I was at a cocktail party recently (don’t envy my social life!) and we asked one of our friends to join us at a Lima nightclub afterwards. He said that he had to give up his chance to dance with me, but that he had to go home and practice a speech that he would give the next day.
Just as I was about to praise him, another friend declared, Do you mind? Go home and practice what! He makes speeches all the time and he doesn’t need to practice at all!
Hello! If you are one of those who believe that after having given X number of speeches you don’t have to practice anymore, you are very wrong! I think the only way you can believe that is because you don’t know how to practice a speech. So be my guest, use the following tips to help yourself.
Decide your mode of delivery
Are you going to deliver a memorized speech? Read a script? Or give an extemporaneous speech? That depends on you.
You don’t want to memorize your speech if your memory is anything like mine (average) unless you are a contestant in some public speaking event. Can you imagine writing a 30 minute speech and memorizing it? Phew!
Handwritten speech is used for formal speeches where it is important to say the right words and not to forget any important point. This requires superior presentation skills so it doesn’t look like you’re reading the speech.
Extemporaneous speech is the preferred approach for many speakers. This is when you prepare note cards with the exact ideas and information you want to share, but how you share that information is decided as you go.
How many times should you practice your speech?
If you’re speaking extemporaneously enough that you can quickly look at your notes and pick up the idea or information you want to share and look at your audience and share it. If you’re presenting from a prepared script, enough so that if you lose your spot when you look up, you won’t be at a loss for words. If you are doing the memorizing thing, you decide.
no shortcuts
Pretend to go through the entire speech at each practice. If you don’t, the beginning is practiced and polished many times and the end only a few.
Don’t use a practice script
Use the actual note cards you will be speaking from. What usually happens is that you’ll make some cards, practice and edit and edit and practice and when you’re satisfied, you’ll write a new set and save them until it’s time to deliver the speech. Your brain will always try to remember the last thing you practiced from the old cards.
practicing out loud
This is a matter of choice. Saying your speech out loud allows you to hear your voice and lets you know how well you have fixed your ideas in your head. My girlfriend says this makes her feel like a clown. Remember, unless you’re speaking in a circus, it’s better to feel like a clown in private than to be a clown in front of an entire audience.
Practice with your visual aids
Yes, I really did say that! Practice with your pictures, models, overhead projector, multimedia presentation, whatever. Make sure you know how everything works and that everything works!
Practice the timing of your speech
If they don’t tell you how long you’re going to speak, ask and time your speech as you rehearse it. For some reason, the rehearsal time and the actual “before the hearing” time always differ. Therefore, in rehearsals leave 30 seconds to 1 minute at the end of your speech to accommodate this reality.
Practice, practice but don’t practice too much
Some speakers claim that they don’t like to practice because the speech is no longer fresh when they deliver it. I disagree or am too cowardly (or smart!) to present anything other than a short impromptu speech that I have not prepared and that includes at least one practice session. Practicing helps fix the ideas in your head and ensures that your delivery is smooth.
Yes! You have to practice your speech. And how do you practice? The best way to practice your speech is away from the audience, not on top of the audience. I’m serious.
Copyright© 2010 Lorna Barrow, Impact training & Development Services www.itds-training.com – Giving a speech? The best way to practice – August 14, 2010.