Preparation is one of the nearest things to a public speaking magic bullet.
A speech or presentation is like an iceberg. What you deliver is just the 10% that is above the water. The other 90% under the water is all the work and preparation you have put in beforehand on your content and delivery style. (If you don’t prepare – remember what happened to the Titanic!).
Fail to Prepare, Prepare to Fail
Would an Olympic athlete enter a race without training? Would a heart surgeon enter an operating theatre, or a pilot take the controls of passenger jet, without being primed and ready for the task ahead? Should a speaker take to the platform without being prepared?
In all my many years’ experience as a public speaker, the worst thing a speaker can say if they are given plenty of notice for a presentation is – ‘I won’t bother preparing, I’ll wing it’. Remember the old adage – fail to prepare, prepare to fail.
Preparing Your Speech Content
For your actual speech content, preparation is about knowing as much as you can and researching in advance about your audience. What type of people will they likely be in terms of their age range, gender, occupation, income, education, lifestyle, political views, leisure interests etc.? Will they prefer or be suited to a longer or shorter presentation? Do they have a sense of humour? If the audience is an organisation or a society, what sort of speakers have spoken to them before?
Sometimes your subject will be set for you; sometimes it will be of your own choosing. The first things to ask yourself, though, are: what do you want to accomplish; what main message or points do you want or need to communicate?
What, are the aims and objectives of your speech? Why will the audience be listening to you? For instance, is the audience looking to be entertained, educated, informed, inspired, motivated, moved, persuaded, trained, or a combination of these?
Your aim is to achieve empathy with your audience. Put yourself in your listeners’ shoes, pretend you are an audience member, and ask yourself, ‘WIIFME – what’s in it for me? What would I get from listening to this speech?’
Rehearsing Your Speech
Once you have your speech written and ready, always prepare as much as you possibly can – but don’t worry when the real world cuts in and has its say. For in the real world, we don’t always have the utopia of perfect or completely uninterrupted preparation, or in actually finding the time (particularly if we have to prepare a speech with very short notice). We just need to make the very best use of all the time and advance notice we are given.
So – Practice, Practice, Practice. At first your speech may sound wooden and unnatural, but persevere and then as if by magic it will start to flow.
As well as rehearsing out loud, rehearse silently in your head when you are out for a walk. Also, get into the habit of rehearsing in front of a mirror, or into a voice recorder, and also in front of friends and family who can give you feedback. Don’t get phased though by trying to fix everything at once – just add improvements step by step. Constant practice will also help you to eliminate any timing issues such as overrunning or coming up too short. Rehearsing is also a great form of editing and finding what works best.
A great preparation technique is to make yourself a Rehearsal Grid before your speaking date. Use this to then map out and then tick off your rehearsals and preparation actions and to show how many times you will be rehearsing and for how long on your ‘rehearsal days’. Put in as many rehearsals as you can – you won’t regret it.
On this note, what does someone overrunning with their speech often tell you? Whilst it’s sometime down to nerves, if they massively overrun it also says that they haven’t prepared properly and that they are showing a lack of consideration for the audience and for any other speakers on the programme.
People also ask me how you can prepare for being asked to give short presentations with minimal notice – i.e. being put on the spot? Well, you can actually prepare for these scenarios by practicing as much as possible with impromptu speaking. This gets you into habit of being able to respond to such situations – you just never know when you may be called upon to give your instant thoughts or opinions on something.
Being proficient at thinking on your feet and speaking off the cuff is also an invaluable tool for your prepared speaking and gives you that wonderful ability to improvise and riff and play off the audience whilst still then being able to get back to your main content.
Feeling Good About Yourself and Your Speech
Preparation is not though just about knowing your material and all the work you put in on your delivery style and manner. It’s also about getting yourself in the best possible mental and physical condition for your speech. Before a presentation you need to feel good about yourself. That may not always be possible – life and challenges can often get in the way, but you can learn to overcome any negative vibes, energies and obstacles and then channel them into something positive.
Know The Venue – Preparing for Where You Are Speaking
Preparation is also about researching in advance about the venue and then doing all the things at the venue itself before you hit the speaking platform that get you in the best possible frame to handle any eventualities.
Find out as much as possible about the venue and agenda. For instance, how long will it take you to get there? What time will you be speaking? What will the room layout be like? Will you be using a microphone? Will there be a lectern / a stage / stage lights? Will there be anyone speaking before or after you? If so, who, and on what subjects?
A great preparation technique is also to make a checklist before you have to speak of all the items you may need to take with you – i.e. water, spare contact lenses, toothbrush, back-up memory stick and/or laptop, apple or banana for energy beforehand, paracetamol etc.
At the venue itself, it’s always a good idea to arrive early and to get to know and become familiar with the room and try out the speaking area. If you have the time, it’s always nice to have a stroll and grab some fresh air before actually entering the venue.
Once inside, walk round, test any microphones, try out the visual aids etc. Make yourself aware of such things as: How are the acoustics? Is there any noise from the air conditioning? Will it be hot from heating or from stage lights while you are speaking? Will people be able to hear you at the back? (test this out on someone before the room fills up). Are there any squeaky floorboards in the speaking area? Will anyone in the audience have a restricted view so that you will have to adapt your stage positioning? Is there a visible clock or will you need to check your watch for timing? Make sure you will have water near at hand when speaking. If you haven’t already done so, check with the organiser how you are going to be introduced.
Always prepare and have a plan in place as best you can for any potential curveballs – i.e. the stage lights being too hot, the microphone packing up, PowerPoint stopping working mid-stream, the speaker on before you massively overrunning, someone interrupting you, the organiser suddenly cutting your allotted speaking time, the organiser suddenly changing when you are going to be up there speaking. Don’t obsess too much though. Over time, and the more you get used to speaking in public, you’ll get used to taking things in your stride.
Know the audience and greet some members as they arrive. It is easier to talk to friendly faces with whom you are at least a little familiar than to total strangers. That way you won’t come across as ‘The Speaker’.
Go to the bathroom 10 or 15 minutes before you speak. Also, check your teeth (that’s why to bring a toothbrush), your nose, your appearance etc. Use voice exercises and warm-ups, and discrete stretching, loosening and limbering-up of neck and shoulders.
Remind yourself that you are there to give the audience the gift of your experience and knowledge. Develop your own positive thinking and visualisation, psyching-up and anchoring techniques and routines.
Put in all the hard work and preparation, and it will be more than worth it – you will be brilliant!!
