Well, maybe. However, here are 6 great tips to take the pressure off, and make your short-notice speeches winners. Long, long ago I was often in the position of being called upon to speak with very short notice. It may have been that I stepped in when another speaker had to cancel abruptly. Sometimes I had to rustle together a workshop on a topic familiar to me. By that time in my career I had successfully overcome my fear of speaking in public, and the "rescue factor" lent the situation a yeasty excitement; I greatly enjoyed these occasions. And I'm sure my audiences cut me some slack because I had stepped in at the last minute; audiences are generally gracious that way. I would probably have gone merrily on indefinitely, not worrying about the lapses and occasional lack of progression had not a teenager come up to me after a talk I'd given and asked me, "Why did you say ___? What did it have to do with ___?" As I struggled to give her a concise answer, I realized, with a sinking feeling, that I had omitted an entire section of my argument--the section that connected facts I had given with the theory I offered. And, without that connection, there was no logic to my theory--and absolutely no reason for anyone to take the action I had urged! That was a shocking wake-up call which left me with a feeling of humiliation that I had been so glibly unprofessional. It made me willing to spend the time to prepare myself for the unexpected. When I knew I was going to give a speech or workshop I'd have everything organized for every eventuality. Yet, because enjoyed speaking extemporaneously, I hadn't felt the need to be prepared when I was called to do so. And I had to acknowledge that I had thought of myself as being such an interesting speaker that I didn't have to worry about ordinary preparation. Whoops! Heres how you can prepare for your spontaneous talks: Set up cue cards for three lengths of talks: 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 45 minutes. (I use different colors for each of my topics, so I don't accidentally pick up the wrong set as I dash out the door!) For each, write whichever of these points is appropriate for your topic: The ACTION you want your audience to be moved to take. (I write only this on my last cue card, in large, bright-colored letters.)Your CONCLUSION or THEORY which would validate that action. (Again, I use only one cue card, but this one I write in black, so I dont confuse it with the Action card.)The SEQUENCE OF STEPS which lead to the conclusion. (I prompt my memory by using a single word, if possible, for each step, with an arrow leading to the following step, as Ive done here.)The FACTS which support your entire thesis. (I bullet these and put several on a card.)Prompts for your OPENING.THANK YOUs or Acknowledgements.You'll observe that I did this in reverse order. I find it easier to prepare for different lengths of speeches when I do it this way; I don't accidentally leave out important connections, as I did for my Wake-Up call. I believe you will find, as I have, that spending time to think through and jot down your Reminders, takes the pressure off speaking spontaneously, and will make you more likely to accept those spur-of-the-moment engagements which can yield substantial monetary and professional rewards. And theyre fun! |
