Your Next Presentation — Know It Cold

Know your presentation inside out. You may memorize your presentation but under stress, you may falter/ fail. You may be very good at impromptu speaking but you will find it difficult to get into more details. There is only one approach to public speaking that is foolproof. Know your presentation cold.

Knowing the presentation cold means taking the time to craft the words and sequence of what you plan to say and rehearsing them over and over again until you can say that backward word for word if over again until you can say it backward. It depends on your audience whether you need mastery of key bullet points or if you need to learn it word for word until it is as familiar as your name. 

You think of the audience and plan out what you are going to say not just the words but also the actions and the period in between points so that it becomes on a smooth fluid state for you while allowing you to adjust and improvise during the speech itself.

This makes you less nervous and boosts your confidence level at the time of actual delivery. It allows you to move from one point to another without even thinking about it. This helps you adjust to your audience's reactions. This frees you to be more natural and responsive at the moment.

 

Remember the following that will help your script preparation and mastery.

Decide how you will plan your script:

The content may consist of key points or a detailed script including the pauses. It depends upon the style of speaking and what is suitable. In a class, you may master key points to make during the session to reinforce the key pots. For a major presentation, write down the full speech and rehearse it thoroughly.

Create natural sections:

Break the speech into sections irrespective of its length. For a speech of 30 minutes break it up into sections of 2-3 paragraphs each. Create a segmented list - a bulleted outline of each section. Master the sections in order but learn them in a way that makes sense to you. Moving between sections can be tricky, so pay particular attention to this and rehearse it thoroughly.

Learn your script over time:

Do not underestimate the time required to absorb the key points. Everyone makes the mistake of rehearsing the previous day, finding themselves short of time or underprepared for the speech. Spend time memorizing parts of the speech. Record and listen to your speech or sections of your speech during bedtime, while driving, exercising, etc., This would help you focus faster and better when you get down to memorizing your speech

Rehearse the complete speech:

Most people start from the beginning each time they rehearse. this makes the introduction solid but the finish shaky. Start at a random section and complete it from there. Then stitch it together. Remember, movement helps commit more words to memory. If you are going to deliver the speech standing, practice your speech standing. DO not fuss around with some piece of clothing as it can be distracting to the audience and yourself.

Plan for forgetfulness:

Instead of trying to wing your way when you forget a piece, plan for it and decide how you will handle it. Craft two or three phrases you would use. You could also step back, pause, take a sip of water. the audience will be supportive and understand that it is natural and it would be less awkward for everyone when you don't panic and pretend there is nothing wrong.

Mastery of script comes from many things ranging from knowing your keypoints so thoroughly that no question can put you off to memorizing the script. When you know the script fully, you will not only be able to deliver what you want, you serve your audience with the best of what you have curated and planned. Know your information cold so that you can master the moment.

Don’t Just Memorize Your Next Presentation — Know It Cold

by Sabina Nawaz HBR February 07, 2020