Do I Have To Learn My Speech

Novice public speakers are sometimes struck with awe when listening to a great orator. They assume that the words are flowing out unscripted like a golden stream - every phrase a gem of poetic sparkle and ready to be placed in an anthology of bon mots. Well, do not worry. Public speaking is like every other activity in life - apparent effortless superiority comes from hard work and practice which is something that everyone can do.

When planning a public speech you should always write it down as you would wish to deliver it. The speech that you actually give will be different but it will follow the structure you originally laid down. People who pride themselves on making a good extempore public speech are usually mistaken. If you want to make money by being a successful public speaker you will prepare meticulously.

Churchill reputedly said that some of the best extempore speeches he had ever given had taken weeks to prepare. In other words a speech that might appear to be impromptu has usually had a lot of care lavished upon it.

You should write out your speech fully. The speech that you draft quietly in the peace of your home will use all the techniques detailed in many courses and books on public speaking. In that time of preparation you will write your speech in the logical sequence that you know is correct.

The spoken word is different to that delivered orally so bear this in mind when drafting your speech. This means checking sentence length and allow for pauses.

If you have many short sentence together in you speech the effect on the listener is that the speech is frenzied and rushed. Vary the length of them.

In preparing the sequence - plan for how you will move from one paragraph or section to the next without looking at your notes. This will entail using linking phrases, words or even just letters. Some are more obvious that others. If you ended one section with, "... and never forgetting the pursuit of happiness." You could then start the next section with, "The pursuit of happiness is of course one of the principles etc." Other links can be more subtle. In the last sentence of a section use a word that is also included in the first sentence of following section. Even easier is to ensure that the last word in one section starts with the same letter as the first word in the next one. If you get the links between the sections clear in your mind you will find that it is much easier then to remember the content of those sections.

When you are happy with the content begin to say it out loud. Amend as necessary so that the words flow. Avoid "tongue twisting" phrases or words that you might stumble over.

If you practice regularly the basic structure of your speech will become familiar to you. Then, on a small piece of card write a keyword from each paragraph. This card should be the only item you have to assist you in giving your speech. You will find that if you have done the practice you will rarely look at the card but it gives you a tremendous boost to your confidence to know that you can look down and pick up the thread of your speech if you have a memory blank.

Your introduction must be delivered from memory. It will differ from what you wrote. Do not worry about that but you must start with your head up and establishing eye contact with your audience.

Do not worry if you then miss out a paragraph. Your audience does not know what you intended to say. The exception to this of course is if the paragraph is crucial to your speech. Very few are but you will ensure in your practice that that is one you have clear in your mind.

If you have practiced sufficiently you will give your speech fluently. It will certainly not be exactly as you had written - unless you are blessed with a very retentive memory. However, it will carry all the points that you planned to make and you will also find that you have remembered some of those well polished phrases that you lovingly crafted in your period of preparation.

By delivering your speech from memory - as opposed to memorising it - you will give a fluent speech whilst maintaining that eye contact with your audience which is such an important feature of a successful speech.

You will also see that the headline of this article presents a false premise. There are many options other than to just memorise of extemporise. The really successful public speech will rely largely on memory but will seem to your audience as though it were delivered "off the cuff."