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Impromptu Public Speaking

Some people have defined impromptu speaking as public speaking on the spur-of-the-moment without preparation. It is precisely this definition and especially the last two words that instill fear and panic in many people. And yet seldom is an impromptu speech given without preparation! If the “preparation problem” is resolved, much of the fear and panic associated with impromptu speaking can be substantially reduced or, at the very least, controlled.

Let’s begin, then, by defining and explaining what “preparation” means. If the definition of preparation is thorough research and investigation then “Yes,” impromptu speaking can involve no thorough research or investigation at that time. But seldom does any speech include only thorough research and investigation. Those, indeed, are often formal speeches planned well in advance of the occasion. Too, they could be those intended to fulfill classroom assignments.

“Preparation,” however, especially for impromptu speeches, encompasses far, far more. Far more than thorough research and investigation! To examine all that “preparation” encompasses should assist in reducing some of the fear and panic — especially because speakers are much better “prepared” than they, at first, may realize.

To begin, it’s important to understand that seldom are you asked to give an impromptu speech for which you have no background knowledge and experience. In many cases, the invitation to give such a speech occurs because of a person’s special expertise in a given area. In this way, a person can use that “special” expertise to enlarge, enumerate, and expand on a topic. For the most part, and for most people, this is an opportunity just ripe for the picking. When in a strange or new town, just ask a local resident to tell you what to see, where to eat, or how to get to a special location, and you will quickly be an audience of one for a unique impromptu experience!

Seldom, if ever, is anyone asked to give (or would volunteer to give) a speech that reveals his or her total ignorance or naivete. The best advice if such a circumstance occurred would be to admit your lack of knowledge: “I’m sorry, I have little knowledge or experience on this topic. Please forgive me if I decline your offer to speak on this issue at this time.” Having a couple of sentences in reserve if you are ever asked to give a speech on a topic on which you are unprepared can help relieve a great deal of stress and unwanted (or unneeded) anxiety.

How prepared are you in impromptu-speaking situations? First, if you are aware of the circumstances in which you find yourself (or can even anticipate them), you will have some facts, observations, or insights that merit comment. A previous speaker may have made a remark that deserves your attention. A current or evolving situation may have captured your attention or that of your listeners. Even an interruption or strange occurrence might need, at the least, a slight reference or acknowledgment. Sometimes it is just these opening comments that will calm your mind and give your brain enough time to assemble some additional ideas.

Second, if you keep up with the news and current events explained and developed in your local newspapers, magazines, television, and the Internet, you have a large reserve of information you can draw upon to shed light on the issue at hand or, perhaps, to put the issue into some current or historical context. Try to see the bigger picture to which this issue relates or, pretend it is a single tree in a large forest of ideas, and it is your job to help define or describe the forest. In this way the issue gains meaning, relevance, and worth.

Third, if you are a reader, think of the books, articles, and essays that you have read that provide fodder for impromptu situations. Think about any quotations that may apply, author anecdotes, or critical insights you can share that have been written about by others. Often, such ideas — especially when cited on the spur-of-the-moment like this, can add substantially to your credibility and expertise.

Fourth, listen closely to the conversations of others. Realize, first, that if you are talking you are not listening. It isn’t that you necessarily want to use their ideas as your own — although that is permissible in such situations (especially if a person will be in your audience and you can acknowledge that person and your indebtedness) — but, often people offer an idea to which you can respond, an alternative you can recommend, or a different approach you can suggest.

Fifth, depend on yourself. You have a wealth of information in your “storehouse of useless knowledge”! Although an event or issue may appear, at first, as just another scrap to add to the storehouse, that morsel can become a treasured nugget in just such situations. Suddenly, that little piece of knowledge can become the finger food that leads to a feast of new ideas, thoughts, plans, and visions. When you are a “sponge for knowledge” you build a foundation for the unexpected.

Sixth, you have viewpoints, positions, beliefs, attitudes, needs and values that you have accumulated as a result of living your everyday life. You are not a blank slate, and to draw from your own, well-developed and securely established fount of ideas will add to any public-speaking effort and make it personal and unique. In some cases, this is all that is being requested when you are asked to deliver an impromptu speech, and in many cases, this is all that can be expected.

What you must understand in every impromptu situation, your listeners clearly understand the situation, and the expectations of you and your performance are not the same as they would be for an address, a formal speech, or a planned presentation. The expectations of audience members will correspond precisely with the nature of the circumstances.

With a few ideas in mind, tell your listeners what you plan to say, say it, then tell them what you said. Another organizational scheme is simply to provide an introduction — perhaps just a brief look at the current situation — a point or two for the body of the speech (a fact and a personal example may be sufficient), and a final thought, quotation, or additional insight as a conclusion.

Impromptu speeches do not need to invoke fear and panic. You are far better prepared than you think, audience expectations correspond with the situation at hand, and with just a simple organizational scheme, you can master the circumstances just like a professional would.

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At http://www.mpdailyfix.com/2007/04/steps_to_better_impromptu_spea.html, at a web site entitled MarketingProfs: Daily Fix, Paul Barsch writes an essay entitled, “Steps to Better Impromptu Speaking,” and nicely extends the comments above by placing an important emphasis on practice. Barsch stresses the importance of organizations like Toastmasters for practicing, and he discusses the need to practice speaking on familiar topics as well.

At this web site — http://www.hawaii.edu/mauispeech/html/impromptuspeaking.html — Ron St. John, speech instructor at the Maui Community College, has constructed one of the outstanding public speaking sites on the Web. On this page are “Impromptu Speaking Tips,” and the five he lists include: 1) Start strong; 2) Choose a specific illustration, example, or experience; 3) Don’t try to cover too much; 4) Never apologize, and 5) Finish conclusively. In addition to this information you will discover almost anything you want to know about public speaking.

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Six time-tested ways dealing with fear of public speaking

She rose from her seat slowly, not knowing whether or not her legs would support her body. She moved to the lectern with her head down so she would not be distracted from her concentration on the first words she wanted to say. Her muscles were tense; her heart was beating five times faster than normal; and she had butterflies in her stomach. When she reached the lectern, she knew she couldn’t pick up her notes because her hands were trembling. She waited a moment to speak so she could gather more saliva and allow her shaking knees to settle down. This wasn’t her first public speech; it happened every time she had to give one.

Nobody doubts that next to snakes people fear public speaking the most. Fear of public speaking ranks higher than a fear of heights, being closed in small spaces, spiders and insects, needles and getting shots, mice, and flying on airplanes. Anxiety is triggered by stress, and some people are more vulnerable than others, but it is the same process no matter what you fear. Experiencing fear is universal, and fear of speaking in public is nearly universal.

Our bodies react to anxiety in different ways, however, the most obvious signs include tense muscles, trembling, churning stomach, nausea, diarrhea, headache, backache, heart palpitations, numbness, “pins and needles” in arms, hands, or legs, sweating or flushing, and dry mouth.

Avoiding things that make you anxious is only a temporary solution, and it will make you worry about what will happen next time. Also, every time you avoid something, it is harder the next time you try it. Avoidance, too, sets you on a pattern of avoiding more and more things. For some people, just the thought of having to give a public speech can trigger an adrenaline surge that quickens your pulse, raises your blood pressure, and kick-starts your anxiety. Just reading the opening scenario to this essay may be enough to cause some people to tremble or shake.

If it will help you cope with anxiety, remember these four things: First, even experienced public speakers get nervous before a presentation. Second, nerves do not need to be your enemy. Third, no matter how nervous you are, you are probably the only one who knows it. And, fourth, as long as you act like you are confident and play the role of a secure and knowledgeable speaker, you will be in command of the public-speaking situation.

There are six time-tested ways for dealing with nervousness. Remember, throughout this discussion, that some nervousness can be helpful. It produces energy, stimulates motivation, fires enthusiasm, and spurs animation. For many public speakers, a little nervousness empowers them to be inspiring, lively, even fascinating.

The first time-tested way for dealing with nervousness is to be prepared. If you prepare your speeches so thoroughly and so carefully that you cannot help but be successful, you will have taken the first giant step toward dealing with nervousness. I have never heard of a speaker being too prepared. If you begin your preparation early—as early as you can—you will be able to continually work with your ideas in your mind and change information as you think of new ideas or new ways of saying things. Also, early preparation gives you time to hone, polish, and perfect.

The second time-tested way for dealing with nervousness is to be positive. The best way to be positive is to stay engaged in constructive, practical, useful, and productive work. When you give your mind time to worry or to dredge up negative thoughts and ideas, it will fill the available time and then some. If you are speaking on a topic you care about, and if you discover information you want to share, you are more likely to have an optimistic, confident, and upbeat frame of mind. Start by believing you can give a successful speech.

Visualization is closely related to being positive, and it is commonly used by musicians, athletes, and actors. Picture yourself walking up to the lectern, having complete control over your behavior, delivering a forceful, effective talk, to a supportive, approving, responsive, and sympathetic audience. Repeat this process of visualization over and over.

The fourth time-tested way for dealing with nervousness is anticipation. First, anticipate some nervousness. It is common, but it can serve as a positive, contributing feature. Second, anticipate role playing. One of the best ways for countering any nervousness is to role play—just like a stage actor—coolness, calmness, and confidence. If you look like you re in charge and in control, your listeners will believe it. Third, anticipate something less than perfection. There is no such thing as a perfect speech. Remember, your audience will not know what you plan to say, only what you actually say. Thus, if you make an error, lose your place, or forget to say something, anticipate continuing your speech as if nothing happened.

Focus is the fifth time-tested way for dealing with nervousness. One problem that increases nervousness is when speakers focus on themselves rather than on their listeners or on their message. Worrying about yourself and your image—“Will my listeners like me?”—is vanity, and it is vanity of the worst sort. Worst sort? Yes, because to focus on yourself puts you above both your audience and your message. The entire process of speech preparation and delivery should be audience centered, so to suddenly shift the focus from them to yourself, not only demeans but discounts your prior preparation. Focus on audience-centered and message-related thoughts such as, “I have an important topic that will interest my listeners and hold their attention, and I have information that will be both useful and valuable for them.”

The final time-tested way for dealing with nervousness is experience, and there is no substitute for experience. Public speaking courses and organizations such as Toastmaster’s serve a valuable function—first steps in gaining experience. Those truly interested in becoming effective public speakers must take advantage of the opportunities in clubs and organizations, churches and family gatherings, weddings and bar/bat mitzvahs, and in work situations as well.

As public speaking experiences continue, your fears about public speaking will recede until they are replaced by the healthy nervousness that empowers you not only to do well, but to seek even more such opportunities. You are likely to find, from these experiences, that you will look forward to public speeches with interest, eagerness, and passion. It is at that very point when all your butterflies will be flying in formation!

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How do you give “The speech of your life”?

Let’s just say that as things have worked out in your life, that what you would like to have more than anything else comes down to giving what must be considered the speech of your life. How you come across, how you present yourself, and how you affect a group of people, is going to determine whether or not you get what you want.

The speech of your life comes from you, and your success depends on your message, you the messenger, and your magic. You can think about your message being the meat, you the messenger being the potatoes, and the magic being the spice. Let’s look at each factor.

The meat of your message depends first on study. Study is what makes greatness. Whether it is based on your own background, the experiences you’ve had, or research and investigation, great speeches reveal a depth of knowledge and understanding.

When your message comes from deep within you, it reveals your soul. Soul is that animating essence that we associate with your life. A great message is not just words; it is emotion, body language, and passion or spirit. People listen to your soul.

Finally, in a great message speakers share their scars. They reach into their storehouse for the blemishes, faults, and sores that make them human. Sharing their scars makes them human.

The important aspect of you as the messenger is that you be yourself. Know who you are. To know who you are, be a self-monitor. Examine why you do the things you do, why you say what you say, and why you think what you think. Look at your behavior.

Be introspective. Examine your thoughts and feelings. This involves self-searching, self-reflection, and self-contemplation. Know yourself, and show yourself. Tear away the veil, and reveal the true you—who you really are.

As a messenger, you must be sincere. This means being open, candid, frank, honest, and truthful. When the covers of your book are opened, are your contents thin, superficial, and shallow? Then enrich yourself by reading, listening, observing, and experiencing.

Finally, as the messenger, be direct with your audience. Let your audience understand what you know. Develop and polish rich, personal, soul-wrenching stories that will grab, hold, and bind your audience’s attention to your message.

As the messenger, you must project confidence (positive self-assurance), credibility (an authentic, believable, convincing, and trustworthy nature), comfort (that you are pleased and satisfied with your ideas), success (accomplishment, achievement, attainment, and victory), and polish (that you have spent some time perfecting, refining, and improving your ideas).

In public speaking, nobody asks for perfection; they can, however, expect polish!

Your magic represents the spice. It can be revealed in your writing, in your delivery, and in your embellishment. “Magic” does not come from supernatural powers or slight of hand. It comes from careful, thoughtful, planning and preparation.

Write out some of your ideas. Use antithesis (opposites), or the setting of one clause or other member of a sentence against another to which it is opposed. “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.” “What counts is not the number of hours you put in, but how much you put in the hours.”

Effective writing, too, utilizes parallel structure. Sometimes referred to as continuums, serializing, or stacking, it occurs when ideas of equal worth are given the same syntactical form. From the famous poem constructed in parallel form, “Children Learn What They Live,” by Dorothy Law Nolte, just two lines as examples: “If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn. If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight....” At the end of Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream,” speech: “So, let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York....”

Effective writing utilizes triplets, or, a list of three things. A list of three is always better than either two or four. Three is always more than four! “People are born, people live, people die!” “If you want to enrich today, plant flowers. If you want to enrich years, plant trees. If you want to enrich eternity, plant ideas.”

Your delivery, too, contributes to the magic. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. Delivery is a tool for expressing clear, interesting ideas without distracting the audience. Effective delivery is conveyed by your voice, language, and body.

Your voice is the sales tool that can sell your feelings and emotions. It is the most powerful, persuasive, professional tool you own. Vary your pitch (the highness or lowness of your voice), select the best rate (it depends on your personality, the mood you’re trying to create, the nature of your audience and the occasion), and avoid vocalized pauses (uhms, and ahhhs). Pauses are for time to breathe, for messages to sink in, to give listeners time to breathe, and for emphasis.

Language is important, and effective word choice can be magic. Study all your life to be a wordsmith—one who knows, works with, and shapes words. Pronounce words correctly, because incorrect pronunciation strips away credibility. Use proper grammar; it is a key indicator of who you are and what your background is.

Your body is an important part of your delivery. Pay attention to your posture, personal appearance, facial expressions, eye contact, and hands (forget your hands, but don’t forget to use them). And, never give your ideas to an audience; give your speech to individuals in your audience. Connect with one individual at a time. Weak eye contact looks insincere, insecure, and uncomfortable.

Finally, embellish your speech by telling key stories, using power phrases (“Attitude, not aptitude, determines altitude”), and using humor and quotations. Don’t use humor to get a laugh; use it to revitalize your audience. The best humor occurs naturally.

The speech of your life comes from you. Now, when you are faced with giving the speech of your life, you know you have control over the message, the messenger, and the magic. The real greatness within you awaits your recognition.

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On June 14, 2005, Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, gave the commencement address at Stanford University. Although not labeled as “the speech of his life,” clearly this was an outstanding address, and it includes a number of the elements discussed in this essay. Find the address at: http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html

Guy Kawasaki wrote a terrific essay, “How to Get a Standing Ovation,” on January 18, 2006, http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2006/01/how_to_get_a_st.html at his website, “How to Change the World.” His practical advice includes “Have something interesting to say,” and “Tell stories,” and all of it is useful and to the point. The comments about the essay that follow it are both worthwhile and entertaining.

Debra Hamilton, president of Creative Communications and Training, Inc., writes a basic essay entitled, “Giving a great speech: 7 secrets to dynamic, memorable public speaking,” which begins with advice such as “use an icebreaker,” and “focus your material.” Her essay is available at the ezinearticles.com website. Solid advice is given, and it is fundamental to giving great speeches. See article: Click here

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