7 Speech Tips for the Procrastinator
You’ve got a speech to give, but you’ve procrastinated. Not to worry, the Public Speaker tells you how to give a great presentation even if you waited until the last minute to prepare.
Lisa B. Marshall
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7 Speech Tips for the Procrastinator
You’ve got a presentation coming up. You’ve been thinking about it, but keep putting off actually preparing it because you know it’s going to take a block of time. You want to do a good job but time is running out. ;
This past week was National Procrastination Week, so today I want to talk to those of you who tend to leave things till the last minute. This episode is for those of you who agree with Mark Twain’s famous quote:
“Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.”
We all know procrastination is a bad idea. You’ve probably seen speakers who haven’t taken the time to prepare, and it usually shows. They ramble, they seem nervous, and they rarely make their point stick. Worse, sometimes they’ll even say, “Sorry, I didn’t have a chance to prepare as much as I would have liked.” Which, of course, is never a smart thing to admit. Even if you wait until the last minute, it’s still possible to give a good speech.
I want to be clear: I don’t recommend this as your default behavior, but there are times when you don’t have lot of time and you’ll need some hacks to help you create an excellent presentation quickly.
Here’s what I suggest:
Tip #1: Skip the Slides
If you’ve waited till the last minute, your time is better used preparing what you’re going to say than trying to create a slide presentation. It’s better to have no slides than to have unfocused, disjointed presentations. Your first step should be to think about your audience. Who will be in the audience? Why will they be listening to you? What do they already know about the topic of your presentation? Create your presentation with those questions in mind.
Tip #2: Focus on One Main Message
Ultimately, based on your audience analysis you should then write down the one thing you want the audience to say or do differently as a result of hearing you speak. This will become your main message and the rest of your talk will be in support of this main message. If you can boil it down to a catchy mantra or catchphrase, even better, but at a minimum you should come up with a single phrase that summarizes your key idea and be sure to weave that phrase into your talk at key points in order to make it stick.
Tip #3: Brainstorm Your Main Points
The next step is to put that main idea on a piece of paper. Give yourself 2-3 minutes to come up with supporting points. Don’t edit yourself. Write as many ideas as you can as quickly as you can. It doesn’t matter if someone else can make sense of what you are writing—it only matters if you do. Once the buzzer rings, choose the three best ideas you’ve got on the paper. Best for this audience, best to meet you goal.
Tip #4: Think of Good Stories, Examples, or Evidence
I always say that the best way to engage your audience is to tell a story. If you’re short on time to prepare, the next step is to think of stories that support the points you’ve just selected. You’ll also want to think about possible examples and evidence too. Again, give yourself a time limit and once you’ve listed everything that comes to mind, choose one story or example for each point—the one that is best for this audience. If you’re deciding between different options, keep in mind that some people are influenced by logical evidence while others prefer inspirational stories—try to include both.
Run through them in your head. If you have a few minutes, make each of the points separately with a coworker to practice. Make sure it’s authentic and is something you’re familiar with enough that you can tell it without a lot of preparation. The idea is to run through each point and example as if it were a separate mini-presentation.
Tip #5: Write an Outline and a Few Notes
Since you’re short on time, you won’t have a chance to write out your entire speech or memorize what you’re going to say. That’s OK – in fact it’s a good thing. If you write out your speech, you’ll be tempted to read it. Reading your speech is the quickest way to lose your audience. If you memorize, you might sound like a robot or get flustered if you lose your place.
Take 5-10 minutes to write out a basic outline and a few supporting notes. Be sure to think of something to say at the start and at the end that grabs attention and introduces and summarizes the main idea. Using a very brief outline will help you stay focused on your message, but gives you the flexibility to ad lib.
Tip #6: Arrive Early
Arrive at your speaking engagement a little bit early. If the room is open, go in and familiarize yourself with your surroundings. Where will you sit while you wait to speak? How do you get up to the stage? Where will you be standing? If there’s time, walk up to the stage and look around from that vantage point. Seeing where you’ll be will put you more at ease, even if you’re not completely prepared. If there’s a white board or flip chart, you may want write out the main idea and the supporting main points.
Tip #7: Visualize Yourself Giving a Successful Speech
You may not have time to practice much or record yourself, but you can steal a few minutes just before to do a little deep breathing and to visualize yourself delivering a successful speech. Be sure to be as detailed as possible—imagine the room, the audience, where you’ll stand, and even people telling you how much they enjoyed your talk!
Finally, if you feel you haven’t prepared as much as you’d like, no one else needs to know. Being prepared is always the best solution. If you take the time to prepare, you can take advantage of technology and practice. You’ll be able to record yourself and make improvements. But if it’s too late for that, the suggestions I’ve given here will help you make the most of the little time you have. Procrastinators can still delver a good presentation!
For more expert tips on giving engaging presentations, check out my book, Smart Talk: The Public Speaker’s Guide to Success in Every Situation.
About the Author
Lisa B. Marshall Lisa holds masters with duel degrees in interpersonal/intercultural communication and organizational communication. She’s the author of Smart Talk: The Public Speaker’s Guide to Success in Every Situation, as well as Ace Your Interview, Powerful Presenter, and Expert Presenter. Her work has been featured in CBS Money Watch, Ragan.com, Woman’s Day, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and many others. Her institutional clients include Johns Hopkins Medicine, Harvard University, NY Academy of Science, University of Pennsylvania, Genentech, and Roche.