| Are you having trouble viewing this email? If so, click here to see it in a web browser. | | | | | | | | | | | | | JUNE 15, 2011 | Prepare Your Speech, but Be
Ready to Change It | | | Many people prepare for speeches by writing out the full text of their remarks and rehearsing to get the words exactly right. This often means you end up delivering a speech exactly as you wrote it, even if the audience isn't responsive. Speaking is different than writing. You need to connect with your listeners. Prepare for your next speaking engagement by jotting down a list of four or five brief, key points and a concluding paragraph. Then arrive early enough to talk with people before your speech. This allows you to grasp the mood of the audience and tailor your points to its state of mind. | | | | | | Read the full article and join the discussion » | | | | | | | | FEATURED PRODUCT |  | | | Guide to Giving Effective Feedback | | | Harvard Business Review Article Collection | | | Brimming with actionable advice on everything from delivering detailed on-the-spot feedback to determining if your employee is ready for a promotion, this guide will give you the tools and confidence you need to master giving effective feedback. | | | | | | | | | | ADVERTISEMENT | | | |  | | | | | | | Follow the Tip: |  |  | | | | | | | PREVIOUS TIPS | | | | | | | | BEST SELLERS | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | UNSUBSCRIBE | UPDATE YOUR PROFILE | MORE EMAIL NEWSLETTERS | PRIVACY POLICY | | | | Was this email forwarded to you? If so, sign up to start receiving your own copy. | | | | ABOUT THIS MAILING LIST
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71 comments:
It is somewhat tedious to listen to someone giving a presentation and reading directly from their notes.
It is absolutely tedious to have to listen to someone read what's on the screen. Good point David.
Presentations need to engage the audience attention at all times!!! With no eye contact or varying pitch in the voice it's as if your just reading a book.
I am one of those people who used to have the hardest time speaking in front of a large group of people! I still don't like it much. These are some great tips for public speaking.
I have certainly presented briefs that I have undoubtedly failed to covey the material effectively. Even when you know the material, practice, and make a narration guide, nerves sometimes get in the way. I think there is a happy medium between feeling comfortable with your audience and with yourself in your abilities to deliver a well prepared presentation.
This idea is brilliant!! I've given speeches before where the audience just sat there like mindless zombies. And let me tell you, it's not a good feeling when you realize you're boring everyone to death! So I think that if I use this approach next time and gauge what the audience thinks before my speech, it'll go much more smoothly.
I always write out the exact sentences I hope to say while presenting and never end up saying them all. I somehow narrow down and pick out what I THINK is most important in the middle of my presentations.
I think it would be better to write out the specific topics you wish to discuss in a presentation and thoroughly know the information. If you know the information and can glance at the points to help jog your memory, your presentation will flow better and will help you to be able to respond to what the audience’s reactions are.
I don't like getting up and speaking in front of a group and a lot of people don't. One of the worst things to do is write everything down and read straight from your paper. If you know and have studied your topic enough, jotting down important topics to cover should be all you need.
Research your topic and learn more about it. This will help you in your presentation.
I absolutely hate having to get up and talk in front of the whole class. These are some great tips to remember next time I have to speak in front of a group.
I def. have presented many of time and failed to cover all the material because my nerves got in the way and I just wanted to be done. I'm going to use this approach when presenting my next presentation.
Teachers use to always tell the students to make an outline of your speech so you can know what you want to talk about. But this article is more helpful to me because I don't have to write a lot and I can interact more.
I think that is the way to go. You will probably speak more clearly and from the heart if you just jott down some key points. The whole idea is to engange your audience. If you just sit there and read everything word for word, that can get really boring.
I think this is good advice. This give the speaker a chance to interact with their audience that way the audience will be more interactive with the speaker making their speech more interested. This also gives the audience to get something out of the presentation.
Sometimes when you practice and practice so much and it comes to actually giving your speech it could come off quite boring in person because it is to rehearsed. So sometimes you need to veer off the page.
I do believe that the better prepared you are and the more you know about the material you are presenting, the better off you are when speaking in front of an audience. I do feel that it is important to connect with the audience and keep them engaged in the presentation.
Everyone is different and as many times are you practiced and prepared, it's a totally different story when you stand in front of everyone. You may feel confident, but can go blank and forget. The article provides good advise, it just doesn't mean it will work for everyone!
It is kind of annoying to watch someone read directly from their notes. I do understand this though because people get nervous and forget what they want to say.
I have never been the type to be afraid of public speaking, I guess because I am a people person. I actually enjoy it, especially when I found out the correct way to do it.
I think it would be better to write out the specific topics you wish to discuss in a presentation and thoroughly know the information. If you know the information and can glance at the points to help jog your memory, your presentation will flow better and will help you to be able to respond to what the audience’s reactions are.
I think that is great advice. Being prepared is great, but you don't want to write everything down verbatim. You look unprepared and people sometimes have trouble hearing you speaking to the floor. Like Conan O'Brien said, be prepared but also be ready to ad-lib whenever necessary.
You have to be able to adapt to changing environments. Being rigid toward an agenda that you have set for yourself is setting yourself up for failure, or at least a resentment. All good leaders share this quality.
I usually tend to write down the most important things down when I'm giving a speech so I kind of have this down.
I have to be honest I read my presentation word for word in this class. I really don't know why but I do.
I appreciated this article because I have a terrible time trying to speak in public. I really cannot figure out the genesis of the problem either. I usually do write down topics like it suggest, but then I blank out because of nervousness no matter how well I know the material. I'll try some of these tips the next time I need to make a speech
I liked this article and thought it had some helpful tips on speaking in public. I don't enjoy speaking in front of people so i'm always looking for tips to make me feel more comfortable doing it.I think knowing your material well and practicing as if you were in front of the crowd is important in preparing because not only does it help you learn your material better but it also helps you build confidence which is important when speaking in front of people.
Presentations are very important and it is always a good idea to remember what you want to say. On the other hand, memorizing word for work can hurt you if you forget one of your lines.
Having a full understanding of a topic and being able to talk about it freely is the best way to present. This allows you to avoid reading because you already know a good deal about the topic. It is basically like talking to someone.
I think it is great advice to give to people who have a hard time public speaking like me. Talking to the audience before you speak is a great way to get rid of jitters.
I have to admit that I am guilty sometimes of reading completely off my notes but I have done my best to try and implement things like this. Public speaking is something that not everyone has a love for and tips like this can maybe help them get through it easier. Practicing definitely does make things easier because if you are comfortable with the material you may have an easier chance at being comfortable in front of a crowd.
I agree that you shouldn't say the exact things in your speech as you wrote on your paper. It makes you sound stiff. But it is a good idea to jot down key points so you don't get off track and not know how to come back.
Learning all you can about the subject of the speech is essential. Speaking about it in front of people will then be second nature. Eye contact with the audience is very important. The suggestion of talking with the people of the audience before the speech is well taken.
I think this is great advice. I believe it’s crucial to prepare your speech with your audience in mind. I also agree it’s important to know everything you can about your subject. However, I think one must be well seasoned in giving speeches to just prepare key points. Personally, I feel I’d need to have more written down in order to keep my thoughts in order.
I agree with the advice suggested here. In preparation for a speech, the things we write down should be used to guide your thoughts. A speaker is more effective when they talior the speech depending on the mood of the audience.
These are great tips for giving a speech. I have seen many people come into class and just read off the powerpoint. I really like the point of talking with your audience before you present so that you can get a feel for their mood.
I believe that many speeches are often so rehearsed that the speaker isn't prepared for feedback. Remembering every word of your speech is like cramming for a test. You may breeze by with just enough, but you aren't actually learning it. You need to actually understand the topic you are speaking about because your knowledge and passion are more likely to captivate the audience.
I think the most important thing when giving a presentation over all that will eliminate most of the common mistakes and give potential to entertain the audience is just knowing the material and being informed about your topic. I have serve public speaking anxiety and the only thing that comforts me is being comfortable with the material and making the audience laugh (with me not at me of course)!
This is great advice and actually one of the first things my public speaking teacher taught me. She always said that you should prepare your speech and rehearse it but never memorize and be prepared to do improv if necessary, you want to come off natural not a robot in your delivery.
this is so excellent advice to have when having to do public speaking or any type of speaking in front of people.
Goo advise for my next upcoming presentation, I only hope that I could do this but it is easier said than done for me.
As much as I wanted to do this for my speech class, the fact that we couldn’t go 10 seconds over our allotted time without incurring a penalty meant I couldn’t. Otherwise, I think it’s a good idea; however, it shouldn’t replace extensive preparation.
I never write out a full script of my speech. Whenever I give speeches, I always do what the article says to do—I just jot down some brief points and memorize the important things about them so that I don’t read my note cards.
Being able to adapt your speech to the situation that you are placed in one of the better ways to go about it. Know the subject enough so that you can talk about it confidently.
This advice is good because it is very important to relate to the audience. I think when someone gives a speech that is just so rehearsed it shows well. You must put personality into what you are speaking about. Passion.
Although speeches are a nervous racking task for me, I always prepare to improvise in case the information I rehearse goes blank. To talk openly in front of an audience is quite frightening so I just brainstorm while talking to fill n the gaps of forgetfulness. The only thing I focus on while talking is the end.
I like this advice. I hate presentations with a passion. So I'll take any little tips and ways to make it go by easier. The audience is what the presentation is all about so it makes sense to get there a little earlier and get the feel for your audience that you are presenting to.
These are all good suggestions. One added thing that I do is to rehearse my speech before I ever get to class. I believe this helps me to prepare. Connecting with your listeners is important. We are taught to look into the audience and back at your notes to make that connection. Arriving early for your presentation is also a good suggestion. I will put these ideas into practice when I have to give my next presentation. This time I am very familiar with my subject matter.
Hey! Good to know I'm doing something right. My speech NEVER goes as I plan it and I'm pretty okay with that. I leave out some parts, I include other information that I've received but at the time I thought wasn't important enough and so on. Or I might focus on one part more than another. Good to know that's how it's supposed to go.
This is great advice and actually one of the first things my public speaking teacher taught me. She always said that you should prepare your speech and rehearse it but never memorize and be prepared to do improv if necessary, you want to come off natural not a robot in your delivery. Normally, the more you practice you can become better at improv on the fly and I think this way of doing it is the best to get a good speech.
This is really good advice. When I took my communications class I had every single word and exactly how I was going to say them memorized. I did ok, but I felt extremely uncomfortable the entire time. Now, I do change it up a little but, but usually just by shortening it!
I'm not a big fan of memorization. I like to wing it, and it makes it much more interesting when you create it on the fly. lol
This is great advice because I usually prepare my speeches by writing out every word and then trying to memorize exactly what I wrote and I end up sounded to rehearsed or if I mess up somewhere I don't know how to just keep flowing because I have what I want to say down to a "T".
I think this is good information. No audience wants to listen to a memorized speech. It is dull and not interactive. I want to listen to a speaker that is knowledgeable in the subject and not just present facts. A good speaker can tell a story.
I tend to do this a lot even though I know it's boring and unprofessional. I get nervous and forget everything so its hard to just make notes and remember what I am suppose to talk about. If there is one thing that I would like to work on it would be my delivery when giving a speach.
Ill admit I do memorize what i have to say or read directly off note cards. I do think this a bad thing but when I dont give a $hit about what Im giving a presentation on its hard to talk about with out reading off note cards. If I had a subject to talk about that interest me then it would be much easier to talk and not have to read off note cards.
I agree with this article. You need to be prepared to discuses what you are about to talk about not just read things from of the speech. You always need to be able to change you speech in order to keep interested in what you are talking about.
I've done both, jot down notes, and write down the sentences. I find reading the sentences easier for me because I get to nervous to just emprovise and go with the flow. I can't just speak about something just by jotting down some notes. Thats just me. I'm to nervous. I end up forgetting what I want to say.
Be prepared but not to prepared. Writing a speech and giving one is competely different. You are in front of people, you may get your thoughts all mixed up. In the end you need to read the audience and go from there. Plus speeches are much more entertaining when someone is not standing in front of you reading a piece of paper.
i completly agree with this article. I hate when students stand up to give a presentation adn they just read straight from the notes. It sounds way to rehearsed and robotic. When you just kind of go with the flow, it looks a lot better. Things might come up and you could be unprepared.
People prepare speeches down the last sentence or catch phrase of the entire speech. Sometimes it is better that you feed off of your audience. When saying your speech, random thoughts might pop into your head and if you have everything already planned out then that thought might not have a spot to be said to the audience. The article is right in saying that main points are important but save the little details for when you deliver your speech.
When speaking in public you can forget what to say so speak on the important issues and improvise on the rest.
I absolutely hate hate hate public speaking although i will do it when i have to. I usually write out my whole speech and then try and memorize it, but normally freeze in front of an audience....I will try to use this helpful hint.
Nobody likes watching someone read steadily from their power points. It is not very entertaining, and can distract from the presentation. Key points i feel work best especially when you use them to elaborate because it conveys that you know what your talking about.
I agree, I am guilty of this. I think that this is due to nerves. I memorize my speech so I know what to say. Chances are, I am giving a speech on something I am not passionate about. If it was a company I was giving a speech for, I would know my product!
This is great advice! So many times people just memorize what they are going to talk about regardless of how the audience reacts. This is definitely something I will keep in mind for my next speech
I hate people who read off their power point. When I give my speeches I rehearse and learn my topic. I do this because this will enable me to get more personal with my audience. As soon as someone starts reading off a paper, I tune out. I have no respect for people who just read. This is a presentation so present, do not read. I took a communications class in college last semester. I am not bragging but when I gave my speeches, I always received a positive response.
This is a great piece of advice. When people just ready off their powerpoint or note cards it goes to show you that they really didn't spend time preparing or learning the subject matter. People who spent the time are able to be ready for anything that may come up, like an unexpected question. Using the idea of writing down a few topics to discuss seems way better than memorizing a speech word for word because it you get throw off you seem like you didn't know what you were talking about from the beginning.
students (read paying customers) to teach the material. Now if that isn’t bad enough, which it is, how are we suppose to learn when someone gets in front of the class and mindlessly reads off a piece of paper. So many of my classmates read straight off their not card. Never looking up to see if the audience is a sleep. Nothing is accomplished but time that could have been spent learning form a skilled lecturer ( Dr. W.) has indeed been wasted. And with that I will step off my soap box.
I think being over prepared for a speech or memorizing a speech is a technique that people use to deal with the fear of public speaking. For someone who deals with the fear of public speaking, it is a lot easier to simply memorize words than to actually communicate a message to people. However, it’s crucial for a speaker to connect with its audience and the only way they can accomplish that is to avoid speech memorization and speak to the listeners.
I think it would be better to write out the specific topics you wish to discuss in a presentation and thoroughly know the information. If you know the information and can glance at the points to help jog your memory, your presentation will flow better and will help you to be able to respond to what the audience’s reactions are.
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