One of the problems a reader faces is knowing when to breath so that he or she will have enough breath to read a prepared speech. This is why manuscripts sometimes are marked with vertical lines to note breathing pauses.
There are exceptions when a written manuscript is needed:
A short comment in a debate, a short explanation, a message to be taped and possibly repeated, etc. Maybe if you are convinced that you won't be able to surmount your nervousness. And you might in a few instances need a manuscript as a safety net.
For special occasions like the funeral of a good friend or at time when you think that memories, feelings, or sorrow will intrude. This is when the One-Channel Hypothesis has effects that interfere with your presentation. A manuscript can help you feel more secure.
Many presenters let a manuscript lie in front of them unused. When they see that the presentation is working, they don't need the written text. Often a spontaneous question has helped them abandon the manuscript. When they notice that the audience is really interested in what they have to say, their nervousness disappears.
Most skilled people are better at answering questions than at giving a speech
There are good reasons why interviews are the common form of presentation in the broadcast media throughout the world.
If you've written complete questions, you will have plenty of opportunities to regain control should you notice that you are not interesting enough or even if you lose your place! This will give you all the safety net you need!
There are innumerable stories about the rhetorical skills of Winston Churchill. One concerns a speech early in his career. He had memorized his speech to be given to the House of Commons, where manuscripts are forbidden. Suddenly he lost his place and forgot what he was supposed to say. Embarrassed, he sat down without finishing.Reputedly he never again made a memorized speech. He was supposed to have said that a speech must come from the heart and not from memory. (His famous radio talk was a literary masterpiece and was read from a manuscript. But Churchill was a good and trained reader.)
Should I practice before I give my presentation?
By all means. But practice by giving your presentation to one or more people. Encourage them to interrupt you with questions, preferably arrogant and provocative questions. Make a note of the questions which give you problems and prepare for the real presentation.Don't stand in front of a mirror and don't use a tape or video recorder. If you do, you are in danger of concentrating on yourself rather than on your listeners. And how can you be satisfied if your listeners are not?
If for some reason you have chosen or been forced to use the Logical-Historical Model and can't allow spontaneous questions, then practice will be necessary – if only to time the length of your presentation. The larger the group, the slower you will probably speak.
Consider how your presentation can be shortened, which parts you can omit if you have to, just in case you don't get all the time you thought you had ...
How will I know if I have enough time?
You'll always – and I mean always – have enough time if you use Headlining!
Havn't you red about it, do it now!One of the best things about Headlining is that you use your time effectively! You never have to worry about not having enough time – even those who leave early will have heard the main message and will just be missing details.
Start with the conclusion and use the rest of the time together with your audience to fill in details and explain. If you had more time and your audience was still interested you could have told them even more. Just as in the world of newspaper editing, where articles are edited from the "bottom up", let the available time and the audience's interest decide where to make cuts.
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Copyright © Bengt Hemlin 1995