Suppose you are planning a special feast celebration for your family and friends for a memorable occasion. Would you select recipes from books or YouTube videos of meals that you have never prepared? Would you select ingredients you have never tasted? Most likely you would choose to prepare tried-and-true recipes for the occasion.
Would you cook the feast three hours before arrival, or begin the night before to ensure you have all the ingredients and the necessary elements arranged for the final assembly of the food presentation?
Similarly, in public speaking, it is crucial to prepare in advance for presentations. It is vital to be comfortable with your speaking environment, and complete all the preparation possible before the live event in front of an audience.
Athletes, visual or performing artists, and musicians often isolate components of their performance while practicing. A musician may work on one drill and then play the entire song at the end of rehearsal when the riff has been perfected. Likewise, speakers generally find it helpful to go through individual elements of a presentation, such as the introduction or a particular anecdote, and then put all the essential ingredients together for a final round of rehearsal.
It is important to be strategic when preparing a presentation. Knowing the time allocated for the speech, avoiding going over the allowed time or speaking under time, and using time-keeping devices will assure we are hitting the mark.
Strategic Preparation
Time Allocation: Be sure rehearsal includes ensuring the speech meets the time requirements provided and is appropriate for the occasion. If you are not explicitly provided with time limits, that is, the minimum time and maximum time, be sure to ask the event's organizer.
Avoid Speaking Over Time Requirements: Going over the allotted time may impact the meeting agenda or panel discussion. Failure to pay attention to time requirements may also impact other crucial matters on the program, such as a question-and-answer session. Some audience members might perceive an excessively long presentation as rude and feel the speaker is taking their time away from valuable tasks.
Avoid Not Meeting Time Expectations: On the other hand, a short presentation may give the impression that a speaker has not adequately prepared or does not care about the audience’s needs or the topic.
Time Management for Rehearsals & Performances: Using the stopwatch function on a cellular device is helpful. Many speakers use the countdown function, avoiding the need to do mathematical calculations in their heads during a presentation. However, it is best to avoid a buzzer sounding during the actual presentation. So, as a speaker, you will want to make these strategic choices for practicing vs. performance. Think through where you want to place your digital device during the presentation and practice positioning that device near your speaking notes. All aspects of the rehearsal should mirror what occurs in the live performance.
Whether using an outline or a manuscript, using speaking notes entails practicing presentational consistency. There are considerations for using a hard copy or a digital rendition of the speaking outline.
Effective Use of Outlines & Manuscripts
Practice & Presentation Consistency: Speakers should be consistent in what form of remarks they utilize. So, when practicing from notecards, do not use a laptop with a Google document for the actual performance. If rehearsing with notecards, do not speak from a sheet of paper for a formal presentation. Train your eyes and know the rhythm of when to turn a page, flip to the next notecard, or scroll through your outline if operating a digital device. Some speakers like to color code portions of the outline, increase the font size, and use bold and underlining. Also, be sure to have each main point on a separate page of hard copy and digital notes. Separating main points allows the brain to process when we transition to a new point. In this way, we can transition between eye contact with the audience and referencing our speaking notes.
Hard Copy: If the outline is on a printed document, numbering the pages ensures that the pages stay in order if you drop your notes. Be sure to check the page order before beginning the speech. It is best not to staple the pages, nor let the paper hang over the podium. Have a set place to keep the speech in a backpack or briefcase. Do not print out double-sided; some speakers forget to turn over the page when adrenaline kicks in during the performance.
Digital: When speaking from a cell phone, laptop, or device such as an iPad, be sure to download the speech outline to the device. Before arriving at the speaking location, test the downloaded outline as a technology check. Alternatively, ensure a reliable WiFi connection prior to the performance.