“It usually takes more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.”ย ~ ย Mark Twain
Speech Insight From an Olympic Champion
Oneย evening, I watched an interview with Sage Kotsenburg. He was the Gold Medal winner of the slope-style snowboarding event in the 2014 Winter Olympics. ย
At one point, he said โI had no clue what I was going to do, even the day of the semis and the finals. I like changing it up a lot.ย I like just kind of making things different.โย
I thought, “Wow, he thought up all those incredible moves on the spot!โ
Upon further reflection, though, I realized what Sage was really saying. As a student of speaking, I know that no one ever stands up and has brilliant thoughts simply flowย through them in a perfectly concise manner. ย Mark Twain — with his words above — brilliantly captured the essence of this idea.
The Key to Being Able to Change at the Last-Minute
The ability to eloquently share your thoughts — especially in impromptu situations — requires writing, practice, evaluation, and re-writing — then, repeat the process. and more practice.
As the old saying goes, “There is no substitute for work.”
This is the only way you can reach the point where you donโt need to think about what youโre going to say, because you are in the moment, focused on your audience.
Setting the Stage to be Impromptu
I believe that is what Sage Kotsenburg meant in his interview.ย It’s not possible that he tried brand new routines on the biggest stage in the world, with Olympic Gold on the line, and won the competition.
Iโm convinced he had practiced those alternative routines, or elements of them, for years. This rehearsal gave him the confidence to employ these ‘new’ moves on-the-spot.
So, how can this help your next speech?
- Know your foundational message andย material. Internalizing your talk is the first key.
- Rehearse and drill possible alternatives to your speech — stories, additional research, data, etc.
- Research your audience. Know what their needs are, and how you can best help.
- Walk onstage withย moreย material than you need.
If you want the ability to โchange it up a lotโ or โmake things differentโ in pressure situations,ย follow these steps.ย Only then will you be able to shine when your gold medal moment presents itself.
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- How to manage your emotions when you speak
- How to uncover your best speech topics
- How to craft a speech that captures attention, keeps interest and inspires others to take action
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Michaelโs mission is to help leaders, managers and sales professionals communicate with more confidence, impact, and influence. This passion is born from his own communication difficulties early in his career.
Fortunately, he discovered that public speaking is like riding a bike, swimming or driving a car - itโs a learnable skill. Once he discovered this โsecretโ he became a voracious student of the craft. He took courses, studied some of the worldโs best speakers and storytellers and continues to study presentation and business storytelling skills.
He is hired by companies and organizations, leaders, managers and sales professionals, and TEDx speakers to help them become more confident, impactful and influential communicators.
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