Good delivery in a speech involves attentiveness--focusing and paying attention to giving the speech. It also involves achieving a conversational quality in your speech.

The four ways of delivering a speech are speaking impromptu, with very little preparation; speaking from a manuscript; speaking from memory; and speaking extemporaneously, from notes. For the beginner, extemporaneous speaking is the best type of delivery because it permits the speaker to depend on notes and still sound spontaneous.

All speakers should be aware of how they look and what they can do to look better. Speakers should concentrate on what they wear and on their body movement, eye contact, gestures, and posture so that they appear at their very best.

How the speaker sounds is also an important consideration in public speaking. Speakers should pay special attention to volume, pace, pitch and inflection, and enunciation. If they find they have a problem with one of these areas, they should work to improve it.

All speakers should consider using visual support for their speeches. Visuals help hold attention and clarify information. Common types of visual support include the actual object, models, chalkboards, posters, diagrams, charts, tables, graphs, computer-generated graphics, videos, and handouts. When using visual support, make sure that it can be easily seen and that it enhances the speech rather than overpowers it.

Practically everyone is nervous about giving a speech. Most people, however, can overcome their nervousness. Some ways of handling speech anxiety are to acknowledge that the anxiety exists, practice positive self-talk, anticipate difficult situations that could arise, practice the speech beforehand, focus on the audience while speaking, and reward yourself once it's over.

The final step in getting ready to deliver a speech is to practice it. Your practice should include rehearsing delivery of the speech, imagining an actual audience, checking the speech for clarity and organization, and checking its length.