Tip 645: Speak, Don't Read

From the Public Speaking Workshops: Speak, Don’t Read
The Situation

You walk to the stand. You put your pages of notes in front of you. And begin to read. 

And read. 

And read. 

And never look up.

And drone. 

And your speech, your talk, your presentation, fails. 

The Problem

When you read your presentation to your audience, three bad things happen. 

  1. You focus on your text, not on your audience. 

  2. You—usually—fall into a droning monotone.  

  3. Your audience begins to wonder what’s for lunch. 

A Solution

It’s a good idea, as you prepare your speech, your talk, your presentation, to capture your thoughts in writing. The text captures your thoughts and gives you a draft to organize, revise, and refine.  Your next step is to go over your text so many times that you can give your presentation without reading it. You know what comes first, second, and third. 

Start by reading it silently. Several times. Then read it aloud. Several times. Then transfer the ideas to notes and work from your notes. And practice from your notes. 

Your presentation comes alive. Nuanced. Authentic. You gain credibility with your spoken words—and your demonstrated hard work in preparing your presentation. 

Will your first times be frightening? Sure. That’s normal. But it’s worth it.  

We love this stuff. 

Kurt Weiland