaluators

Ask a person whose judgement and maturity you respect whether they'll accept the role, and be present at your next speech or presentation. Perhaps you can team up with them and trade evaluations taking turn about.

Working with your speech evaluation

You've got your evaluation. Now what do you with it?

Go through it with your evaluator. Bear in mind before you do:

At best it is an informed one with knowledge and experience behind it.

If you find areas you disagree over, do try and understand them from the evaluator's point of view.

Often what we think we do and what we actually do are two completely different things.

Use the ratings as a guide on where to focus your energy.

For example, if you're rated well on the delivery items but have fallen on the content, (introduction, body, conclusion), you know that for your next speech you'll spend the bulk of your preparation time organizing your content.

Keep your completed speech evaluation forms. It's great to be able to refer back to them to see how far you've come and it's interesting to compare how different evaluators pick up on different aspects to comment on.

Toastmasters International

For more information on the importance of evaluations and the role they play in improving public speaking skills visit Toastmasters International - Effective Evaluation.

I got my first really helpful feedback once I joined Toastmasters. It didn't happen as part of my teacher training, which is extraordinary given that teaching IS presentation.

Neither was it part of other work places I got to know.

Good presentation skills are not innate. Like other skills they need to be learned. Giving and receiving evaluations will speed your progress.

Download a printable speech evaluation form

It's simple to use & suitable for:

students wanting to know more about the assessment criteria for their prepared speeches
teachers
anybody wanting structured feedback on their public speaking.

The form lists all the important elements that collectively make a successful speech alongside a 5 point rating scale.

Do you want to know more about planning, writing and rehearsing speeches?

Here's a sample speech outline page. It has a handy downloadable blank speech outline form ready and waiting for your notes.
You'll find more about planning your speech here.
This page takes you through the sequence of planning decisions and shows you how they are guided by knowledge of your audience.
When you've done all your planning you can find out about how to write your speech
And then it's fun time. Find out how to rehearse. Yes, practice does make perfect!

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