Outlining The Differences Between Presentations And Speeches

So let’s see, you thought presentations and speeches were synonymous with each other? Well you won’t be the first person to think so, there are countless more who continue to confuse one with the other. Though both use language as the primary means of exchange yet both are quite different from each other and rely on different means to get the point across.

Speeches have been told since the dawn of time! There are so many historic speeches by so many figures that it is hard to keep a record of. But compared to speech, presentations have been a relatively new phenomenon which usually revolves around the business and education sector. Presentations, compared to speech, involve using visual aids like charts, graphs or presentational tools like Microsoft PowerPoint.

Let’s outline the differences between presentations and speeches for more clarity.

Presentations

1. Presentations, just like speech, chiefly use spoken language and words as a means of explaining something.
2. Apart from just words, presentations employ the use of visual aids to get the message across. That is why they are called presentations, because you present something to your audience in addition to your words.
3. Presentations rely on charts, graphs, PowerPoint slides and the like. As compared to giving a speech, are considered easier for any people because of the security of falling back upon the visual aid.
4. Presentations involve a media and visual setup like projectors, screens, etc.

Speeches

1. A speech purely relies on spoken words and is directed towards a group of listeners or audience.
2. A speech can be about anything, from victory to defeat and even being used as a motivational tool for people.
3. Speeches have been a part of history! Browse through the internet and you will find countless speeches made by famous men and women, dating back to the Roman Empire!
4. Since no visual aid is required for a speech, there is no need for any equipment like projectors or screens.

So these were a few major differences between a speech and a presentation. There won’t be any confusion now between both! As we mentioned above, most people find giving presentations much easier when compared with giving a speech, mostly because of the visual aid in case of the former. But presentations are yet to make an indelible mark because of the fact they are still mostly used for business purposes only.