Speech Preparation – Giving a Presentation

Do You Spend More Time Prepping Than Painting?

Preparing to communicate effectively means that it will take more time in speech preparation than it will in delivery. This is the answer to today’s subject line. In the painting world, prep time is greater than actual paint time. Remember – prep is extremely important if you want the paint job–or communication–to end up being completely professional When you’re about to deliver a speech or write something, go through these steps to prepare:

1.) Determine Purpose – Ask yourself:

• Why am I presenting?
• What do I want my audience to know or do after the presentation?
• What does my audience want to achieve?

2.) Plan

• Analyze and understand the audience.
• Think, brainstorm for ideas.
• Decide on medium, format (speech, email, letter, phone call).
• Organize – show your audience that you care by putting the material in an order that will make sense to them.

3.) Draft/Compose Notes

• Use the information compiled during planning.
• Write freely and quickly – it can be revised / edited later.

4.) Revise

• Present the speech.
• Listen for tone consistency.
• Listen for conciseness (try to take words out and still carry the same meaning / spirit).
• Check for clarity – if you were in the audience for this speech, would you understand why the speech was given?
• Verify word choice – make sure the words you use are audience-appropriate / user-friendly.
• Improve style – reposition bullet points so that the flow of information is even better.
• Present the speech – again, in front of a “test” audience, if you can, or even a voice recorder.

This information is from the Improving Communications Public Speaking class. If you’re looking for ways to improve your communication skills, register for one of our public classes.