Should you Write your Presentation?
If you are inexperienced you may wish to begin by writing a full draft of your presentation, including anecdotes, metaphors and anything you intend to use. This ensures you are totally familiar with your topic and with what exactly you are going to say.
Beware, however – the written word is designed to be read, not spoken. Written language is likely to be more formal and stilted. The language of writing is different from the language of speaking. Read aloud an article from the newspaper and you will understand this. Remember, you are a presenter not a speechwriter.
It will help to keep your sentence construction simple. Imagine you are talking to a friend and then write what you find yourself saying. If you are not sure if you sound natural, tape record a section of what you have written and amend where necessary.
Beware of putting too much talk into your talk
Make it easy for people to remember your key points. Less is better. Seldom do you hear people complain about a presentation being too short. Cut out the unnecessary points and words. Leave them wanting more, rather than giving them everything you know about the topic. Rather than telling them everything you know, tell them everything they need to know. You might want to adopt the following as a guiding principle: stand up, speak up and shut up. Less is likely to be better. It will help to keep your sentence construction simple. Imagine you are talking to a friend and then write what you find yourself saying. If you are not sure if you sound natural, tape record a section of what you have written and amend where necessary.
Condensing your script to notes
Speaking from notes has all the benefits of impromptu speaking and none of the drawbacks of reading. Your safety net is a set of notes indicating key points. Transfer key ideas, phrases and prompts on to cards and simply glance at your notes from time to time to check your next point.
Index cards 102 mm by 152 mm are suitable for this. They are easy to manage and are less distracting than sheets of A4 paper. You can hold them in your hand or rest them on the lectern or table. Should you suffer from trembling hands, cards won't reveal this as much as a flapping piece of paper. Some speakers tie a treasury tag through a punched hole to keep the cards together. If not, be sure to number them as dropping unnumbered cards can be a calamity.
Making notes
Ideally, notes should be:
- easily visible – use different font sizes, colours, underline, capitals, etc.;
- minimal – only put down what you have to, otherwise
- there is the danger you will write the speech;
- abbreviated; and
- in pictures as well as in words.
Using notes
When using your notes, bear in mind the following points:
- Don't apologise for making reference to your notes.
- Notes can aid your credibility.
- Rather than steal a glimpse, look at them. Having notes tells your audience you are planned.
- Beware of talking into your notes. Pause and look at your notes and then speak to your audience.
- Open and close your presentation looking at your audience, not at your notes.
- Beware of shuffling or playing with your notes.
Should you memorise your speech?
It is difficult to communicate with your audience if you are struggling to remember each word of your speech. There is the real danger that your talk will sound mechanical and will lack spontaneity. Memorising can create the fear of forgetting. When you forget your lines, there are no retakes, no stopping of the action. The show must go on.
Using storyboards
Some presenters use the storyboard format for their notes. The makers of films and TV programmes use storyboards. Sketch your ideas on paper: just add stick figures, faces, symbols, key words – anything that will have meaning for you and triggers a picture in your mind. You are likely to find it easier to remember your presentation from picture notes and you are likely to create pictures in the minds of your audience, making you ‘easy' to listen to.
