Public Speaking Tip: Make Room for Mistakes

The best speeches made are not the ones that are fully memorized and delivered flawlessly.  The best speeches are the ones that the speakers are so adept at covering up their mistakes, you think it's part of the speech.

Let's face it, it is not always possible to memorize an entire speech.  Even actors don't do an entire movie at one go.  They have rehearsals and work based on one scene at a time.  Sometimes they need several takes to get it right and if they don't, they have editors to make one scene flow seamlessly into the next one.

Here are some our best loved tips to delivering a speech, not necessarily without flaws.

1. Have Cue Cards

Most speakers have cue cards containing the main points of their speech that they refer to periodically, but that's all of their speech that is written.  The others they expand from their main points, not necessarily word for word from what they originally planned on doing.  This is part of the art of public speaking that has to be learned, but it is achievable with sufficient preparation before hand.

The main points written on your cue cards must be descriptive enough to trigger your memories on what you want to say for that particular subject.  But remember, they are primarily for your reference and does not necessarily need to be read out to the audience.

2. Improvise

The biggest problem with memorizing your entire speech is that everything will be tied so tightly together that the slightest mistake or inability to recall what comes next could mean the entire speech is ruined, especially for a newbie who also has nerves and stage fright to deal with at the same time.

At the same time, the audience can tell you are struggling to recall things based on your facial expression and body language.

Seasoned speakers will know how to take advantage of the situation and improvise.

You basically already know the topic of your speech.  So what if you can't remember everything you originally wanted to talk about?  It's still a subject that you have some expertise in so there must be something else that you can share.

Just ramble on and let your words flow.  You could surprise yourself.  And if you do get off topic, guide yourself back on track.

3. Use Visual Aid

Presentation slides are the best visual aid there is.  They are practically your entire speech being flashed onto the screen.  The added advantage is your audience gets a visual of what you want to tell them rather than trying to imagine for themselves based on your words.

Finally, remember that it is your speech.  Nobody will know that you have made a mistake.  If it is something obvious, smile and acknowledge it, then move on.

If you would like the opportunity to hone your public speaking skills as well as learn leadership skills, join us for our bi-monthly meetings on every 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month.  Our meetings start at 8pm.  For further information please contact us at gurneyhydrotoastmastersclub@gmail.com or refer to our Next Meeting page for information on our next meeting.