Impromptu speaking is important because
- There is no “private speaking”
- Thinking on your feet
- Act like a leader
There is no such thing as “private speaking” — except maybe when we talk to ourselves. That means that we are always on. Every time we speak, we are making a presentation of sorts. This includes both the prepared “formal” speaking opportunities and the day-to-day occasions when we open our mouths to speak.
Speaking on the spot gives others the impression that we have it together, that we are leaders. Think about the last time you were impressed by a company CEO’s ability to field and respond to questions. Didn’t the experience give you the impression that he or she really had it on the ball? Our ability to speak on short notice strongly influences the impressions people have of us.
Feeling follows action. When we cultivate our ability to speak on short notice, we act like a leader. Acting like a leader — even when we don’t feel like one — will lead to increased confidence and make you feel like a leader. Increased confidence will lead to acting even more like a leader and even more confidence.
How to speak on the spot
First, a couple of don’ts.
Don’t apologize.
Many people are so nervous that the first thing they say when they are asked to speak is something like, “I’m sorry. I’m not prepared.” Most of the time, the audience will have no idea that we’re speaking on the spot, but this unnecessary apology is a dead giveaway. When we apologize unnecessarily we immediately signal to our audience that we don’t have it together.
Don’t say too much.
Another common nervous tactic is to cover with too much information. We seem to think that putting up a veritable wall of words insulates us. The opposite is true. We often end up getting off topic or taking the conversation into areas where we’d rather it not go, alienating or boring our audience.
And, of course, the dos.
Do pause.
Pauses have three natural benefits. First they give our audience a moment to process what we’re saying. Our goal, after all, is to ‘’communicate’’! Second, pauses make our presentations sound more interesting, emphasizing important points. Third, pauses give us a moment to think. The brain is amazing. Our brain can speed ahead of what’s immediately happening and help us to prepare what we’re about to say or get back on track. By the way, one of the most important pauses to give us time to think is the one we take before we start to speak. We need not rush to start filling the air with words when a momentary pause might give us the time we need to gather our thoughts.
Do follow a pattern.
Patterns give us a framework upon which to quickly build our presentation. Patterns are a kind of mental outline that we can use to guide our presentation. A quick Internet search will reveal a number of suggested patterns. Two very effective patterns are:
Position, Action, Benefit
Position is what you believe. Action is what you’d like your audience to do. Benefit is what your audience gains by executing the action.
Past, Present, Future
This very simple pattern allows us to focus on the way things were, the way they are now, and the way we’d like to see them in the future.
Let’s consider a simple example. Let’s assume that we’re asked to speak about the beach. Here are two samples using the patterns.
“I love the beach! (Position) I would like you to come with me to the beach this summer. (Action) If you do, you will come to enjoy the wind, sun and surf as much as I do! (Benefit)”
“I didn’t go to the beach for the first time until I was 20 years old. (Past) These days I go to the beach as many as 12 times a year. (Present) I hope some day to own my own beach house. (Future)”
