Have you ever been asked to “say a few words” on an occasion? And totally babbled and blanked out? Well, this is a very common situation where we are asked to speak about something or give a presentation without any time to prepare or practice. In school I had a friend. She was a gifted public speaker who gave breathtaking speeches. One day she was asked to give an impromptu speech and she fumbled and stammered and did not know what to say. When we are asked to give a prepared speech, we have a good amount of time to include eye catching visuals, you can develop a grand theme and a strong message, but in Impromptu speeches we have no time and thoughts just seem to flood our brain. What can be done in such a situation? Can an impromptu speech be that effective? How can we give an amazing Impromptu speech? Let’s find out-:
To give an effective impromptu speech we need to follow a series of steps called LOTS-:
Listen to what we are supposed to speak about.
Organize our thoughts in a chronological order with an opening body and conclusion.
Think about what we are supposed to say, gather the first thoughts, quotes, feelings, stories that pop up into our mind when we hear the topic.
Speak confidently after completing these 3 steps.and try not to fidget or fumble l while doing so.
Few techniques we can use to give an excellent impromptu speeches are-:
P.R.E.P: The full form of this acronym is Point, Reason, Example/ Evidence/ Experience, Point. As the full form says it all we need to begin with a declaration. Support the declaration with reason. Now to make it even more convincing add some experience, evidence or example and lastly sum up with another declaration.
TENSES: This is only applicable for a few topics. Suppose you have to speak on technology. So, you can use the tense technique by speaking about technology in the past, technology in the present and technology in the future.
WEAVING: In this technique you start with a point, suppose Point A and build up your way to Point Z by building your way. Suppose indeed to speak about Forgiveness then Ican start with a random Point A suppose Exams which lead to Cheating which shall be Point B then maybe your parents Caught you and you pleaded for forgiveness this will be Point C. So here we start with a random thing blabber about it and make our way to our destination.
PROS AND CONS: As the name says it just starts speaking about advantages and disadvantages and comes up with a firm conclusion.
Few tips you can use are-:
Go with the flow
Gain as much Knowledge as possible by books, Articles, internet, Newspaper etc.
Add Stories (Grab audience’s attention)
Don’t be nervous nor panic, be calm and relax
Smile and appear confident.
Use body language and gestures
Avoid Jargon
Use rhetorical devices in English
Speak up from your heart and not your brain. Heart touched speeches are ever lasting
TOP TIP: Whenever you give an Impromptu speech make sure to answer the WH questions meaning Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. Suppose I need to speak on My favorite dish then I will include-:
WHO- Who makes the dish?
WHAT- What is In the Dish? What makes it so Special? What makes it unique and one of a kind?
WHEN- When do I like to have it? When is it prepared?
WHERE- Where is the dish native to? Where do I prefer to have it in restaurants or at home?
WHY- Why is it my favorite? Why do I love it? Why s it the best>
HOW- How is it made?
The following are some tips and tricks for a great Impromptu speech. How they will help.
Comments