What do you do if lose your place during a speech?

It is not uncommon for a speaker to lose her/his place during a presentation. I’ve had it happen to me a number of times. Although it may seem like the worst thing that could possibly happen, it is actually manageable - the key is, not to panic. That will just cause you to have more difficulty recovering.

It is often said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That’s good advice, including in public speaking. With that in mind, here are a couple of ideas on how to prepare in advance.

First: Use Notes

In truth, if I lose my place it’s my own fault. You see, I typically don’t use notes when I speak. I do this because in the past I did a terrible job of speaking, and a lot of that had to do with how I used notes.

I would carefully write what I had to say – but then focused little on the delivery. I did that because I felt that my speaking skills were poor. I would stand up in front of the audience and hide behind my notes. I would hold them in front of my face and read through the words as quickly as I could. If I faltered or stumbled I wouldn’t let it slow me down – I would just keep firing words out at my audience, like a machine gun.

Obviously I didn’t lose my place too often – after all, I didn’t allow any other thoughts to enter my mind. The only thought was, read what I had written, and as fast as possible.

Of course I wasn’t that effective a speaker. I had missed half the public speaking equation. A presentation is made up of both composition and delivery. I had the composition down, but the audience wasn’t able to appreciate it because of my poor delivery.

What I needed to do was slow down and actually interact with the audience. That is what I do now.

I usually don’t use notes so that I am forced to interact. This may be a bit of overcompensation, but it works well for me. If you’re not inclined to jump off that cliff, I suggest you compose your notes in a manner that allows you to quickly get back on track.

The use of effective notes does not mean that you write down your thoughts word for word, as I did. It means that you have your key thoughts in front of you. Once you get hold of your next point from the notes, you will be able to continue your already rehearsed speech.

Some people use cue cards with one comment or note per card. They shift the top card to the bottom as they cover the point written on it. If they ever lose their place, they can look down and read the one point that they need to get back on track. This never worked well for me because the act of moving the cards removed my concentration from the speech.

The few times I have chosen to use notes, I have relied on a single piece of paper with just my points and sub-points written on it. I set it up so that I can quickly refer to it and determine the next point that I have to speak about. I know that once I have the point I will be able to speak on it, because I have practiced.

Prepare your notes in the method that works best for you – cue cards, simple notes, or whatever else makes sense.

Second: Practice Your Speech

That brings me to the second point – make sure that you practice your speech. Practicing will increase your confidence, help you uncover awkward spots, and help you remember when you are delivering it. A well practiced speech rolls off your tongue giving you more time to interact with your audience.

I am known among my friends for my ability to compose and present a speech in a moment's notice. There have been numerous times when I have volunteered to give a 10 minute speech 5 minutes before it is to be delivered. Obviously there isn’t time to practice in these situations.

But even with this ability, I still take practicing very seriously. If I have an important speech to deliver I will practice methodically – to the point of rehearsing for an entire day.

Are you going to want to rehearse for an entire day – probably not. I did this in the case of some speaking competitions and important engagements at large software conferences. The important thing to remember is that you need to practice the right amount for you. Take time in advance to prepare and practice to your level of comfort. You will find that when you are comfortable you will be much less likely to lose your place, and if it happens you will know where on your notes to look.

With a little preparation you can reduce your chances of losing your place while speaking as well as lessen the impact if it does happen. Notes and practicing are key techniques to use in this preparation.

In our next article we will examine some ideas of what can be done if you do lose your place during a speech.

You are granted permission to reproduce and distribute this article provided that all of it (including these notices) is included.

Visit http://www.EffectivelySpeking.com to get your own free newsletter subscription and start overcoming your fear of public speaking.

The author and publisher of the website have used their best efforts in preparing this material. The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of the contents of this website. They disclaim any warranties (expressed or implied) or fitness for any particular purpose. The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable for any loss or other damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages from the website. Use of the informationon the website is the sole decision and at the risk of the individual(s) choosing to do so.