Grading Interpretation

Maintained an easy conversational tone.

Even though your speech was very carefully constructed and rehearsed, we want it to sound conversational.

A conversational tone helps create a friendly rapport with your audience.
Having a good audience rapport is very important to persuasive speaking.
If your speech sounds too memorized it can distance you from your audience.
Reading from a manuscript will not sound conversational.
If you bring your whole preparation outline up with you, you will tend to read it, lessening your conversational tone.

Note	Symbol Key:	Interpretation
! =	SUPERIOR	Your conversational tone made it very easy to listen to your speech; you did not appear at all nervous or over-prepared or under-prepared.
+ =	EFFECTIVE	You had a friendly conversational tone which brings you closer to your audience and strengthens your rapport with them. Your rate was very easy to follow and there was a natural quality to your voice.
+ =	PROBLEMATIC	Your speech should be extemporized and have a more conversational tone: talk to us; don't read to us or recite from memory.
– =	DETRIMENTAL	The lack of a conversational tone (from reading or reciting from memory) really lessened the impact of your speech.