This is The Public Speaker: Quick and Dirty Tips for Improving Your Communication Skills , with your host, Lisa B. Marshall.
Thanks to our sponsor, Audible.com. You can download an audiobook of your choice for FREE by going to audiblepodcast.com/speaker.
Listener John Miller asked the following question: Do you have a particular preference for handling the material that will guide a speech? I've actually tried presenting in three different ways: reading word for word, winging it with no notes at all, or going from an outline. Thanks, John, for your question. Like many guidelines for public speaking, the answer is, it depends.
Reading Is Usually a Bad Idea Many students and business executives ask if it's OK to read a speech. My answer is always the same. It's rarely a good idea to read a speech, unless you meet two criteria: 1) You're a political or business leader and 2) It's critically important that your words be spoken exactly as written. For example, if you are the chairman of McNeil addressing the press after the “Tylenol scare,” then it's preferable to read. Or if you're President Reagan and you're addressing the nation after the Challenger explosion, then it's OK to read. But other than that, don't do it. It's a bad idea. Really!
Words written for the eye just don't sound right for the ear. We don't speak the same way as we write. Written words sound stilted when spoken. Besides, reading requires you to look at your text and not your audience. And if you do occasionally look up at your audience, it's really easy to lose your place. The biggest drawback is that reading limits your interaction with the audience, so the delivery lacks a conversational feel.
If You Are Going to Read However, I know that some of you, no matter what I say, are going to read your speech. So, if you are, here are a few tips. You'll need to learn and practice the “scoop and speak” technique. The idea is to not look as if you are reading. During the pauses in your speech, you look at the text, which, by the way, should be typed only on the tops of pages in very large print. This way your eyes don't look too far down. So, you look at the text, and then “scoop” a sentence or two. You don't say the words until your eyes have returned to your audience. Keep track by pointing to the text with your finger. It takes some practice but can be effective.
The second step is to not sound as if you're reading. The way to do that is to write the text for the ear. You need to use short sentences using common conversational words. Avoid subordinate clauses and compound sentences. Choose very specific adjectives and verbs. Finally, read out loud as you are writing. If it doesn't make sense or you stumble, you need to change it. Memorizing Isn't a Good Idea, Either You'll sometimes hear speakers who sound as if they are reading but they're not. Instead, they have memorized the speech. Again, usually the memorized words were intended for the eye instead of the ear, so the delivery sounds stilted.
I'm not a fan of memorization. When a speaker memorizes something, his or her normal conversational voice inflection disappears. It often sounds to me as if the speaker is talking AT me instead of with me. With memorizing, mental blocks become inevitable. It is not a matter of “will” you forget; it's a matter of WHEN! I can't say this loudly enough. Don't memorize every word. I do understand why people do it. Usually, it's because they are afraid of skipping an important point. Or sometimes it's because English is their second language and memorizing ensures they'll use the “right” words. However, if people stop listening to you because your presentation sounds boring and memorized, it doesn't matter if you skip a point or if you don't use the right words. I think a compelling, conversational, passionate delivery, even with mistakes, always wins over a perfectly memorized speech (unless, of course, you are trained actor).
So what can we (non-actors) do to improve our delivery without reading or memorizing the entire speech?
Effective Practice without Notes Practice. Practice frequently while you're preparing the talk. Most people get started late, and continue to work on the presentation until the last minute. They might practice aloud once or twice the night before. Worse, some people try to wing it without any practice at all.
Try to practice individual slides or sections as you are working on them. Don't worry if you're not completely done with that slide or the entire presentation. Practicing in small bursts is far more effective than practicing for the same amount of time at the end.
The best way to practice is with a partner. Don't try to “present”; just sit side by side and conversationally explain your ideas. Try a few different ways of explaining the same material and record the conversations. Once you've smoothed it out, create notes from the recording. Capture the sequence of your ideas, not the exact words. With each practice session, rehearse the previous parts plus the new stuff. Each session shouldn't last longer than 20 or 30 minutes. Research shows that people are more likely to remember your first and last words. So you'll want to practice your opening and concluding points the most. Some people find that giving extra practice to transitions also helps a great deal. Ideally, you'll want to practice all the parts separately enough times so that you can present the work conversationally without having to rely on anything but your mind. Using Notes Practically speaking, however, at times you'll need to depend on your notes to help you deliver the presentation. Many people don't create separate notes and instead try to use the projected slides as their notes. But I don't recommend that. If you do, you're likely to have poorly designed slides with too much text. In addition you'll deliver the speech poorly if you keep looking at the projected image instead of making eye contact with the audience. It's best to create and use separate notes. Keep in mind that notes are just that—notes, not a script. Use key words and short phrases to remind yourself of the points you want to make. I sometimes like to also include behavioral reminders like relax, breathe, and smile.
I use the notes feature in MS PowerPoint. When delivering presentations, I always use “Presenter's View,” which lets me see my notes for the current slide on my laptop while the audience sees the current slide projected. (By the way, you need the latest version of the software to use this feature on a PC. ) If you prefer to use a hardcopy, try to fit all your notes onto a single page or two. Whatever method you use, it's important to practice using your notes so that you don't fumble with them. Ultimately, each situation may require you to take a different approach. If it's a political or legal announcement, then reading is the way to go. If you're an expert making a presentation, you won't need to read and you probably shouldn't use notes, since it could hurt your credibility. And if you're a student or someone presenting someone else's ideas, using notes is probably a good idea in order to keep yourself on track. In all cases, it's important to practice talking about the ideas in ordinary conversation long before the formal presentation is complete. This is Lisa B. Marshall. Passionate about communication; your success is my business.
Administrative I'm a big fan of Audible—not just because it sponsors this show! There just isn't enough time to read everything I'd like to. Instead, I listen to books when I'm shopping, preparing food, and, of course, when I'm traveling. Right now, I'm listening to Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. Audible has more than 40,000 books to choose from—including lots of great communication and public speaking titles. To learn more, and to get your free audiobook, visit audiblepodcast.com/speaker.
Episode Question And finally, today's episode question: What are your tips effective speech practice? Post your response in the comments or join the discussion on the new facebook group for The Public Speaker. There's a link in the show notes so you can go check it out. If you have a question, leave a voicemail at 206-350-7970. Or send email to publicspeaker@quickanddirtytips.com. For information about keynote speeches or workshops, visit lisabmarshall.com.
