Should you script your speech? Part 2

I’m hoping you’ve noticed that it’s been some time since my last blog post. I’m in the midst of a move and have had limited internet time. Hopefully I’ll be back on a regular blogging schedule very soon.

So far, I’ve covered the disadvantages of scripting your speech. As I mentioned, the advantages of scripting your speech far outweigh the disadvantages. Here’s my list of the advantages of scripting your speech:

• you avoid going on tangents
• you get your main point across with clarity
• you’ll be able to manage your time more effectively
• you won’t leave out important details
• you won’t include unnecessary details
• you can generate a media buzz for your organization or cause
• you will be using a model of previous successful speeches

Avoiding Tangents

A common problem among presenters (experienced and inexperienced) is the tendency to ramble or go on unplanned tangents. As an audience member, you’ve probably been subjected to this many times. I know I’ve experienced it, and I can’t say it’s ever been enjoyable.

Rambling and going on tangents happens when a presenter has a “brilliant thought” while he or she is in the midst of delivering a speech. Of course, the thought is so brilliant, the presenter feels the need to share it that very moment. The big problem is, the brilliant idea hasn’t been completely thought through. And unless divine intervention happens at that very moment, the presenter’s ability to explain that “brilliant idea” is limited. On top of that, the flow of the presentation will no longer be the same, so the presenter will spend the remainder of the speech trying to get back on track.

If you use a script (and resist the urge to stray from it in a moment of brilliance), you’ll avoid rambling and going on unplanned tangents. Your speech will also maintain a smooth flow from beginning to end.

Making Your Main Point With Clarity

It’s quite possible to deliver an extemporaneous speech and get your point across with clarity. There are some speakers who do it — and do it quite well — regularly.

On the other hand, there are many more presenters who are poor at delivering extemporaneous speeches, and they often leave their audiences wondering what the point of the entire speech was.

Those who can deliver extemporaneous speeches well are what you might call “gifted” when it comes to oratory. They are the Wayne Gretzkys and Michael Jordans of the lectern. But don’t be fooled … the gifted speaker’s ability to deliver an extemporaneous speech isn’t as spontaneous as it may seem. The gifted speaker doesn’t pull the right words of of thin air like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat. The gifted speaker has a plethora of stories, statistics, and anecdotes tucked away in the corner of his or her brain and can use the information interchangeably to argue a point. If you don’t have that abundant storage of stories and statistics in your head, don’t try this at home! Get a pen and some paper.

Yes, there are those who use scripted speeches and still don’t get their point across, but that’s because they either haven’t learned the principles of writing a successful speech or they haven’t taken the necessary time to craft a speech with a clear purpose. When you do know the principles of writing a successful speech … and when you do devote the time required, not only will you be sure to make your point, you’ll make it with clarity, conviction and the ability to convince your listeners.

Right On Time

One of the worst mistakes a speaker can make is to take more than their alloted time … it’s also one of the most common mistakes. It’s disrespectful, it’s inconsiderate and it’s just plain wrong. But every time you decide to “just wing it”, you run the risk of going overtime and falling out of favour with your audience. Even if your presentation is entertaining and people are enjoying it, you may be taking time away from other speakers on the program or cutting into the timing of other events that have already been planned. And if it’s close to lunchtime … let’s just say there are more difficult ways to make enemies.

There’s always the possibility that you may take up less time than you’ve been allotted, and audiences are very appreciative when presenters do this. But if your reason for taking up less time is that you don’t know what else to say, then you’ve most likely delivered an incomplete message and wasted the audience’s time. That won’t happen with a well-written speech.

When you script a speech, you can do more than just time your speech accurately. You can arrange it in timed segments which will allow you to eliminate parts of the speech without interrupting the flow. If you are forced to speak for a shorter period of time (because someone went overtime or the meeting started late), you can still edit your speech to fit the new time limitations.

Important Details

In an extemporaneous speech, it’s common for speakers to forget an important point they wanted to share with the audience. When this happens, the speaker usually repeats the old adage, “the audience will never know what you left out.” … but that’s a problem. Sure, the audience won’t know you’ve missed something, but you will have left them without information that may have helped them … information that may have driven your point home … information they needed to know.

There’s a lot going on when you give a speech — a lot that you’re responsible for doing and remembering simultaneously. So it’s quite natural for a presenter to forget some of the details he or she wants to share. Also, if the presenter is speaking “off the top of his head”, the most important details may not come to him until after the presentation is over.

Once again, that won’t happen if you’ve scripted your speech. A well-written speech will include relevant and important details that bring your main points to life and drive them home for the listener.

Unnecessary Detail

Are you familiar with the abbreviation TMI? It means “too much information”. It’s a term friends tend to use when they’ve been given more “personal” information than they’re comfortable with. Well, in the case of extemporaneous speeches, TMI is often a problem. Whether it’s giving far too much detail while telling a story, or simply telling a story that didn’t need to be told, examples of TMI run rampant.

I know this is getting repetitive, but … that won’t happen with a well-written speech. During the editing process, any and all irrelevant and unnecessary information is eliminated. So your audiences will be saved from TMI.

Quote Me

Another reason it’s a good idea to script your speech is for good PR. Depending on the nature and purpose of your speech, you may want the media to quote you in the news or in their publications. If they’re unable to attend the speech, you can always send press releases immediately after the speech so you can get more publicity and so your message can be more widely distributed.

Other Successful Speeches

It’s been said the easiest way to become successful is to find out what other successful people have done, then do it yourself. If that is true, then scripting your speech is a must. After all, John F. Kennedy’s inaugural “Ask Not” speech was scripted. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech was scripted. And Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” speech — which lasted only two or three minutes and contained only 272 words — was scripted too. Your speech may not be as far reaching as the ones I’ve just listed, but if your goal is to develop and deliver a successful speech, why wouldn’t you follow the example of those who have done it best?

Yes, it will take more time, effort and attention to create a well-written speech, but you have to make the final decision as to whether or not you want the benefits that go along with the hard work.

This past week, I did a coaching session with a client who was preparing to deliver a speech. I followed up with him by email to ask how it went. This was his response.

“In one word ‘excellent’. This is the first speech in my life where I have thoroughly prepared, including my session with you. I now understand the power of preparation.”

As a famous sports coach once said:
“The will to win is nothing without the will to prepare to win.”

Although the title of this post is “Should you script your speech?”, I don’t think it’s the appropriate question to ask. Rather than asking “should you script your speech?”, the more accurate question is, “how should you script your speech?”.

I’ll answer that question in future posts.

Tagged as: Gettysburg Address, I Have a Dream, Kennedy Inaugural, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking, Scripting Your Speech, Speech Writing