The informative speaker should increase understanding through careful language choices, coherent organization, and illustrations and examples. The speaker should hold attention with narratives, select subjects with which listeners can identify, and use visual support to help listeners retain information.

The principles that make a good speech remain the same for all four types of informative speeches: speeches about objects, about processes, about events, and about concepts.

Definitions can use etymology, example, comparison or contrast, or function. Descriptions include size, shape, weight, color, or composition. Explanations can rely on numbers, connecting the known with the unknown, and repeating and reinforcing ideas.

Creating interest in your topic is a matter of presenting anecdotes, building anticipation or suspense, and using a variety of other techniques. A speaker can involve the audience by selecting an interesting topic and examples, choosing a simple and clear organizational pattern, and using transitions. Three other methods are inviting volunteers to participate in the speech, asking rhetorical questions, and soliciting questions from the audience.

Presentations are popular because the means for providing the visual support they require is readily available and easy to use. As a presenter you must thoroughly prepare, demonstrate natural delivery, and use effective visuals.

The Internet has reinforced two essential questions: "When do I have enough information?" and "What expectations do listeners have concerning speakers?" Listeners expect speakers to be well informed, tell them something they don't already know, share only credible information, and supply sources and demonstrate their credibility.